Days 10-14: Diani Beach

We hopped a 28-seat prop plane for a one-hour flight from Nairobi to Ukunda on Saturday to wrap up our vacation with 3 days of “pole pole” (pronounced pole-lay, that's Swahili for the African beach lifestyle). The salty air and the expansive views of the Indian Ocean were welcome after the congestion and noise of the city. Diani Beach is 11 miles long and we probably only explored about a third of it. On our first half day we did some boogie boarding and settled in to our Airbnb, on our second we chartered a glass-bottomed boat out to a sandbar a couple miles from shore and snorkeled, and on our third we checked out the shops and did some more boogie boarding. The Airbnb came with a chef and a housekeeper for about $12/day. We gave the chef a grocery list and told him which meals we wanted to eat at home and there were heaping plates of food ready for us at the appointed time. Then we carried our dishes back to the kitchen when done and the housekeeper took care of the rest. It is a lifestyle anyone could get used to! Without my iPhone, 😒, I didn’t take as many photos as usual, but I had everyone in our traveling party AirDrop the best of theirs to me, so enjoy! Tonight (Tuesday) it’s a late-night departure from Nairobi to Paris, where we enjoy 12-hours of sightseeing and then part ways with Greta as she spends a few days with Sam at Oxford in England and the rest of us continue on to Boston. Home just before the stroke of Midnight on the Fourth of July, if all goes according to plan. A big thanks to our incredible friends and hosts, the Baileys, who opened up their home and shared the best parts of their beloved adopted country with us.  

Jack Bailey, almost 17, and a big fan of protein.

First glimpse of the Indian Ocean.

Drinking dawas, made with muddled limes and honey, with a shot of vodka and mint.

One of two black cats who live in the compound where we stayed. Multiple lodgings, owned by different people. Ours belonged to a Dutch woman.

Lincoln was a massive fan of snorkeling. In fact, he told Carey, "this is exactly as much fun as I thought it would be when I was 5-years-old."

Not sure what kind of monkey this is, but he liked to eat the leaves accessible from the top of our thatch-roofed outdoor lounge area.

Outbound.

Anneli took the kids out to The Funky Monkey, a dinner and dance place, on our first night.

Goddaughter Kira with a starfish.

Our residence was the only one in the compound with a private pool. We started and ended most days in it.

One of the magnificent meals ... prawns and an amazing avocado salad.

Lindsey, one of the compound's two dogs, who basically followed us everywhere like an escort. Met us at the gate in the morning, walked with us on the beach to wherever we were going, and returned with us when we were done.

Lincoln swam under our glass-bottomed boat!