Swimming Escapades

[Masgwembe]

I don't know how many senators here know how to swim. But surely we all must have memories/ horrors of swimming.

Everybody from doof mpararo to crossing the Likoni and Fort Jesus channels. Let's hear your hekayas.

Hata zile from the 40's and 50's, without mentioning names, tutasikiliza.
🩲

 

[Introvert]

Kano, Ahero in the 80s.
In a makeshift dam we used to call damba smack in the middle of a cluster of rice paddies.
A bunch of boys in their birthday suits...not a care in the world.
Until the sound of the field officer's 2-stroke bike sends everyone out of the water and scampering in a mad frenzy for their clothes...only to find someone carried yours.
Shait.

 

[macho]

I remember fish huko kamach,one day we saw a snake in the river....wueh,last time to go fishing again....that 'adventure' was removed from our list of holiday fun....

 

[MkukiMoto]

I lived near a military battalion compound and the officers swimming/sports compound was next to a river outside the army camp protected by security fencing. The sports compound was busy on weekends only with the ranks of majors and up and the major general in command always in attendance. With their wives or concubines ( we had no idea about slay queens then). All types of free hot drinks, soft drinks, and food were on display. Those officers enjoy life !

Us, a group of about five naughty hustler 13-14 old boys would take over the swimming pool during school holidays, during the week with the help of the caretaker (civilian) I knew. The place had no military police when the officers were absent. I found out later that the caretaker was a relative of the major general that is why he could breach security by allowing us to access the place.

One of my best memories involve rounding up six girls around our age and I believe we also had one 15 years old. They joined us on the promise of free cold sodas and jumping into the cold refreshing pool. As the ringleader, I insisted everyone wear a white t-shirt as a sign of respect to the officer's mess. One eager collective jump into the water by all eleven of us in a loud splush, amid laughter and happy screams, the girls quickly noticed that their hard pointed titties-hard round-ripe breasts were all exposed because of the wet t-shirts.
Most of them had too much fun to refuse my next invites. But the girls somehow found bras to wear on next trips.

Those were the carefree fun days of adolescent innocence before hard realities of life hit after puberty. None of us could actually swim at the time and we just jumped into the shallow end of the pool.

Those familiar with Kenya army barracks will quickly guess where I am talking about. Unless swimming pool place closed down a long time ago. I should go find out myself to relieve childhood memories.

 

[kingolonde]

When at Mama Ngina, Mombasa and you look across the channel at former Waitiki land, you see a small beach. Very small.
In the mid 80's we used to love going there over the weekend for a swim.
Unfortunately, every time we went, a police boat would always be dispatched to chase everybody.
We never understood why
Then one day as we were swimming deep and away from the beach before the cops arrived, a huge ship was passing.
If the flag was not Finnish, It was Greek.
All around the ship we saw shark fins, uncountable, slicing the water like a hot knife on butter.
We did not wait for Pamba
We were later told that as the ships enter the channel, some would be disposing off their waste, which included food.
This attracted the sharks.
Never went back