A Short Drive

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We got up and were excited for real showers… only they were cold too! So much for hot showers. But there were towels and internet. I slept so well last night, hardly moved a muscle! It was also a very nice bonus to share a room with only Sarah, rather than with 5 of us in a room. Then the vans picked us up and we headed for the office of the car company we were using. After figuring out no plans, we walked over to Nakumatt and did some grocery shopping. I got a Sprite in a plastic bottle, which is very hard to come by. After an hour or two, it was time to hit the road.

Paul was our driver, both from the bus stop to the hotel and this morning, all over Nairobi and to the village where we’re staying. He is a great guy to have around. His English is pretty good, and I feel like he’s taking care of everything. He’s a lot like Morris- I feel safe when he’s around.

We drove the 2 or so hours to Mukeu, which is the village where we are now, with only 2 stops. The first was at a market to buy fruits, and the second was at a tourist trap spot overlooking the Great Rift Valley. It was beautiful, but some of it was lost on the fact that there were so many people trying to sell us things, and they were extra pushy. Sarah and I made it out with all our shillings, but the others weren’t so lucky.

The drive seemed rather short.

When we got here, Tabitha’s family welcomed us warmly. Tabitha is our host, and the one who is sort of coordinating the project. We’re staying at the farm where she lives with 3 of her sisters. Her brother and sister-in-law also live on the property with their children. There are a few other men around, though I haven’t exactly figured out how everyone is related. It is a full house, and they moved out of their house so there would be room for us, cramming all of them into a sort of sidehouse for the time we’re here. These women are amazingly hospitable and have taken great care of us.

Sarah, Robertta, Chelsea and I are sharing a room filled with just enough bunk beds and not really room for anything else. We’ll make it work, though. I am even more grateful now that I never lived in a dorm in college.

We got to go on a tour of the farm before dinner. It’s sort of like several small-ish gardens all over, with a few cows, chickens, and sheep running around. They grow cabbage, peas, corn and other things in very well-tended plots.

An interesting thing I learned today is that a good portion of Kenya and Uganda sits on top of a water table. The folks here have irrigation and tons of clean water. Upon hearing that, I found it odd that so many people are drinking out of ponds and puddles. Really all they need is to dig or put some sort of a tap in. I thought that was interesting- the water is here, just needs to be gotten.

We’re about 8500 feet above sea level here. Lots of people are walking around in stocking hats and multiple coats! It’s chilly here, especially at night, but still not coat weather. It sort of feels like late September at home, where it’s chilly in the morning and then gets really hot before cooling down for the night. If it’s cloudy, it’s pretty cool, but as soon as that sun comes out, you’re plenty hot.

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