Paradise Under African Skies
The welcome sign as we pulled into the resort drive was very welcome indeed.
After six months of culture shock, two months of 12 hour work days, a very, very long time with no “real” Mexican food, and an eight hour bus ride we arrived at our vacation spot.
We were greeted with cool wash clothes and glasses of fresh cold passion fruit juice…a very promising start.
Tiwi Beach Resort is located in Mombasa on the Indian Ocean – the coastal region of Kenya.
For those of you planning an African vacation in the near future I would HIGHLY recommend this place. After you come visit us that is.
We were able to get an amazing rate and booked six days of bumming on the beach with our kidlets.
Tiwi is an international resort with Europeans being the major vacationers. It was actually very odd to be back in a caucasian majority setting.
Seth was able to get out and snorkel, Kez and I visited the salon, we went shell hunting, used hot water on tap at all hours of the day, soaked up the beautiful sunshine, were blatant American tourists, swam in the pool, and laid on the beach.
Keziah was a regular ocean crab jumping waves like a pro but Jared took more of the sand flea route; very un-impressed with the noise and the waves. He did his best to become human glue whenever we ventured to the waters edge.
And the swimming pool…it was really more like three pools attached by a “river” with tile slides that went from one pool to the next. The main pool even has a swim up bar…I had to go order a non-alcoholic Pina-Colada just because it was so cool to be able to swim up and order.
Keziah in her little floaty swim suit was in heaven and woke up every morning asking to “go swimmin’ Momma?”
The food was European style which I must admit was different. Baked beans for breakfast just kind of threw me. Incredibly beautiful presentation though…I have never seen a more beautiful buffet line. They did have a Mexican night but all I can say is “ dude! Those Europeans have got to get down south a bit more.”
We met a young single American missionary girl who is stationed just four hours from Nairobi and were able to share some enjoyable dinners with her talking “American English” and being understood. : )
Anyway, all that to say we had a wonderful, relaxing, quiet, beautiful, enjoyable vacation on the beach and I can’t say thankyou enough to all of you who made it possible.
It makes all the difference in the world to be able to come back rested and restored.
For all of you that are taking your breaks at this summer season I pray that your vacation is everything for you that ours was for us.
~Roadsign of the week~
Sign seen painted on the gate of a mosque near our home “Welcome, pay first.” I don’t know if you have to pay to get in, or what the sign is in fact referring to but it certainly gave me some pause and caused a bit of reflection.
How wonderful it is to belong to the God that says “Come on in, I’ve already paid for you”.
~Food Find~
Grilled Fillet of Barracuda. Need I say more? For all of you sea food lovers out there, this truly is one of God’s master pieces. Delicious. They grilled it right in front of you on the buffet line over a jiko (small charcoal fire pot…the way of cooking for the majority of Kenyans). No sauce needed here, a taste sensation all on its own.
Beach Bums
Momma and Jared…the human super glue.
Room Service!
These guys were everywhere and even tried to heist a banana off me.
Keziah was just sure that this was the boat from “Finding Nemo” and had to tell everyone that came by that “Nemo tutsed da butt”.
Kez and Daddy…swimming in a tropical paradise.