A Kenyan Christmas

Luckily it only took a day or so to get the car all sorted, during which I got to spend some time with Dad, including having drinks in a local bar with a rather “overly friendly” barmaid who tried to convince me I wanted her to be my Dad’s girlfriend – possibly the ickiest half an hour of my life! My Dad however loved the attention and found it very amusing. Once the car was sorted and Dad, Chris and David were set up with windsurfing lessons and beach time I got the time to take Mum on a trip to Kilifi and show her my “home”, and all the little bits that make up my life in Kilifi, including the office, the veg market and boatyard. Once the trip to Kilifi was done we also headed on a little  shopping trip to Malindi. My Mum, as I knew she would, loved it there. We spent hours going round the market, had a lovely lunch, bought a bunch of bags, kikoys and ordered a few pieces of clothes to be made for friends back home.

Then came Christmas day! I had been planning it for a while, and so by 5am we were all up and on our way to Kilifi to meet Rossano at the boatyard. If you are going to have Christmas in the tropics, why not do something a little different… For us a day of deep-sea fishing! I had never been and was desperate to go. The boys were keen too and for Mum the idea of a day to catch some sun and the possibility of dolphins meant that we were all very excited as we stepped onto Matamu.

Our Captain for the day

I will be honest… The first 3 – 4 hours were not great! There was nothing out at sea. Not even a single bird…. Ok well there was one, and this was the start of the excitement. Ross noticed a drowning gannet and being the lovely man he is, decided to save it. Problem is, when you have an exhausted bird close to death they don’t feed so well and beyond getting the thing out of the water, Ross hadn’t given much thought to the situation. So of course it fell to me, the only person to have ever handled birds professionally to deal with the thing.
So here is your lesson in what to expect when trying to save a half drowned sea bird….
1) They are very defensive and have serrated beaks to grab at slippery fish – so when you approach one it will go for you, and when it gets your skin it hurts!
2) A half drowned bird will not feed well – solution you must hand feed the bird, again risking your fingers on the beak,
3) If so exhausted there is the possibility that the bird will not even take food from your hand (as with our little fella), therefore you must personally put the fish into the birds throat! This is where the fun really started (well for all those watching at least). I was sadled with the task of using one hand to ply open and keep open the exceptionally sharp beak (basically shoving my fist in its’ mouth) and with the other hand putting the fish at the back of its’ mouth so it would swallow the fish

One rather soggy gannet!

The damage done on my first attempt to feed the bird!

Luckily after a while, and with some very sore hands the bird began to pick up and started to get its’ energy back. This in itself was a bit of a problem. The bird didn’t quite have enough energy to fly, but did have enough to run around the back of the boat getting in the way, and trying to bite everyone. We tried moving him to the front of the boat, but the force of the wind, and a minor incident of him nearly falling through a hatch into the lower decks of the boat meant that in the end we spent the rest of the day fishing with a rather snappy gannet terrorising the boat boys and being hauled around the boat so people could actually fish.
Shortly after the gannet was back on fighting form (literally) the dolphins came. Two huge schools that kept coming in and out, crossing the path of the boat and playing in the front wake of the boat for ages. They were so stunning and it was great to watch them.

Not long after the dolphins the fish began to bite! First Dad and Chris were up for the small bites, two Dorado. Then the bigguns began to bite and it was Uncle David’s turn with the first sail fish of the day, somewhere in the region of 22-24kgs. David successfully pulled his in, got it tagged, got his photo and the fish was released back into the water. About 10 min later another reel went and Dad was up. A little more of a struggle this time, but again it was successfully caught, tagged, photographed and released.

Chris reeling in a Dorado

David with his Catch

Dad and his sailfish

Then a little while later was the triple hit! Chris first, who got down into the chair and stared reeling in. Then within seconds two at a time, one for Ross upstairs and me downstairs. Ross’s soon dropped off much to his disappointment, but Chris and I had ones on for the fight. I was left standing to reel min in, which for most of the fight required one of the boat boys to cling onto my back to make sure I didn’t go anywhere! But soon we were there. Both of ours came in at the same time and the decision had to be made what to do – we couldn’t have two sailfish in the boat together if we were planning on releasing them. The boys had a look and noticed that the hock from Christopher’s rod had unfortunately gone through the eye of his fish, meaning he couldn’t release it, so mine was tagged on the side and let go and Christopher’s was bought in. But the boys made sure they did a weight check on mine before it was released and at an estimated 26kg mine was the biggest catch of the day!

Me giving it all I've got and John near by to make sure I don't go overboard!

How is it the strongest got to sit down??? 

The fun wasn’t over yet, once back on shore Christopher’s fish was hung up and measured at the boatyard and officially recorded. The Sailfish was then sent off for the meat to be smoked and the bill to be prepared for the wall in Uncle David’s new apartment in Hong Kong.

Chris weighing in his catch

Once all was settled we made our way back to Watamu. We arrived in time to change and exchange our Christmas presents before a wonderful Christmas meal of our freshly caught Dorado (which was incredible), lobster and some of the yummiest prawns I have ever had. Quite possibly one of the best meals I have ever had in Kenya, if not in my top 10 of all time. It was fantastic, and a wonderful way to end a really lovely day.

Our Christmas tree and presents

Our freshly caught Dorado

Yum!

Family Christmas Dinner

We then had a couple more days around the house and at the beach before Chris was off back to the UK and the rest of us were off on our next little Kenyan adventure.

Coming and Going

Returning to Kenya was as intense, if not more so, than my first visit. Within a week of being back I had drank more than I had in the previous months (combined), acquired a burn the size of a novel, and even made some new friends.

My second night back in Kenya I went to a Halloween party where I caught up with almost all of my old friends, had an incredible time, but unfortunately was where I also seared off a chunk of my leg on a BBQ. The next day, amidst one hell of a hangover, I realized that the night before had pretty much epitomised life out in Kenya, and what I would be facing over the coming months… It was exciting, busy, crazy, a little scary, fun and very painful, but worth every second! The burn took weeks to heal and I got to experience Kenyan healthcare - one thing is for sure they are efficient, and don't deal with whining. As if the burn itself didn't hurt enough they cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide, who knew skin could fizz like that! But the burn healed quickly and I must admit I was very impressed with the level of care. And what's more I was now on first name terms with the doctor and some of the nurses, which can only be a good thing.

Not a pretty sight, but luckily healed ok

Over the next few weeks I settled back into my African life. The first couple of weeks were very odd, it looked as though nothing had changed since I had been away, but everything felt different. The people were the same, what everyone did was still the same but nothing felt the same. I realised that the main reason for this was me. I had returned with a new focus and confidence in what I was doing and towards my life out in Kenya. I was now back knowing what I had to do, and with the spring in my step that can only come from having been home. But it was now time to make Kenya my home, and crack on with what was quite literally a mountain of work.


The next few months between my return and the Christmas break I got back into the swing of Coastal life. Mixing in a few parties and social events with work. In the space of two months I drove miles around my sites, met with a host of Village Elders, potential field staff and local governmental officials. I figured out my work plan for the rest of my field season and got more work done than I had believed possible. In addition during this time I transformed myself from vampire to 70’s porn star (with a pearl necklace that was lost on many of the party goers), to Pirate, to black tie not to mention thanksgiving dinner and attending a range of charitable events, including the legendary Movember event in Mombasa with some of the finest moustaches I have seen in a very long time!

Pearl necklaces and wonderful wigs

Mullets, Moustaches and builders!

Our glorious hosts doing 70's porn to it's finest

My attempt at the Jolly Roger!

Pirating it up

Black tie and Bond Girls

Awesome Mo's!

As I often seem to do, at this time I found that my social life mirrored that of my work life. I have found, as many people might, that when my work is going well I find that I approach life in a much more positive way, and as such have far more fun both at work and in life. During this time I was able to get so much organised and set in place for the start of my data collection in the New Year. At the same time I met a whole group of new people – it turns out the coast is not only an incredible place to live and work, but it’s where most people not from the coast chose to head on their vacation. So I met people from Nairobi and around the country, as well as those from further afield.

I also began to explore Kilifi and make a great little band of friends there, making Kilifi feel as much home (if not more so) as Mombasa ever did. With my new little group I began to go cycling at the weekend, swimming and having after work drinks. It began to feel as though life out here was normal and I felt as though I had never been away. Life bounded on at its usual speed, or I should say my usual speed, until unfortunately, after a wonderful weekend, I came down with Malaria, which threw me for a loop. I don't think I have ever felt so bad in my life. Although it only takes 3 days for the medication to work, it takes weeks to fully recover.

Down at the Takaungu Creek on a ride round Kilifi

Luckily, not long after this when feeling rough and low (both about life and work) and whilst still properly recovering, Seline (my friend who is doing her PhD in Malawi) came to visit. It turns out that, especially when you feel wretched, it helps every now and again to have a little reminder of home, and/or someone who knows you well and can sympathise with what you are going through. Luckily for me Seline is all the above, and we had the most wonderful time. It set me up for the next few weeks before the Christmas break, and was exactly what I had needed.

Seline and I after a day on the water

After Seline's visit I felt invigorated about my work, and re-found the enthusiasm I had come back to Kenya with. I settled back into my work and life again, making the effort I should have been making towards both but had been severely lacking since getting ill. With Seliene just an email away and realising I could now turn to my new little group of friends when needed I dived back into work for the remaining working weeks of the month, and got my life back in order. It is true what they say - wherever you are, and whatever you do, it is essential to have a support network around you. And I had now discovered that on top of my fiends and family abroad I had my own little group here too.

Home Part Three: Work and Play Across Europe

Following the wedding I had less than a month and a half before my return to Kenya. If anything this was going to be the most hectic part of the trip. My return to Canterbury was a hectic mix of work and play. An intense month saw me cramming in hours of database entry, analysis, meetings and copious amounts of writing as well as discovering the joys of the Goods Shed! I had many wonderful lunches with the girls from my department, and some great nights out with them and other uni friends.

Gorgeous deserts at the Goods Shed

Artistic creation by Jordan Amirkhani - result of a productive day shopping

Kirsten's awesome birthday cake - not sure who's smile is bigger !

I also managed to spend time in London and Oxford catching up with my sister, and some of my closest friends. Although I had a truly wonderful time I was also reminded of all that I miss when I am away. Luckily though I was also reminded that even if I spend a lot of my time away I do not lose those who mean the most to me and I am left with the one of the greatest pleasures of returning – catching up with the people you care the most about when I’m back.

Oriel Guest Night Dinner with the Gorgeous Elizabeth Russel

My last few weeks back I decided to combine a little more work and pleasure, but this time through Europe. First I stopped in Nijmegen in The Netherlands. It was a surreal weekend where I got to catch up with my partners of crime from our time in Kenya, Sinead and Kim. We had a great time exploring the city, spending time together, riding bikes of death, making our own sushi, going speed dating and meeting a lot of new people.

Making Sushi!

My partner in crime!

Yummy Raw Fish

Freshly made Stropwaffels! So yummy.

After my time in The Netherlands I made my way by train to Zurich to attend the first Sacred Natural Sites Symposium. On my arrival I headed into town to work on my presentation and caught up with an old MSc buddy who was also attending the symposium. I had 3 wonderful days in Zurich. I hadn’t returned to the Zurich in nearly 10 years since my parents had lived there. So along with the work that was to be done I also got to explore and remember the city. I was staying just round the corner from where my parents used to live and my hosts kids even went to the school that my brother had been to. It was great to see everything again, and see all that remained the same, and all that had changed.

Zurich lake

The symposium was a huge success. My presentation went down well, I got great feedback and ideas for my research, made some fantastic new contacts and even found myself agreeing to be in charge of setting up a young professionals group and starting up a Sacred Sites Newsletter. Once the symposium was done I had a day to explore the city and reminisce once more before returning home. Ashley (my friend from Oxford) came with me for some of the exploring including a most indulgent trip to the Sprugli café (the only place where it feels wrong NOT to enjoy gold-leaf coated chocolate).

Awesome Sprugli Chocolates

After Ashley left I had a little time before my return home and my last night before heading back to Africa. I got myself my favourite Swiss snack (bratwurst) and sat by the lake in the sunshine. I then went wandering through the streets, past some gorgeous shops and found a great place to sit, read my book, listen to some music and look over the lake and the city. I perched atop a wall above the lake and could see the whole city – it was such a peaceful and lovely spot, I began to feel very smug! But as they say pride comes before a fall, and for me it was not so metaphorical. No, I didn’t fall into the lake (I know some of you would have loved that!), but when shifting to relieve a numb bum I didn’t keep a very good eye on all my things, and as I moved my I-pod slipped from my lap and into the waters of the Zurich lake. There was a split second where I nearly went in after it, then some rather embarrassing scrambling as I tried to work out how I could reach it, followed by what felt like hours watching it shimmer from the bed of the lake, screen shining as though proud of itself for having landed so close by. As its case slowly drifted into the middle of the lake I continued to stare at the I-pod until I realised there were increasing numbers of people staring at me. I decided now would be a very good time to make my way to the airport.

Yummy Bratwurst!

For all the Kenyan's who read my blog - A little more posh than our Bamburi!

A shop after my own heart!

My Ipod, in it's final resting place at the bottom of the Zurich lake

My return home was not my smoothest of evenings. Instead of getting the train into London, I somehow get myself onto a bus, only half way into the journey did I realise it would take me twice the time to get into town, and therefore would miss my dinner booking with Mum, Louise, one of my best friends Elizabeth and my step niece Jess. I therefore had to jump off the bus onto a tube and run through half of London with all my things to make it only one hour late for dinner. Although everyone was a little tired it was a wonderful evening and the best way to spend my last night in England. As I said goodbye to Elizabeth and made my way back to Louise’s with her Mum and Jess I couldn’t believe that my 2 months had passed, and that I had actually achieved everything I had planned in such a short space in time. I had never envisioned my trip back as being a holiday, but one thing was for sure, I’d probably need a little time to recover.

Home Part 2: The Wedding

Following the hen and subsequent catch-ups I made my way home to Devon once again – this time to prepare for the event of the year: Alice and David’s wedding.

In just 5 days I somehow managed to mix in work, sorting out things for Kenya, going through my things for storage, making bunting, helping with name cards, favours and wedding decorations, not to mention making 96 cup-cakes in 3 different flavours all hand decorated. It was a whirlwind week and all of a sudden the last night of my sister being a Shepheard-Walwyn arrived. A long time ago, when we were kids, there came a tradition, where Alice would – for many different reasons, come and share a bed with me. And to my joy, restless and nervous, Alice found her way to my room and I got to spend some amazing quality time with her whilst she was still Miss Alice Shepheard-Walwyn, Shobbly-Wobbly, Swallow, Silly-Willy and all variations there of... We talked of marriage, family and made lists of all the things not to be forgotten the next day. In the wee-small hours we finally got some much needed rest.

Flowers Along the aise

Flowers done by ladies from the village

The next day was a whirlwind of activity from the moment we got up. By 10am there were a team of hair-dressers and make-up people ready to turn those of us more at home crawling through bushes into more sophisticated looking beauties... And wow, they did the most incredible job. Both my sisters look stunning as it is anyway, but I never saw myself as suiting a quiff and actually scrubbing up quite well – who knew I could look classy! Alice has always been stunning, but it is true what they say – being a bride really does do something to a girl. I have never seen her look so excited, happy and stunning. She literally took my breath away once I saw here ready to walk the aisle.

Alice Having her hair done

Louise stunning even before make-up is finished!

Not so shabby once scrubbed up!

The glowing bride!

I felt so proud standing by her at the alter. And of course, I shed a few tears with Louise as we watched our big sister make the biggest step of her life, and say I do to the Love of her life. The ceremony was sentimental, funny, beautiful, and quite simply perfect. And despite considerable temptation and bribery the vicar even managed to resist calling David Jedward when announcing his middle names. I am sure everyone says it, but it was the most wonderful wedding I have been to, and Louise and Paul have quite the mission to match it when their turn comes round J

The reception was the best I, and I was assured most people, had been to. I would in fact go as far as to say that it was possibly the best party I have been to! There were so many wonderful friends and family, incredible food, and beautiful decorations. The fact that the place had been decorated by friends and family, and there had been such love and attention put into the place I think really helped to make the venue so very special. The speeches were wonderful – Dad and David’s were both touching, amusing and thoughtful. Both made me laugh and cry, and I was so truly happy. The best men outdid themselves. I am sure that there is much that David would have preferred we didn’t all now know, but my word, they had us all literally in stitches. I laughed and cried when listening to Dad and David, and I cried with laughter when listening to Fel and Tony. Much to his embarrassment, in the end David did come off better for it – I even heard a few friends of the bride mention they liked David even more after hearing those speeches!

Following the food and speeches the party really kicked in. The band was phenomenal! Great musicians, up for a good party and with a good sense of humour to go with it all. With over a hundred guests we kept going till the wee small hours, although Alice and David had left, it took an instruction to the band to stop playing (who had willingly gone on beyond their time) to break us all up and get everyone moving to their respective abodes for the night. Although no a word was said in complaint, I am sure the members of the village were grateful for the end and peace to be restored.

The following morning we all headed back to the venue for a hog roast. It was only an hour in, bride and groom still missing, that we realised they had been dropped off home the night before and had no means of getting to the venue. Although not far by car, their cottage was a good hour or more walk away and we had forgotten all about them! With a quick dash to find them wandering down the road they were promptly picked up and brought to the continued celebrations. With friends and family we whiled away the afternoon of the first day with the newlyweds eating hog-roast and eating traditional Devonshire ice-cream in the sun. It was the perfect end to the most wonderful weekend.