We lingered over two copper carafes of coffee, and we each had a Spanish omelet. Pole pole (pronounced pola - long a) is a Swahili word for slow - and everything is pole pole here. Perhaps it's the tropical humidity, but everything is very slow.
We spent at least two hours at breakfast, then we slowly (pole, pole) made our way to a curio shop that accepts Visa and did some shopping. Not much - a bedspread, a wooden sign that says Hacuna Matata (which means 'no problem" in Swahili), a serving bowl, a shell-covered basket, a frig magnet, a village depiction made of palm and a beer opener.
We were back to our hotel room before noon and spent the next two and half hours downloading and editing photos, and just lolling around.
When we returned from breakfast, an employee here that we see in the morning during coffee, was on his computer on the rooftop where we were sitting. His name is Beka. He actually arranged the spice farm tour for us yesterday.
He was watching YouTube videos of basketball skill training, and he told us about the basketball teams he has organized. One is for women, (20-25 years old), one is for young men (15-19 years old) and the "Big" team is composed of young men 20-25 years old.
Of course, we were very interested so we spent time visiting with him about his teams and what he does as a coach. He was explaining the costs involved that most of the kids can't afford i.e. uniforms, travel - all the things associated with traveling basketball teams. But he also takes the team on field trips to museums and such so they can learn about history, and he has a program in which the kids go to primary schools to help with the younger kids. The team members also volunteer at various places including a "sober house," where they speak with other kids about the dangers of drugs.
The women do not have uniforms, and it costs only USD $70 to outfit them so we got on the horn to our women basketball buddies to inquire if they were willing to contribute - and they came through with enough to outfit the entire women's team!
I gotta say that I love those women and so appreciate their contributions. USD money goes a long way here.
Anywho, Becker invited us to watch them practice, and we accepted his offer. We were there for nearly an hour - they practice at a military facility on a concrete court that, unfortunately, has sand on it and is a little tricky to navigate but we only saw one of the girls slip and fall. Because it's at a military facility, they only practice 5-6:20 p.m. during the week and not everyone can attend, as some are in school at that time. They get a longer practice time on the weekends.
They all were working very hard, and the men played exceptionally well. A few were wearing jerseys - Oklahoma City Thunder and the Lakers or an NBA shirt. I don't know how they watch the NBA, but they do.
We watched them practice - they staggered the teams in a scrimmage. The women were much shorter and less aggressive than the men but there were a couple of good ball handlers among them.
I got my photo taken with each team, then with all of them. I think they were thrilled we were there, especially since Becker told them I had once coached women's basketball (which I did in my younger days).
It was fun being with them.
We returned to the hotel and went to eat at a Tapas bar, which was alright. After dinner, we slipped into the bar to have a drink and watch some soccer coverage.
I gotta say that we're just about done with things. Our hotel room is not what the previous accommodations have been. For instance, there are no hand towels (just one bath towel each), there have been times during our stay that we have had no hot water and there is no coffee maker in the room!
It's very humid here, and we both are having a bit of trouble with it. It makes everything very uncomfortable.
Then there's the folks trying to make a living, who hit you up the minute you get on the street and follow you around trying to sell you something. It, too, is uncomfortable because we know they need the money but we can't give money to everyone that hits us up to buy something. It gets annoying after a while, as you can't walk anywhere without being approached, followed and pestered.
That being said, we are leaving tomorrow for the final week of our trip to Jambiani Villas on the east side of the island. It's a resort so I think we can isolate ourselves from having to go into the village. We actually asked them today to stock the frig with some beer, wine and sundry other munchies so it'll be cold and ready for us when we arrive early tomorrow afternoon.
First things first, though. Becker arranged for a friend (a cab driver) to pick us up and take us to Jambiana (about an hour drive on roads that probably resemble the African massages we've had previously) but we first are going to Darajani Market (where you supposedly can find anything you want) to buy a suitcase so we can pack our African memorabilia and check it on the way home. After that mission is completed, we're off to a five-ay holiday in a resort on the ocean.
Our villa has a kitchen (and we can order cooking ingredients), it has air conditioning, it has a pool and it has a beach. We don't intend to do anything but lie about the resort, swim, snorkel, maybe go sailing one day, read and - well - chill out before we do the 30-hour return to home.
I got my photo taken with all three teams individually but here is aphid of me with all three teams: the women's team, the men's junior team and the men's "big" team.
This is Beka coaching the women.
Boke passing the ball.
Boke going around the defense.
An NBA Junior attempts to take the ball away from Jokha.
The kids practice at a military base so they can use the court from 5-6:20 p.m. only on weekdays. After practice, they have to remove the backboard from the court, especially tonight because a net ball tournament was scheduled for the court the next day. Beka said this was "the real Africa."
That's so cool about the BB uniforms. Rebecca
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