newsletter april 2024
To all our guests and friends,
The Kuzi winds are finally here in earnest, ushering in a new cooler period after a hot, hot, hot start to 2024, fitting for the year of the dragon. The breeze and rain showers mark the end of the high season. The houses emptied at the weekend and it is a strange feeling to be alone on the property. In one way it’s a luxury as we have nobody to worry about but we do like it when the houses are full of life; with children splashing in the plunge pools, kikois draped over sun loungers, and Mwitu trailing interesting smells along the lawn. So thank you to our migratory guests who return to their home from home every year and to all the loyal agents, guests and friends who have made this season so busy. We have loved seeing everyone.
Along with our regular two legged guests, visitors this year also included some winged varieties. The sooty gulls arrived in November and were particularly fond of resting on the outriggers of the ngalawas in the morning. They recently left along with our other winter sun seekers. Earlier in the year, a big highlight was the arrival of clouds of white butterflies (Belenois Aurota) who passed through the garden flying north. It is a spectacular sight - unfortunately practically impossible to capture on camera - which usually lasts about three days.
We have been busy improving Four Twenty for your next visit.
We renovated the bathrooms in Chikore, decorating them with Swahili carved plaster, a traditional skill still practised after centuries. Its origin is in the fusion of cultures when traders from Persia, north Africa, the Middle East and India, sailed the monsoon winds to our shores for 6 months and away again for the remaining 6 months of the year and settled here while waiting for the trade winds to take them home again. They built houses and took wives and the Swahili people and their culture, including carved plasterwork, are the result.
Incredibly talented artists/craftsmen still carve the plaster by hand and eye. It is amazing to watch the lime plaster being thrown against the wall and then carved swiftly before it dries out. How they scale the design and get the repeats to fit so perfectly is a mystery… Our craftsman and his team of sons work magic as you can see!
The boiling mercury set a fire in our bellies to make sure guests could keep cool so we have now installed air conditioning in the bedrooms of Dzumbe and Kualuka has joined the plunge pool party with a new generous L shaped pool wrapped around the veranda.
Our biggest project that we have have embarked upon is building a house for ourselves. We have been gypsies for 15 years, moving around according to which house is not booked so are looking forward to having a place of our own. We should be able to move into our home at the beginning of October which is fantastically exciting.
May and June are traditionally low season months but, although it may rain, the clouds usually burn off by lunchtime and the temperature is perfect. In fact, it is our favourite time of year. With lush vegetation, totally empty beaches and fresh evenings; the water crystal and cool, it is wonderful for long walks and swimming. We hope some of you might be able to join us for a visit during this quiet time of year but if not, we hope to see you soon, among the sooty gulls, butterflies, old friends and new faces the winds blow in.