Safari and adventure

Kenya - my Africa Several years have passed since my last trip to Kenya, but the memory of those moments has always stayed with me. I contracted that strange illness called "Africa sickness" that no medicine can ever cure, because the only therapy is travel, returning to those places where nature prevails over everything and its people are special, simple, poor and incredibly real!!!! What I want to tell you about is not the Africa of safaris, organised tours and luxurious resorts, but the Africa made of simple things, of its people and the emotions each of them conveys. I met Shariff and Mohamed during a blue safari; it was a beautiful day, the sun was warm but not unpleasant, the sea calm and our boat, full of tourists, was like a happy island full of cheerfulness and light-heartedness.

I remember that on the way back someone pulled a tin drum from the bottom of the boat that would serve as a "bongo", and as the rhythm picked up each of us started singing; I remember that in a fraction of a second I thought I wanted to imprint that moment on my mind, telling myself "here, I wish time would stop and this moment would last forever". Well yes, I managed to imprint that memory on my mind as if it were a photograph that I pull from my memory and see again in my mind's eye in moments of melancholy, when that thought becomes the only remedy to make me feel better.

Since that day Shariff and Mohamed have become two great friends who have never abandoned me and have never forgotten me, two wonderful people who gave me much courage and strength in the moments when I needed it most; the 6000 km that separate Italy from Kenya is as if it were cancelled out and has never been an obstacle. With their texts and messages on Facebook or by email we are always in touch, and for six years now they have never forgotten to send wishes for Christmas, Birthdays, Easter and to ask after me and my family. I am amazed (and I shouldn't be) at the thought that they are closer to me than the people I mix with who live near me, and this is nothing other than proof of what the people of Kenya are like: true, sincere, friendly, poor but always ready to share with you the little they have.

During the period when the earthquake happened in Emilia Romagna, having heard about it, they wrote to me very worried, asking if everything was all right and whether my house had suffered any damage, adding that if I found myself in difficulty they would be ready to offer me their home and all their friendship. I was so struck by this display of affection and solidarity that I was moved. I met many other people in Watamu and each of them had a story to tell; at first they approached us with the idea of selling something, but then when we started talking and they told us about their life experiences, the fact that we were there listening to them made them happy, and in the end, in most cases, they left with their goods, just as they had arrived, without having sold anything but happy to have shared a part of their story with you.

That is what I really miss about Kenya: emotions made of small gestures like bringing milk, flour, bread to the poorest villages, giving sweets or pens to children who reward you with smiles you will never forget. It is not always possible to speak the same language, but we understand each other perfectly because certain gestures and expressions are worth more than a thousand words. See you soon, Kenya; kwa heri Shariff and Mohamed..... Rosy

If you would like to contact me for any information, this is my email: rosykenya@yahoo.it Shariff and Mohamed are excellent guides and special people who ask for nothing more than to be able to work to support their families.