Snorkelling in the Indian Ocean

This was our last full day in Kenya. The weather was sunny and bright with a few clouds on the horizon and a constant sea breeze. I took the opportunity to go snorkelling in the afternoon with a company based by the beach, not actually part of the hotel. Nick decided to remain and read – swimming isn’t really his thing!

Before boarding the glass-bottomed boat which was to take us to the Coral Reef, 0ur instructor Mohammed gave us a short briefing on safety and what to expect.

We waded out to the boat moored just off shore and were introduced to Captain Peter and Crew Samson. There were about 16 who had signed up although some didn’t actually want to go in the water. We motored south for about 20 minutes before stopping over the Nyali Coral Reef.

Mohammed and Samson got in the water and started feeding the fish with bread, leading them right under the boat so that we could look through the glass bottom and see their colours and markings. First there were the “zebra” fish – although later I learned that they should have been called “Sergeant Major” fish. The male were small with black and white stripes, the females were larger with blue and yellow stripes. Then came small black fish, similar in size to the Sergeant Major – these were black damsels.

Those of us who wanted to snorkel got on our masks and climbed over the side of the boat – there were about a dozen of us. We were given strict instructions not to tread on the coral or the sea bed and also to keep fairly close to Mohammed or Samson. One or two chose to wear lifebelts but I didn’t – the sea is so salty and buoyant – the hard thing is remaining below the water!

Once I got used to the strange sensation of having my head underwater and still being able to breathe, I absolutely loved it. Seeing the Sergeant Major fish up close was fantastic as they weren’t afraid of us at all. I loved the Black Damsels and saw other fish too: small shimmering blue fish which were possibly Blue Damsels and larger black fish with wispy fins – possibly Black Angels. It felt wonderful to be inhabiting their world like one of them.

There were two sorts of Sea Urchins – one with long black spines which would be very painful to step on barefoot and also the Cake Urchin which looks like a pale peeled Satsuma with prickles. Mohammed later explained how Sea Urchins emit zoo-plankton, which is eaten by marine life, big and small. The zoo-plankton which doesn’t get eaten eventually develops into....Sea Urchins which sink down to the ocean floor and the circle of life starts all over again.

There were two types of Coral that I saw – Brain Coral which is like a large smooth rock with brain markings (rather like mackerel); also Solid Coral (Porites Solida) which is another stone-like coral, good for reef building. Much of Fort Jesus at Mombasa was actually made of this (remember it was built in the 16^th Century!)

There were different types of seaweed: pale green rosettes as big as dinner plates, brown woolly "towers", green fronds on stalks (like a bunch of grass), Tufted Seagrass (like hair) and Cylindrical Seagrass (like string).

After snorkelling for half-an-hour, we got back on the boat and chugged another 10 minutes to the Nyali Starfish Garden. There was a huge number of large starfish here, almost plastic looking, like sort of “bad taste” garden ornaments. Some were brown with orange spots, some were black with blue spots and there were various other hideous colour combinations. Mohammed asked us to report back how many “amputees” we could see. It was a trick question because the answer was “none”. Starfish have an amazing ability to grow back limbs that have been lost to another marine animal.

More attractive were the Speckled Sandperch and Sidespot Goatfish. The former was a slender torpedo shaped fish with white-ish body and grey stripy markings, the latter was a white-grey fish about 12 -15 inches long with pectoral black blobs.

Less natural was a large amount of roof tiles! There was a shipwreck here in 1975 in which a boat carrying roof tiles went down!

Snorkelling was such a beautiful experience, I can’t understand why I haven’t done it before – and I would love to do it again!

Please note: apart from the first photo, the pictures in this posting are all taken from the internet as I don’t have an underwater camera. I shall take one next time though!

Wed 19th May – Mombasa Old Town

Before we left home, I had read on one of the online customer reviews of the Voyager Beach Resort that it was possible to have a taxi take us into Mombasa and transfer us to a walking guide. So I made arrangements at reception yesterday for taxi-man Mau to take us to Old Town for a walking tour.

Mau’s taxi was very clean and smart, unlike many taxis here! As we drove into Mombasa the traffic got slower and slower. At one point when we were at a standstill, next to a matatu, the driver said something to our driver through the open windows. Mau gave a sheepish laugh and we asked, “What was that about?”

“Oh, he asked me why I was looking so miserable when I was driving Wazungu (white people)! He says if he had a job driving Wazungu he would be very happy!”

Mau dropped us off at Fort Jesus where Ahmed, our walking guide was waiting for us. He started by showing us around the outside of the fort and helpfully drew a map in the sand. Apparently it represents the body of Jesus, so as we walked round it, he would say, “and here’s the elbow, and now we have the leg, here is the head.... etc”

The fort was designed for the Portuguese by Jao Batisto Cairato, an Italian architect, and is one of the finest examples of 16th century Portuguese military architecture, which has been influenced and changed by both the Omani Arabs and the British. The fort quickly became a vital possession for anyone wanting to control Mombasa. Between 1631 and 1875 the fort was won and lost nine times by the nations contesting control. When the British colonised Kenya, they used it as a prison until 1958, when it was converted into a historical monument.

It was right beside the old port which was now used as a bathing place.

As we went around the Old Town we were struck by how narrow and confusing the streets were. “Two reasons,” said Ahmed. “Firstly, in a city where the sun is overhead for a large proportion of the day, there is always some shade. And secondly, it is meant to be confusing – that puts the locals ahead of any strangers!”

There was a lot of architectural interest from the various occupiers over the centuries: British windows, Indian balconies, Portuguese doorways and engraved Swahili-Koranic phrases. Many of the streets were dirty and littered, similar to Kibera. Yet there was lots of life too – people preparing food and trading from stalls and barrows. I asked before taking photographs and was refused permission a couple of times, (by a women preparing samosas, and a man mending shoes).

It was distinctly more Muslim than we had encountered in Nairobi, with some Muslim women in full burqa with just their eyes showing. Most though simply wore a headscarf.

Clearly English football has a strong following here as we saw several wall posters supporting teams – Chelsea was mentioned quite a few times.

In certain places, cats seemed to be rather plentiful!The tour finished at the Spice Market where we bought coffee, vanilla pods and lemongrass.

The Lonely Planet Guide Book had a map for those wishing to take themselves on a tour of Old Town Mombasa but I wouldn’t recommend doing this on your own. Guides charge 300 KSh an hour which is less than £3, you learn so much and most importantly, you stay safe in a culture and setting which is so very different to ours.

Tuesday 18th May Goodbye A Rocha, Hallo Nyali!

We rose about 7, had one final walk along the beach, returned for a simple breakfast of toast and marmalade, packed, emailed a couple of people (Carol kindly lent me her laptop) and paid our outstanding debts (not a big amount, a hat for Nick and some sodas). Moses our taximan was there in good time to take us to Nyali.

We were sad to leave, as it had been such a good 5 days, in an idyllic location, with wholesome tasty food, good company and lots to see and learn concerning conservation. We also enjoyed great spiritual refreshment here - a time of singing and praying together on Sunday evening and a staff Bible Study on Monday afternoon. I do hope we can return here one day, maybe with others who are interested in the work of A Rocha.

Our next accommodation couldn't have been more different - the Voyager Beach Resort at Nyali. The Lonely Planet Guide is right when it states that the nautical theme is taken a bit far. We were referred to as "passengers" rather than hotel guests and shown to our "cabin" - rather than our room! Staff wore sailor outfits and a large banner in the entrance foyer proclaimed the port we were heading for eg one day it was Shanghai as that day there was a Chinese theme running through the food menu and the evening entertainment.

The resort was vast, with large palm-thatched buildings, whose interior structures were constructed from mangrove poles and extraordinarily intricate:

There were 3 quite distinct swimming pool areas. One, with an "infinity" pool, was child-free and very peaceful. The infinity edge of the pool lined up with the horizon so it felt amazing to be swimming as if we really were out on the ocean, like this:

There were several snackbars with reasonably priced light meals and several restaurants. The main one, the Mashua, was where we ate each evening and which had an amazing variety of food, always with plenty of fresh fruit and salads which was good.

We learnt from a taxi driver the next day that the whole complex was owned by the family of Kenya's first President - Kenyatta. Clearly this is a huge financial enterprise. It did feel strange to be in this seat of luxury after passing mile after mile of people who are living on "a dollar a day" or less. The injustice of it didn't sit comfortably with us.

Yet we didn't want to be ungrateful. Here we were beside the Indian Ocean with beautiful palm trees all around us, and a chance to read and relax after what had been quite a whirlwind trip. We wanted to make the most of the opportunity....

...but we never quite forgot that less than a mile away there were hoards of people who lived a very different life. The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is very wide in Kenya.

Monday 17th May - A Rocha – Bird Spotting

Sometimes people don't understand the point of bird monitoring and what that might have to do with people or indeed, Christian Mission.

I will attempt to explain....

Birds are an extremely important indicator of what is happening in our world, more specifically in any particular eco-system. By monitoring birds, the various species and the number of birds visiting an area, scientists are able to warn of changes in habitat that will sooner or later have an impact on humans. For example, the bird population in Mida Creek, mentioned a few blogs ago, indicates the health of the mangroves and the life they give to marine life that in turn supplies not only birds with food – but the villages all around – and beyond the immediate locality. If that eco-system were to collapse, the knock on effect would be disastrous for the human population, resulting in loss of livelihoods and food with all the associated problems of poverty and disease.

Which is better? – to monitor and correct whatever detrimental effect humans may be having on an environment? ...or - come to the rescue with food aid and all the other needs when an environment loses its eco-system and its ability to feed animals and people?

OK, that's a no-brainer! But why should Christians get involved? Why not leave it all to the scientists?


It's important to realise that when John 3 verse 16 speaks of God so loving the world that he gave his only son..... the Greek word John uses is "cosmos" indicating not just humans but the whole of nature in all its God-reflecting glory. Creation is treasured by God in itself, not because of its value to humanity.

Also did you know that caring for our world is one of the 5 marks of mission, as stated by The Church of England, www.anglicancommunion.org/ministry/mission/fivemarks.cfm

• To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom



• To teach, baptise and nurture new believers



• To respond to human need by loving service



• To seek to transform unjust structures of society



• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth

Having a Christian conservation organisation with qualified and committed scientific personnel has an important impact regarding Christian witness and credibility in the world of conservation and science. It also helps to break down the artificial "sacred-secular divide" thinking that some Christians can fall into.

Malindi District where A Rocha is based is home to some of the richest and most diverse habitats in the whole of Kenya; in fact 10% of Kenya's Important Bird Areas, considered internationally important for bird conservation, are found within a 30 km radius of Malindi. Despite the richness and diversity of local habitats in this area, an exploding population and desperately high levels of poverty are putting a huge strain on the delicate relationship between the local people and the surrounding environment. By working with the local communities, A Rocha Kenya aims to achieve the long-term conservation of threatened habitats and species in the Malindi-Watamu area. ARK was formally established in 1999 and opened the Mwamba Bird Observatory and Field Study Centre in Watamu in 2002.

Colin Jackson, Director of A Rocha Kenya (in the green shirt above) has been a keen environmentalist and ornithologist for many years. The register for recording birds seen in this area is meticulous and awesome! Whilst we were staying at Mwamba, two visitors came who were also extremely committed bird watchers, one Belgian and another Norwegian, who was connected with BirdLife International. The Belgian (on the right with cap, above) was committed to photographically recording every known bird in East Africa and was delightfully fanatical! He carried a large microphone (visible in the photo) connected to a digital recorder and would record a bird's call and then play it back to them in the hope of drawing it closer so that he could photograph it. He was keen to capture the Malindi Pipit on his camera, and after many patient hours and indeed, days, he succeeded!

The bird below might be the Olive Sunbird although I don't think its beak is curved enough. If anyone recognises the species would they put it in the comment box at the end of this blog?

One early morning whilst we were walking in woodland behind Mwamba, Colin suggested that one useful task would be to clear some of the paths which had become too overgrown to walk unimpeded. That would also enable them to set up bird nets, which is a safe and humane way of catching birds to ring them for monitoring purposes. So, on our last full day at Mwamba, Nick and I pulled on some old clothes and set off with secateurs, long handled pruners and the deadly-looking "panga" – machete!

It was hot and humid and we only lasted an hour and a half. We were dripping with sweat and very thirsty by the end, but it was satisfying to do and a small way of contributing to the community here.

Further information can be found on these two links:

http://www.birdlife.org/

http://www.arocha.org/ke-en/index.html

Still Sunday - visit to Gede Ruins

After church we walked 1 kilometre to Gede Ruins, an ancient Islamic site. It is interesting to see that we are often charged 5x as much as a Kenyan to visit places of interest. Here it was 100 KSh for a local to visit and 500 KSh for us "Wazungu" - white people. (Approximately £5.) It was another 300 KSh to have a guide show us round, which greatly increased the interest and enjoyment of the visit. We had Rebecca as our guide, who provided us with lots of information about the history of the site and also the vegetation.

Gede Ruins was what was left of a 12th Century Swahili village that was mysteriously abandoned some 600 years ago - possibly due to cholera, possibly due to an invasion from Mombasa. Excavations between 1948 and 1958 revealed that the Muslim inhabitants traded with people from all over the world. It is now a National Museum, and the ruins are heavily overgrown with weird and wonderful indigenous shrubs and trees such as the Baobab, the Tamarind, the Strangling Tree and the African Sycamore. More about some of those in a moment!

There were the remains of various buildings - a mosque, a palace, a court a bathhouse as well as other buildings used for housing and food storage. There were also latrines known as longdrops. One was situated quite near the well for the mosque. One theory was that the village was abandoned when cholera broke out, made worse by the inappropriate siting of the latrines to the water supply. Most of the wells have dried up now and at least one of them was being used as a nesting place for a pair of owls! One of the wells had a dip at each corner. This would have contained a small dish containing fish. It was there to attract mosquitoes to breed, then the fish would devour the eggs.

The mosque had different doorways for the men and women to pass through; the men's was quite ornate, the women's quite plain.

Inside the mosque, the men would have been at the front and the women at the back, separated by a wall. At the front there was a small semi-circular alcove where the Imam would have stood. By facing away from the congregation his spoken words would have bounced off the alcove and been amplified for all to hear. The alcove had 5 ridges to signify the command to pray 5 times a day. You can just see the right hand edge of the alcove on the left of the photo below.

The palace doorway on the other hand had 4 ridges - to signify the Sultan's 4 wives!

The sultan had a secret place where he would sit quietly each day. The wall above him had 3 slits so that he could hear his courtiers conversations the other side. It seemed to them that he had the most amazing understanding of all that was going on and it certainly put the Sultan one step ahead if there was any disloyalty amongst his courtiers!

There was a dated tomb with an Islamic inscription. It was from 1399 AD - or 802AH - that stands for Ahijirah which means the migration of the prophet Mohammed from Medina to Mecca. The Arabs count time by the moon whereas the rest of the world uses the sun.

Now some trees! This is Nick and me beside the enormous Ficus Bussei. It is a Fig tree that can grow 20 metres tall and is only found in East Africa.

Below is the African Sycamore. It has a very slippery bark so the trunk cannot be climbed by monkeys or snakes. Apparently the bark can be used as medicine in the treatment of malaria.

Below is the rather sinister Strangling Tree. It is a parasite and attaches itself to another tree and sucks all the goodness and life out of it for itself. You can see the dead remains of an old Flame tree that was used. Now the tree has attached itself to another Flame tree and the same thing will happen to that one. Euorgh! Creepy!

If you'd like to find out a bit more about Gede Ruins, here's the Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins_of_Gedi

Sunday 16th May (4th day at Mwamba - A Rocha)

On Saturday evening we decided that the next day we would attend church at St. James, Gede, ACK - the Anglican Church of Kenya. Belinda and Henry rang and booked ahead for a "tuk-tuk" to take us there. Then they rang again this morning to check they had remembered..... and again to ask where had they got to! And again....! Eventually it turned up half an hour late and we realised we would be late for the start of the service.

The onomatopoeic tuk-tuk is a three wheeled motor vehicle somewhere between a motor bike and a Reliant Kitten. It is probably the worst vehicle for the roads around here because it is so difficult to miss a pothole! And the roads are full of potholes. Still it was an experience we were keen to try.

Although it got us to church half an hour late, it turned out that we weren’t late after all because the first church service had overrun and the service we were aiming for hadn’t even begun.

We keep reminding ourselves about “African Time”!

The church building was made of breeze blocks and open on three sides. This made it easy to see in and out of the church. It was a good example of “a church with no walls”, something we’ve talked about at Holy Trinity Knaphill. To our left, about 100 yards away, there was a group of children having Sunday School under a tree. During the service, some chickens came in from the back entrance and began to peck around. There was even a cockerel which startled us all at one point with a mighty crow!

The service was very formal. The ministers both wore robes and we knew all the hymns – from our childhood! There were about 20 of us in all, including Carol and Stanley from A Rocha with their 18 month son Jordan who was good as gold throughout the service. Later we discovered that Carol used to be on the Preaching Rota but hadn’t returned to preaching since the birth of Jordan. We encountered her in Bible Study at A Rocha the next day and found her to be a breath of fresh air, a solid Christian who is able to articulate her faith clearly. Get yourself back on that Preaching Rota we encouraged her!

We liked the way church ended – with the Ministers leading us all outside and shaking hands with each person, who then joined the line so everyone ends up shaking hands with everyone. Simple but clever. We must try that at Holy Trinity and St Saviours sometime!