The teenage self who had an adventure in Kenya feels so far removed from my present self. That girl was courageous, naive and spontaneous. The current self in comparison feels a little more timid and safe. It is hard to imagine that there was a time where I braved a 9 hour bus ride in scorching heat with others who had live chicken wrapped under their armpits. The bus itself was guarded by armed policemen because if the bus were to have broken down, we were vulnerable to a Somali pirate invasion. But of course, our bus did break down in the middle of the desert. But thankfully, our vehicle remained un-invaded.
Katie and I were enroute to Lamu, a small island off the coast of Kenya way up north near the Somalian border. After a very testing land journey, we hopped on a boat and were pretty much isolated on that tiny island for the few days we were there. There were no cars, the only four wheels was a dingy ambulance. It was like I had stepped back through time. The old walls were sun kissed and everywhere had a stunning sea view. The small pathways lead to more small pathways where donkeys roamed freely. It was a magical place.
There are lots of stories from this island, for instance befriending the British historian/ author who lived below us in our hotel and attending a dinner in a local family's house where we were introduced to all the members of his family and where we danced and sang till late night. I could go on forever about Lamu, but now, I am just going to write about the stars.
Living in cities, stars in the sky are more of an exception and less the rule. Seeing a star over the thick smog is akin to witnessing a miracle sometimes. That was what made my starry experience in Lamu that much more special. You see, our hotel had a unique characteristic. It lacked walls. Our room was made up of two floors. Downstairs, there were two beds and two walls. The breeze from the sea would just flow through the room, leaving you feeling like you are sleeping on the beach but in the comfort of our beds. Upstairs, there was an open balcony with a single bed (as seen in the picture above). The bed was only sheltered by a small roof. Useless when it rained, but when the sky was clear, it was the perfect place to just be.
On one of the nights, I decided to climb up to the balcony bed. It was pitch black so I brought my phone with me to light the way. When I reached the top, that was when I saw it. The sky completely filled with stars. Every inch of dark sky was lit up with small pockets of light. It was absolutely stunning. It mirrored the scene in Lion King where Simba was looking up to a sky of bright stars in an African savanna. I never saw true beauty till I saw this, it almost brought tears to my eyes. For some time, I just sat there in silence, in awe of God's creations. Mouth open, eyes wide.
It looked something like this
I phoned A moments later to describe what I was witnessing. As hard as I tried I just couldn't put what I was seeing and feeling into words. "It is just so amazing! You have to see it for yourself," I said. "Maybe one day we'll come here together, just to look at the sky. I want you to see it! I wish you were here."
Since then, A and I on many occasions spent our dates staring at the sky. Day or night, we observe clouds passing by, aeroplanes taking off and stars glisten. Somehow I feel like these are warm up exercises to prepare us for a day till we are to really see the sky in all its glory. No filter, just unadulterated nature. To a day when we are lucky enough to visit Lamu and see that sky of stars, this time, together.
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