14. Christmas and Malindi Beach: East Africa a New Life Adventure


The girls got home for Christmas bringing gifts from Spain. We had planned to take a trip to the coast that Christmas, so when the girls arrived we loaded up the van and headed for Malindi Beach. Getting to Malindi was an interesting experience in itself.  The road that paralleled the coast was a single lane tarmac, meeting cars going in the opposite direction was always a challenge to see which driver would yield by getting off the tarmac to let the other car go by. Once we got near Malindi we had to cross a small river which was accomplished on a barge-like ferry barely big enough for one car and the transit was made without difficulty. 


We were there a couple of days before Christmas and were there when Father Christmas arrived on Christmas eve in an outrigger canoe with a small bag of candy for the Children in camp. The next morning as local fishermen passed the camp, we placed an order for lobster. That evening we had two lobsters at the cost of a few shillings, (exchange rate at the time was ten shillings to the Dollar) from which Barbara made her own version of Lobster Thermidor.  We dined luxuriously that evening even if it was served on camp ware. Two lobsters produced far more than we could eat in one meal and without refrigeration we rigged up a swamp cooler to preserve the leftovers. 


Besides snorkeling in the Indian Ocean and seashell scavenger hunts Vicki made fantastic Sand Castles on the beach just out of reach of tide waters to make the Holiday a whopping success!


Comments

  1. Amy Cochrane SweeneyAugust 15, 2020 at 4:27 PM

    Christmas at Malindi beach, the sand castles and the snorkeling are one of my favorite memories.
    -Amy

    ReplyDelete

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