Nairobi to Isiolo

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!