#12: Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Meru, and Mount Kenya, Kenya

I’m sitting in my room, feeling a bit chilly because I’m wearing shorts as my pajama pants are drying. I’m not as cold as I was when I was halfway up Mount Kenya though! I’m also listening to the new Patrick Wolf b-sides, which are beautiful (far better than the album itself…). There was a downpour earlier today so I’ve shut up my room to keep out these horrible winged bugs that invade whenever it rains. Rain also led to an interesting matatu ride back from our grocery run in Nairobi today—at one point we were riding right alongside a huge, deep mud puddle by the highway and I was pretty nervous about tipping in. The hype man also had a lady get off and walk for a short while and catch up with us later in order to pass through the police check with no more than the regulation number of passengers (fourteen). Upon surviving the ride, Bryson and I ran around and played soccer/football in the rain with his newly bought ball. Then, we all gloriously got to shower during the two hours the water was on today. After eating a dinner of guacamole, I’m here writing.

So, our trip to the Mount Kenya region last week. I think the main purpose of it was to allow us to see another part of Kenya and to slightly familiarize ourselves with some IFRI sites. We didn’t actually know when we were leaving until about an hour before our departure Tuesday afternoon because we were waiting for the funds for fuel and such to be approved. We packed during lunch, heard funds were approved, and then were on our way.

Our first stop was in Nyahururu, which is a town right on the equator. We passed into the Northern Hemisphere, where our hotel was located, so I was kind of back in home territory for a bit, ha. 

The hotel we stayed at has a bit of a morbid recent history. Those who have been keeping up with Kenyan news will know that Kenya’s star marathon runner, Samuel Wanjiru, died awhile ago under suspicious circumstances. He apparently went out drinking, brought a lady home, and was there with her when his wife came home. She saw, left, and shortly afterward Wanjiru jumped off the balcony and died. Anyway, the place he was drinking at was this hotel. It was a decent place, though, and cheap.

After breakfast the next morning, Bryson, Pat, and I were brought to Thomson’s Falls while our fellow intern, Sammie, had an interview. We didn’t really know where we were going until we got there, which is pretty typical. Because of this it’s a little difficult to plan, but I’m not complaining because the flow has been KEFRI making pretty cool plans for us while traveling. I’m not exactly used to being led around as most of my travel experience has been me making and executing (at least roughly laid) plans, but during our KEFRI travels it has been nice because we’ve been brought to a lot of places (i.e. Gwassi Hills) that we would probably never have gone to otherwise.

The falls from above.

Thomson’s Falls was a pretty cool place. We hiked down to the base of the falls, which was pretty fun though at times mildly harrowing due to slippery steps and worrying about knocking my camera as I inched past rocks. My camera fared far better than my soon-to-be muddy and nasty jacket and I took a copious amount of photos. After his interview, Sammie scrambled to join us at the bottom. The walk back up was far more exerting, but it was good preparation for the hike to come!

At the bottom, not quite at the (forbidden?) pool - too many rocks were in the way.

After seeing the falls, we headed onward to Nanyuki, a town near the base of Mount Kenya. We had a late lunch there. This part of Kenya is largely dominated by the Kikuyu ethic group which means one of the vegetarian foods that restaurants offer is mokimo, the traditional Kikuyu food made of pumpkin leaves, maize, and potatoes that George fed us when we went to his house! Hurrah, tasty green stuff! After lunch, we headed to our hotel where we hung out for a while and had dinner before being summoned to a different hotel to meet with our boss. He asked what we had been up to and gave us some tasks to do, so we’ll have our hands full before being sent off on another KEFRI trip. I am heading to Kampala, Uganda on Tuesday, though, to do some IFRI stuff.

The next morning, we went and visited two IFRI forest sites. We couldn’t really enter the first one because we didn’t have a forest guide (with a gun) accompanying us. These woods contain elephants and buffalo and other animals that you wouldn’t want to run into unprotected. Sadly/luckily, I saw no elephants but there was plenty of evidence of their recent presence—namely dung and torn up trees. We walked around in the forest of the second site, though. It was safer because we stayed close to the edge and the road, and because there were other people around grazing their livestock. There was still evidence of elephants and other creatures though. It was cool to be able to walk around in the forests at least somewhat, and to see some of the sites from which IFRI data was gathered.

Elephant evidence... they're strong!

After tramping through the woods (and hopefully avoiding ticks…) we drove to Meru for another later lunch. More mokimo for me. We were stuck sitting on the balcony of the restaurant for awhile because as we were eating a police check for government vehicles was stationed right by the drive. Though I don’t think there was anything suspicious or wrong about our activities and our driving log was probably up-to-date, we waited until they left. Apparently they just look for bribes and pounce on any little thing. It was strange. After they left we could too and went to our hotel. Then, a quick grocery trip, watching some of the guys play pool, dinner, and bed. This hotel was very noisy though, so I didn’t sleep very well before my 6:45am alarm. We were getting up early so we could venture to one of the gates to Mount Kenya National Park and speak with Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) about the different options for hiking the mountain.

This was something I really wanted to do while in Kenya, and I spent some time during spring break in the Kenyon bookstore researching the place. However, we didn’t really have the time or equipment to hike the whole thing. After talking with the KWS guys we settled on paying the entrance fee for 24 hours in the park, 900 shillings for a night in a lodge (called Old Moses), and a guide for the two days we would be hiking around. When people climb the mountain from this route it generally takes four days. Only technical climbers can go to the highest peak, so normal people like me go to a different, lower peak. On the way up, hikers first spend the night at or by Old Moses, trek the next day to another lodge, then get up at 2am and hike to the peak for sunrise before going back down. We ended up reaching the meteorological station, which according to our guide is about the halfway point of the hike and is at 3600 meters above sea level (after starting from about 2500 meters). I really, really would like to go back and finish the hike someday. I’ve never actually done something like that before but I had a ton of fun and felt really good about it. Our guide said I was strong (haha) and could make it, so hopefully I won’t weaken too much before my next trip to Kenya, whenever that is.

Beginning the hike.

Anyway, we arranged this whole thing and began our hike at around 11:30am. We saw plenty more evidence of elephants and buffalos, but not the animals themselves. We did see some Colobus monkeys. The hike begins on a road that ends at Old Moses and is useful for taking down sick people I guess. It was pretty steep and I definitely got sweaty. Also, we were carrying backpacks of our luggage which added to the strain (my shoulders are the sorest part of my body now!). Next time I’m only bringing a change of shirts, haha. We plowed our way up the mountain and reached Old Moses at around 3pm. The lodge is situated on a hill and we diverged from the road and took a shortcut path up to the place. This was my favorite part of the hike so far; it’s much more interesting to hike on a path than a road, especially when the road is made of dirt so either way one has to contend with rocks. By this point we had hiked past the tree line and the scenery was stunning.

After reaching Old Moses we ate some of the snacks we brought (nuts and crackers), and then Bryson and I went out to have one of our regular photoshoots. Timothy, our guide, made us hot chocolate so we drank that to warm up before hiking onward. Once I stopped walking I got quite cold quite quickly. I brought the one jacket and the one long sleeved shirt I brought to Kenya, which worked in that I didn’t absolutely freeze but I would rather have been warmer. Next time: a real jacket!

Made it to Old Moses! Wearing what I'm told is a typical Leah face.

Timothy brought us up to the meteorological station, which was the highlight of the trek. By this point I was filled with adrenaline and endorphins (or something like that) so I felt quite energetic and not really tired. We hiked up a path for an hour or so through stunning scenery and reached the meteorological station as the sun was setting. 

A strange thistle on the hike up to the station.

During the day, clouds descend and obscure the peaks of Mount Kenya, but as the day ended they pulled back and we were able to get a clear view of the mountain. It was gorgeous! The light was incredible, clouds were floating away (seemingly so close to us), we were the only ones up there and the only sources of noise; it was just stunning. Again, a gleeful photoshoot commenced. It was a little difficult for Timothy to lure us back down to Old Moses before dark.

Mount Kenya, Bryson, and Pat.

The tallest peak is revealed!

Photo courtesy of Bryson and our photoshoot.

A clearer view of the peaks.

Finishing photoshooting.

With dark came more cold, but good old Timothy brought us some hot tea, Kenyan style (meaning with fifty spoons of sugar). We munched our crackers and spoke to some of the other people in the lodge who arrived after us. There was a pair of Israeli girls who we actually met at the beginning of our hike, a group of dental students from Norway who were in Kenya teaching kids how to brush their teeth (at least that was one of their activities), and a French girl who was studying/living in Kenya. We chatted for a while before bed. That night I couldn’t really sleep due to the noise and the cold, though thankfully I was provided with some pretty warm blankets due to my lack of a sleeping bag. But brrr! We got up to see the sunrise and to begin our descent before 8am as we had to be back before our 24 hour park pass was up. 

The morning clouds descending.

I must say I was quite jealous of those continuing. The descent was fine (certainly physically easier than the ascent though walking downhill did take a toll on some of my muscles) and we saw a bushbuck. As we walked we shed our layers and made it back with plenty of time to spare.

Timothy and me at the end of the hike.

KWS was kind enough to give us a ride to Nanyuki, where we could catch a shuttle back to Nairobi. The ride was interesting—we were placed in the back of a large, covered pickup truck (think army truck) that had a bench for us to sit on. It was a bumpy ride, made more so because our bench wasn’t bolted down! We made it to Nanyuki all in one piece and again, a KWS guy was kind and walked us to the shuttle stage to make sure we made it to the right place. We took the shuttle back to Nairobi, battled the traffic jam, emerged from the shuttle into the sidewalk crowd, found our matatu, and made it back to KEFRI. Upon arriving home we discovered we had no running water, no water in the water tank outside, and no electricity, which was kind of a bummer after the exhilaration of Mount Kenya. After some phone calls we got our power back along with our water so I took a glorious, long, hot shower. Something is up with the water though, it was off all day today except for two hours. Apparently someone stole part of the transformer for the water pump, but I’m not sure if that’s the only thing going on. Hmm.

So, work tomorrow and then on Tuesday I am hopefully off to Uganda until Sunday or so. Questionable internet access comes with travel, so peradventure no update until next week. Too bad I’m not still hiking Mount Kenya now, but some other day, some other time I hope. And for now, bed.

#11: Muguga & Nairobi, Kenya

Well, not a whole lot exciting has happened this week (hence no photos) but I do have a few things I can talk about, so I shall.

After returning from the West, I had two main tasks to do at the office. The larger one was to combine three reports from our trip to the coast (including my own) into one document. This was a little tricky because only one of the reports I was compiling had the information from the Swahili interviews in it, something I couldn’t check for content due to the language barrier. A lot of what I was doing, therefore, was re-writing. Doing that for ESL documents can take awhile though. The second task was to try to get some more information on the Green Forest Social Investment project in the West, so Bryson, Pat, and I spent time drafting emails to various affiliated people.

Friday was a more exciting day at work. I had basically finished my tasks but our boss came back to the office so we got to plan for the week ahead. We’re supposed to go to Mount Kenya tomorrow to see KEFRI’s work there (a bamboo project) and we may or may not get to hike the mountain. We’ll have to see when we get there. Other tentative plans are: returning to the West, going to Maasai Mara, and me going to Uganda for work stuff. We shall see. I prefer traveling and actively doing stuff to sitting in the office, so honestly the more jam-packed my schedule, the better!

Also, on Friday evening Bryson returned from his trip to the Mumias Sugar Company so the Fellowship was reunited. We had some nice veggie sandwiches for dinner and then lamented that our water wasn’t working again (in fact, it still isn’t—now I’m a bucket shower pro).

On Saturday we ventured into Nairobi—this time to Westlands, a new area for us. We went to meet up with my Bloomington housemate/friend Shannon, who is interning in Kisii. Before meeting, Bryson, Pat, and I wandered to a street lined with curio stalls. The hawkers, of course, were trying to draw us in and were definitely overcharging. Some also tried to bargain with our silly bands (courtesy of Bryson and his mom, intended as presents for kids) as a part of the so-called deal. I decided to get a few small souvenirs which I bargained for. I was proud that I made the vendor give a lot more than I did on the price, but I know I still overpaid. Ahh, being mzungu. After all of this, we met Shannon and had lunch at a nice Indian restaurant, wandered a bit, met up with another SPEA student, Kelly, and proceeded to the National Museum of Kenya. The guys went in while I stayed outside with the girls to chat. We sat on the patio of a coffee shop, which due to its location and clientele was like a typical American or European coffee joint. I got an iced coffee (which was a little underwhelming) and a piece of apple pie with ice cream (which was tasty)! When I saw pie on the menu I had to try it out of curiosity and it was worth it. The pie was surprisingly good and the ice cream was the first truly delicious ice cream I’ve had here so I was pleased with my choice.

After the museum we headed to Nakumatt, one of the Kenyan chain supermarkets. We needed groceries for the guesthouse and there is a fair amount of stuff we either can’t get in Nderi or is a lot more expensive there. We got some tasty granola, among other foodstuffs. Then we had to find the matatu home, which was an ordeal. After finding the correct matatu stage we ended up waiting for close to an hour as it got dark. Our matatu just wasn’t coming! Luckily we met a guy who was going the same route as us. Just as we were getting exasperated and were arguing with a taxi driver about his exorbitant (mzungu) rates, the guy told us we could connect using two different routes. We followed him and ended up at a town not far from our original matatu destination. We were really lucky to find this guy! It is satisfying to find nice people who are helpful after spending enough of the day trying not to be ripped off too. This guy even offered to pay for our matatu ride! He told us he was happy to help us because if he had family abroad he would hope that someone would help them. So the night ended well and we watched some of the silly TV here before bed.

Yesterday was a nice lazy day of putzing—we spent a lot of time outside just reading (my current book: Zorro, by Isabel Allende) and trying to get our modems to actually load webpages. And here I am at work again. Hopefully we’ll get more details about our Mount Kenya trip very soon. That’s it, ta!

#10: Gwassi Hills & Olando, Kenya

Last night (Sunday, 12 June) amidst a storm I got back to KEFRI around 8pm, hence the working internet so I can tell you about the remainder of our trip to Western Kenya. First off, let me say that so far this trip has been the best—the surroundings have been amazing and the project we visited combined a ton of things I’m interested in. I really hope that I can return to Gwassi Hills before the summer ends.

Wednesday morning I woke up at the lovely hour of 5:15am in order to get an early start on the long drive with Dr. Ongugo (our supervisor), Evans (our driver), Bryson, and Pat. Unfortunately, our early departure was somewhat hampered because the hotel’s reception wasn’t open to receive our keys. We hit the road around 6:30am, stopping around 10am for some tea. Drinking tea was fitting not only because tea is what everyone drinks here, but because we had been driving through huge tea fields as we climbed out of the Rift Valley. After this small breakfast of tea, chapati, andazi (kind of like beignets), and my malaria pill we drove on to Kisumu. Once more we stopped for provisions, this time at a large mall. Dr. Ongugo told us to stock up on anything we may need (I got bottled water) because we were going to a very rural area.

Off again. We drove past the village where Obama’s grandmother lives (but no time to visit), stopped so everyone but me could eat some fish since we were by Lake Victoria (I had the usual ugali [=corn meal, kind of like grits but I like it less] and stewed kale stuff), and then went to catch the ferry across part of the lake. A note on the ride: we were riding in a pickup truck with two front seats and a three-person back seat. Also we were traversing some bumpy/windy roads. I was sitting in the middle. I think my hips have been squeezed together a bit but eh, I’m getting used to it.

Anyway, after putzing around while waiting for the ferry, we crossed the lake. It was a tight fit onto the ferry—our vehicle and one other were crammed on so tightly we had to pull our mirrors in. The journey across the lake took about 45 minutes and we saw a hippo swimming.

But there were better (in my opinion) animals to come! Once we crossed the lake it became evident that we were getting into some rural areas: the roads rapidly deteriorated as we approached Gwassi hills (Suba district, Nyanza province) and more and more shouts of “Mzunguuu! How are youuuuu?” seemed to follow us on the wind. As we approached our destination we drove right along Ruma National Park. Dr. Ongugo told us giraffes often hang out there and he was right! Twigas! A bunch of them! I asked if we could stop the car so I could take photos, haha. Alas, I have no telephoto lens for my camera. Still, leah na twiga come true.

Click to enlarge and actually see the twigas.

We climbed into the hills, the scenery making up for the terrible roads. Finally, we drove up to our destination around sunset. Our first glimpse of the place couldn’t have been better—we were situated at an awesome fancy tent hotel on a cliff overlooking Lake Victoria.

After our photoshoot, we deposited our stuff in our tents and went to have dinner. I got the best food I have had at a restaurant/hotel here yet—veggies in peanut sauce with rice. It wasn’t even on the menu but when the lady operating the place discovered I was a vegetarian she said I could have that. So not only was the location great at this place, but the staff as well. Yes, I do plan on returning because I am rather enamored.

That night I wrote the previous blog entry and then climbed into bed. Sadly there was a gap I hadn’t noticed in my mosquito net and one bit me on my face. Oh well. The impending sunburn probably complemented it nicely. Speaking of bugs, the next morning we could see a midge hatch on the lake. It was a large smudge of grey over the water. I’m glad midges don’t bite, because there were millions flying around out there.

Thursday morning we were filled in a bit on the project and were shown around. The project is super interesting to me because it integrates a lot of different aspects of development and environmental restoration, but its complexity makes it a bit difficult to explain briefly. But basically, the project is called Green Forest Social Investment Limited and is funded by a Dutch Foundation that also funds similar projects in Tanzania and India. The idea behind the project is to create sustainable community and economic development alongside environmental restoration. The area is very poor (I think something like over 70% of the population lives on less than $1 per day and 55% have no toilets, not even pit latrines) and has experienced heavy deforestation, which has led to erosion. There has also been drought, made evident by the dying fields of maize. The Limited gives farmers in the area loans in the form of inputs such as beekeeping supplies and seedlings. Then, it buys what the farmer has produced at a fair price, processes it, and then sells it.  The profits are split between the Limited and the farmers until the loan has been repaid. Right now, the main products are honey and charcoal. The two are also intertwined. Farmers are given seedlings to grow, and instead of cutting them down for charcoal (or turning to the sparse remaining forests) they prune the trees. The resulting wood is then made into charcoal at the Limited, which has a large and high tech charcoal producing factory. Charcoal is used by almost everyone for fuel, so it is an important product. The trees which have been planted in turn help support honey production since bees are happier with more plants around. The Limited also has a honey processing plant. The honey made there is completely organic. Some other products that are being worked on are biofuel (from growing jatropha) and aloe. The Limited also has started a girls’ school and a solar project. The hotelish place we stayed at functions as staff housing. Moreover, a pier is being built so products can be shipped across the lake to Kisumu.

Clearly, the project integrates a lot of different processes and ideas, but I like that. It kind of reminds me of some of the stuff I learned about in my International Studies seminars at Kenyon (Everything is complicated and intertwined [and depressing]! There is no straight, realistic answer! But try to figure it out anyway and you’ll be helpful!). It was cool though for this reason, and because the project was really seeking to help the community in the long-term by building a market for them so it can develop economically in a sustainable way, rather than taking charity as it comes and goes.

So, we were given a tour of the honey factory and some jatropha/maize/sorghum fields as we pieced together what the whole thing was all about. After a lunch break we drove up to OSIENALA (Friends of the Lake—a cooperating entity) headquarters in the hills and saw how they had been planting to try to prevent erosion. The view up there was stunning.

The islands to the right are contested by Kenya and Uganda.

Then, the nursery director showed us around. He showed us the seedlings, the main garden (which had various types of aloe, a weird spikey tomato plant, bananas, watermelon, and sunflowers, among other stuff), and gardens along the grounds. He was super cool and gave us porcupine quills. Apparently they like to get into the gardens, as do monkeys, and are subsequently trapped.

Aloe in the garden.

Porcupine quill!

Ranger (of the North?) B and Pat-as-fiddler-crab.

After this adventure, Bryson and I decided we wanted to go swimming in the lake. From our cliff top position, we could see people swimming and bathing, guys on one side of the pier and girls on the other. After swimsuiting up we began to walk to the lake (amusing the security guards when we asked the way), but luckily we ran into Evans who gave us a lift. Bryson, Pat, and Evans proceeded to the guys’ side so I was left on my own to slip my way over the rocks to the girls’ side. Everyone was super amused (probably at my white body which was even less disguised in my bathing suit) and were also surprised that I could swim. They were glad to have me around though (I guess I was adequate entertainment) because when I went to leave they kept asking if I would come back the next day. Sadly I couldn’t because by then we’d have left. But now I have been swimming in the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria! Afterward, we ate dinner outside (this time onion soup and fried pumpkin pieces for me) with some of the Limited staff. Then bed, and this time I made sure my mosquito net was completely shut.

Friday morning we talked with more Limited staff and had some very good conversations, both about the project itself and Kenya in general. I learned a lot. We also took a tour of the charcoal factory. Sadly, we had to depart that afternoon. It seems like there is a good chance we’ll be back though, thankfully.

Leaving Bryson (who headed to Kisumu, then Mumias Sugar) and thereby gaining more room in the back seat, we headed to Olando, where Dr. Ongugo’s rural home is located near the border with Tanzania. We got there after dark and were joined by his wife, who came by bus. They powered up the generator for the house, we ate (Dr. Ongugo typically proclaiming “Leah! Where is your stomach?”), and then went to bed. Saturday morning we met a ton of Ongugos—a bunch of them are neighbors. Pat and I were shown around by various kids, including two nice boys named Bill Clinton and Winston Churchill (no joke). Dr. Ongugo also showed us around his property, which is host to cattle, sheep, an apiary, macadamia trees, and pineapple plants! 

The day was spent tramping around with kids (I did get sunburned) and trying to feed a nice dog. It was interesting to see how people live in this part of the country. The predominant ethnic group in this area is Luo, and I now can recognize who is a Luo! It is also more conservative. I got the question of if I was married/when I would marry from several different people who knew my age. After the general putzing, the day ended nicely with a drive to the nearby beach of Lake Victoria, again as the sun was setting.

In the morning we had breakfast and then departed, saying goodbye to various Ongugo family members on the way. We also visited Mrs. Ongugo’s mother, who doesn’t live far away. That was interesting too—she was one of five wives. We got to see the large family compound. The husband died some time back and the four surviving wives still live together. We were fed lunch and then were off again. As we left it began to storm. This was good because rain was much needed in the area, but bad because we had to cram our bags plus three people into the back seat. Once we reached Kisii we bought a tarp so we could cover the bags in the back, but it was a tight ride until then. The drive was fairly uneventful, highlights being seeing a motorbike tip over in the rain (no one was hurt) and the storms in general that we drove through as we passed back through the Rift Valley and traveled up the escarpment.  That was a little scary as it was dark and rainy and the road narrowly wound up into the highlands. At the bottom is a famous Italian church—apparently the highway was at first built by Italian POWs from WWI.

We arrived back at KEFRI at around 8pm. I had the last non-overripe avocado for dinner (we got too many for free). It was still raining here, and has been at times today as well. Now that I’m back there is some research to do as far as this past trip goes. Today was spent doing that and trying to acquire more toilet paper for the guesthouse (our rooms had been cleaned but we hadn’t gotten the requested toilet paper, which took the whole day to track down). At least we don’t have squat toilets though! I did have to take a bucket shower this morning because our water pressure died, but it’s back now. Anyway, time for me to go to bed so I can post this before work in the morning. 

#9: Nakuru (& Gwassi Hills), Kenya

It is currently 9:44pm on Wednesday, 8 June and I am sitting outside of my fancy tent room in the Gwassi hills overlooking Lake Victoria. The lake is spotted with many lights coming from fishing boats—they kind of look like candles. It is a bit windy so it’s not too warm and the sky is being almost constantly being lit up by heat lightening. So yes, right now is pretty wonderful. But before telling more about today, I’m going to talk about yesterday which deserves a post of its own.

First, Monday evening after work we drove to Nakuru which takes about three hours from Muguga. The drive itself was nice. The roads were mostly smooth (for once!) but best of all was the view. Nakuru is in the Rift Valley and the sun was going down as we descended from the highlands into the valley. It was amazing to see the valley from above and to be able to look across it to the mountains on the other side. Once we checked into our hotel in Nakuru we had a late dinner and then went to bed.

Yesterday was an epic day, really. We woke up, had breakfast, and then went to a retreat center where a KEFRI group was meeting to discuss some data they had collected and to compile it for the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). The data was on areas that had been reforested to see how well they have been doing. In the 1980s deforestation happened very rapidly which led to an eventual blanket ban that is in place now on all logging, even of tree plantations. Some of the areas that were deforested have been replanted and KFS commissioned KEFRI to do a study on which species are present, their number, how quickly they have grown, etc. It was mostly data sorting that was happening while we were present (interrupted by a tea break, then lunch) because we came at the beginning—this project will last until Thursday, I think. It was certainly interesting to learn a little more about the subject though and we were able to ask questions of the participants.

After lunch, our boss kindly suggested and allowed us to borrow a truck and a driver to visit Nakuru National Park. The epicness commences.

We got to the park, and already there were baboons galore. They’re everywhere. Parks around here charge different rates for nationals and foreigners: At Nakuru, the foreigner rate is $60 and the student rate is half that. I was pretty excited about getting a student discount until we found out that we have to get a letter from Kenya Wildlife Service for that to be an option (how do you even do that?). Oh well. Regardless, the park was worth every dollar (though I paid in shillings).

When we got to the gate our driver, Peter, was smart enough to ask them if they had seen any lions (or something along those lines—this conversation took place in Swahili). A guy who worked at the Park hopped in the truck with us and directed us a different route. Bryson, Pat, and I were confused as to what was happening until the guy explained that a pride of lions had killed a water buffalo around 5am that morning and he was showing us. Not only had the lions taken down this massive creature (buffalos are huge!) but they did it right alongside the road. We parked right by the carcass as one of the lions, a male, played with it more than he ate it since he had already eaten plenty.

The lions in Nakuru Park are imported from Tsavo East National Park, home of the maneater lions! Back when a railway was being built, a bunch of people died because they were eaten by some bold lions (now dead, their bodies displayed in a museum in Chicago). Their progeny, however, are still around and are distinguishable because they are larger than average and the males don’t have manes. Those were the lions we saw and I can attest to the fact that they are large and scary. I was made even more anxious when our guide told us nervously to roll up the truck windows more since we were really sitting right next to this lion and its kill. I could hear the lion breathing! It was pretty stunning.

After lion watching, we thanked our guide profusely and began to drive around on our own. We were there in the evening which is prime animal watching time. We saw buffalo, jackals, various antelope, guinea fowl, and a rhino! The rhino was especially cool. It was huge! We parked the truck and watched it browse its way closer and closer and then cross the road behind us. So neat.

Then, we drove back through a more forested area so we could get closer to Nakuru Lake. Again, baboons were everywhere and a troupe of them was walking in the middle of the road.

Once we arrived at the lake we (I think illegally) got out of the truck. Everything was so stunning, though; we had to.  Not only was the lake covered by flamingos and pelicans and surrounded by buffalo, antelope, and trees (also covered in pelicans) but the sun was setting and there was a rainbow. We ran around as the sun set, mostly trying to capture the magic on camera and generally enjoying ourselves. The lighting was spectacular and I think it would be impossible for someone not to be happily in awe. I can’t describe the scene adequately in words, so have some photos. Even these don’t do it justice (especially since I am no photo pro).

An otherwise dark scene brightened by flamingos and a rainbow, hah.

Me, Bryson, and Pat.

Elated, we drove back to the retreat center where we had dinner and then stayed the night. Until bed, all we really could talk about was our fantastic day. We saw so many awesome things that are impossible to find anywhere else, all in one day. As an Animal Planet-watching child, I would dream about going to Africa and saving endangered animals as a sort of Jane Goodall and (less crazy) Dian Fossey wrapped into one. And now I just saw all of these images that I would see on TV in real life and, needless to say, the real life version is far more spectacular. There is no way to convey the power that lions exude, which is felt when one is in such close proximity. Nor is there any way to pass on the feeling one gets from standing by Lake Nakuru, surrounded by birds, as the sun goes down.

I’m really glad that not only did I manage to get an internship in Kenya, but one that allows me to travel (in fact, our boss encourages it!) and see the wonders the area has to offer. Currently, I’m in the Gwassi hills where we’ll learn about a project that our boss is a consultant for. And as I mentioned at the beginning of the post, it is stunning out here (though I moved inside my tent to be away from mosquitos and to plug in my computer). However, there is no way I would have made it out to this beautiful place had it not been for work—it is really rural and not a tourist destination. But more on Gwassi later, after we see more and learn about the project. We only just arrived this evening. But for now, bed. I’ve been up since 5:15am and it’s now 11:15pm, ha. Until my next adequate internet access, when this (and more?) shall be posted…

#8: Muguga, Kenya

Since my last update nothing terribly exciting has happened but I've done some fun things and some plans have been made.

On Friday we putzed around at work mostly. Our boss called us to talk to him and we ended up chatting with him for awhile over tea and buns. He said some pretty funny stuff ("Leah! You are so small! You should be big!" while holding his arms out wide. "When I went to the United States, I was surprised at the big people on the plane!") but more importantly, we made some more field work plans! We are supposed to leave this afternoon to go to a project in Western Kenya (stopping in Nakuru and Kisumu along the way).  The project is more business related, with KEFRI providing inputs to farmers and a market for them to sell their goods. There is also some development-related microfinance involved. It will be good to learn about what's going on and to see a new part of the country. We are to come back on the 12th and leave the next day for Mount Kenya for a couple of days to see a bamboo project KEFRI has there. We'll go back to Mount Kenya the following week too. Basically, this month will be filled with travel but I'm pretty happy about that. It will be nice to see lots of the country, especially in the company of KEFRI people. Not only do they impart a lot of knowledge (from explaining what things are as we drive by to telling more details about the area to work-related stuff) but it's also handy to be in the company of Kenyans sometimes. As a mzungu, there is no option for me but to stick out and therefore the chances of me, for example, being ripped off when I buy something are much higher. Being with Kenyans decreases that chance a lot. But more on that later. Also, it can get a bit monotonous hanging around here at KEFRI headquarters all of the time because there is not much around to do, especially once it gets dark. I've been reading a lot (currently: Dian Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist). So travel is nice in that it is a little more exciting.

However, on Saturday Bryson, Pat, and I took a trip into Nairobi. We planned to go to the elephant orphanage, which is only open from 11am-noon. We gave ourselves a good 90 minutes to get into down. Traffic was so terrible, though, that it took us over two hours! So no baby elephants for us... some other time because I am not leaving Kenya without seeing them! Instead, we decided to do the nature walk at Nairobi National Park. I don't think any of us were really too excited about it because the animals are in cages and the walk doesn't go out into the park itself. However, it was actually pretty fun anyway. We had a cool intern showing us around who got us back into places to see animals we wouldn't have seen had we been walking by ourselves. He also gave us leafy branches that a bunch of the animals like to eat so we got to feed an ostrich and some monkeys!

I love feeding the monkeys, haha. Their little hands were so grabby! We also got to see an eland and a bongo, both of which were huge! One of the perks of being with our guide was getting to see the lions. From the main path we couldn't see them so he led us through the bush to behind the cage and there they were! We were about a foot away, with only a double chain link fence between. Lions are big. One of them started getting restless too, making me quite thankful for the fence there. It's annoying to take photos of animals through the fences, but I think that's the only way you'd get me so close to a lion.

Finally, we saw some cute cheetahs! Apparently they are actually pretty calm with people. Even in the wild instances of them attacking humans are very rare. The keeper went into the cage and lured them closer to the window. The two cheetahs then proceeded to lick each other and play a bit. I liked the cheetahs a lot. While watching them a schoolgirl (who couldn't have been younger than 12) just reached out and felt (yanked) my hair though, which I didn't like as much...

Which bring me back to the issue of being mzungu, again. To be honest, sometimes it gets a little old. It's one thing for little kids to make a big deal about it, which is understandable. But the attention does have a few downsides. After thanking our guide, we left the Park and decided to go to the big Galleria mall in Karen. We caught a matatu and were definitely ripped off on the price - we paid 60 shillings each for a ride that should have been 20, tops. It's not a lot of money at all, but the idea of being ripped off is a bother. Sticking out definitely has its downsides. We had a fine time at Galleria, though - we had Indian food for lunch and then ice cream for dessert! The ice cream flavor I got wasn't the best but I enjoyed the first ice cream I've had since coming here immensely. We then proceeded to buy more reading materials and groceries. Bryson bought a french press so yesterday morning we had the first real coffee (not Nescafe!) we've had since coming here which was quite nice (and complemented by a breakfast of eggs and potatoes and lots of avocado).

Yesterday I stayed back at our guesthouse and read while the guys went into town to get some shoes and pants hemmed. Apparently all of the shops were closed so they ended up going to Maasai Market where they got pretty massively ripped off, apparently. I'll probably try to pick up souvenirs elsewhere. For me it was nice to listen to music and read for a bit. And now I'm here at work, waiting for the internet to work again so I can post! I have yet to pack so I'll do that at lunch time (avocado for lunch, oh yes), and then we're off. I'm sure I'll have more photos and stories next time from the trip. Until then, ta.

#7: Muguga, Kenya

I'm better! On Monday I was still feeling pretty rotten, so my boss (after offering to take me to the hospital) brought me to the clinic here at KEFRI. My first experience at the doctor's office here was positive, though of course very different from at home. First of all, my wait was quite short (though that may have something to do with my boss telling them to see me quickly). The waiting room, like at the office at home, was covered in health posters; however, about 70% of the posters had to do with HIV/AIDS. After I was called in, the doctor asked me a few questions about my symptoms, took my blood pressure and temperature, and prodded around my stomach. He then told me that he was going to give me some medicine to try and then I was to come back the next morning and if he thought it was prudent, he would test me for malaria. I was directed to a woman who gave me a pill to chew right then (I don't know what it was - another difference from home, where everything is explained) and gave me a pack of antibiotics. The package says they are to treat intestinal amoebiasis, acute and chronic enteritis due to sensitive germs, and lambliasis. Alright. They seemed to work though, because by the time I went to see the doctor the next morning I was already starting to feel better and didn't need the malaria test. I finished of the last of my pills last night and feel nearly back to normal. Leah: 1, nasty amoebas: 0.

This week has been a good week as far as accommodations go. I've had properly warm showers for the first time since getting here. I figured out the trick - I just can't turn my shower up very high but I'll sacrifice high water pressure for the warmth, especially around here where it is actually pretty cool in the morning. Also, after venturing into nearby Nderi and getting food supplies from the wood-and-plastic-tarp kiosks by the road, Bryson and Pat made a stir fry with rice. I wasn't allowed to touch the food because of my illness, so I got to do the dishes. But fresh vegetables! Nutrients! After a week of chips (french fries) and mchicha (greens stewed down so they probably have long lost all of their nutritional value) my body was pretty starved for something healthy. It was difficult not to scarf down all of the vegetables even though I was still sick.

Regarding food here, certain delicious things are so cheap! Down in Nderi, the price for an avocado is 10 shillings (keep in mind there are currently just over 86 shillings in one dollar). I asked the lady keeping the stand about them, and she said there are a ton growing around here. She buys them for 7 shillings and then resells them. I have resolved to eat a ton of avocados while I have access to such cheap ones. I have word that they are three for five dollars in Ohio right now, so the price difference is pretty huge. And I love avocados. Too bad I can't bring them back with me.

Work-wise, I finished my write-up about our field work at the coast and am now waiting to see what's next. We might be going to the Western part of the country soon, but I don't know if the details have been worked out. I have quickly learned that government institutions around here can be a little slow going.

Yesterday we didn't have to go to work because it was a national holiday - Madaraka Day, or the day Kenya achieved internal self-rule from Britain. George, our driver to the coast, had invited Bryson, Pat, and I to his house for lunch. He came by just after noon with his young son, James, and we started to walk. We crossed the street from the KEFRI entrance gate and descended down a path into the forest. I was curious about these paths, having not traveled them before since I had no idea where they led. We went through a eucalyptus forest, a natural forest, and then emerged to the sight of a village and fields.

George showed us the giant bamboo growing down there, before proceeding up a hill to his home. On the way we were, as usual, greeted with the cries of "mzungu! mzungu! how are youuu?" from hoardes of little children. And again, when they spotted Bryson's and my noticeable cameras, they shouted "picture!" When I told them to get in a group, they positively sprinted over to be included.

Once we arrived at George's, greeting more children along the way (included two who followed us), we were introduced to his wife and daughters and treated to some Fanta while we waited for the food to be finished. And then, our late lunch. It was fantastic and honestly the first time I can say I've enjoyed real Kenyan food. Keeping in mind that I am a vegetarian, they had prepared a lot of suitable food: cabbage, peas and carrots, rice, potatoes, white and brown chapati, and a Kikuyu dish made of green corn and pumpkin leaves that was really tasty. There was also some meat stew for the meat eaters. We all ate quite a bit and it was all really good. After we finished George showed us his place in more detail. He built the house himself. It has a concrete floor, wood walls, and a sheet metal roof and outside. They have a solar panel on the roof that they charge batteries with so they don't have to pay for electricity unless they really need it. His family also keeps a number of animals: rabbits, cows, pigs, and a dog.

Then, we proceeded on to the village so George could show us around. We just made it outside of his gate when we were greeted by more children, who this time had a beaten-up football (soccer ball). I obliged them and kicked it around for a few minutes before moving on. As we walked away one of George's daughters told me that the kids were saying I was beautiful. Ha.

We got down to the village and George showed us the local shops and we stopped in a place for a drink. I have been drinking too much soda here since I can't drink tap water from these places. The back courtyard of this place was really pleasant. There were two banana trees and a mango tree ringed by tables and benches made of sticks. It was really nicely done. We sat around awhile and chatted with people. There were some really nice guys that Bryson and Pat befriended who really just wanted to talk and make friends. However, I was glad George was sitting beside me because there were a couple of men who apparently were asking if they could sit by me, with George looking after me and telling them no. I've already experienced the attention that one gets simply from being an American female abroad, but I'll never be comfortable with it. George seems to know everyone around though, and was telling me who was good and who not to trust. The guy who ran the place fell into the former category, and he gathered a big bag of avocados from the trees growing just out back and gave them to us for free!

Afterwards, we walked back up to George's place to receive some leftovers to take home. They really bestowed a ton of food on us, and then insisted on accompanying us the twenty minutes it took to walk home and carry everything they were giving us! The group of kids insisted on joining us too, and kept trying to play with Bryson, Pat, and I until George sent them home before it got too dark. They were pretty funny. I walked with George's daughters and some neighboring women and chatted with them about what they wanted to do. There was a moment when one (who I later discovered is about to go to school to be a beautician) reached out and touched my hair and the next thing I knew, all of the girls were touching my hair exclaiming, "it's so soft!" and telling me it looked nice, haha. It was getting dark by the time we got home, so we thanked everybody for the great day and let them head home. The guys and I went out and looked at the stars for a few minutes - they are so bright around here and different, since we're in the Southern hemisphere. We then entertained ourselves with Scrabble before I retreated to my room to do some reading. And now here I am at work, waiting for more to do. Hopefully soon. I am looking forward to my lunch of leftovers, though. Chapati and the green corn/pumpkin leaf stuff awaits!