Down Memory Lane...Mombasa, Kenya

I moved to Kenya somewhere in August 2002. I was the Engineer In-charge to build an extension to the already existing floating Dock in one of the major shipyards in Mombasa, Kenya. My decision to take up this job in a “place” like Kenya did raise a lot of eye brows within my fraternity. I kept getting sarcastic “ All the best” during my tenure when they learnt about my would be venture. Neither did I exactly know what is going to be my fate on this safari of mine. Infact as the person I am I would not think too far away from what I am being offered. It never crossed my mind regarding culture, people, food, time, place weather, etc. But I took it up, at first it was the monetary demand which made me think in favor of it, it was nothing that I can boast about but just the thought of earning 5 times more to the existing made me make that decision. The thought of fulfilling my dreams, dreams that were seen and pledging to fulfill them were at hand now. Dreams that were seen when times of hardships have overcome you, time when you have seen your parents wanting to give you the best and in return keep their desires at rest. That’s when my dreams emerged, to give them back 10 times more what they need.

I landed the Nairobi airport somewhere mid morning, the morning cold breeze sweeping through. Nairobi they say is cold for 12 months a year, I wondered if the warmth in people too had been eroded by this cold. For the first time I saw the local African beings. Never at their first sight could I imagine any kind of characteristics that were visible. I was on a high vigil as stories told to you while traveling always kept coming to my mind, I was then swayed through the rush of people to the Domestic terminal where I would board my flight to Mombasa.

Mombasa, the commercial capital of Kenya, and the entry and exit point of goods from the world over to the interior of Africa. The natural harbor made it possible for ships to come in the port from various parts of the world. The only other port which did not come even close to the Mombasa port was Dar-es-salam in Tanzania, but due to the available water draft, Mombasa could harbor in bigger ships. What infringed me was the difference in temperature between Nairobi and Mombasa, 45 minutes ago I was shivering in the cold and now here I am sweating my guts off while loading my baggage in the back of Salim’s car. Salim, a stout, small, curly haired dressed in faded jeans and T was waiting at the exit with the placard surprisingly with my name spelt correctly. Blazing he’s ever naughty smile nodded to me as he saw me approaching towards him. With a gentle yet robust handshake we moved on. A 35 min drive from the airport to my destination awakened me if I had made the right choice to come to Africa.

I lived for 5 years in Mombasa, traveling around Tanzania, Zanzibar and Kenya. I spent most of those 5 years working in Mombasa, a place known as a tourist hotspot for its beach resorts. The sand at the beaches are white unlike in India, and if you want to spend some great amount of time at the beach got to make sure you cover your eyes with sun glasses or else the harmful sun rays could really do the damage to your eyes. Nothing like a chilled bottle of Tusker beer at the beach, I have indeed tasted some of the best beers and this one comes up right there at the top in terms of taste. All beer lovers know that a beer is all about the taste.

Most people imagine that the local African people could be violent or harsh but with my experience living there I can comfortably conclude that these people are most humble and ever inviting. As long as you don’t have any foul interest they don’t mind your existence. Every Kenyan is well aware of the political happening in their country; a political debate over a chilled beer is always on the cards at nearby tables.

Right choice , we all make choices and when we make them weigh our pro’s and con’s which suit us, sometimes we manipulate our pro’s against the con’s or the con’s against the pro’s because that’s what we think is right. Its about the mind v/s the heart, we make choices to suit us, if we come out of it victorious it was the right choice and if we don’t we manipulate it again.

Now sitting here in Abu Dhabi as I write this post I am definitely sure I did make the right choice then, the experience of Life in those 5 years were exhilarating, and experiencing life is what I look forward to.