Thinking Allowed: Beach boys

Diani beach is one of those postcard perfect beaches with white sand and a border of coconut trees. The beach incline is gradual and the reef a ways from shore making for a quiet shallow bright blue lapping. The wind is a constant companion adding to the natural thrum of the setting. It is a place of tranquility and calm. Except for the fact that the beach is covered not only in sand but in beach boys who are desperately trying to make a living off of the visitors. There are Maasai trying to sell bracelets, young men trying to sell coconuts, athletes trying to sell spectacles, women trying to sell massage and fabric, and young men trying to sell boat rides, tour, or anything else your heart could desire. They are a good natured bunch of folk but their persistence is monumental. I decided early on to give them time if I could not give money. Their strategy is to introduce themselves and chat with you until you feel a sense of kinship that compels you to buy something to support them. I made it clear when each one introduced themselves that I would not be a worthwhile costumer. Still, they persisted and greeted me each time they saw me and talked and talked trying to discover what might be lacking in my life that they could sell. In some ways these middle men were miracle men who were eager to meet any tourist whims. In other ways they reminded me of a flock of seagulls - beautiful but overwhelming when there are too many.

One gentleman walked with me for forty minutes chatting about his life, and Kenya. We stayed on the beach for a week so by the end we were very familiar with the beach boys in our stretch. They were exhausting but still they were all good people just trying to live off an oversaturated role. I am glad I got to learn a little bit about their lives even if I was a disappointing customer.

Tova of course has a special fondness for the beach acrobats. Here is here impression of the coast:

The beach was really fun there were all these acrobatic groups who would walk down the beach performing for money and at some point we payed them a few dollars to see them and they were very good and we got to do acrobatics with them. Another fun thing was when we went to this beach with big waves and when we went on a boat to go snorkeling where we saw multiple eels and fish and went out to a sandbar which was super fun! Their was also this person who sold fruit called Ali so we would get a coconut each day which was super yummy.

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THIS IS A WAVE