Things that occupy my time on long layovers:
-Eating (in 5 hrs I've had breakfast, lunch, and a whole sleeve of hob nobs)
-Sleeping (since my seat wouldn't recline on the flight here thus making sleep impossibly hard)
-Deciding how to properly raise my future children so they don't end up like the obnoxious brats here
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Kwaheri, Kenya
Wait, really? I have to leave? Ugh.
I'm not ready to go, in the literal sense of I haven't packed (which, if you know me, isn't much of a surprise) but also in the greater sense of it all. I've been trying to soak as much of it in this past week as possible and found it a bit overwhelming at times to realize how attached I am after such a short time. I keep catching myself just staring, at nothing in particular, but at everything. I'm not sure what factors make it this way, but the African sky never ceases to look like it's painted from a storybook. Whether fluffy white clouds or an ominous angry sky... it's always breathtaking. And in my opinon it's been showing off this past week just for me to remember it in all it's glory.
The rains caught everyone a bit off guard all week. Downpours that lasted for hours at a time washed away roads or at least turned them into unmanagable rivers. It even hailed every couple days making programs most difficult when the building I was in, like most places here, had a metal roof that made hearing anything impossible till the rains let up. Most interestingly is that the hours before and after are still hot, beautiful, and give no indication what else happens.
My last Empower class was small, only 6, but allowed for a more intimate class and in the end all passed and it was a great way to end my teaching.
I was grumpy to be getting home past 8:00 on my birthday but found that my friend Annie had helped cook and created a feast! Mashed potatoes, spaghetti; complete with guacamole, garlic bread, and fruit salad! And a box of hob nobs which I contemplated saving but knew better. All of the volunteers (and we filled up fast! English, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian... only one other American) went rafting this weekend so the farm is eerily quiet, with only me and Carmen here.. a Canadian not affiliated with ICODEI but staying here for a year working on a water purification project. Friday night we set up making cinnamon rolls from scratch which amazingly turned out good even by Western standards... surprising considering the lack of electricity (i.e stoves, ovens, etc.). Mama Betty helped us make a traditional oven. The family thought they were amazing and Carmen and I went to bed so ill from the sheer amount we ate.
I had to come into town today because I needed a little extra packing space and so bought a small duffle bag just to house the last of everything. I'm hoping to get a little more shopping done in Nairobi... but taxis are so bloody expensive there it's very possible I'll just hang around the hostel for the day before setting off for the airport!! There are a million things I wish I would have bought but "souviners" aren't exactly big here.... so the few times I was somewhere that had a market catering to that it is a bit overwhelming and left me arriving back home saying "why didn't I buy more!" So I'm going to try to get out in the city. I leave the farm tomorrow morning and my flight in Tuesday almost at midnight.
It's hard for me to process everything right now, so next time I'll write will probably be comfortably from home once I've had a chance to sort out what this whole trip has meant for me. It's a strange and surreal feeling.
I'm not ready to go, in the literal sense of I haven't packed (which, if you know me, isn't much of a surprise) but also in the greater sense of it all. I've been trying to soak as much of it in this past week as possible and found it a bit overwhelming at times to realize how attached I am after such a short time. I keep catching myself just staring, at nothing in particular, but at everything. I'm not sure what factors make it this way, but the African sky never ceases to look like it's painted from a storybook. Whether fluffy white clouds or an ominous angry sky... it's always breathtaking. And in my opinon it's been showing off this past week just for me to remember it in all it's glory.
The rains caught everyone a bit off guard all week. Downpours that lasted for hours at a time washed away roads or at least turned them into unmanagable rivers. It even hailed every couple days making programs most difficult when the building I was in, like most places here, had a metal roof that made hearing anything impossible till the rains let up. Most interestingly is that the hours before and after are still hot, beautiful, and give no indication what else happens.
My last Empower class was small, only 6, but allowed for a more intimate class and in the end all passed and it was a great way to end my teaching.
I was grumpy to be getting home past 8:00 on my birthday but found that my friend Annie had helped cook and created a feast! Mashed potatoes, spaghetti; complete with guacamole, garlic bread, and fruit salad! And a box of hob nobs which I contemplated saving but knew better. All of the volunteers (and we filled up fast! English, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian... only one other American) went rafting this weekend so the farm is eerily quiet, with only me and Carmen here.. a Canadian not affiliated with ICODEI but staying here for a year working on a water purification project. Friday night we set up making cinnamon rolls from scratch which amazingly turned out good even by Western standards... surprising considering the lack of electricity (i.e stoves, ovens, etc.). Mama Betty helped us make a traditional oven. The family thought they were amazing and Carmen and I went to bed so ill from the sheer amount we ate.
I had to come into town today because I needed a little extra packing space and so bought a small duffle bag just to house the last of everything. I'm hoping to get a little more shopping done in Nairobi... but taxis are so bloody expensive there it's very possible I'll just hang around the hostel for the day before setting off for the airport!! There are a million things I wish I would have bought but "souviners" aren't exactly big here.... so the few times I was somewhere that had a market catering to that it is a bit overwhelming and left me arriving back home saying "why didn't I buy more!" So I'm going to try to get out in the city. I leave the farm tomorrow morning and my flight in Tuesday almost at midnight.
It's hard for me to process everything right now, so next time I'll write will probably be comfortably from home once I've had a chance to sort out what this whole trip has meant for me. It's a strange and surreal feeling.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Coming to an end
Returning to life on the farm took a bit of readjusting to and I was pretty cranky. I had hit that wall where everything African annoyed me: the roads, the showers, the bathrooms, the transportation, the food. It only took a day or so for me to shake it off and fall back into the routine of it all, but for that day I was pretty sure I wasn't going to last another 2 weeks. Once again now though I'm mourning having to leave. I'm on a plane in 10 days. Unreal.
I suppose the novelty wearing off and the reality of it all setting in: life here is hard. And not even really for me, I have it luxurious compared to the stories I've heard over the past 2 months. This is not an easy place to live, to raise a family, to survive. Some of the things I've seen.. heard... it's all sometimes too much to process. Some of it downright makes me sick. But I've also seen incredible hope and faith, the kindness of strangers, the unwavering belief that Kenya is a blessed country who will rise above the politcal mess, the disease, the poverty, the violence and who will eventually see a better future for their children.
The farm itself is different. I'm once again sharing my hut, now with a Swede and an English gal. The numbers are dwindling but it's a cozy bunch. Schools are on hoilday so all 8 of Reuben's kids are hanging around and it's great to see them all. I only had 2 programs last week but got to accompany the women's health clinic which is a newly up and running program but it's so needed and the girls running it are amazing advocates for change. I'm spending my last week doing and Empower class and I'm looking forward to that. The weather has been bipolar. Yesterday was almost unbearable to be in the sun it was so hot, but the late afternoon brough rain and cold disgusting humidity. It's gorgeous right now but I'm sure that won't last.
Oh... my toe. A few weeks ago I had a throbbing pain in my baby toe which I attributed to stubbing it or just to the general disarray feet seem to fall in while here. While in Watamu I noticed it was swelling and a bit discolored. Being a natural picker and prodder, I played with it until 50 or so miniature pieces of rice shot out and left a big open pocket where they had been festering. I composed myself a bit and calmly sterilized the colony and since then it's actually healed quite nicely. Spiders? Flies? Who knows, but I'm glad I didn't find out the REALLY hard way.
I'm foreseeing an eventless day at home, so I'm going to go try to enjoy that.
I suppose the novelty wearing off and the reality of it all setting in: life here is hard. And not even really for me, I have it luxurious compared to the stories I've heard over the past 2 months. This is not an easy place to live, to raise a family, to survive. Some of the things I've seen.. heard... it's all sometimes too much to process. Some of it downright makes me sick. But I've also seen incredible hope and faith, the kindness of strangers, the unwavering belief that Kenya is a blessed country who will rise above the politcal mess, the disease, the poverty, the violence and who will eventually see a better future for their children.
The farm itself is different. I'm once again sharing my hut, now with a Swede and an English gal. The numbers are dwindling but it's a cozy bunch. Schools are on hoilday so all 8 of Reuben's kids are hanging around and it's great to see them all. I only had 2 programs last week but got to accompany the women's health clinic which is a newly up and running program but it's so needed and the girls running it are amazing advocates for change. I'm spending my last week doing and Empower class and I'm looking forward to that. The weather has been bipolar. Yesterday was almost unbearable to be in the sun it was so hot, but the late afternoon brough rain and cold disgusting humidity. It's gorgeous right now but I'm sure that won't last.
Oh... my toe. A few weeks ago I had a throbbing pain in my baby toe which I attributed to stubbing it or just to the general disarray feet seem to fall in while here. While in Watamu I noticed it was swelling and a bit discolored. Being a natural picker and prodder, I played with it until 50 or so miniature pieces of rice shot out and left a big open pocket where they had been festering. I composed myself a bit and calmly sterilized the colony and since then it's actually healed quite nicely. Spiders? Flies? Who knows, but I'm glad I didn't find out the REALLY hard way.
I'm foreseeing an eventless day at home, so I'm going to go try to enjoy that.
Monday, August 11, 2008
It's okay, I'd be jealous of me too.
I. Nairobi & Safari
Thusday morning started off with that glorious bus ride to Nairobi where I managed to control my stomach thankfully. After dropping our things at the hostel we splurged for dinner at Carnivore. I suppose it's a bit of a tourist thing as the environment had a bit of an Epcot feel to it, but worth it. The center of the table housed a carosel of sauces and sides and a flag that was not to be put down until your stomach exploded. Men came around with hunks of ever type of roasted meat I could imagine: from multiple varieties of pork, beef, crocodile, ostrich! We all happily gorged ourselves. Bedtime was early as our guides picked us up early the next morning to begin our safari. The ride south of Nairobi was very reminicent of the Africa I always had in my head: dry grasslands dotted with Acacia trees, tall thin Maasai with their bright red wraps herding cattle across open plains. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy and cold and Mount Kilimanjaro illuded us once we had driven the 5 hours but we did see everything from herds of elephants, wildebeasts, hippos, ostrich (which only served to remind me how yummy dinner was the night before!), and heaps of zebras. We were a bit caught off guard come nightfall though, because the sleeping arrangements on safaris that had been reported thus far included self contained tents, electricity, running water, beds, toilets, etc. So it was a bit of a shock to see our guides start rolling out the old school canvas tents. "What? Nobody brought blankets or pillows? Oops, maybe we should have told you." After griping about it for a bit and ultimately "renting" some blankets from the maasai village in the park it set in just how beautiful it was to be sleeping under the open sky in Amboseli under Kilimanjaro. So we shut up a bit. Enjoyed the company of some monkeys and had a surprisingly good night sleep. The next morning if we squinted hard enough we could make out the mountain's peak as we drove to the gate of Tsavo West. The landscape changed so dramatically into hills and mountains with dry brush and large fields of lava rock. Sleeping arrangements were the same and it was definitely a more "wild" feeling park which was appreciated. We saw the same animals as Amboseli adding in lots of giraffe and even some crocodiles at Mzima Springs. The morning brought a campful of curious baboons who hijacked the toothpaste and played a bit of a game of tag it seemed. More driving through amazing scenery which landed us eventually at the town of Mtito where we enjoyed a late lunch and departed from our tour guides as we departed for the next leg of our holiday. Round the fire at night it was pressed upon us that we should have gone to Maasai Mara because then we would have seen the cats and a greater volume of the other animals we did see, but my friends and I agreed that it was nice to not have a half dozen other safari buses around us as we meandered through.
II. Mombasa & Watamu
The long bus ride brought us to the Coastal town of Mombasa after dark. The guesthouse we stayed at was slightly dodgey at first apperances but was just fine for what we needed. A pizza shop downstairs provided dinner and we played cards till late. As the coast is predominately Muslim, the loudspeakered call to prayer woke us up at 5am. In the morning we toured the Portuguese Fort Jesus and I got my first views of the Indian Ocean. We wandered around the alleys of the Old Town until lunch. The later part of the day was spent browsing the souveneir shops which I told myself I'd go back to later in the week on my way back through (which I never did) and eventually caught a bus to Watamu. Mombasa was okay, nothing special really, a big city with an ocean view I suppose. We once again reached our destination in the dark. It was Ingrid's (my hutmate) last day so we splurged a little on accomidations. A nice little complex with a more resort like feel than the guesthouses I've become accustomed too. But still only 5000 shillings for a double... about $75. Watamu is a Kenyan town full of Italians so we enjoyed a nice pasta dinner. In the morning we had a wonderful included breakfast and spent the better part of the day exploring the Gede Ruins. I possibly could have spent the whole day amongst the remains of a city rising up in the forest but Ingrid had to catch the bus back to Mombasa so she could fly to Nairobi and then home. So we lounged by the pool, napped by the pool, enjoyed some pizza and the remaining three of us walked up the beach making sandcastles in the white sand until well after the sun went down. Then we condensed into one kingsized bed and slept quite peacefully. Another great breakfast and Jeff and I set off to the next leg while Brett made his way back home. (Here's where it gets goood)
III. Lamu
A 4 hour bus ride next to a smelly drunk guy brought us North up the Coast to Lamu. Well, to a boat that would take us to the Island. We packed in like refugees and I was amazed when I looked over my shoulder to where we were going. It was like going back in time. Dhow fishing boats littered the harbor and the old buildings rose up seemingly from the water. Cars aren't on the island (only donkeys). The town is a maze of alleys with intricately carved Swahili doors opening windows to everything from family life to mosques to shops and woodworkers. Cats wander the streets and look quite amusing amist all the donkeys! Our villa was an old Swahili house with terraces filled with antique daybeds that encouraged lounging and catching the sea breeze. We immediately cursed ever having to leave and set into action plans to stay longer. Breakfast the following morning was delicious and we quickly made our way to book a flight to give us an extra day without busses. We decided to spend our day on a dhow. We hooked up with Captain Lehman and his boat the Themani. The day was beautiful and the ride was peaceful over to Manda Island where we fished for lunch and they made us a feast while we walked the beaches. Later on we sailed to the other side of Lamu Island to Shella beach which was just as beautiful but a bit of a resort town... so we axed plans to stay there and sailed back to Lamu Town where a cold shower felt great and dinner was complimented by wonderful locals joining us (including Lehman) and having wonderful conversation into the night. The next day we wandered the town and the markets before meeting Lehman who lent us his donkeys (mine was Watermelon) so we could ride them back to Shella (just as fun as it sounded to me) where we did a lot of nothing on the beach all day and after walking back to town wandered the alleys into the night. We caught the sunset and arrived back at the villa intime to catch the torch being lit with an Arab man and his Kenyan wife. I passed out cold upon hitting the bed! Our final morning was spend shopping!! Fabric stores and woodsmiths were eveywhere and we were swept away by the craftmanship of it all. Before we knew it we had to pack up and leave our paradise, sail to the airstrip, and take a small 12 person plane back to Nairobi. I had to bid ado to Jeff who made his way home while I watched the Olympics at the Hostel with lots of new friends and ate a tasty cheeseburger!! It was a wonderfully relaxing and amazing week getting to see a side of kenya I didn't know existed till now.
Just as a side note, to be discussed later, but it's getting dark and I have to get back to the farm.. something laid it's eggs in my foot. And my cat had her itty bitty kittes. More to come (haha)
See you all in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!
Thusday morning started off with that glorious bus ride to Nairobi where I managed to control my stomach thankfully. After dropping our things at the hostel we splurged for dinner at Carnivore. I suppose it's a bit of a tourist thing as the environment had a bit of an Epcot feel to it, but worth it. The center of the table housed a carosel of sauces and sides and a flag that was not to be put down until your stomach exploded. Men came around with hunks of ever type of roasted meat I could imagine: from multiple varieties of pork, beef, crocodile, ostrich! We all happily gorged ourselves. Bedtime was early as our guides picked us up early the next morning to begin our safari. The ride south of Nairobi was very reminicent of the Africa I always had in my head: dry grasslands dotted with Acacia trees, tall thin Maasai with their bright red wraps herding cattle across open plains. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy and cold and Mount Kilimanjaro illuded us once we had driven the 5 hours but we did see everything from herds of elephants, wildebeasts, hippos, ostrich (which only served to remind me how yummy dinner was the night before!), and heaps of zebras. We were a bit caught off guard come nightfall though, because the sleeping arrangements on safaris that had been reported thus far included self contained tents, electricity, running water, beds, toilets, etc. So it was a bit of a shock to see our guides start rolling out the old school canvas tents. "What? Nobody brought blankets or pillows? Oops, maybe we should have told you." After griping about it for a bit and ultimately "renting" some blankets from the maasai village in the park it set in just how beautiful it was to be sleeping under the open sky in Amboseli under Kilimanjaro. So we shut up a bit. Enjoyed the company of some monkeys and had a surprisingly good night sleep. The next morning if we squinted hard enough we could make out the mountain's peak as we drove to the gate of Tsavo West. The landscape changed so dramatically into hills and mountains with dry brush and large fields of lava rock. Sleeping arrangements were the same and it was definitely a more "wild" feeling park which was appreciated. We saw the same animals as Amboseli adding in lots of giraffe and even some crocodiles at Mzima Springs. The morning brought a campful of curious baboons who hijacked the toothpaste and played a bit of a game of tag it seemed. More driving through amazing scenery which landed us eventually at the town of Mtito where we enjoyed a late lunch and departed from our tour guides as we departed for the next leg of our holiday. Round the fire at night it was pressed upon us that we should have gone to Maasai Mara because then we would have seen the cats and a greater volume of the other animals we did see, but my friends and I agreed that it was nice to not have a half dozen other safari buses around us as we meandered through.
II. Mombasa & Watamu
The long bus ride brought us to the Coastal town of Mombasa after dark. The guesthouse we stayed at was slightly dodgey at first apperances but was just fine for what we needed. A pizza shop downstairs provided dinner and we played cards till late. As the coast is predominately Muslim, the loudspeakered call to prayer woke us up at 5am. In the morning we toured the Portuguese Fort Jesus and I got my first views of the Indian Ocean. We wandered around the alleys of the Old Town until lunch. The later part of the day was spent browsing the souveneir shops which I told myself I'd go back to later in the week on my way back through (which I never did) and eventually caught a bus to Watamu. Mombasa was okay, nothing special really, a big city with an ocean view I suppose. We once again reached our destination in the dark. It was Ingrid's (my hutmate) last day so we splurged a little on accomidations. A nice little complex with a more resort like feel than the guesthouses I've become accustomed too. But still only 5000 shillings for a double... about $75. Watamu is a Kenyan town full of Italians so we enjoyed a nice pasta dinner. In the morning we had a wonderful included breakfast and spent the better part of the day exploring the Gede Ruins. I possibly could have spent the whole day amongst the remains of a city rising up in the forest but Ingrid had to catch the bus back to Mombasa so she could fly to Nairobi and then home. So we lounged by the pool, napped by the pool, enjoyed some pizza and the remaining three of us walked up the beach making sandcastles in the white sand until well after the sun went down. Then we condensed into one kingsized bed and slept quite peacefully. Another great breakfast and Jeff and I set off to the next leg while Brett made his way back home. (Here's where it gets goood)
III. Lamu
A 4 hour bus ride next to a smelly drunk guy brought us North up the Coast to Lamu. Well, to a boat that would take us to the Island. We packed in like refugees and I was amazed when I looked over my shoulder to where we were going. It was like going back in time. Dhow fishing boats littered the harbor and the old buildings rose up seemingly from the water. Cars aren't on the island (only donkeys). The town is a maze of alleys with intricately carved Swahili doors opening windows to everything from family life to mosques to shops and woodworkers. Cats wander the streets and look quite amusing amist all the donkeys! Our villa was an old Swahili house with terraces filled with antique daybeds that encouraged lounging and catching the sea breeze. We immediately cursed ever having to leave and set into action plans to stay longer. Breakfast the following morning was delicious and we quickly made our way to book a flight to give us an extra day without busses. We decided to spend our day on a dhow. We hooked up with Captain Lehman and his boat the Themani. The day was beautiful and the ride was peaceful over to Manda Island where we fished for lunch and they made us a feast while we walked the beaches. Later on we sailed to the other side of Lamu Island to Shella beach which was just as beautiful but a bit of a resort town... so we axed plans to stay there and sailed back to Lamu Town where a cold shower felt great and dinner was complimented by wonderful locals joining us (including Lehman) and having wonderful conversation into the night. The next day we wandered the town and the markets before meeting Lehman who lent us his donkeys (mine was Watermelon) so we could ride them back to Shella (just as fun as it sounded to me) where we did a lot of nothing on the beach all day and after walking back to town wandered the alleys into the night. We caught the sunset and arrived back at the villa intime to catch the torch being lit with an Arab man and his Kenyan wife. I passed out cold upon hitting the bed! Our final morning was spend shopping!! Fabric stores and woodsmiths were eveywhere and we were swept away by the craftmanship of it all. Before we knew it we had to pack up and leave our paradise, sail to the airstrip, and take a small 12 person plane back to Nairobi. I had to bid ado to Jeff who made his way home while I watched the Olympics at the Hostel with lots of new friends and ate a tasty cheeseburger!! It was a wonderfully relaxing and amazing week getting to see a side of kenya I didn't know existed till now.
Just as a side note, to be discussed later, but it's getting dark and I have to get back to the farm.. something laid it's eggs in my foot. And my cat had her itty bitty kittes. More to come (haha)
See you all in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!
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