too

In the middle of December,
Nairobi, Kenya, was hot, dry and
crowded. :

We decided to seek out the
gentle soothing breezes of the
Indian Ocean and set out in our
Volkswagen van for Mombasa, on
the coast. It would be nice to arrive
before the season’s influx of holi-
day visitors and spend Christmas
there.

We stopped briefly at Mzima
Springs, renowned for its unexcel-
led opportunities of viewing hip-
pos. The highway then skirted
between East and West Tsavo
Game Parks with their great con-
centrations of elephant.

Many of them, red from rolling
in the loose, ruby-tinted soil were
wreaking havoc with the few
remaining baobab trees, dismem-
bering them of their branches and
punching great holes in the trunks
with their ivory tusks.

Suddenly, the traffic ahead
slowed to a snail’s pace and we
crawled along until we encoun-
tered a Volkswagen bug astride the
road, upside down.

A small crowd had surrounded
the vehicle, busily taking pictures.

We learned that two passengers
in the small car had picked up a
long stem of bananas and depo-
sited them in the back seat.

On encountering the elephants
along the road, the driver had
stopped to take photos of them.

A large bull began to approach
the vehicle. The driver, window
down, had continued shooting,
apparently hoping for a super
close-up. Only when the elephant
had reached the car, did the driver
roll up the window, but the engine
failed to catch.

The bull spotted the bananas in
the back seat. Unable to retrieve
them through the glass, he reached
under the vehicle with his trunk
and flipped it upside down.

Then rearing up on his hind legs
he came down on the car with
front feet, flattening it and popping
the windows. He then reached
inside and made off with the
bananas.

After much effort, the victims
had been extricated from the
wreck and taken to Nairobi. The

FLAMINGOES, Lake Nakuru, East Africa

Hot, dry December adventure in Africa

unfortunate incident left everyone
visibly shaken.

Continuing on, we crossed the
suspension bridge and entered his-
toric Mombasa located on a small
island. Mombasa is a great trading
centre, ocean going sailing dhows
from Arabia and other points north
having visited the old port for over
2,000 years.

Vasco da Gama landed here in
1498 and Ft. Jesus was established
by the Portuguese as early as 1592.
Remarkable traces of its history
are easily found.

We then crossed the ferry to the
toad leading south to the magnifi-
cent white sandy beaches bordered
with groves of spectacular palms
Tustling in the monsoon breeze.

The parking lot behind the
Jadini Hotel was vacant and we
quickly reserved a shady spot
under luxuriant overhanging trees.
Dinner in the Jadini was superb.

The very first night we were
visited by a handsome bushbaby
that came into our van for bananas.
It peeled them gently with long
slender fingers surveying us mean-
while with its enormous eyes
reflecting a shaft of filtered moon-
light.

Then memorable days swim-
ming and snorkling in the lagoons
sheltered by great reefs of coral
offshore. The cool waters were
refreshing, even caressing, allow-
ing us to swim by the hour without
a hint of chill.

It was a memorable experience

season!

HLAPPY HOLIDAYS

Here’s to you, our many good friends
— we wish you the best of the festive

RONS
DISPOSAL
652-6242

OPEN DAILY FOR:

Lunches, Banquets, Parties,
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Relaxing, Picturesque Surroundings.

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to glide between vertical walls of
coral, the crystal clear waters
allowing us to study at nose-length
the rich variety of marine life.

Unbelievably colorful seastars,
nudibranchs, tropical fish, jelly-
fish, coral, sea urchins, sinuous
grey sea snakes, scores of shapely,
richly hued snails and their many
incredibly beautiful relatives.

One day Ali Mohammed sailed
in, a fine Muslim lad with his
curious canoe, an ngalawa, hewed
expertly from a single log, and
complete with mast, sail and rud-
der. The craft would accommodate
four. He would take us sailing fora
small fee.

‘Only when the
elephant had
reached the car, did
the driver roll up the
window, but the
engine failed to
caich’

Mohammed was a skilful sailor, & ~~.
maneuvering his craft smoothly #%
through the coral reefs and taking $
us f0 spots where marine life was §
especially rich. More than that, he }
daily brought us fresh eggs from [|
his shamba and introduced us to |
one of the great delights of the ¢
coastal menu, baby coconuts or 7 _-
mdafu. -

The white meat of the mdafu is fie
the consistency of the richest of Miseuer
farm cream and the delicate, com- fe
pelling flavor of freshly roasted |
cashew.

_ Speaking of Christmas desert!

S As we celebrate the spirit
of friendship and good will
/hroughout the world,
wed like to extend our
special greetings to those of
you. whose friendship and
patronage we hold so dear.
May your holiday season

Blessings
Of The
Season

Merry Christmas

and bees be truly: blessed.
Happy New Year ne
from a from all of us at...
Management & Staff
at

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