Blogs from Kenya, Africa - page 235

Last week I began my volunteer teaching. It took a couple of days to get used to the flow and to get used to what my responsibilities would be, but everything is going very well. I’m at Good Samaritan High School which is just a five minute walk from where I live. By U.S. standards it is located in a terribly poor part of town, but by Kenyan standards the area is just mildly depressed. I’ll be teaching math and business to 9th and 10th graders for a total of 18 lessons each week. So far, I’m actually like teaching the math better than teaching the business because it is very straightforward and computational as compared to teaching business which is more lecturing and giving notes, but I’m enjoying teaching business more and more each day. ... read more

Crime, poverty, poor transport, poorer roads, corrupt governments, smudged cities, Africa is the unexplored continent, the unknown. It’s as if all my travel so far has been to prepare me for these final 2 months, and although I feel uneasy, I’m squiggling in my seat with excitement. From the outset, I’ve not been expecting travel in East Africa to be easy, but I am hoping the rewards will be great. Though, I must admit, up to now it hasn’t exactly been difficult! I’ve been waited on with 4-course dinners, driven around on a safari, have slept in safety and fed like a king at an Indian man’s mansion. The real journey starts now, as I sit writing this in a private bus company’s waiting room at night (in Kenya, going out at night is not the ... read more

school project... read more

Arrived in Kenya at 6.30am this morning, just as the sun was coming up. Not the best flight. Didn't take off until 1.00am (2 hour delay) and then had the pleasure of sitting next to the most miserable woman who complained about everything, including the fact that the music on my ipod was too loud! I don't know how she could hear it over the noise of the plane. Anyway, I turned it down and then turned it back up again and she didn't even notice! Had such a great time in Cairo. The resort was close to the pyramids so away from Cairo centre, which with 2 million people (out of 7 million total population) felt incredibly busy. The driving was as I remembered from previous trips to Egypt - no rules, anything goes, compulsory ... read more

After getting in from the safari, we were happy to find a bed, a bar and a shower. We decided to give another hostel in Arusha a shot, only to find it wasn't as nice as our original choice, the Meru House Inn. However, there was a more lively group of fellow travellers, including Brian, Heather and Cory from Canada and Nicholas from Belgium. Since we'd all returned that day, everybody sacked out early. Given that the next day was Sunday, that we had nothing planned, and that we slept away the morning, there wasn't much to accomplish. Unfortunately, Arusha isn't a town that enchants you with its charm or beauty. As with most African towns, it's utilitarian, and features the strong recommendation that you don't go out after dark. We were able to set up ... read more