Kangas and Camels!
This afternoon we spent time down on the beach with all the people trying to sell their wares. As you can imagine, this is quite intimidating to Sue and Betsy. We did a little advance reconnaissance yesterday, and found Alice; who was willing to sell us some “kangas” for “very cheap” as long as we kept it a secret. A kanga is a large piece of fabric that you can use as a skirt, dress, turban, scarf, or - in Sue’s case - tablecloth! People wear them all over Mombasa, and they sell them down on the beach on racks. They look absolutely beautiful against the white sand and blue water. They sell them in shops too, but Katie Sue wanted to buy hers on the beach. There are also multitudes of people selling other souvenirs, but they are all the same at every place. However, you must look at every “shop” because “looking is free”. You must not point or show interest in ANY item, or it will be in your hands immediately. We just say No Thank You a lot, and try to keep walking. We also bargained with the camel man for a ride on the camel along the beach. He would write a number in the sand with his stick, and then you would bargain by writing a number next to his. He started out at 1500 shillings for one person, and we bargained him down to 1200 shillings for all four of us to ride. So in the end, Kelly and Katie Sue rode “Bob” the camel, and Sue and Betsy rode “Jamal”. Not really something we had dreamed of doing, but quite the experience nonetheless. We’re looking forward to meeting the children of Dickson Children’s Center in the morning.