March 2006

Hi everyone,

I hope classes and work and friends and all are going well. From e-mails it sounds like things are good and the weather is crazy.

I realize some people on this list might be interested in an update or two over the semester and that some of you want every last detail daily. I'm pinched for internet time so I am writing to everyone all at once and am therefore trying to fit into the middle ground between those ends. SO here is my official apology for sending lots more/less info than you want. Hope you'll forgive me!

I only have a few minutes so I'll tell you about Sat. Instead of class and lecture we went to Manda Island, across for Lamu. We took a boat over and I got to steer, which you know made me happy. We got there by about 10 and stayed on the beach until 4 in the afternoon, which is a
good chunk of time under the sun right on the equator, but I would not have wanted to give up a minute of it. The beach was nearly empty, the sand was soft, there were no waves (meaning I could lay in the warm water reading a book!). The beach was surrounded by a beautiful mangrove forest, there was barely a cloud in the sky, and the water was perfectly clear. On top of this we also cooked fish, rice and veggie stew over a fire pit using wood as fuel and grill surface. The way they do this is so intelligent, I don't think I will ever want to use a metal grill again!
After food and more sun I was having a great conversation with a friend when a man walks by with a monkey. Now, I have wanted to hold a monkey for as long as I can remember, and not only did I get to hold this monkey but it became really attached to me and spent 1/2 an hour
climbing on my shoulders and grooming my hair!
After the beach we got back on the boat and headed for the Takwa ruins, which is the remaining structures of a town built in the 1600's. To get there you have to go through a narrow channel, and unfortunately the tide was not very high so we got stuck in the sand about 7 times (thankfully I was not the one steering!). Though this sounds unpleasant it was really a lot of fun. Once there we got to see the sun go down over the mangrove forest with a beautiful view of the
open ocean. My friend and I said the Shama from here- It was really amazing to open my eyes to that view.
And then to top it all off, we powered back under the milky way. It was quite a day.
-Gabi