Watamu

I have spent the past three days in Watamu, Kenya. It is a small coastal town that is fueled by large Tourist Resorts. Ernest Hemingway made this place popular some time ago, as his namesake “Hemmingways Resort” accurately depicts. It is said that he came here for the fishing but local lore has it, he mostly drank himself silly on gin.

The fishing here is tremendous. The continental shelf is very close to the coast and provides a channel that feeds off of Madagascar Island to the south. Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Eldorado, Yellowfin are the catch of the day. This super-highway of fish brings them by at different times of the year. April through December, as I understand it, is the best fishing times but good fishing throughout the year. A lot of the locals make their living off of fishing (all the others make their living off of Mzungu). At low tide, one sees all the boats sitting 100+ yards off the shoreline sitting solidly on sand. When the tide comes it, it comes in. Anyhoo, there is a huge abundance of fresh seafood here and it is ridiculously inexpensive compared to the States. I had a meal here that started with Lobster Salad, then Sushimi, main course of Grilled Jumbo Prawns, and then dessert for about $28. The same meal in the States would have been closer to $55-$70 and not near as good.

The pace of life here is much slower than in Nairobi. Very laid-back and nobody is in a hurry. What Nairobi is to the States, Watamu is to Nairobi. The locals all wear shorts and t-shirts, and the mean temperature here, at this time, is between 75-85 degrees…and it is winter here. It is also “off-season” as the Mzungu do not really start arriving until mid-July. The waters on the coast are colder and the tide is higher and rougher until then. My last trip, there were tons of Mzungu mucking about, this time I am but of a handful it seems.

This trip, I came down here by myself (as was well documented in my last post). Because I am not with the “gang” this time, I have had a lot of time to myself as well as spent a lot of time with a couple of locals. It is very interesting getting their perspective on things…and their thoughts on Mzungu. Instead of going to the “supermarket”, I have gone to “Kiosks” to purchase things. Kiosks are where the locals shop and also things are much cheaper too. Of course, if I were to go there by myself, I would get ripped off. For example, I went to a pharmacy in Malindi (a larger town North of Watamu). I had run out of anti-malarial and thought it a good idea to re-stock as I am in one of the Malaria capitals of Africa. I had priced Malarone in Nairobi and it was KES 5100 for a 30-day supply. About equal to $70 USD; steep but inexpensive considering what Malaria can do to you. The nice lady at the pharmacy quoted me KES 5400 for 12 pills. I said, very politely, that they were ripping me off and told them how much it was in Nairobi. “…for you sir, I give you discount…KES 5100.” I chuckled quietly and thanked them for their time and walked away. Back in the car, the locals thought it quite humorous. ALL mzungu pay more here that is the way it is. Needless to say, I have been dousing myself with DEET every day, have Mozzie Chips (Mozzie is Mosquito here) burning two at a time under my mosquito net, and treated the nets with Premethryin. Do not have any Mozzie bites yet and hope to keep it that way.

One of the main reasons I came to Watamu was to coordinate getting the roof fixed on this place. The roofs here are made up of “Makundi”. Makundi, are shingles that are made up of some sort of palm leaf cut into strips, then wrapped around a stick. This forms a shingle, which bundled together makes a thatch roof. Each Makundi costs KES 5 (about 6 cents apiece) and I bought 3000 of them. They have started work and it is a slow and grueling process. First there is the tear-off, then replacing them one at a time. They are fastened to poles from tree-limbs spaced similarly to rafters in a conventional ceiling. However, instead of nailing or screwing, they are tied with other strips of the plant that is more durable yet. It is a very interesting process to watch. I also noticed that using a homemade ladder, they are doing all the work barefooted. I can’t stand on a ladder for very long without work boots and can’t imagine standing on one barefooted. These guys can do it all day. Regardless, it is very different and interesting compared to roofing in the States.

I am quite amazed at the resourcefulness of workers here. They utilize the things that are around them instead of relying on manufactured goods. The house was built out of stones and coral, the roof built of Makundi…all which probably originated less than a mile from here. They only brought a knife and machete with them along with a very rickety homemade ladder. And they are getting the job done. They also seem to be happy while they are working; they sing and whistle the entire time.

Other than the work on the house, things have been VERY slow. I have had a lot of “personal” time…not a lot to do here. The beach is not good this time of year and it is not a place where one can really go walking around…no place to go to. I have enjoyed it, none the less.
Last night, I had Madafu, nectar of the Gods. Madafu is young coconut which is considered still green. One whacks the tops off of them with a big knife then drinks the water that is inside. It is not like coconut milk, it is very clear. The taste is hard to describe other than it is really, really good. One can also eat the tender meat inside after drinking. It, again, does not taste like coconut. It is hard to explain, but it is very good right out of the fridge. I had two last night before going to bed.

Speaking of bed…with no distractions other than the Sun (i.e.: TV, Radio, Books, Etc…) I have been going to bed around 8:30pm or 9:00pm and getting up with the sun at about 6:00am. It is very nice and refreshing. Almost like detoxifying the body. It is a bit hot to sleep, but getting used to it by the third night.

Well, enough for now. I hope all of you are doing well and are happy in your own spot of the world.

T.C
FBO