We arrived at Malindi Cottages to find showers, flushing toilets and a swimming pool. Claire went to hospital to get checked out, and while waiting for our pizza at Bar Bar (where they serve excellent, freshly squeezed fruit juice), Tom and I went to Barclays Bank. After withdrawing money from the ATM, we went to pick up Claire’s prescription from the chemist. We were definitely back in civilisation (all-be-it a coastal tourist town).

Tim and John went to the internet café. Nicola, Paul, Alison and Claire went back to Malindi Cottages and the rest of us went shopping for gifts. At the shops, we met Ben and Leonard (who claimed his girlfriend was from Glasgow). Ben and Leonard worked for Kenya Wildlife Services and followed us everywhere. They showed us round Malindi, while trying to interest us in a safari. This proved useful, as they kept other touts away. They were very friendly, and seemed to know most of the traders, but they grew uneasy when we met up with Tom again. Eventually, not knowing who Tom was, they asked some policemen to have a word with him. After all, he was from the city of ‘Nairobbery’. We gave up on our shopping and returned, soaked from the rain, to Malindi Cottages. (At Garsen, it had rained through the night, most nights, but we had very little rain during the day.)