I got on a bus headed for Isiolo the other day to meet with the Red Cross about a water project up there. The man collecting the money outside said it left at 10:30am. I looked at the time as I boarded the nearly empty bus and saw that it was 10:32am. I figured we would be off in a bit. As time passed I started wondering if he really meant to say 11:30am, but as that came and went, I realized that wasn't the case either. The bus, being pushed off of the sidewalk by seven men, started the trip shortly after noon.....that, my friend is Kenyan time.
The bus was pretty cramped with seats which barely contained me. The simple task of putting my hair up was quite difficult. The real challenge came with the window. I wanted it open, but the six people behind me did not. Mind you, it's over 80 degrees and the sun is beating down, on a huge bus for a 5 hour trek.....unfortunately, people who live here are more accustomed to the heat and find wind to be quite chilly. Needless to say, with the back of my shirt drenched in sweat, I lost.
We did pass some amazing tea plantations along the way, which I was very pleased to see. There were lush green hillsides sectioned off and covered in tea leaves, coffee, and other amazing crops. Banana trees are everywhere, and I'm tempted to pick one fresh from a tree, but I'm sure they belong to someone.
I got a matatu from where the bus dropped me in Meru to Isiolo. Another 1 1/2 hours and I arrived. My new friend Katie met me at the petrol station & we walked back into the village to the children's home where I would stay with her.
I was greeted by many children who were quite happy to have a visitor. My first stop was to the outhouse, where I was wishing I was a dude for a second; I had to pee into a tiny hole the shape of a bicycle seat, and not much larger. It all worked out it the end, but was a bit intimidating. I settled in for the evening and Katie made a fabulous pasta dish with fresh tomatoes and veggies from the market. Gosh, how I love pasta!!!
Yesterday, I went to meet with someone from the Red Cross, only to find that there were no projects I could do know. The woman told me that she might have the supplies sometime next week. I wish they had told me that before I travelled 6.5 hours to get here. Then again, I guess I would have missed out on the rest of the experience. I wandered around town. It's quite a bit hotter here and the wind likes to throw the dust into your eyes. Katie and I had lunch at the Boman Hotel, which was quite tasty and then I met a bunch of street kids, many of whom she works with. A lot of the children were holding up what looked like a smaller version of a Kraft dressing bottle, which I soon learned was glue. She asked them to put it away while she was talking to them. Many of the kids were high on glue or drunk. Can you imagine?....7 year old children, just plowed at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It was heartbreaking. One child asked for a banana and was told, "If you have money to buy glue, then you have money to buy a banana", which I thought was the perfect thing to say, but it still makes you ache for them. I learned that glue takes away the feeling of hunger, cold, and of course, boredom. It's terribly cheap for them to get, and terribly sad to see. I'm tempted to buy up all the glue in town from the shoemakers and stores, but I know that won't fix the problem. Poverty and education are the problems. (At least from an outsider's perspective)
On a more positive note, everybody here is very friendly. Kenyans seem quite keen on handshaking and it happens all the time with strangers I meet as I walk down the dirt roads. So many people want to know where I'm from and want to talk with me. People will just start walking along with me and talking. In the US, that would be seen as very odd or threatening, but here, it is just friendliness and company. Also, I stand out a bit. lol!
Tomorrow, I will head up to Archer's Post to see the Samburu Tribe of women who left their abusive husbands to start their own village. They make jewelry there and I will buy some to support them. I'm very excited to meet them, as I hear they have faced a lot and overcame. I may stay there a day or two. I will be in touch when I can! :) Miss you guys!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Cold Hard Reality
I got Sunday's Daily Nation Newspaper today, as I wanted to catch up on some current events. There is a new constitution proposed for Kenya, which people will be voting on. President Kibaki and most of the goverment seem to be strongly in support of the new constitution, and the paper does not stray from their view. Of course, the skeptic in me wants to read the fine print, as I feel that some of the proposals, while colored beautifully, may open up a can of worms in many areas. Some feel that the vote has been decided already.
Of course, I'm straying from what I wanted to mention, so I will get back to the point....In the paper, there was a section where the question "What would I want included in the constitution" was posed to children who look like they can't be far from the range of 5 -10 years old. Not to depress anyone, but I think we all take a lot for granted, and I wanted to share some of the responses they had with you:
"I would stress the point for the right of children to get an education, so that we won't have many children loitering in the streets." Vivianne Wanjiru
"Every child must have parental love. No parent should throw away their children. Those who do so should be jailed for life. It should be made a law that children should have time to play." Faith Mbone
"I would make sure the rights concerning providing basic needs like food, clothing and shelter are included in the constitution. If parents are poor then the government should take care of their children and building many homes for them." Enock Winjira
"I ensure that the law against marrying off children is very clear. Every child must have a right to complete their education and marry when they become adults." Joseph Kamau
How is it, that we as a society, and I do mean the whole world, stand by while children are put in a position to have to ask for education, food, clothing shelter, time to play, and to not be married off at a young age? These are children....young, young children....asking for basic things that you and I don't think about....asking for basic things which they should not have to think about.....how does this happen? How do we resolve it? It just breaks my heart.
Of course, I'm straying from what I wanted to mention, so I will get back to the point....In the paper, there was a section where the question "What would I want included in the constitution" was posed to children who look like they can't be far from the range of 5 -10 years old. Not to depress anyone, but I think we all take a lot for granted, and I wanted to share some of the responses they had with you:
"I would stress the point for the right of children to get an education, so that we won't have many children loitering in the streets." Vivianne Wanjiru
"Every child must have parental love. No parent should throw away their children. Those who do so should be jailed for life. It should be made a law that children should have time to play." Faith Mbone
"I would make sure the rights concerning providing basic needs like food, clothing and shelter are included in the constitution. If parents are poor then the government should take care of their children and building many homes for them." Enock Winjira
"I ensure that the law against marrying off children is very clear. Every child must have a right to complete their education and marry when they become adults." Joseph Kamau
How is it, that we as a society, and I do mean the whole world, stand by while children are put in a position to have to ask for education, food, clothing shelter, time to play, and to not be married off at a young age? These are children....young, young children....asking for basic things that you and I don't think about....asking for basic things which they should not have to think about.....how does this happen? How do we resolve it? It just breaks my heart.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Safari in the Masai Mara
On Wednesday morning, I left for a 3 day safari in the Masai Mara, which is known as the best safari location in Kenya. There were 8 of us, not including the driver, who loaded up into a 4WD van with a top that pops up for viewing. My newfound friends, Julie and Twinkle, laughed and sang songs a good part of the way, causing much joy to other passengers. It took roughly 5 hours to get there, stopping for a delicious lunch along the way. We had chapati, which is like naan, lentils, meat, greens like kale and rice. Delicious!
Back on the road we passed fields, farms, little shops/huts, cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. The road got rough and we crossed a broken down cement slab of a bridge, which I was sure wasn't wide enough for the van.....I was mistaken. The bumpy road made my ribs feel as if they were clanking together at times, and the crazy passing made me feel as though we were in a constant game of chicken. All and all, we made it in one piece.
First stop was to the neighboring Masai Village, where we were greeted by the chief's son and each paid 1,000KES, which equates to almost $13USD, to see the village. The money goes to the chief and is used for their school. After money collection, we were greeted by a group of tribesman who performed a welcoming dance for us. Wrapped in their red cloths and decorated with jewelry, they danced and groaned and grunted, marching and competing with high jumping, which they are known for. After the dance, we learned that the large holes they've created in their ear lobes are a sign of age, and someone who has holes in the top of their ear means they've gone to school.
Next, we were shown how they make fire by quickly twisting a wooden stick into another piece of wood, then taken for a tour of the village. As we walked through piles of mud and dung, we learned that they actually mix the mud and the dung together, so avoiding the piles was kind of pointless. We passed by a hut which was being rebuilt by weaving a type of string back and forth between sticks.
As the group walked on single file, one of the tribesman took my hand and told me to follow him, and he pulled me into a tiny doorway, through which I had to both duck and turn sideways due to the small size. While this was happening, I was like, "'Oh my gosh, I'm being seperated from the pack', 'what's happening?', 'they won't know I'm gone!'" Only to find out later that this happened to everyone of us.
When I walked into the hut, I saw spider webs, but couldn't see anything else. It was pitch black, and I was freaked out. The man asked me to sit on the bed, which he kept tapping, but as I lowered my butt, I was unable to locate it, and didn't want to touch what I couldn't see. Finally, about two inches off the ground, I made contact with what felt like a hard plastic tarp. The tribesman sat next to me and told me that this was his home. Another tribesperson in the room, who I'm still not sure if it was a man or a woman, opened a 3 inch hole towards the top of the hut to let light in. I was told that was for when they cook to let the smoke out. The hut was considerably cooler than it was in the hot sun just a few feet away. I was told the layout of the hut; where the couples bed was, the guest bed, the elder's bed and the bed for the baby sheep and baby cow, who need to be indoors when they are young. In the center was their "kitchen", which just looked like the center of the room to me with some raised dirt. I learned that he had 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl, and that they have to tear down their home every 9 years due to termites that live in the ground below and eat their home. As he told me that, I noticed what I thought was a termite crawling on one of the posts by the kitchen and my mind started to wander off as I thought about what might be crawling on me in the darkness. He then tried to sell me 2 necklaces he wore around his neck, one for me and one for my sister he said. He wanted 1500 KES, and I said no. Wanting out of the hut, where I could see again, I said I wanted to look around and then would decide.
We left the hut and he persistantly tried to bargain with me. I offered him 100KES. He laughed and said my price was too low. I told him I wanted to see the market first. We went to the market, which was a round circle, will each of the jewelry makers in front of their 2 foot long stick shelf of goods. As I passed by each one, they were pushing their products hard. Most of them stood in front of me, ordering me to look and not allowing me to pass onto the next vendor. Their jewelry was beautiful and intricate, but not having much money on me, and lacking the desire to lug souvenirs around for 3 weeks, helped me resist the pressure. One person actually forceably put a necklace on me and a couple others attempted to put bracelets on my wrist. I turned them all down, but it was quite uncomfortable. They made car salesman pale in comparison. I exited the circular market with the tribesman following me the whole way, still wanting to negotiate on the necklaces. I ended up getting both for 200KES.
We took a little tour of their school, which was a lot fancier looking than their homes, but rundown at best. I appreciated the effort for education and one of the girls in my group made a donation to who I believe was a female principal. We left the village, with tons of children playing soccer, known here as "football" in the background. Our camp was so close that you could still hear the children playing when we arrived.
We went out into the national reserve that night, all of the next day and the following morning. Our safari guide was fabulous and I believe he broke a rule or two to get us the shots we wanted. It was amazing to see all of the animals there, out in the open, roaming free. We saw everything but a rhino and a male lion. There were impalas, gazelles, heart beast, water buffalo, monkeys, baboons, hippos, lions, wildebeest, zebras, colorful butterflies, birds & geckos, a crocodile, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, mongoose, etc. It was insane, and I truly hope that I am able to hang onto my video camera and get it safely home so that I can share some of the spectacular things I saw!
We've made it safely back to camp, arriving last night & did a little late night run to an Ethiopian restaurant around the corner. It's above a bank (lol), and some bumping music made me check out a sign next to the restaurant, which read, "Singles night! Starting at 6pm. Non-alcoholic fruit punch served." Seeing as it was around 10pm, I was curious if ther was anyone even inside, but the fruit punch comment made me chuckle and I resisted temptation.
I slept in a tent on the lawn last night, as the dorms were full, but I slept well & woke up at 6am like usual. Ugh, tell me this is temporary! A little french press coffee, a bit of blogging and I'm ready to start my day. Not sure what I'm doing yet. Need to get a hold of my contact at the Red Cross to see if I can come up to Isiolo (5 hours north) for a water project. If that doesn't pan out, I will do something else. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, but this "no planning" thing is kind of nice!
I'll be in touch when I can! :)
Back on the road we passed fields, farms, little shops/huts, cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. The road got rough and we crossed a broken down cement slab of a bridge, which I was sure wasn't wide enough for the van.....I was mistaken. The bumpy road made my ribs feel as if they were clanking together at times, and the crazy passing made me feel as though we were in a constant game of chicken. All and all, we made it in one piece.
First stop was to the neighboring Masai Village, where we were greeted by the chief's son and each paid 1,000KES, which equates to almost $13USD, to see the village. The money goes to the chief and is used for their school. After money collection, we were greeted by a group of tribesman who performed a welcoming dance for us. Wrapped in their red cloths and decorated with jewelry, they danced and groaned and grunted, marching and competing with high jumping, which they are known for. After the dance, we learned that the large holes they've created in their ear lobes are a sign of age, and someone who has holes in the top of their ear means they've gone to school.
Next, we were shown how they make fire by quickly twisting a wooden stick into another piece of wood, then taken for a tour of the village. As we walked through piles of mud and dung, we learned that they actually mix the mud and the dung together, so avoiding the piles was kind of pointless. We passed by a hut which was being rebuilt by weaving a type of string back and forth between sticks.
As the group walked on single file, one of the tribesman took my hand and told me to follow him, and he pulled me into a tiny doorway, through which I had to both duck and turn sideways due to the small size. While this was happening, I was like, "'Oh my gosh, I'm being seperated from the pack', 'what's happening?', 'they won't know I'm gone!'" Only to find out later that this happened to everyone of us.
When I walked into the hut, I saw spider webs, but couldn't see anything else. It was pitch black, and I was freaked out. The man asked me to sit on the bed, which he kept tapping, but as I lowered my butt, I was unable to locate it, and didn't want to touch what I couldn't see. Finally, about two inches off the ground, I made contact with what felt like a hard plastic tarp. The tribesman sat next to me and told me that this was his home. Another tribesperson in the room, who I'm still not sure if it was a man or a woman, opened a 3 inch hole towards the top of the hut to let light in. I was told that was for when they cook to let the smoke out. The hut was considerably cooler than it was in the hot sun just a few feet away. I was told the layout of the hut; where the couples bed was, the guest bed, the elder's bed and the bed for the baby sheep and baby cow, who need to be indoors when they are young. In the center was their "kitchen", which just looked like the center of the room to me with some raised dirt. I learned that he had 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl, and that they have to tear down their home every 9 years due to termites that live in the ground below and eat their home. As he told me that, I noticed what I thought was a termite crawling on one of the posts by the kitchen and my mind started to wander off as I thought about what might be crawling on me in the darkness. He then tried to sell me 2 necklaces he wore around his neck, one for me and one for my sister he said. He wanted 1500 KES, and I said no. Wanting out of the hut, where I could see again, I said I wanted to look around and then would decide.
We left the hut and he persistantly tried to bargain with me. I offered him 100KES. He laughed and said my price was too low. I told him I wanted to see the market first. We went to the market, which was a round circle, will each of the jewelry makers in front of their 2 foot long stick shelf of goods. As I passed by each one, they were pushing their products hard. Most of them stood in front of me, ordering me to look and not allowing me to pass onto the next vendor. Their jewelry was beautiful and intricate, but not having much money on me, and lacking the desire to lug souvenirs around for 3 weeks, helped me resist the pressure. One person actually forceably put a necklace on me and a couple others attempted to put bracelets on my wrist. I turned them all down, but it was quite uncomfortable. They made car salesman pale in comparison. I exited the circular market with the tribesman following me the whole way, still wanting to negotiate on the necklaces. I ended up getting both for 200KES.
We took a little tour of their school, which was a lot fancier looking than their homes, but rundown at best. I appreciated the effort for education and one of the girls in my group made a donation to who I believe was a female principal. We left the village, with tons of children playing soccer, known here as "football" in the background. Our camp was so close that you could still hear the children playing when we arrived.
We went out into the national reserve that night, all of the next day and the following morning. Our safari guide was fabulous and I believe he broke a rule or two to get us the shots we wanted. It was amazing to see all of the animals there, out in the open, roaming free. We saw everything but a rhino and a male lion. There were impalas, gazelles, heart beast, water buffalo, monkeys, baboons, hippos, lions, wildebeest, zebras, colorful butterflies, birds & geckos, a crocodile, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, mongoose, etc. It was insane, and I truly hope that I am able to hang onto my video camera and get it safely home so that I can share some of the spectacular things I saw!
We've made it safely back to camp, arriving last night & did a little late night run to an Ethiopian restaurant around the corner. It's above a bank (lol), and some bumping music made me check out a sign next to the restaurant, which read, "Singles night! Starting at 6pm. Non-alcoholic fruit punch served." Seeing as it was around 10pm, I was curious if ther was anyone even inside, but the fruit punch comment made me chuckle and I resisted temptation.
I slept in a tent on the lawn last night, as the dorms were full, but I slept well & woke up at 6am like usual. Ugh, tell me this is temporary! A little french press coffee, a bit of blogging and I'm ready to start my day. Not sure what I'm doing yet. Need to get a hold of my contact at the Red Cross to see if I can come up to Isiolo (5 hours north) for a water project. If that doesn't pan out, I will do something else. It's a bit out of my comfort zone, but this "no planning" thing is kind of nice!
I'll be in touch when I can! :)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Lunch
So, I just have to ask, is it lame that for 2 days in a row, I've had an avocado/guacamole bacon cheeseburger? It makes me feel a little guilty to be eating American food while in Africa, but I just can't help myself! ;)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Giraffes, Baby Elephants, Beads, and more
On Saturday, I went to town with Kennedy and his sisters. We ate at a fabulous and very cheap Ethiopian place downtown. For the 4 of us, it was 1130 KES, for food and drinks, which equates to a little over $12 USD. Crazy cheap!
We hopped a bus to the giraffe center. Along the way, we passed a lot of shops/huts along the way. There were massive areas where folks were making furniture, both wood and metal. I was amazed at the intricate detail I saw in the pieces. Men were welding and carving right there and creating things you would find in a fancy furniture store back home. I was told they make everything right there by hand, and you can get a nice dresser for around $240 USD, which is far below what it would sell for in the states. Too bad shipping that would cost me a fortune.
As we road along, we passed by a combination of a pub and butcher shop, which seemed odd to me, but not as odd as the hotel/butchershop next door to it. lol!
We passed women "mowing" the lawn by swinging a blade into the grass. They did a damn fine job too!
When we got to the giraffe museum, I was given a handful of food and was able to feed the giraffe. The giraffe will kiss you if you hold a piece of food between your lips. I didn't do it at first, then decided, "I'm in Africa!" I didn't want to regret it, so I did it and I'm glad I did. I can now say I was kissed by a giraffe! :)
On Sunday, I went with Twinkle & Julie, two girls from the states who are at my camp. They had a herbalist professor friend and an AIDS education friend taking them around. We went to the elephant orphanage and saw baby elephants get fed. They were so cute and small! I learned that a lot of them are orphaned due to poaching and falling into wells. There are still a lot of issues with poachers, so I must pass on the plea I heard there, and beg all of you never to buy ivory.
We went to Nairobi National Park from there, but it was later in the afternoon, so we didn't see any lions. We did see some ostrich, antelope, giraffe, and I think caribou. There were so many beautifully colored butterflies, but I was too slow with my camera to capture them.
From there we were going to visit a rural village, but traffic and time got the best of us and instead we stopped at the University Benson teaches at. We drove through the campus which was just like one in the states. Got back around 7:30pm and was passed out by 8:30pm....what a wild girl I am!
Today, I got up and got on a bus that I thought was going to take me to the Karen Blixen Museum (the chick from Out Of Africa). I got on a different bus than I had on Saturday to go to the giraffe place, and apparently it doesn't turn down the road I needed to go down, so I ended up staying on it. As I realized I had stopped seeing signs for Karen, I was not sure if I was on the right track. I thought nothing looked familiar, then I saw some things that I thought did....they weren't. I ended up taking the bus to the end of its route, which put me in the middle of a busy market & bus stop. I asked the guy who collects money on the bus (no it's not the driver here) and he put me on the right bus back. When I got off at my correct stop, I was told I had to walk down the road. I double-checked those instructions in a shop & they were verified. I was told it would be about 3K, which I believe 2.2K = 1 mile, so I had a bit of a trek.
Taxis offered to take me, but I wasn't in the mood to haggle or be ripped off, so I hoofed it. Boy, it felt long. Along the walk, I passed by some insanely fancy houses. I thought, "Hey, I could live here", then I thought, "Gosh, how do people live here with the famine all around them?"
I took a right along the way to stop off at the Kazuri Bead Factory, where women handmake beads from clay, hand paint them, and make them into jewelry. They also do a lot of pottery there. A lot of the women there are widows, and at this factory, they are taken care of. 80% of there medical is paid by the factory. Pretty nice. I got some bracelets there, which althought I don't often wear bracelets, I think I now must make an exception!
I ran into some folks from camp, including one of the camp's taxi drivers and she offered me a lift to the Karen Blixen Museum around the corner.
When I arrived, it was pretty cool to see all the stuff there. There were things from the movie, and "Knuckle Mountain", where she buried her boyfriend was in the distance. It really did look like knuckles! :) I bought a couple of tiny bowls there, which were beautifully handmade.
I got back to camp and ordered a burger. Which, although it came on sliced bread with cucumber, shaved carrot, and some form of unmelted different cheese, I scarfed it down. I needed protein, big time! I've been having some appetite issues and that is the most I've eaten since I've been here. I'm glad the appetite is coming back! :)
I'm probably going on a safari on Wednesday with some girls from camp, so I will most likely not have any access to communication. I will be gone for 3-4 days. I might post before then, but if not, don't worry mom! Love you guys! Take care!
We hopped a bus to the giraffe center. Along the way, we passed a lot of shops/huts along the way. There were massive areas where folks were making furniture, both wood and metal. I was amazed at the intricate detail I saw in the pieces. Men were welding and carving right there and creating things you would find in a fancy furniture store back home. I was told they make everything right there by hand, and you can get a nice dresser for around $240 USD, which is far below what it would sell for in the states. Too bad shipping that would cost me a fortune.
As we road along, we passed by a combination of a pub and butcher shop, which seemed odd to me, but not as odd as the hotel/butchershop next door to it. lol!
We passed women "mowing" the lawn by swinging a blade into the grass. They did a damn fine job too!
When we got to the giraffe museum, I was given a handful of food and was able to feed the giraffe. The giraffe will kiss you if you hold a piece of food between your lips. I didn't do it at first, then decided, "I'm in Africa!" I didn't want to regret it, so I did it and I'm glad I did. I can now say I was kissed by a giraffe! :)
On Sunday, I went with Twinkle & Julie, two girls from the states who are at my camp. They had a herbalist professor friend and an AIDS education friend taking them around. We went to the elephant orphanage and saw baby elephants get fed. They were so cute and small! I learned that a lot of them are orphaned due to poaching and falling into wells. There are still a lot of issues with poachers, so I must pass on the plea I heard there, and beg all of you never to buy ivory.
We went to Nairobi National Park from there, but it was later in the afternoon, so we didn't see any lions. We did see some ostrich, antelope, giraffe, and I think caribou. There were so many beautifully colored butterflies, but I was too slow with my camera to capture them.
From there we were going to visit a rural village, but traffic and time got the best of us and instead we stopped at the University Benson teaches at. We drove through the campus which was just like one in the states. Got back around 7:30pm and was passed out by 8:30pm....what a wild girl I am!
Today, I got up and got on a bus that I thought was going to take me to the Karen Blixen Museum (the chick from Out Of Africa). I got on a different bus than I had on Saturday to go to the giraffe place, and apparently it doesn't turn down the road I needed to go down, so I ended up staying on it. As I realized I had stopped seeing signs for Karen, I was not sure if I was on the right track. I thought nothing looked familiar, then I saw some things that I thought did....they weren't. I ended up taking the bus to the end of its route, which put me in the middle of a busy market & bus stop. I asked the guy who collects money on the bus (no it's not the driver here) and he put me on the right bus back. When I got off at my correct stop, I was told I had to walk down the road. I double-checked those instructions in a shop & they were verified. I was told it would be about 3K, which I believe 2.2K = 1 mile, so I had a bit of a trek.
Taxis offered to take me, but I wasn't in the mood to haggle or be ripped off, so I hoofed it. Boy, it felt long. Along the walk, I passed by some insanely fancy houses. I thought, "Hey, I could live here", then I thought, "Gosh, how do people live here with the famine all around them?"
I took a right along the way to stop off at the Kazuri Bead Factory, where women handmake beads from clay, hand paint them, and make them into jewelry. They also do a lot of pottery there. A lot of the women there are widows, and at this factory, they are taken care of. 80% of there medical is paid by the factory. Pretty nice. I got some bracelets there, which althought I don't often wear bracelets, I think I now must make an exception!
I ran into some folks from camp, including one of the camp's taxi drivers and she offered me a lift to the Karen Blixen Museum around the corner.
When I arrived, it was pretty cool to see all the stuff there. There were things from the movie, and "Knuckle Mountain", where she buried her boyfriend was in the distance. It really did look like knuckles! :) I bought a couple of tiny bowls there, which were beautifully handmade.
I got back to camp and ordered a burger. Which, although it came on sliced bread with cucumber, shaved carrot, and some form of unmelted different cheese, I scarfed it down. I needed protein, big time! I've been having some appetite issues and that is the most I've eaten since I've been here. I'm glad the appetite is coming back! :)
I'm probably going on a safari on Wednesday with some girls from camp, so I will most likely not have any access to communication. I will be gone for 3-4 days. I might post before then, but if not, don't worry mom! Love you guys! Take care!
Friday, May 14, 2010
The city and family
Yesterday I went to town to get a sim card. I was nervous about heading into town alone, but I made it unscathed. The trip to town by bus was 20 shillings, but coming back the same distance was twice the price, which I don't quite understand.
When I arrived downtown, I just hopped off where I thought was the center of town and got my sim card. It was very busy and very polluted. A sign hung over the main street stating something about the goal of going greener, which somehow lost its meaning due to the brown pollution stains all over it, making it hard to read. I understand that going greener is a goal here, as they do not allow smoking in public in Nairobi, however I feel that the first place for them to start is with the vehicles billowing out big black puffs of smoke as they ride along the road.
When I returned from town, I texted Kennedy, a friend of Erin's (she lived in Kenya for 14 months and now lives in Oregon. I met her through her sister who recently got a job at my work). He was very friendly and trying to find a water project for me. He said he would send his sister to come get me in 20 or 25 minutes to show me around.
When she arrived a little after an hour later, (that's Kenyan time I have learned), I expected to hop in a car for a tour, but instead I was met by a girl on foot who said she would take me to their home. We walked there together through the mud and rain. I was happy to have my raincoat, but my pants completely changed color as the rain poured down on us. Many folks looked and stared at me and she informed me that it was because I was white. She said many children may come up to me and shake my hand, as white people are sometimes rare to see.
As I walked through the mud path, we came to many apartment complexes near the hospital, which she informed me were the housing for people who worked at the hospital. Her mother is a nurse & she will be attending medical school soon. When we entered, we removed our wet shoes and I met a few members of her family. They were all very sweet and I think amused by my presence. She offered to make me some tea and we took a short walk to the "market" which was really a small hut around the corner from the building. There she bought some cream which came in a bag like frozen vegetables would.
We returned to the home where she boiled the bag of cream with some water and added the tea leaves. She said that it was Kenyan style, and when her sister arrived, she teased her for having added too much water. Although I thought maybe it was "tea time", I was the only one who drank it, which was a little strange for me.
Her sister, Ana, arrived a short while later and said Kennedy would be there soon, and perhaps we would go around town for a tour. Time passed and we chatted for a while about differences between countries. Sara, the younger sister who came to get me was amazed at the fact that most folks do not wash their clothes by hand and have machines.
When I needed to use the lavatory, I found there was a toilet, but no flushing mechanism. Instead, a bucket needed to be filled in the kitchen to pour water in it when I was done. Her mother arrived and greeted me in swahili and then continued to speak in the language, when Sara informed her that I didn't speak it and informed me that her mother thought everyone did.
Me and the two sisters continued to talk for a long while about school, babies, movie stars, etc. Kennedy called a couple of times and was stuck in traffic.
He arrived a few hours after me, at which point I was having trouble staying awake. The 11 hour time difference is still a bit difficult on me. Ana had begun cooking and fixed me a traditional Kenyan dish of maize and beans. I wanted to try it, and did, but I have been having some issues with feeling queazy and have not had much of an appetite. I ate the small bowl she gave me slowly, as I was waiting for others to be served, but that didn't quite happen. I felt a little silly eating alone, but I feel they were trying to honor a guest in their home, which was very sweet.
Kennedy grabbed a bowl towards the end and ate it, stating he would walk me home when we were finished.
It was dark when we left, and I know that it is not okay for me to walk at night in the dark alone. We walked without anything but a little light from the sky, trying to bob and weave through the massive puddles and mud. We went down in one direction (the back way, so as to avoid a dangerous area), and found the gate had been closed. I learned that the way gets blocked at night to avoid theives from coming in and having many ways to exit. We had to turn around and go back another way, still avoiding the dangerous area. We found that the road had been flooded badly. I asked if there was another way and Kennedy informed me there wasn't. He removed his shoes and socks and rolled up his pants. My shoes were wet already, and I think perhaps I was not brave enough to walk without shoes, so I simply rolled up my pants. The water came up to my knees and I was amazed at the car who made it through the water with it having risen up to the headlights. It was flowing across the road to the river & I had to step carefully.
When we finally made it through about 100 feet of flowing water, we made it to the main road where we caught a matutu, or taxi van. We had to wait for it to fill and a little girl hopped on with a big smile and shook my hand in excitement. She waited as people pushed past her on the tightly fit van, so that she could sit next to me.
When it was close our time to get off, the matutu sputtered and died. Kennedy walked me all the way to my door before he had to catch a bus to his own apartment which was a ways away. He informed me that his sister would take me around the city today by bus and show me some things. He has a very sweet family & they are very welcoming.
This morning, I had breakfast with two women travelling and one offered for me to come deliver babies with her. Apparently all you have to do is say you are a student and want to volunteer and they will let you scrub up and deliver babies. She is not a medical student and her friend is a business major. This makes me leary about going to a hospital for care.
I had a little panic moment yesterday when I thought I was crazy for coming here. Believe it or not, wading through the muddy water with Kennedy cheered me up, although my shoes are still soaked and I'm wishing I had those hiking boots I left behind.
I will see what today has in store for me & keep you posted. Sorry that everything I'm writing is so long, but I'm kind of using this as a journal. 30 days is a lot to remember.
Take care everyone.
When I arrived downtown, I just hopped off where I thought was the center of town and got my sim card. It was very busy and very polluted. A sign hung over the main street stating something about the goal of going greener, which somehow lost its meaning due to the brown pollution stains all over it, making it hard to read. I understand that going greener is a goal here, as they do not allow smoking in public in Nairobi, however I feel that the first place for them to start is with the vehicles billowing out big black puffs of smoke as they ride along the road.
When I returned from town, I texted Kennedy, a friend of Erin's (she lived in Kenya for 14 months and now lives in Oregon. I met her through her sister who recently got a job at my work). He was very friendly and trying to find a water project for me. He said he would send his sister to come get me in 20 or 25 minutes to show me around.
When she arrived a little after an hour later, (that's Kenyan time I have learned), I expected to hop in a car for a tour, but instead I was met by a girl on foot who said she would take me to their home. We walked there together through the mud and rain. I was happy to have my raincoat, but my pants completely changed color as the rain poured down on us. Many folks looked and stared at me and she informed me that it was because I was white. She said many children may come up to me and shake my hand, as white people are sometimes rare to see.
As I walked through the mud path, we came to many apartment complexes near the hospital, which she informed me were the housing for people who worked at the hospital. Her mother is a nurse & she will be attending medical school soon. When we entered, we removed our wet shoes and I met a few members of her family. They were all very sweet and I think amused by my presence. She offered to make me some tea and we took a short walk to the "market" which was really a small hut around the corner from the building. There she bought some cream which came in a bag like frozen vegetables would.
We returned to the home where she boiled the bag of cream with some water and added the tea leaves. She said that it was Kenyan style, and when her sister arrived, she teased her for having added too much water. Although I thought maybe it was "tea time", I was the only one who drank it, which was a little strange for me.
Her sister, Ana, arrived a short while later and said Kennedy would be there soon, and perhaps we would go around town for a tour. Time passed and we chatted for a while about differences between countries. Sara, the younger sister who came to get me was amazed at the fact that most folks do not wash their clothes by hand and have machines.
When I needed to use the lavatory, I found there was a toilet, but no flushing mechanism. Instead, a bucket needed to be filled in the kitchen to pour water in it when I was done. Her mother arrived and greeted me in swahili and then continued to speak in the language, when Sara informed her that I didn't speak it and informed me that her mother thought everyone did.
Me and the two sisters continued to talk for a long while about school, babies, movie stars, etc. Kennedy called a couple of times and was stuck in traffic.
He arrived a few hours after me, at which point I was having trouble staying awake. The 11 hour time difference is still a bit difficult on me. Ana had begun cooking and fixed me a traditional Kenyan dish of maize and beans. I wanted to try it, and did, but I have been having some issues with feeling queazy and have not had much of an appetite. I ate the small bowl she gave me slowly, as I was waiting for others to be served, but that didn't quite happen. I felt a little silly eating alone, but I feel they were trying to honor a guest in their home, which was very sweet.
Kennedy grabbed a bowl towards the end and ate it, stating he would walk me home when we were finished.
It was dark when we left, and I know that it is not okay for me to walk at night in the dark alone. We walked without anything but a little light from the sky, trying to bob and weave through the massive puddles and mud. We went down in one direction (the back way, so as to avoid a dangerous area), and found the gate had been closed. I learned that the way gets blocked at night to avoid theives from coming in and having many ways to exit. We had to turn around and go back another way, still avoiding the dangerous area. We found that the road had been flooded badly. I asked if there was another way and Kennedy informed me there wasn't. He removed his shoes and socks and rolled up his pants. My shoes were wet already, and I think perhaps I was not brave enough to walk without shoes, so I simply rolled up my pants. The water came up to my knees and I was amazed at the car who made it through the water with it having risen up to the headlights. It was flowing across the road to the river & I had to step carefully.
When we finally made it through about 100 feet of flowing water, we made it to the main road where we caught a matutu, or taxi van. We had to wait for it to fill and a little girl hopped on with a big smile and shook my hand in excitement. She waited as people pushed past her on the tightly fit van, so that she could sit next to me.
When it was close our time to get off, the matutu sputtered and died. Kennedy walked me all the way to my door before he had to catch a bus to his own apartment which was a ways away. He informed me that his sister would take me around the city today by bus and show me some things. He has a very sweet family & they are very welcoming.
This morning, I had breakfast with two women travelling and one offered for me to come deliver babies with her. Apparently all you have to do is say you are a student and want to volunteer and they will let you scrub up and deliver babies. She is not a medical student and her friend is a business major. This makes me leary about going to a hospital for care.
I had a little panic moment yesterday when I thought I was crazy for coming here. Believe it or not, wading through the muddy water with Kennedy cheered me up, although my shoes are still soaked and I'm wishing I had those hiking boots I left behind.
I will see what today has in store for me & keep you posted. Sorry that everything I'm writing is so long, but I'm kind of using this as a journal. 30 days is a lot to remember.
Take care everyone.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
First day
Well, I arrived in Nairobi last night. 21 hours travel time can take a bit out of you. I got in the slowest line for check in and all the time and detail I spent in filling out my declarations paperwork to enter the country was pointless, as I handed it to a person who didn't even look at the paper as I handed it to him.
I had to trek quite a ways to the taxi through the rain and mud, but made it. I got in the taxi where I was encouraged to sit up front, but found that in the muggy heat, the handle had been broken for the window and I could not roll it down. The driving here is insane to say the least. I thought we were going to get in about 50 accidents. Traffic was stopped in all directions by the police for a VIP who never showed. The streets split off in a series of Y's with no signage as to where they lead. We passed several factory workers at a checkpoint who were hoping for rides home & officers with AK47's. People just wandered out in between the traffic selling peanuts and such.
When I arrived here at the Wildebeest Camp, I was greeted by a lot of friendly travellers and some wonderful Masaai people who work here. I've learned after chatting with people that we in the US, make a huge deal out of malaria, where here, most people do not use bug repellent or take meds due to the expense. If you think you have malaria, you get tested and they give you some pills. It's kind of viewed like the flu or a cold in the states.
I've also been informed not to go to the police for help, and not to stand out when I see them. A far cry from the states. It's just as well, as the people here are friendly enough for me to do without them.
I will go into town today & get a sim card and look around. I am due to check out tomorrow, but don't have a definite plan yet. Most of the folks at the hostel don't, so I feel a little better about that. I must go, but I'll post when I can.
I had to trek quite a ways to the taxi through the rain and mud, but made it. I got in the taxi where I was encouraged to sit up front, but found that in the muggy heat, the handle had been broken for the window and I could not roll it down. The driving here is insane to say the least. I thought we were going to get in about 50 accidents. Traffic was stopped in all directions by the police for a VIP who never showed. The streets split off in a series of Y's with no signage as to where they lead. We passed several factory workers at a checkpoint who were hoping for rides home & officers with AK47's. People just wandered out in between the traffic selling peanuts and such.
When I arrived here at the Wildebeest Camp, I was greeted by a lot of friendly travellers and some wonderful Masaai people who work here. I've learned after chatting with people that we in the US, make a huge deal out of malaria, where here, most people do not use bug repellent or take meds due to the expense. If you think you have malaria, you get tested and they give you some pills. It's kind of viewed like the flu or a cold in the states.
I've also been informed not to go to the police for help, and not to stand out when I see them. A far cry from the states. It's just as well, as the people here are friendly enough for me to do without them.
I will go into town today & get a sim card and look around. I am due to check out tomorrow, but don't have a definite plan yet. Most of the folks at the hostel don't, so I feel a little better about that. I must go, but I'll post when I can.
Monday, May 10, 2010
36 hours to go
Am I really 36 hours away from heading to Africa? This seems so surreal. This trip is something I've wanted for longer than I can remember, and now I'm scrambling at the last second to pull it all together.
What do I pack? How many t-shirts, pairs of pants, socks and underwear....did I get enough deet products, sanitizing wipes, batteries, memory cards? Do I really need that sleeping bag? the jacket? Can I do without the sweatshirt and the heavy hiking boots? You wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I'm an over-packer, and boy, let me tell you, I'm trying to figure out how to get all that stuff into that little backpack of mine!
Is booking just the first two nights of my trip enough? The problem with not planning out your whole trip is not knowing if you will have laundry facilities, hot or running water, internet, a flushing toilet, etc. Not knowing when or with whom you will be in contact. I guess that's part of the adventure, though.
Who walks away from a good job in this economy to go on some crazy trip to Kenya? I must be out of my mind. Guess that mid-life crisis came a little early! ;) With all the insanity, I'm still so very excited! This is an experience of a lifetime and it's right around the corner. I'll keep you all posted when I can! :) Please send good thoughts my way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)