Blogs from Kisumu, Nyanza Province, Kenya, Africa - page 10

Clearly I am settling into a local routine given that my frequency of blog updates have gone from daily to every couple of days to now once a week. The past week has been very full and included a road trip to Nakuru - some 170 km southeast of Kisumu on the way to Nairobi. And Nakuru is the answer to the question posed by the title. For it is in Nakuru that I saw my first giraffe in the wild and in Nakuru that I attended a 3 day seminar on Good Governance practices facilitated by the Poverty Eradication Network - PEN. I was the guest of the WIFIP (Women in the Fishing Industry Program) Board. Two additional NGOs - SANA (Sustainable Aid in Africa) and C-MEDA (Community Mobilization for Economic Advancement) participated in this ... read more

Hello All...keep the comments coming ... I am so enjoying them and they are keeping me grounded. And yes Deb you have my full permission to use the blog for your student's studies. Many of you have expressed interest on what my routine and surroundings are like. So here goes. My home base is the Imperial Hotel, a very comfortable, even luxurious compared to surrounding areas, five story high hotel. I am the guest of the Gilani’s who own the hotel. Their generosity and hospitality are unparalleled and I will be looking for ways through the rest of my days to return their kindness. The Imperial is a very well run, friendly and hospitable place teeming with people around the world mostly doing aid relief work or government business. A group of Europeans have just arrived ... read more

Hello All...it is late saturday afternoon. It has been an errand day. Hanif toured me about the local food market...can get almost anything here. I've developed a new fondness for passion fruit -- appropro yes??? Was reminded today how fertile this land is! Lemons, limes, carrots, potatos, pineapple, mango, apples, tomatoes, kale (local favorite), cabbage, etc -- all readily available with in 2 hours drive. You can also buy a live chicken and dried fish. A local favorite are deep fried sardine like (but smaller) fish..you buy a handful at a time. We watched a kenyan strip a tire into long strips which are used to tie things on boda bodas. The market is a recycling haven. T-shirts, shoes, watches, belts, electronics -- you name it. We then headed to the Nakumatt -- Kenya's version of ... read more

Hello All..it seems the pictures did not come through. So I will try again. I am being treated like one of the Gilani Family attending parties and dinners with Munira and Hanif. Their circle of friends and family are so warm and hospitable. I am still battling jet lag...have now taken Judith's advice not to nap in the afternoon..despite overwhelming need too!. Munira treated me to a massage yesterday...does wonders for jet lag. Was also reminded how conservative we North Americans are about body treatments. I started to venture outside on my own yesterday..first walking the 5 blocks home from the Gilani home and then this morning going for a brisk walk. It is interesting being pretty much the only white girl on the street. And yes the streets are safe here around the hotel-- that ... read more

Bonjourno! Another VERY long one, but it has been two weeks, so lots to cover, and I promise you it’ll make you think in places. It’ll also definitely make you laugh at me. Enjoy the photos - the connection here is good, and the photos are low quality so it really didn’t take long to upload them. Thought I’d treat you near the end of my travels, especially after the blog length. But it’s quantity over quality. Have fun. I survived Nairobi! Quite chuffed by this statement I am, especially as I went back through the city and stayed a night in the doomed River Road district. I would have normally bypassed this place, but Afsan had kindly dropped in from Boston, and having got on well climbing Mt Kinabalu together, a catch-up drink seemed the ... read more