Day 3

I am up before anyone else, as usual, although I can’t believe everyone can sleep through the cacophony of goats under the window sounding like a cross between many newborns demanding milk and excited children on a scary amusement park ride.

I walk down the deserted path to the ocean and wander along the beach as I keep one wary eye on the crashing waves, the other on the trash I’m picking up off the sand and out of the water.

It hurts my heart again, to be on such a beautiful ocean trashed with so much plastic and abandoned garbage. I find a large plastic woven sack and begin to fill it up.

Two beautiful young girls walking along the ocean with their mother on their way to school stop curious to find out what I am doing. I show them the garbage I am picking up and we exchange names and where we’re from before they smile broadly, wave goodbye, and continue along the path toward their school.

Kobi joins me and a few minutes later, Mujasi races down the slope onto the sand and chases the edge of waves back and forth, only as deep as his knees, like me. After filling the sack, we all start jogging along the edge of the tide. 

We are joined by another young man, who walks out and then dives into the ocean waves, and bobs just past the breakers. Kobi explains to me that he came down here to help us swim in the ocean if we want.

I am still in my pajamas, which is merely a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, but there is no way I want to enter the ocean without my bathing suit. I ask Mujasi if he wants to go in, but he will wait until I put on my bathing suit.

We all head back down the beach until we come to the path leading up to the house. By this time, everyone is awake and ready to head out. We cut up mangoes for breakfast, say thank you and goodbye to the man who opened the house for us, and head back down the coast to find One Africa where our cabanas wait!