A Different Kind of Christmas

Diani Beach, Kenya, December 25, 2012. This is the first time in many years that we are not spending Christmas in Washington, DC, with a routine of Christmas Eve service, followed by late dinner, and sleep-in to Christmas morning, followed by presents and late lunch with a jolly assembly of friends and family.

Even when we lived in Peru, we made the trip back to the US annually. We would regroup our scattered nuclear and extended family to see familiar faces, experience cold weather, and smell the scent of Christmas trees.

But this year is different. We’ve got just one of our two sons with us, and no added family or friends. We’re celebrating in the southern hemisphere, where the rains are finally letting up and hot season is starting to set in. Instead of wishing for snow, we’re experiencing the white sand beaches and clear blue water of the southern Kenya coast. There are palm trees, exotic flowers, and monkeys in the gardens. We have sunburns from snorkeling and drink Tusker beer lazily.  We work out at the gym, and enjoy the luxuries of spa massages and private yoga classes. We are in a resort hotel, where the guests are from all over the world, and many don’t celebrate Christmas. 

We drove from Nairobi, and rather than going through Mombasa, which is bound to be blocked with traffic jams this time of year, we took some back roads. We spent two nights in the Taita Hills and Tsavo National Park, encountering numerous packs of elephants, antelope of many kinds, and exotic birds. We saw hippos munching on grass and encountered the elusive Tsavo lions – famous for being mane-less, man-eaters, and larger than the ones you see elsewhere.

We are lucky to live in an amazing country – known by some as the cradle of mankind and certainly punctuated with beautiful landscapes.

Merry Christmas from Kenya!