http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Kenya en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:56:36 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:56:36 BST i got into nairobi like an hour or 2 ago. can't really leave the airport the visas are 50 and you're not allowed to even smoke outside of the building... mom and danielle you'd be proud of me i haven't injured anyone yet... but i did get to smoke in the airport even though it's not allowed... not all ghetto style in the bathroom either. anyways... the longer i'm gone the more shitty stuf http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-303233.html Hello Everyone Our group of 14 volunteers from Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church in Louisville Ky. USA has arrived and begun work on the summer projects. For those of you who aren't familiar with this Vihiga Children's Home is an orphanage in Western Province of Kenya. Our church sponsors 96 orphans at the home giving them support and education through secondary school. We make periodic v http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Western-Province/blog-301807.html The airport taxi drops us just as the ramp falls on the Likoni Ferry releasing a flood of passengers streaming up the landing in their hundreds reminiscent of some timeless migratory scene. Only vehicles pay for the short crossing that links the island city of Mombasa to the mainland south which makes monitoring the exact passenger intake a tough call I ponder as we join the herd in replenish http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Coast-Province/Mombasa/blog-300818.html JamboWe spent most of last week waiting for various results and people to get back to us before we could move on with either project.On our days off we spent a couple of nights on the shore of Lake Naivasha. We foolishly hired a tent that doubled as a wind tunnel and only had half an outer layer. On our first evening there we saw flocks of pelicans cruising around the lake as the sun went down w http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/blog-300165.html It is Monday evening here in Nairobi and we have been having a wonderful time already. We had good flights on the trip. The taxi driver did have a van that picked us up but he had never had an amazing amount of luggage to deal with. He was pretty game though and we arrived at the Mennonite Guest House in great shape. The weather was refreshingly cool and downright cold today. You can google the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-300035.html Here are some more pics of Luoland courtesy of my friend Vincent. I'm afraid that he's a much better photographer than I am. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nyanza-Province/Kisumu/blog-299965.html I want to start off by saying that I greatly appreciate everyone's comments. You all are such a blessing to me and I hope you realize what a blessing you are to everyone around you.Last week was probably the toughest week yet. The first half I spent battling in the nurseless clinic. Much has already been written about my feelings there so I will spare you the details. The second half of the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-299943.html I have survived my 1st week in East Africa Just about. My first experience of down town Nairobi was run down chaotic and very noisy. You could chew the air from exhaust fumes. All in all it was pretty intimidating. I was beseiged by touts scam artists as soon as I walked out of the hotel the first morning. I hastily headed for the countryside. Onto my first matatu souped up camper vans with http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/blog-299612.html July 5 6 2008LAKE NAKURU KenyaOn Saturday we flew to Nairobi Kenya and spent a quit evening at our hotel as we have an early morning start to our trip to Lake Nakuru Park. Nairobi looks like a very busy place but generally very poor. Our accommodation was certainly not indicative of the way most Kenyans live.Sunday morning we met our Driver Guide for the next 8 days Raymond a young man fr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Lake-Nakuru-NP/blog-299267.html July 7 8 2008Masai MaraOur trip to Africa continued today with our drive from Nakuru Park to the Masi Mara Kenya and some ldquo big game huntingrdquo with cameras . This is really a beautiful place but the poverty becomes more evident as you get away from the cities.The Masai Mara is a large area of Kenya that includes a large 2000 squ KM preserve that is home to a huge variety of wild http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Masai-Mara-NP/blog-299264.html Just to let you all know that I have safely arrived in Nairobi. The tour will start in little more than an hour so I am using the time to have my first learning experience using an internet cafe well actually the hotel's business centre. The hardest part is to get used to a completely different notebook 'interface' what I mean is 'Tastatur'. I can't find a lot of signs and remember Nor http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-299026.html I spent the weekend in the field doing survey work for a Danish NGO. We left Nairobi early Friday morning and had a fairly smooth trip to Kisumu the capital of Nyanza province located on the shores of Lake Victoria. The trip was briefly delayed by an overturned beer truck that had attracted a large crowd of thirsty locals see pictures but we had a 4 x 4 truck and were able to take a cow path http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nyanza-Province/Kisumu/blog-298430.html This is part two of my article on the Kenyan school system and again it consists of my observations in the Kenyn schools in 2006 2008. Kenyans and others are free to comment on my accuracy in reporting.Most Kenyan prents prefer to send their child to a secondary boarding school indeed most secondry schools are boarding schools. Generally these schools are segregated by gender and again the http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Western-Province/blog-297506.html The following observations are based on my many visits to schools in the Western Province during 2006 2008. I also briefly taught standard five in Western Province at Vihiga Children's Home. Kenyans both adults and children also provided information. I would appreciate feedback from any Kenyans who read this article. I'm writing mainly for members and friends who sponsor children at the or http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Western-Province/blog-297497.html Discouraged. That's the word of the day. Nothing has really changed on the ground the Kenyans are still great the weather is about the same my health is about the same the center is doing amazing work the slums are still the slums. Well I guess something has changed the nurse Eunice at the school has gone missing. It could be that she has been in an accident. It could be that she j http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-297010.html We landed in Nairobi in the middle of the day drowsy from our over night flights and had a horrible time trying to find a hotel for the night. There were three international NGO conferences in the city and after discussing our options with numerous touts inevitably we finally found an overpriced room. We set about to figure out our options on how to get up to Lake Nakuru of course with more t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Lake-Nakuru-NP/blog-296984.html Kenya http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/blog-296878.html Happy 1st Birthday Yuri and I'm sorry to be missing the festivities.The days are beginning to be a bit routine which is not a bad thing. In fact I think it's a pretty natural transition. Routine doesn't mean boring or uneventful but it just means I'm becoming very comfortable here. This past week was actually quite eventful. I'll just write here a few of the highlights.On Tuesday I went to G http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-296023.html I anxiously gazed upwards as the long patterned neck slowly lowered to where I stood. The giraffe hesitated its angular head and large luscious eyes stared at me with interest. Ever so slowly the giraffe8217s lips parted and a thick bluish tongue of devilish proportions emerged. The small group of Japanese tourists near me audibly reacted to this event and though a part of me wanted to qu http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Samburu-NR/blog-295840.html Grsquoday.What an emotional rollercoaster the last couple of days have beenhellipWednesday we were traveling back from town when unexpectedly we bumped into the secretary from the Water Authority office. She asked us back to her house for some tea and we ended up staying for dinner and to our surprise we were joined by the head of the water authority who happened to be her husband We hadnr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/blog-295757.html So I decided that it is time to leave. If I was aggressive I would have left today. I am getting used to the maid service the driver services hot showers and not having to do anything....time to leave.I went over to the mall I was very impressed it looks like the South African's have a strong influence on the country and not so much from the UK or US. There is no Starbucks. I spent the da http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-294493.html BonjourWE HAVE WATER IN SAKUTEIKAfter a couple of false starts we finally made it to Sakuteik early on Saturday morning. We left Narok at 6 am earlier than we were expecting but the driver assured us that ldquothe early bird catches the wormrdquo. He was right we arrived in time to see the drilling rig come to life as did the crowds who flocked to see this strange machine do its thang. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/blog-294376.html I woke up at 800 am feeling even better than the day before. A quick shower finished packing then down for breakfast.I manged to fit everything into my bags but am concerend about the weight again I think I am close but hopefully not over. I have gotten good at estimating the weight of my bag sometimes within a few pounds. I have always wondered why hotels and especially airports do not http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-294353.html Wow I woke up at 530 again this morning feeling MUCH better than I have for days. The sauna and massage had really helped and my overall feeling had improved by at least 50.A shower then breakfast a little email and the driver was here to pick me up again at 1000 am. We headed off to visit Kawangware again for the day.I arrived a little after 1030 am and Sadie was already there. Sadie is http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-294337.html I spent the weekend at Lake Naivasha a large lake situated in the Rift Valley about 100km northwest of Nairobi. The area is beautiful but this was tempered somewhat by the dust the area's soil is entirely composed of a fine dry volcanic ash that gets kicked up into dust clouds with the slightest breeze. On Saturday I spent the day sightseeing I went to Hells Gate National Park where I saw http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Rift-Valley-Province/Lake-Naivasha/blog-293886.html I was up at 530 am today. Showered and had an early breakfast in anticipation of being picked up by Charles and his driver at 1000 am. I was able to catch up no a little extra email this morning as well. As it turned out Charles had a hard time finding the Sports Club and he did not arrive until about 1045 am.The drive was about 25 minutes I think and the Kawangware slum looked even worse t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-293424.html It is Sunday today. I think I am going to rest a bit and keep the pace slow. I am still feeling poorly but seem to be keeping the sinus and eye infection at bay if I am not overexerting myself.After a an earlymorning shower and breakfast I headed off to the museum which is only a few blocks from here. It was closed last year when Cristelle and I was here so I am really interested to see what http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-293116.html I was up early had a bath and off to breakfast. Beans hash brown potatoes and cooked vegetables. It tastes pretty good.I struck out for a hike and walked down the streets of Nairobi to get to the Sarit Centre another large mallshopping complex. I was able to use the Internet there and got lots of work done. I made it back by noon and met Moraa for lunch at 1230 pm. John Amendi was late due http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Kenya/Nairobi-Province/Nairobi/blog-293113.html