Every year my family and I take a road trip down to the coast – a very Kenyan reference to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya and my father’s birth place. (*yes, dad would rather live here but it’s way too humid for my mother’s hair)
The road is long, hot and dusty taking approximately 5-6 hours from Nairobi, the country’s capital but I adore every minute of our journey that normally begins at dawn. (*of course it’s always quite enjoyable being the official DJ from the comfy back seat)
The winding tarmac highway, known commonly as Mombasa road, stretches 500km through breathtaking landscapes. Along the way, one sees cows and sheep herded by the Masaai, children in uniforms obediently assembling for morning classes, women collecting water from wells, men working hard in the fields, sisal and tea farms, churches and small villages. (*right out of a documentary)
As the sun rises higher in the sky, we pass many small towns on our trip; Mazeras, Mariakani, Mackinnon Road, Makindu, Voi and Sultan Hamud among others, stopping at intervals to replenish our thirst. (*especially at Makindu where we have a meal at the Sikh temple known as a Gurudwara, pay our respects and give a donation before heading on our way)
The weather changes as the sun beats down, the closer we get to Mombasa, the hotter and more humid in comparison the dry heat and cooler breezes in Nairobi. (*by now I have regretted my decision to wear jeans)
p.s. please do excuse the slight blur in the pictures, they were taken from a moving car!
karibu 