The Wonders of Bathing in the Indian Ocean!

So, the time finally came for me to finally head down for a wash in the sea.  All I can tell you is that I came back considering the bathing experience one of the wonders of life!  First of all, who would have thought that you would one day be scrubbing yourself clean in the Indian Ocean?  Such a thing is destined to become part of life here; however I don’t ever think that it will ever become in any way mediocre!  Just on this one occasion I was sitting down in the shallows, washing off the sweat and grime unassumingly, when I heard a farr of “Jambo” coming from the direction of Mkwiro beach.  I turned around to see a swarm of little children running excitedly towards me screaming “Jambo, jambo, jambo!”  as they pranced over.  “Jambo, jambo what is your name?” They all inquired in chorus.  I told them my name and then asked each of them theirs, upon which they all broke into fits of laughter when I pronounced their names incorrectly.  I could only laugh too!  They then started to play around in the coral, picking up pieces of weed, coral and a variety of weird and wonderful little sea creatures – from crabs to three-legged ‘brittle-stars’ – well, apparently they have more legs but that was all I saw.  the children would shout out the name of the little critter in Swahili.  I would then repeat it and they would start giggling uncontrollably again!

Jambo! What is your name?

I then reached down and picked a small shell up to show them.  When I straightened up again, they had all taken a few steps back, obviously cautions as to what I was doing.  I held it out to them and said crab.  They then all came back over and started repeating the English and looking curiously at the creature.  After this intercultural lesson in marine animals, we walked back together talking an English-Swahili mish-mash until the steps where I bade them a big farewell.  I walked back to the base with an enormous smile on my face after what I’m sure will remain one of the most unique bathing experiences of my life!  Just one of the wonders of island life!

The Wonders of Bathing in the Indian Ocean!