Fundu Lagoon - Days 12 & 13 ...

4th March - luxury, luxury and more luxury!

Our penultimate day and definitely a day of chillaxing and pampering. Making the most of our new room, breakfast by room service - how spoilt were we? Message sent to say we'd got to be at spa for 1pm. No other clues given. An hour lounging on beach while housekeeping housekept then plunge pool 'til time for spa.  Low tide was getting later and not as low so there were fewer Mama's going out to cockle pick and they were getting a lot later going.  When we first saw them they were already out picking before we had breakfast.  Now it was getting on for lunch time before they started to go!  Not many days left before they wouldn't be going at all.

1pm - heaven had arrived - facial, manicure and pedicure! 2 hours of sheer pamper followed by late lunch and back to plunge pool to read until tide high enough to go for a dip! We had a visitor attempt to enter at the spa. Tap-tap-tap coming from window and there it was. A mangrove kingfisher, perched on back of chair, tapping to come in. So pretty but it wasn't invited *LOL*

Today was rounded off with our final BBQ :0{

5th March - and a day to make the most of!

Our last day - and a lovely one. Unfortunately didn't go quite as we'd hoped and, for me, a bit of an anti-climax, but was still really enjoyable if not quite what was initially expected - *lol*

Morning started well. Jackie went for morning dive off Misali with Filbert (Philbert? not sure of spelling). Note how few our boat trips had been this week - Monday, then nothing, except this one for Jackie! I had breakfast alone in room, planning on really chilling and spending morning in plunge pool once housekeeping had been - except, they were late and Jackie was back before had chance to plunge! In meantime I chilled on beach trying to get close up photos of Mama's on way to cockle pick. Got some lovely close, face fronting shots then ..... went and deleted 'em by mistake *doh*! Wouldn't get the same opportunity again!  Local lads were off  'somewhere' and were full of curiosity - *bless*.

Lunch at pool bar with Matt and Anie (who were both suffering a tummy bug and had been for a few days).

Plan had been for sundowners in room, local Mama doing henna tattoos, Liz dressing to show us her Masai finery followed by a private dinner for us, Matt, Anie and Liz but ... lunchtime it changed. Henna lady and Liz dressing up to come earlier so that we could do the sundowner cruise in Mama Cass, the resort dhow. Still a private dinner but on the beach instead. Trouble was, nobody told henna lady ... or Liz so - Mama Cass left without us :0(

Still, dinner was excellent (although no Liz and Matt and Anie still not well). Lobster (or rather, langoustine), giant prawns, fish kebabs ... all superb!

We finished the evening with farewell drinks and a nightcap at the bar. Jackie threw me out when everyone else had disappeared ... so she could spend 'quality time' with William (purely platonic, of course) *giggle* She wasn't keen on walking along beach, on own, in dark but ... I could *hehe*!

Had to prepare for early start next day ... homeward bound!

Thanks for dropping by .....

Fundu Lagoon - Day 9

1st March - and ... not blooming likely! This was real funny but could be one that you had to be there for!

Another day on Misali Island for snorkelling. This time just me, Jackie, another couple of guests and Simba - the snorkel 'guide'. Sea choppy and female of the couple decided not to go. Think she made the right choice as it turned out *lol*!

Onto little boat and off we go. Pretty tough rough going.  Heading into wind ... and waves. Waves start coming over side. Simba offered waterproofs. "That's OK" say me and Jackie. "We're Brits and used to getting wet". Oh my word - or famous last ones!  So much water Simba passes waterproof to cover basket cameras and books in. I'm up front, getting worst of it - full in face! Decided to cover self (OK, so horse bolted, stable door and all that) as well as basket. Put arms in sleeves - waterproof back to front. Jackie hunkered down behind me .... 

We laughed so much the guys must have wondered what they'd got with them. We were laughing 'cos we were getting so wet and for being so stupid! We couldn't ask for waterproofs after being so blasé ... could we? Trip to Misali - 3 times longer than normal. We got soaked! I mean - really, really wet!

Arrived Misali, jumped off boat and ... "Guess what I'm NOT doing!" It was too rough for me to even paddle let alone swim and snorkel. I claimed a sunbed - in the shade 'cos it was still sunny and hot - and Jackie went snorkelling with Simba! Beautiful morning. Beach dress hanging out to dry.  Quite a bit going on. Divers coming in for lunch. Yachts anchoring offshore. Local fishermen in their dhows. Little, and not so little, crabs to watch the antics of. Lunch served, Simba went diving around our little boat and after lunch off they went, snorkelling again.

As things were being packed away Simba was still diving around our little boat, then he moved it. He'd 'broken the anchor' - oops! Broken anchor? That explained why he'd been playing around near a bouy. He'd been tying the boat off. Anchor rope had broken and he couldn't reach the anchor because of the conditions. Tide coming in, sea getting closer to us than the boat! I'm watching and thinking that there was no way we were going to get back into that boat if  water gets any closer. Too deep!  Eventually Simba decides it's time to go.

Guess who was volunteered to go first (note - I had no choice!) while Jackie stands back with camera at the ready. 4 attempts later I'd nearly made it onto the side and into boat but crest of waves took boat out from under my butt! Next, Simba grabs me, thunder thighs, and virtually throws me into boat! Poor man ... think he knew he'd done it! Next thing there's hysterical Jackie lying virtually at my feet! She'd managed, somehow, to launch herself over the side but I reckon it's because she was crying with laughter *lol*!

Journey back better than going. Wind behind us! What a day, but so enjoyable except ... although I'd stayed in the shade all day I'd managed to get my shins burnt - and burnt they surely were! We then had to confess, once back, that anchor lost but ... Simba knew where 'twas and would collect the next day. Had to happen on our watch *LOL*!

Sundowners taken at jetty bar this evening, with the owners and management but dinner was had with another couple we'd become friendly with.

All in all a memorable day *LOL*

Thanks for dropping by .....

Fundu Lagoon - Day 4 ...

24th February ... dolphins, Misali and giant crabs!

Really busy day - well, sort of. Early morning. We were giving the dolphin safari another go. Woke to monkeys playing/squabbling on decking outside room. Yep, that is monkeys - more of the local wildlife! Our call was late and, although I saw monkeys playing in the roof at reception I didn't have time to stop for photos.

Dolphin safari ... successful *yay!* Today we saw loads, including tiny young ones. A pod of spinner dolphins and spin they did! Unfortunately it's nigh on impossible to get photos. They move so quickly and it's a case of point, shoot and hope you get something. I took loads of photos. Only a few were successful! It was wonderful seeing them jumping and spinning because they want to, not because they've been trained to!

Back for a rushed breakfast as we'd instructions to meet at the jetty bar for 9:30am. We were to have a day on Misali Island (a marine conservation area), a proper Robinson Crusoe type island, chillaxing on Baobob beach and ...

...snorkeling, with instruction from Matt and Anie .... right! Now me, I don't like being out of my depth and don't like putting face in water. I sort of managed to get the hang of the face in water and breathing through a tube thing but flippers? Oh my! I just couldn't get on with them and they gave me cramps so off they came, but not before they'd had us in hysterics with me trying to get enough balance to take them off. Anie grabbed both cameras to record the hilarity!

Picnic lunch, siesta and giant crab later and ...

Coconut crab - the largest crab species and ... this is a small one!

... off for another snorkel - this time Matt telling me to follow him ... which I did, and was fine, until he suddenly dived down under me and ... panic! It hit me how deep it was. That was the end of this snorkel session for me *LOL* I made my way back while the others carried on but I had a great time going back in the water ... within my depth!. I found it a lot easier on my breathing, moving around in the water rather than on the sand. It was also a lot cooler *lol*!

Brilliant day over, a wonderful boat ride back, couple of sundowner cocktails, dinner and an early night! We were bushed ... but I still didn't sleep well!

Thanks for dropping by .....