Africa sickness, an incurable disease - Kenya 3 times in 6 months

Jambo, my 4-year-old boy asked me today, mum, our duke really does look like the cheetah I saw in Africa, doesn't he??? can you play me the song that goes Alleluja? maybe we overdid it, but going back to Kenya 3 times within six months (August-November-February 2007) changed our lives. Our parents, now elderly, worry the whole time whenever we set off and take Andrea with us, but when we come back and hear Andrea telling them how in Africa he once again found his playmates, all the races and swims, the tricks and games on the beach... they change their minds.

Because Andrea is now a child with a very open mind and mentality, a true independent traveller!

Our return (for the third time) to Watamu was decided 2 days before departure, neither I nor my husband knew whether we could leave the office. On Valentine's Day we looked at flights online and, finding a good combination with Livingstone for €796.00 from 16 to 26 February in high season, we took advantage of it.

After 7.40 hours of flying we landed in Mombasa at 6 in the morning, where we immediately noticed that the humidity was much higher than in November. Chaos to pay the €40 entry visa, luggage arrived on time and no problems with customs, even though the man before us already had 5 euros ready in his hand to give to the inspector even though the latter hadn't asked for anything yet!.....We were a bit perplexed, because in the end it's us who introduced this custom....and now we won't be able to shake it off!

But Hakuna matata, the important thing was to get out and hug our THOMAS MBOYA. the architect of our Africa sickness, a very simple 30-year-old man who lives in Watamu and who, three times now, has managed to bring us back to his land, to his home and to his family.

He was waiting for us wearing, so we'd recognise him, one of the T-shirts we had sent him for Christmas. As soon as he realised we had arrived Thomas began to cry with happiness, he hugged us for so long that the taxi driver came to call us, so are we going???? the usual wicked two and a half hours of bumpy road awaited us to reach Watamu.

the journey was very reflective, Paolo was talking with Thomas, Andrea was sleeping, I was living my dream, and unlike other times, when the need was to see as many places as possible, to do as many excursions as possible, this time it felt like being back home, calm and carefree among my people, I needed nothing else, only to observe in silence. as we crossed the villages I recognised the houses, the places, the little shop where they sold sim cards before reaching Watamu, the Saturday market, and I felt better and better.

I began to watch the women who early in the morning all had something on their heads to carry, wrapped in their bright pareo and sometimes with the smallest children tied in a sort of back pouch. once we reached Gede and Timboni, my Africa sickness began to ease and to be repaid by the sight of the places we know and love.

The Sinzia and the song by the Nameless, and in Swahili it means daydreaming..and that is what is happening to me, on my return from Watamu and its people.

Andrea has 3 little brothers in Watamu, adopted from afar, Sienna Anton, Bella, (5-7-9 years old) who are Thomas's orphaned grandchildren, his sister died a year ago (at only 32), leaving her three children and making him promise he would take care of them without putting them in an orphanage.

Right away in August, when we had the luck to meet this very simple and honest young man, we understood that we could trust him blindly, and from the start we considered him part of our family, helping him to put his three grandchildren through school, since as he always tells us, it will be hard for him to have a family of his own, because if he were to marry a local girl he'd be forced to have children he couldn't support...already having the 3 grandchildren....

Thomas took us everywhere around Kenya, always using local transport, matatu, tuc tuc, coach. to Malindi, on the other hand, we wanted to go by matatu, very colourful especially on Sundays, when whole families dressed up get on to go to mass...,and as usual once there we toured it by tuc tuc. by jeep, instead, we went to visit Che Chale beach, suitable only for kitesurfers.

In November he took us to Lamu by coach, Diani and Tiwi beach and always a visit to the orphanage.. In August we did the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru, 5 days tented camp and lodge, and Andrea was the youngest European child on safari!.

All of this organised from Italy with Thomas by e-mail Thomasmby@yahoo.co.uk - cell nr. 00254-735 334 392

When we go to the orphanage in Timboni (3 times in 6 months) to visit these children, Andrea is the first to run up and speak in Italian asking at the top of his voice who wants to play football?????

None of them speak Italian but they understand at once and as if by magic a roll of papier-mâché that looks like a ball appears and they start running in the garden, where Andrea acts as little leader shouting I won, I won! Teaching our child that he can't always win, that he's playing on a team and that you have to pass the ball, is difficult, he's only 4.. but when we try to make him understand that he is lucky and must be happy while other children, his friends, have no mum and dad, then he reflects and becomes a perfect player

first stop straight to Thomas's house. where his mother Anna. was waiting for us in disbelief, since she had only heard of our return the day before and couldn't believe it...she hugged Andrea to her chest as if he were her son and cried with happiness, two minutes later we were all crying, me, the village children, and Thomas too. it was very touching and I will remember it forever.