The Sweet Serenity of the Ocean

For the last few days there has been a team of people from South Africa at the baby house. Before they headed home today, they decided that a trip to the beach was needed. It would have been rude of me to try and talk them out of doing such an awful task, so with a little twisting of my arm I decided that I would accompany them on their journey. Really, I was extremely excited that I had the opportunity to go with them because I had said before leaving for Africa that I would like to have the chance to swim in the Indian Ocean.

We loaded up into their 4x4 Toyota Pick-up, and headed out of the gate of the property. I was seated in the bed of the pickup along with a few other that had also been “persuaded” to attend this outing. I love riding in the back of pickups in Africa, it seems to make any trip into the community more rich and more of an experience. I can see more, hear the sounds better, and interact with the people walking along the streets easier.

It was a bit chilly winter morning, so I pulled the hood of my jacket up and kept to myself the majority of the ride there. I had a really relaxing time with the wind blowing on my face and through my goatee. Many people were already out and on their way to church in their Sunday best. I was quite fascinated the first time I saw an African man step out of his grass hut in a three piece suit, but have now come to expect it on Sunday mornings.

As we approached our first stop, I saw water and palm trees and thought that we had arrived at the ocean. I will admit that I was disappointed at what I was seeing. It looked really dirty, smelled of diesel fuel, and dead fish. As we got closer to the water, I noticed that there was a ferry that was going to take us across the water where we would continue toward the beach on the other side.

The ferry didn’t appear to be very safe, but since my mom reads what I write on this website, I will state that it was the safest water vessel this side of the equator. As vehicles load onto the boat, it dropped lower and lower into the water. We climbed on, and I am sure that more than just a few prayers were silently shouted to the heavens in hopes that we would not sink to the bottom of this muddy river.

We arrived on the other side and continued on our way to the beach. I was again surprised as we drove down this dirt road and we were greeted by herds of cattle crossing the road. There were no fences to hold them in, and these big bulls wandered lazily across the road in front and behind our truck. After passing many children and a few older men begging along side the road, we arrived at the beach.

We climbed the hill and passed many cabana style cabins, passed through a large gathering of trees and stepped out on to the white sand of the beach. It was beautiful and there were probably only two other families that were on this endless beach that spanned the coast as far as my eyes could see. I have a hard time putting into words how peaceful the next few hours of my life were. The sound of the waves hitting the beach, and having the chance to walk down the coast without anyone else around was amazing. The water was surprisingly warm and the sun felt wonderful as it came down to wrap it warm rays around my body.

Honestly, I have never really been attracted to spending great amounts of time on the beach. Maybe it is my extremely rock-hard chiseled physique, but I have always thought that the mountains were a better choice when put up against each other. After today though, my opinion has been swayed. Although I still love my mountain views and cold weather, I now understand those people who travel to the coast and layout worshiping the sun as the waves lap at their feet. It was a great day of relaxation, and I can again say it is great to be in Africa!