I hadnt planned much for the holiday, and my initial plan was to stay in mombasa during new year. I arrived at a very shabby hotel - all though the staff was very friendly. Mombasa is a big city, and I hadnt read anything about what to do there, but I knew there were beaches! I tried to find a new place to stay, but everything was fully booked, so i travelled to Malindi the next morning. Ive become kind of a morning person here, and at nine I had already had breakfast, I had been to town to check my emails and was on the way to find a matatu for Malindi! I had booked a room at Ozis hotel, and I liked it! 100 shilling a night (90 kr) including the best breakfast Ive ... read more

Chrismas in Kenya! I actually hadnt thought much about how to spend the christmas. But then I met a norwegian woman who lives outside Nakuru with her kenyan husband and children. When she heared from some women at a conference she joined that there were a norwegian in egerton she wanted to get in touch, and I met her for a short while in town - and she invited me to spend the christmas with her family. I had an almost norwegian christmas eve, the food is a bit different - but very nice! Also - delays are not a stressfactor here, as in my home where my father is totally stressed if the dinner is not on the table five o'clock sharp! I had a wonderful christmas, almost as good as home, just a bit ... read more

My first safari! I guess there will be some more. I think the photos describe the beautiful view in the park and I saw a lot of animals! Lake Nakuru is known for the flamingos, but they were not there...just a few of them. During the rainy season parts of the lake is turned into pink from the large number of flamingos. No lions or giraffes (I will work to get the giraffe in sunset Janne!!), but a lot of animals really close up! A wonderful day! ... read more

ROSA - Resource-Oriented Sanitation concepts for peri-urban areas in Africa. This is a research project funded by EU to implement principles of sustainable sanitation in four African countries: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. They also include a lot of local partners in the funding and implementation. During the first week I was shown around on different implementations sites, some under construction and some not yet started. Hopefully I will be able to see the development when Im back in Nakuru in February! It is really terrible to see how some people live here, and how little they actually have. Running water in the outskirts of town are almost non-excisting. Most people buy water from stations, but they can only buy it once or twice a week. Even the houses with running water experience lack of water. ... read more

Kenya - finally there after counting down for months, weeks, days and hours! I was welcomed by James and Banus at the airport - they had actually been so eager to welcome me that they also were there the day before - but then I was still asleep in my bed in Oslo. It was so nice to see them again! We started off having breakfast at Banus place and saying hello to his family. Then I delivered all my luggage at the YMCA hotel close to Nairobi town centre and spend the rest of the day walking around with James. I got my visa for Uganda, had a walk around the main streets of the town, and then travelled by matatu to Kibera - the slum area of town. If I had arrived the area ... read more