Goodbye Nairobi & Hello Kilifi

After a wonderful pancake and mango breakfast, we said goodbye to Nairobi and set off for the airport, ready for the next part of our journey.

At the airport I realised that I hadn’t read my emails carefully enough, our flight had been changed and was now leaving an hour later. So instead of boarding, we found ourselves waiting another hour at the small domestic terminal.

There isn’t much to do there apart from waiting, but luckily we had brought a few games, so we passed the time playing UNO. Still, I noticed how tiring waiting can be. After a while the children became a little restless, one of those travel moments every family probably knows.

Soon we were finally on our way and arrived in Kilifi.

The moment we stepped outside, the air felt different, warmer, softer, more tropical. Our new home for the coming weeks welcomed us with lush greenery and, to the children’s great excitement, a beautiful swimming pool.

The beach lies just in front of the house, and somewhere nearby a steady rhythm of music drifts through the evening air. We’re not quite sure yet whether it will become the soundtrack of our nights or something we will need to get used to.

Mornings here have their own natural alarm clock. This morning we were woken by a loud call echoing through the trees. At first I thought it was a crow, but the birds are larger and have a green shimmer in their feathers. After a little research I discovered they are called Hadada ibises. I suspect we won’t need an alarm clock while we are here.

Today we also began our homeschooling rhythm: school in the morning and exploring in the afternoon. During the breaks the children happily jump into the pool to cool down.

The pool quickly became the centre of every break. In this warm climate it is the perfect place to cool down. As Julius happily explained while jumping in and out:

"It’s really practical to have a swimming pool here. The water at the top is warm, but when you dive down it’s nice and cool."

Exactly my thoughts as well.

The children also discovered immediately that the trees here are perfect climbing trees, and within minutes they were exploring the branches.

Later we visited a friend of a friend who has lived in Kenya forever. She kindly showed us around Kilifi, pointed out the local supermarket and the fruit and vegetable market, and shared some wonderful advice for the coming weeks.

It is so nice to meet such kind people along the way. We feel very grateful and blessed for all the helping hands we encounter on this journey.

Tomorrow, after “school”, we are planning to explore the beach right in front of our house.

A new rhythm of our journey is slowly beginning to unfold.