Busy in Kenya - a great original beach story by Jaklien on a beach holiday.

Busy in Kenya
I am so busy. I am on holidays in Diani Beach just south of Mombasa in Kenya. It's a very popular package holiday destination, but it doesn't feel all that touristy when you get here. The resorts are quite small and intimate and tucked away in lush, tropical vegetation. My friend and I have booked a room at Asha Cottage, which is run by owners Dominique and John. It is located off the main road in Diani and has a small private beach that looks out on the beach and across the Indian Ocean.

Beach boys walk by trying to sell their key chains or sarongs, fishermen are beating their freshly caught octopus on the sand to make them more subtle, and a caravan of camels slowly walks along the shore line. My daily schedule here is chockablock. I wake up and wait for my breakfast to be served on the veranda. I am asked if I want my eggs scrambled or fried. Coffee or tea? Pineapple or mango juice. Oh, the decisions I need to make this early in the morning. After breakfast I gather my beach gear and get comfy in my hammock which is located right on the beach. This is not an easy task, let me tell you. Shall I start with tanning the front or the back? Tanning the back in a hammock does take some acrobatic skills; You have to kind of dive into it diagonally in order not to fall flat on your bum right on the other side of the hammock. So I opt for tanning the front. I arrange my towel, put my book and my drink within reach, and apply tanning lotion. Shall I apply factor 15 or factor 25? Oil or cream? I opt for factor 25 oil to be on the safe side.

Ah, time for lunch already? More difficult decisions to make; shall I have the salad or the freshly caught lobster? Bread or no bread? Still water or sparkling? Oops, I am running late for my scheduled appointment with the masseuse. More hard decisions; Do I want a Swedish or a Thai massage? Baby oil or locally produced oil? Then it's off to the pool lounger with some intense reading material; The Adventures of a Shopaholic. And before you know it I see Stanley the waiter coming towards me who has been chasing me since 3 pm to see what I would like to have for dinner. Ah, what a divine feeling to have these kinds of decisions to make and schedules to follow. Only three more days to go before I'm back in reality and I can start fussing about decisions to make and meetings to attend in the real world. But for now, I will keep worrying about my tan lines. Which reminds me, it's time to reapply the sunscreen.

Author : Jaklien