Diani beach is as dreamy and as tropical as any magazine can describe or any photographer can capture. White sands, blue waters sunny and streched up to nowhere. A sandy strech of endless happinessβ¦. I arrive in mombasa aboard the Madaraka express on Tuesday night fully clothed in Nairobi weather clothes and have to fling off the denim jacket and sweat shirt like old rags. The temperature is tropical high and I later have to abandon the tights too.
Outside the train station i take a matatu heading to the ferry having no idea where that is and looking around I notice that in the bus there is a couple of white ladies who i had seen earlier at the Nairobi terminus and am sure am getting lost with them.
This is a bit weirdly conforting. So i strike up a conversation with the lady next to me hoping she knows Mombasa more but alas it is also her first time here. The matatu grinds along steadily dropping off passengers at different points as i stay on hopefully wishing i will recognise my destination.
Am not exactly sure where the ferry stage is so i decide to stay on till the last drop hoping i will start my excursion from there. Yep the last stop is my destination. Mombasa being an island we have to cross with a ferry and this is the largest ferry i have used for quite a short distance. It is free too, no charge. It is not hard to find the ferry crossing as it is where everyone is heading in a big procession of many workers from the city to their homes on the mainland.
Along the way to the ferry among the maltitudes i grab a few snacks to bite on since i have not eaten in hours. This is the capital of fruits and pasteries with dates, water melons, pineapples, gnuts and many indian and arab sweets and breads.
