Malindi: Another Bustling Coastal Town

With it's tall buildings, very loud call to prayers, guys pushing their services (of all kind) and constant matatu traffic, Malindi is a typical coastal town. What makes it unique, however, is its people; specifically Paul and Nina and Jan and Jeff. Paul is a fellow VSO volunteer, but I've never met him. He's back in his native New Zealand and will return soon. In the meantime, Paul's wife, Nina, is in Malindi and she's gracious enough to allow Ed and I to stay with her. Nina and Paul have taken the same tact I did and opted to rent a place costing slightly more than what VSO will pay. Their apartment is lovely with three bedrooms and a guest bath! The muezzin begins the day's first call to pray at 4:30 am. And it's very, very loud. Our first night in Malindi and Jan, Nina's best friend, calls to say they're cooking for us at the African Pearl. "Who's Jan," I ask. Nina is from Canada and Jan was her best friend there. Jan came to visit Nina and Paul in February of this year. While visiting, Jan meets Jeff, the owner of the African Pearl. Jeff is the only Kenyan who owns and operates a hotel on the coast. Jan met Jeff on Day Five of her three week vacation When she left Kenya, Jan's objective was to shut down the life she was living in Canada and return to Jeff and the African Pearl. Which she has done! Malindi has very few boda bodas (bikes for hire). Instead, most people get around by tuk-tuks (pronounced tuck-tucks). They are motorized, 3-wheeled cars built to hold three passengers comfortably in the back and one driver in front. Slightly more expensive than boda bodas, but less than taxis, tuk-tuks are seen all over town and appear to be safe. We take a tuk-tuk to the African Pearl and enjoy the evening's cooling breeze rushing through the open sides. The African Pearl is a neat and active hotel near the beach. Next to the pool is a huge thatched pavilion with a bar, an L-shaped pool table and lots of comfy Swahili-style seating for socializing. Tonight, Jeff is cooking stewed chicken with chappati. We sit under the pavilion, listening to easy rock music, drinking cold beer and discussing Kenyan politics. The stewed chicken doesn't last long. Even though it's sprinkling, we decide to walk back to Nina's. Tomorrow is Independence Day, a national holiday in Kenya, so people are out partying on a weeknight and we figure there is safety in numbers.