Zucchero and Watamu One Year Later... More Emotions

And so on the evening of August 14th, aboard an Airbus 330-200 of Eurofly, I say goodbye to Italy from the window and off…flying to Kenya. The impatience and the longing to arrive make the journey even longer, but finally here we are, at 6:30 on Saturday August 15th the plane's wheels touch the ground…YEEEES I'm in Mombasa. I immediately get in line for the checks and baggage collection and hurry to reach the minibus for the transfer to the village.

The journey is about two hours and I, from the window, watch the city of Mombasa in its morning chaos, with its scents, its smells, with its barefoot children running after the tourists' minibuses in the hope that someone will throw a candy from the window, trying to remember streets already traveled and places already seen.

The hand of the clock moves slowly and I am impatient, more and more impatient, but here from afar is the Aquarius Beach sign…I've finally arrived. A row of beach boys is already ready to pounce on the new arrivals, but I already have someone waiting for me, the best one, my great and very dear friend Zucchero! Great is the emotion at hugging him again and great is the emotion at finally being back in that land that last year gave me the most beautiful and the strongest emotions of my life!

I arrange to meet Zucchero later and enter the Aquarius for check-in. I see familiar faces again, and the feeling of being at home comes alive inside me; I look around, and everything is as it was last year, or rather no, there's one new thing: the connecting bridge between the central building and the Lily Palm. My room is in the central building, raised ground floor overlooking the pool and restaurant. A quick shower and with Stefania and Alberto, a couple we met at the airport, we meet up with Zucchero and immediately fix with him the excursion package: two days of safari in the Tsavo East, the Blue Safari and half a day in Malindi. After lunch we relax by the pool; the tiredness of the journey makes itself felt.

Lying on the sunbed I look at the sky, I let myself be carried away by the sensations, thousands of images run before me, the memories of last year, the expectations of this year, but the important thing is that I feel happy and serene.

BLUE SAFARI IN THE MANGROVES

The next day, Sunday the 16th, we are already ready for the first excursion: the Blue Safari to the mangroves. The appointment with Zucchero is on the beach. Once the whole group is gathered, walking along the seafront we reach the point where our little boat "Sorpreso" is moored; once on board, riding the waves of a somewhat rough sea, we make our way among the wonderful mangroves and slowly sail enjoying the wonderful landscape that surrounds us. From afar we spot a group of pink flamingos, we get closer, and they, disturbed by the noise of the engine, take flight thus showing us the beauty of the colors of their plumage. Lunchtime approaches, we reach the little island where a rich buffet awaits us: rice with octopus sauce, swordfish with potatoes, lobster and king prawns and finally lots of good fruit.

Between laughs and much merriment we devour lunch and, as is mandatory, a loud round of applause for the great Zucchero who understood that to make Italians feel good you have to "win them over through their stomach"!!!! After an hour of post-lunch siesta, back on board we reach the Watamu marine park and there we stop for a dip among the colorful fish and then return to the village.

SAFARI TZAVO EAST

It's Monday 17 August, meeting at 6.00, breakfast at the place "Lo spuntino" and off we go on the safari. As beach girl, Zucchero entrusts me with a minibus driven by the legendary Ambrogio and after two hours of travel on winding ("you dance without music" Zucchero always says) and dusty roads here we are at the entrance of the park. All full of adrenaline and with camera in hand we are ready to capture the images of the beautiful savannah with its colors, the diversity of landscapes and the beautiful animals that populate it. I enjoy the scenery in complete tranquility and act as spokesperson for the directions and explanations of our driver Ambrogio. Zebras, giraffes, elephants, antelopes, baboons, crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, but here is the most coveted "prey": the lions.

More precisely lionesses, we spot a small group relaxing among some bushes, one lying on a trunk, then one ready to attack a prey that will then escape it. Satisfied and happy we reach the Voi Wildlife Lodge for lunch. This year the accommodation is not in a tent but in the rooms, undoubtedly more comfortable than the tent which however in my opinion "felt more like safari". Peace, this is what I perceive when I am at the lodge and on the terrace that overlooks the small lake where the animals come to drink, I relax ready to face the afternoon "hunt". Back on board the minibuses we set off again, until sunset which however we are unable to enjoy because of the sky covered by huge gray clouds. We return to the lodge, shower, dinner, a bit of chatting in company and off to bed early, tomorrow the alarm is at dawn. After breakfast we set off for new adventures and new emotions.

Today Zucchero is with us on our minibus, we leave the lodge, at a certain point a report on the CB, Ambrogio starts racing like mad: they have spotted a cheetah. It's far away and camouflaged with the color of the savannah, we struggle to see it, I take the binoculars, here it is, it's there, motionless, with all its elegance and with its gaze fixed ahead of it. We are all very happy, once the photos are taken we set off again. After traveling a few meters we spot a male lion but without a mane walking not far from us. What can I say, a morning full of great emotions!! The time of our stay in the park is about to end, the ticket is valid for 24 hours and so we set off again for the return to Watamu.

ISLAND OF LOVE

It's Thursday the 20th. After leaving us on Wednesday in total relaxation to recover from the safari, Zucchero takes us to the island of love. It's not really known why it's called that; some say it's because of its heart shape and some say because a couple had been found making love there… You reach it on foot by walking along the streets of Watamu. It's nice to stroll through the streets of the town, you get to see how the people live, you meet lots of children who, as soon as they see groups of tourists, chase after them asking for candies, pens and T-shirts. We reach the island on foot because of the low tide and immediately throw ourselves into the water, drawn by the wonderful colors of the Indian Ocean. Lunchtime approaches and the tide starts to rise, but we manage to come back on foot again.

It's impressive to see how quickly the water level rises and how strong the currents are. Otherwise, there are very handmade boats that take you back to shore. The return to the village is always through Milano 2, the area where the beautiful villas owned by Italians are, wealthy ones of course.

BLUE SAFARI - SARDEGNA2

It's Friday the 21st. The meeting point is at the entrance of the Aquarius. In a minibus we reach the Malindi marine park and from there, still aboard our boat "Sorpreso", we begin sailing towards Sardegna 2, with a stop for a dip in the beautiful waters of the Indian Ocean surrounded by thousands of colorful little fish. The weather is not on our side, big black clouds loom above us, but we're all confident and Zucchero reassures us that the sun will soon shine again, and so it will be.

From afar, an atoll of the whitest sand surrounded by the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean is waiting for us, a breathtaking scenario….and the surprises won't end here!!!!! Today Zucchero will outdo himself, giving me once again proof of what a truly special person he is and how much he cares about his Italian friends, how important it is to him to make us happy and to grant and satisfy our every request. The preparations begin for lunch, which will be eaten on the boat, since, little by little, the tide will rise and cover the atoll. Everyone is busy doing photo shoots and admiring the ocean and its beauties, but then, little by little, the scent of a pleasant fragrance spreading through the air catches our attention.

On an original and unusual grill made with the coiled tubing from refrigerators, our lunch is being cooked: slices of swordfish, followed by king prawns, freshly caught octopus and finally the main dish…..a mountain of lobsters, and let's not forget the rice with the delicious and always welcome octopus sauce, and for the occasion Zucchero has even bought us some white wine!! We are all very happy and satisfied with this excursion to Sardegna 2 and naturally a loud round of applause for Zucchero breaks out spontaneously. After clearing the table and tidying up the boat, we head back home, while some of us climb up to catch some sun, I and others along with the Kenyan boys and Zucchero strike up the notes of Jambo Jambo and so, with great cheerfulness, we bring to a close what was, to say the least, a fantastic day!

AFTERNOON AS A BEACH GIRL

It's Saturday the 22nd and, as always, the day before the safari is spent in total relaxation. After breakfast I go to the beach to get some sun together with my dear friends Stefania and Alberto. After lunch I meet up with Zucchero, who invites me to go with him to meet some new clients. I gladly accept his proposal and, in a car driven by him, we reach EdenVillage along a road that looks like "an obstacle course". Zucchero takes the excursion bookings and I, to whoever asks me, give advice and explanations about it….I like this role of being his assistant. We return to the Aquarius and arrange for the evening; it's Saturday and tonight we're going to the Come Back.

SAFARI TZAVO EAST

It's Sunday the 23rd and I, Stefania and Alberto are ready for another safari, again to the Tsavo because it's closer than the Amboseli. The important thing is to stay away from the monotony of beach life and to hope to see many animals again and to spend these two days in the savannah cheerfully with Zucchero and the other guys in the group. As always, the meeting point is at the Spuntino for breakfast. Once again Zucchero entrusts me with a minibus, but driving it this time will not be my trusted driver Ambrogio but Tommaso. This morning I also have the chance to meet two couples who had contacted me for information about the safari with the beach boys, and the fact that they trusted me and turned to Zucchero makes me truly very happy.

We set off, and after two hours here we are at the entrance of the Tsavo East, a stop at the crocodiles and then off into the savannah in search of animals. Everyone's wish is to see "the king", but unfortunately even this time the king of the savannah will play a nasty trick on us. In any case, our expectations will not be entirely disappointed; we will see lionesses on several occasions and, off the beaten track, three cheetahs; unlike the previous time, when they seemed to stay in the water out of spite and come out only for a few moments, we will see hippos lying on the riverbank. Once again it was a wonderful experience and, as always, it was pleasant to stay at the Voi Wildlife Lodge.

Back from the safari, after a shower and a good lunch, we rest on the beach pampered by the sun's rays and the sound of the waves breaking on the shore, and yes, because for the evening a dinner is planned in honor of Zucchero, to thank him for giving us a fantastic holiday, for sharing with us emotions and moments of happiness, for having always been available and ready to grant our every wish, for having contributed with his seriousness, his skill and commitment to making the discovery of what is wonderful Kenya even more beautiful, for having been a friend to all of us.

TIMBONI ORPHANAGE

It's since last year, when I held her in my arms for the first time, that I dream of this moment again. And so finally, on Tuesday morning, the day has come when Zucchero will take us to visit the Timboni orphanage. I'm bursting with excitement. As soon as I get off the minibus I look around to see if among all those little faces I can see my little girl, but nothing, so I show the teacher who is guiding us through the visit of the facility the photo I had taken and that I always keep with me on my phone display. "She is in the next room", her answer. My heart starts beating fast and, once in the room, a quick glance at all the children was enough for me to recognize her at once, that little angel who stole my heart. I go up to her and, with the teacher's help, little by little I manage to take her in my arms. An indescribable emotion.

She has grown and is also very shy; only at the end, with a few cuddles, does she begin to let herself go, but….time is up, we have to leave. It's really hard to have to put her back in her little bed and have to part from her once again; every time the same thought, every time the same question: why can't I take her home with me? I hold her tight and give her one last kiss and then, with tears in my eyes, I leave the room. I hug Zucchero and thank him for taking me to say hello to my little girl.

GEDE RUINS

In the afternoon the meeting is at 15:00 at the entrance, destination "Gede Ruins". Zucchero won't be with us because he's going to accompany another group to Malindi, but we preferred to change the excursion. As we leave the Aquarius we find the minibus waiting for us. The journey is short, about ten minutes. Once we arrive at our destination, we are greeted by a group of curious and greedy little monkeys, since as soon as they see us pull bananas out of our bag they start doing somersaults to get them. The visit to the ruins begins, which will last about an hour and a half, naturally with the help of an Italian-speaking guide.

RELAX AND WRAP-UP

We're almost at the finish line now and we decide to spend these last three days in total relaxation, enjoying the sun, the sea and the legendary beach boys.

For this year too the holiday is over, once again I have to say goodbye to Kenya, Watamu, the Aquarius which by now has become my second home, the new Italian and Kenyan friends. My heart breaks at having to leave again, but above all because I will have to say goodbye to a person who is very special to me, to whom I have grown very attached, who for me is not just the trusted beach boy who accompanies me in discovering Kenya. For me he is a very dear friend, and so I recommend to all those who want to spend a holiday in Kenya, who want to discover it in all its beauty, to rely on ZUCCHERO, and I am sure that, like me, on your return you will carry an unforgettable memory in your heart forever.

Contacts: zucchero@zuccherosafari.com zuccherowatamu.wordpress.com 00254735266394 In Italy: 335/303727 Elena iele_2000@yahoo.it