Shamba La Salaam

Last weekend, we were invited to South Coast to Shamba la Salaam, which is the name of the estate that Natalie Fairbourne's parents lived in when they were here. They are preparing to sell the place as a vacation home, so we got to take advantage of it one last time (my first time) before they sell.

The place is on this vast, lush, land and the richness of the home and property is completely hidden from the rural dirt road outside the gate. The beach house is completely open to the air. There are windows in bedrooms, but the common area is open.

Our room had a king sized bed and this was the view from it.

We could walk past the swimming pool

Cross the lawn and through this little coconut tree grove

And then there was the ocean. 

Gorgeous. 

The kids enjoyed playing in the sand. 

Here they're coconut bowling with the Fairbourne kids.

We also made a Volkswagen Beetle.

Once again, we'd see fishermen out working. When the tide was low, they'd be picking through the seaweed, I think for fish bait, and then when the tide came in, they'd go out in their boats which apparently are made from mango trees, all one piece, carved out into a boat.

It was so peaceful. It felt very much like a private beach except every time we're near a beach, we're approached by people trying to sell us a carved keychain or a bracelet. This time I told the teenage boy that I used to make bracelets too when I was a kid, and I tried to explain a different method he could try.

Anyway, it certainly felt like a vacation at this home. The Fairbournes cooked for us or hired people to cook for us so we didn't have to worry about food the whole time. 

I made friends with the cook, Najma. She taught me all the stages of how to get the coconut milk.

First it starts like this.

After the green part is removed, you try to remove most of the husk, and whack this huge heavy knife around the center of the coconut until you can break it in half with your hands. I wish I had filmed this part. Sorry.

The juice, if I understand right, people like to drink because it supposedly helps with urine infection.

Anyway, after you grate out the meat of the coconut...

…you put it in this cool woven bamboo thing called a kifumbu and then squeeze out the milk. The milk is used for cooking.

Now this is how you process an older coconut. A young coconut's meat is much softer and is used for drinks. Yum!