Amina once again shares some insight what makes island life special and why Wasini is, well WASINI …And those who wish to experience it, Wasini Guides has just launched a new package with pick up and drop off from the Diani resorts for a day’s outing to the island, costing a mere KShs 4.600 per person with a minimum number of at least two participants. Check out https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=728964067249746&set=a.188301374649354.66030.100004084774928&type=1&theater for details …
And while on the Wasini Guides FB page, check out their latest diving adventures via http://wasini.net/?page_id=74
But now, here is Amina’s post …
What Makes the Magic of Attraction of an Island?
When Andree Brooks of the New York Times interviewed some island dwellers to this regard he got generally answers in the tone of “being attracted by the enchantment of waking up to the sound of breakers and seabirds instead of passing traffic” or “the magic of the storybook setting is the main attraction”, or ”being out at sea away from the mainland seems to magnify everything – the changing of the seasons, the drama of the weather, the wildlife and even the colors,” or “the opportunity for absolute privacy. Nobody can get to you. There are no cars, just the gentle sound of water rippling all around.”
This sounds all convincing but there might be even deeper-lying reasons for our attraction to islands to be found in the various studies that have been carried out with regard to their uniqueness. According to Wikipedia, “the ecology of island ecosystems is vastly different from that of mainland communities. Their isolation and high availability of empty niches leads to increased speciation. As a result, island ecosystems comprise 30% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, 50% of marine tropical diversity, and some of the most unusual and rare species.” These facts are less prominent in islands close to the coast but still can be detected even there. Right so, but what about our brothers and sisters, the island dwellers? What about the intrepid traveler? What kind of impact have this remoteness, this uniqueness, the relative isolation, the lack of so-called development? Well, no-one seems to have made an effort to scientifically evaluate these aspects of island life so far. Therefore, let me share my personal findings for Wasini island: it is in fact much more than all the before-mentioned: it is indeed the furthest possible place away from your ordinary mainland life. You might very well get a Robinson Crusoe-like feeling – spiritual bliss included.
Wasini island is indeed dwelling in such a back-in-time, out-of-date state that your usual boundaries of perceptions are being shifted. Imagine, there are no cars, there is no ground water, there is no ATM, there is no supermarket, there is no Wifi, there is no pool, there are no dancers – and the solar-energy is not enough to charge your laptop! There are no such distractions as window shopping, crafts markets, bar hopping, or – God behold – quiz nights.
Your time may simply consist of idling on your terrace or the beach watching birds, insects, tortoises or chameleons doing whatever things they do, or you might actually see some humans going about their chores, bringing staples of firewood home on their head, poking in crevices in search of octopuses, laying out fishing nets, …. damn mind appeasing happenings.
If you want action, it is up to you. You are in the easy-going mood? Well, let yourself float on the salty waters of the Indian Ocean, or watch the friendly reef fishes through your goggles… or roam the coast line in the intertidal zone on the lookout for star fishes, shells and other treasures. Or, are you in a more active mood? Explore the small island hiking, run with the monkeys, pull up the big sail in a wooden Dhow, strap the cylinder and dive deep down the big reef, swim with a pod of dolphins, go to the village and find someone to kick a ball!
If these things matter to you – well, on Wasini Island, they are all that matters. And it is true, clocks are ticking at a different rate on Wasini – even the one a traveler has unnecessarily brought along. Well, these are my magic attractions to this island – but Wasini welcomes you to explore your own….
