It’s almost ten months now since I went to the greenery splendour – Kisii. It was refreshing being in the countryside with its beautiful scenery. I needed some time to myself, away from the monotony of the big city. Quite the journey it was. Six hours to be precise, but it was worth it…every bit of it. It was marked with rainy intervals, barley plains, tea valleys and a hailstorm at some point.
Upon arrival, there were warm friendly folk. “Hey! You look foreign, need some help?” Foreign? In my attempt to look as local as possible, I strolled across the small town and stumbled across a hilly spectacle. It was sunset already. The banana plantations from a distance made a silhouette that was a beauty to behold. Pause. Reflect. Imagine.
The next part of the journey was a 16km drive to Asumbi. Who knew, that far and beyond still lay some mystery. I spent the night at a friend’s who’s a teacher at the local high school.
In small towns, where everybody knows everybody and scheduled meat orders, yes, you order your meat and by noon it’s over! What’s not to love about a small town? Everyone is cordial, and we were given a prehistoric tour by one of the villagers, voluntarily! He explained to us how some missionaries set base in Asumbi about 100 years ago and the village boasts of a hospital, a primary and secondary school, a teachers’ training college and of course a shopping centre. Living here should be quite a breeze.
Speaking of breeze, my itinerary was not complete. Next stop, Homabay! I’m a sucker for travelling, I mean, 20 more kilometres off-road? Yes! So we get to the pier, and as soon as we alight, we were approached by photographers, eager to capture how stunned we were by Lake Victoria. There was not so much activity; from a distance, we could see some fishermen at the horizon of the lake. Along the shore are some lake houses and at the pier, one would enjoy a boat ride to the other side.
We soaked up the moment, enjoyed the breeze and made our way to a local hotel. Do you know what kept the lawns manicured there? Sheep, yes sheep! There were bird feeders at the entrance and I just loved the ambience. Lest I forget to mention the food, we had an array of delicacies to try and of course, we had fish, freshly caught and well-made ugali. Yum! Ask the experts. The sunset this time was majestic as it gently kissed the lake and streaks of orange and gold brushed the sky.
My friend and I did some catching up and I was on my way back the following day. Those were three days of bliss, relaxation and utter peace. Need I say more? I think if anyone is looking for a place to visit, under a budget and not the obvious tourists sites, try going to Kisii. Thank me later, enjoy your bliss!
To find out more about Kisii check out this post why you should travel to Western Kenya.
Travel: Why You Should Visit These Pre-Historic Sites in Kenya
