Meditation, Motorbikes, Morris and Me
In the cool morning air of Kenya’s white sand coast, a noisy motorbike is my transport to a 6:15 am meditation class. The session is to be held on the top floor of the seven story Treehouse Hotel about a twenty minute journey away. I arrive early and so have the bonus of enjoying stellar views out over the surrounding mangrove forest to the Cerulean Blue Indian Ocean just beyond.
The organic appearance of the property reminds me of the Sagrada Familia though on a small scale. There is no denying that this structure is acutely distinctive. Except for one or two of the bedrooms, there are no windows in the property just gaps and openings throughout. This organic structure has an otherworldly character as if something from another world has been mysteriously transported to this wild coast.
Soon our leader arrives to take us through a quiet meditation, an opportunity to greet the day. Morris is a very large man, a local guru who I imagine would be a rugby player if he were living in the UK or anywhere in Europe. However, his size is not a barrier to being incredibly flexible and possessing a calm demeanour and supportive manner.
‘Reach to the sky, breathe deeply then bring your hands together in front of your heart’, Morris is now leading us in the next session, an Ashtanga Yoga class. Our routine starts with the strenuous sun salutations, an ancient greeting to the morning. As we practice our poses, the morning light begins to peer through the morning mist. I am hopeless at yoga but feel energised at starting my day with a fitness session. After completion, I await my motorbike to take me to my next appointment. When he does not appear, Morris himself revs up his bike and takes me back to my hotel.
Watamu is known for the incredible Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, established in 1968 and recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The crystal clear waters here are full of coral reefs and support many species including manta rays, sea turtles, whale sharks, octopus and barracuda. For this reason, the coast here is starting to attract more visitors than ever before. I visit the Ocean Turtle Watch, who monitor 50 -100 turtle nests locally and discover that their project, for raising awareness amongst locals and fisherman to help sea turtles, is a mission that has taken decades to come to fruition. A very worthy project.
@magicalkenya @watamutreehouse @roamingscribe @slcrepresentation @medina_palms @kenyacoast @belindawanyana @mmis52 @watamuturtlewatch @diana_jarvis
Morris revving his bike to replace a missing ride is one thing; the Ocean Turtle Watch’s 50–100 nests is the number I want pinned down. Is that nests logged per season, eggs relocated, or hatchlings reaching the sea? If you ever stitch the 6:15 am meditation, mangrove views and turtle sanctuary into a short travel film, a video-making tool for trip footage could handle it, but the nesting count still needs a definition.
50–100 nests is a wide range for one local project. Is that yearly across Watamu Marine National Park, or just the stretch Ocean Turtle Watch patrols? If I’m timing a 6:15 meditation around the coast’s light, I’d want a sunrise timing calculator before booking a motorbike. Morris’s flexibility still seems the real outlier.
The bit about Morris revving his bike to take you back to the hotel really stuck with me—unexpected kindness. It made me think of how my own morning routine, including some cursive handwriting practice, helps me slow down before the day gets loud. Not quite sun salutations, but the repetition still centers me. That turtle sanctuary sounds like vital work too.
Morris sounds like an amazing instructor! His calm demeanor and supportive manner, despite his size, really paint a vivid picture. It's fascinating how different individuals carry such unique 'codes' about them, much like how every message needs its own caesar cipher to be understood in a specific way. Great read!
The description of the Treehouse Hotel as being "from another world" and reminding you of Sagrada Familia immediately made me think of Studio Ghibli's fantastical structures. Imagine seeing that view transformed with a ghibli ai filter, truly magical!