The Coast...part 1

Although my birthday was quiet, we definitely made up for it the following week and a half with a packed vacation to the Kenyan coast. The trip got off to a shaky start when I came down with a fairly high fever the day before we were scheduled to leave, but no worries. Like I mentioned before I was whisked off for malaria testing and immediately instructed to take antibiotics. Those Walter Reed physicians (Walter Reed is affiliated with the U.S. Army) sure know how to cover all bases!


The pool at the hotel. As you can see I am already relaxing...

Feeling about 80% we boarded the plane from Kisumu to Malindi. Even with the 8 hour layover in Nairobi I felt pretty good when we got in that evening. After a short taxi ride to the town of Watamu we were there and let me tell you it was gorgeous. The coast is known for its tourism and many Europeans take holiday there. As a result the landscape is a lot better kept than here in Kisumu and many resorts dot the landscape. We stayed at Turtle Bay, an all inclusive hotel right on the water. The plan was for Josh to attend a conference for work the first day and then the remaining time would be ours for vacation. After settling into the room we headed down to the buffet dinner and enjoyed a local native dance group.


The beautiful Indian Ocean
The next day I started my vacation the best way possible by changing into my swimsuit and laying on the beach most of the morning. The Indian Ocean was a site with the crashing waves and the very blue water. I was a little worried as we went in the off season, but despite the large quantities of seaweed on the beach it was beautiful. That afternoon we headed into the neighboring town to check out the Gedi ruins.


An archway in the ruins

The ruins are the excavated remains of a Swahili town from the early 1200s. The site is composed of many buildings and mosques with an outer wall surrounding the entirety of the city. Many artifacts including a pair of scissors, glass shards from plates and pottery, and jewelry have been found by archaeologists during the initial excavation. It is thought that there is still a large portion of the town that has yet to be recovered. Unfortunately, as many things go in Kenya, the community is awaiting the funds to continue the work. The site was beautiful and a little overwhelming at times. It was interesting to wonder how this once thriving town vanished into thin air around 1600. What happened? Where did these people go?
More ruins.