FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER – SAND ISLAND COTTAGES
We got up early and packed our gear, then went out to find the market, leaving our packs in (LOCKED IN!!) the room. The market was well stocked with fresh fruit and veggies, and we spent about half an hour there, laying in a supply of spuds, cabbage, onions, garlic, tomatoes, beans and mandarins. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a supermarket for some basics: margarine, rice, drink, etc.
Back at the hotel, we shouldered our packs, and walked up to the matatu stand on Digo Road where we crammed ourselves into a matatu for the 5 minute ride to the Likoni Ferry. The ferry was free for pedestrians so we joined the throng of Africans walking on amongst the assortment of cars and trucks. As we were standing by the rail waiting for the ferry to leave, a couple of white folk in a yellow Moke drove on, so we decided to try and catch a lift. We moved up to the front of the ferry as it docked then stepped off and began walking up the steep ramp, keeping an eye on the Moke. As it came towards us, I stuck out my thumb and pretended to stagger under the weight of my pack, so they stopped. It turned out to be a couple of poms from Liverpool and they gave us a lift to the Tiwi Beach Road. We caught another lift down to the beach with an African guy who charged us KSH20.
Sand Island Beach Cottages is run by two white Kenyans, Francis (Fuzz) and Robert Forster, both of them cast in the same white Colonial mould. They invited us for lunch which was brought out by servants and eaten from china plates with Sheffield cutlery. Robert showed us the cheapest hut on the place where we could stay for KSH50 Kenyan each.
So, we moved our stuff into the tiny concrete room and I went back out to the road to look for my compass which I had dropped. I couldn’t find it so I had a cold Coke at the little kiosk across the road, then set off back down to the beach. We spent the rest of the day swimming in the tepid sea water & lazing on the shady sand under a tree.
CurseOfTheTraveller 