The beach

Ever since i came here i wanted to make a trip to the beach and it finally happened yesterday. The best part about this trip was not just the destination but the journey too. It was a 30 km drive and this was the first time that i drove out of the town limits and got a little taste of green & rural Africa.

One very distinctive feature during the drive was the abundance of coconut trees. Lots and lots of them. Reminded me of the typical rural south Indian setting-Narrow roads; open fields on either sides of the road - as far as your eye can see; thatched roof houses & coconut trees.

As we neared the beach we got off the road and drove down a sandy trail which led us closer to the water and a large number of casurina trees. here were quite a few cars parked along with some mini-vans and some pick-ups. Leaving my floaters in the car we started walking towards the water. We walked from among the trees into the open patch of sand between the water and the tress. I stopped and looked back only to see a massive wall of casurina along the shore parallel to the water. Amazing sight. The wall-like structure that you see in the snap is the casurina that i am referring to.

Being a Sunday, i expected to see a large crowd. But a majority of the people seemed to be concentrated at the exit of the trail leading to the beach. A group of guys were playing volleyball, some were enjoying a game of football, parents trying to handle cranky kids; but the scene that stood out was that of a 4 or 5 year old kid on a mini 4-wheeled motorized vehicle merrily zig-zagging through the people present at the beach. along the shore away from the crowd. At a distance, towards the horizon, i could see some small boats with sails. Other that that it was just waves and waves crashing into the shoreline.

There was this sort of thrill that i felt as i walked barefoot on the sand and into the water, watching a sight that i was accustomed to seeing throughout the four years of my graduation. I walked slowly into the water as we walked along the shore. The best part about the beach was the gradual incline. I walked almost 75 meters into the water and it was barely upto my knees. The waves dashed against me and drenched my shorts and water splashed onto my glasses. I loved this feeling. I put my hands into the sand, digging a bit into it, to look for clams - and i sure did find them there. By the time we left for the beach i had a handful of clams which i gave to my driver who said he'll have them for dinner.

Overall a wonderful evening; i enjoyed it and am looking forward for more.

(NOTE: For all those who have already asked me "Why no photos till now?"; well i still don't have a camera. The above snaps were taken form my colleagues camera-phone.)