In Suneka, I have become quite the celebrity. Suneka is a rural area, very different from Nairobi.
Anyways, a day or so after we arrived here I walked through the sitting room, which to my surprise was filled with about 6 pre-teen girls. I said hello, and they all just looked at me but no one responded, so I just keep walking to the "shade house" to relax, and keep cool (it was very hot that day). As I am relaxing in the "shade house" I looked up and notice the girls are all peeking out the window and the door at me.....when they see I've noticed them they giggle and hide......this happened a couple more times, so I decided I'd go in and talk to them.
This time I greeted them in Swahili with "Jambo" and with the biggest smiles they could find they all met my eyes and replied, it was very cute! So I sat down with them and learned that they had come to see me, the American. The way these girls were admiring me, you would have thought I was Miss America. So once they became comfortable the questions started coming.
They asked me everything from is it true that American's eat snakes and snails, to is everyone as light as me (even though they we're not much darker than I), they even asked my mother-in-law if I was white-lol. So since then a couple of them have returned to stare at me and smile.
Today I was given the Kisii name of Quam-boh-kah, I am no longer Demetria, lol. I'm spelling it the way it sounds because I have no clue......basically it means I have crossed water to get here.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Meet the Parents
After leaving Masai Mara, our next destination was to Kisii/Suneka to spend time with my mother-in-law, and father-in-law, and wait for the rest of the family to arrive so we could celebrate Christmas together.
The plan was to take the infamous matatu to Kisii about a 3 hour trip. If you've been following you know I'm not a fan of the matatu, but I was able to get a good comfortable seat, so I thought things would be fine. Boy was I wrong! about 20 minutes into the trip we get a flat tire! its mid-day now so the sun is beaming....all the passengers get off of the van to "bask in the sunlight" while the driver and his helper attempt to jack up the van. However, I'm not really sure why they were jacking it up, THEY DID NOT HAVE A SPARE TIRE!
So we had to sit there and wait for another van to pick us up. When it finally did arrive they were a few passengers on board. I was happy that I stayed close to the road, because I was able to get a seat, while others lagged. I began to feel bad for those who were behind me, because they would have to wait longer in the hot sun to continue on their way....so I thought. Every single person was squeezed onto the van! I was next to the small aisle, a man squatted in that small space, pretty much on my lap! This was one of the most uncomfortable situations I've ever experienced. I became very overwhelmed and the tears began to flow.
Fred said we could get off and take a cab, but by then I couldn't even move, didn't feel like struggling to get out of the tight fit. We did make it safely to Kisii, and I finally met in person the rest of my family, so it was well worth it. However now Fred refuses to take me anywhere on a matatu which is good because I don't like them, but bad because we don't have car!
The plan was to take the infamous matatu to Kisii about a 3 hour trip. If you've been following you know I'm not a fan of the matatu, but I was able to get a good comfortable seat, so I thought things would be fine. Boy was I wrong! about 20 minutes into the trip we get a flat tire! its mid-day now so the sun is beaming....all the passengers get off of the van to "bask in the sunlight" while the driver and his helper attempt to jack up the van. However, I'm not really sure why they were jacking it up, THEY DID NOT HAVE A SPARE TIRE!
So we had to sit there and wait for another van to pick us up. When it finally did arrive they were a few passengers on board. I was happy that I stayed close to the road, because I was able to get a seat, while others lagged. I began to feel bad for those who were behind me, because they would have to wait longer in the hot sun to continue on their way....so I thought. Every single person was squeezed onto the van! I was next to the small aisle, a man squatted in that small space, pretty much on my lap! This was one of the most uncomfortable situations I've ever experienced. I became very overwhelmed and the tears began to flow.
Fred said we could get off and take a cab, but by then I couldn't even move, didn't feel like struggling to get out of the tight fit. We did make it safely to Kisii, and I finally met in person the rest of my family, so it was well worth it. However now Fred refuses to take me anywhere on a matatu which is good because I don't like them, but bad because we don't have car!
Mara Leisure Camp
The next day we went to another resort called Mara Leisure Camp, it was very nice. The rooms were very large tents with nice size bedroom and bath areas. I thought it was nicer than the lodge, but I forgot how the "sounds of the wilderness" keep me from sleeping! It was a sleepless night, and to make matters more scary, they shut off the power from 10:30 PM to 5:30 AM. It was pitch dark the entire night, and I heard the strangest sounds ever. So if you like the great outdoors you'd love it there. I think it was a newer place, very modern, and the food was great. Check it out at: www.maraleisurecamp.co.ke
Monday, December 21, 2009
Simba's Attack
Masai Mara is a game reserve, similar to our national parks, where nature does its thang un-interrupted by people. We we were all excited about what we might see once we entered the park, and shortly after going through the gate we were greeted by a simba (lion)! It was just sitting on the side of the road, so beautiful and still the scene looked like a painting.
There was about a 30km ride from the gate to our resort, along the way we saw giraffe's, huge buffalo, zebra's, and beautiful gazelle's- I took many pictures can't wait to share with you.
We arrived at the resort Keekorok Lodge (nice), were greeted by our hosts with warm cloths to clean our hands, and fruit juice. We dropped our bags at the room, then were off to lunch, and out first Safari!
In addition to the animals listed above we saw Cheetah's (from a distance), elephants, and wildebeast. The highlight of the evening came as the sun was going down. There was a pack of zebra's grazing and moving accross the plains. The trail we were on was going to take us right next to them, I took out my camera to get good snapshots, but we zoomed right by them......about 50 yards away there was a small pride of 3 lions and 3 baby cubs. We parked to get a good look at the pride. As the zebra's continued to graze the lions began watching them (the zebra's had no clue). As the cubs played around the lions spread out and staked out the zebra's who were slowing moving closer. Then one of the zebra's started moving quickly towards the lions, we believe it was trying to get to a river, as soon as it got close enough the 3 lions charged from their posts! the zebra took off back toward the pack and the others ran also. The lions were not able to catch the prey! actually the lions gave up the chase pretty quickly. I wonder what the cubs had for supper that night-lol?
There was about a 30km ride from the gate to our resort, along the way we saw giraffe's, huge buffalo, zebra's, and beautiful gazelle's- I took many pictures can't wait to share with you.
We arrived at the resort Keekorok Lodge (nice), were greeted by our hosts with warm cloths to clean our hands, and fruit juice. We dropped our bags at the room, then were off to lunch, and out first Safari!
In addition to the animals listed above we saw Cheetah's (from a distance), elephants, and wildebeast. The highlight of the evening came as the sun was going down. There was a pack of zebra's grazing and moving accross the plains. The trail we were on was going to take us right next to them, I took out my camera to get good snapshots, but we zoomed right by them......about 50 yards away there was a small pride of 3 lions and 3 baby cubs. We parked to get a good look at the pride. As the zebra's continued to graze the lions began watching them (the zebra's had no clue). As the cubs played around the lions spread out and staked out the zebra's who were slowing moving closer. Then one of the zebra's started moving quickly towards the lions, we believe it was trying to get to a river, as soon as it got close enough the 3 lions charged from their posts! the zebra took off back toward the pack and the others ran also. The lions were not able to catch the prey! actually the lions gave up the chase pretty quickly. I wonder what the cubs had for supper that night-lol?
Hotels
Every town I've been in I've noticed many "Hotels". Well the signs say hotel, but they do not look like places where anyone would want to stay mainly because of the size.........which is about the size of my cubicle at work. So I've been trying to figure out how such a small space could contain a check-in desk, a bathroom, a bed, privacy, etc. So last night I asked Fred if he had ever been in one, and told him I'd like to see what they look like. Yes, he has been inside, and I shouldn't go. They are not Hotels as we know them, but rather places to buy cooked food-LOL. Shame on me again....
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Headed to Resort
Hi friends, I'm back from Masai Mara (game reserve), and have a broadband connection once again! Anyways, Thursday morning started with us travelling to the city center (downtown Nairobi) to catch a shuttle van. Now, a lot of people use shuttles, buses, and Matatu's to travel between cities, which is fine, but those of you who know me pretty well know that I like things (like travel) to be well organized. No reservations were made...... so imagine my near panic attack when arrived at a gas station that served as a pickup spot. There were people everywhere with luggage, and I couldn't make sense of any it. Good news was Maurine knew what to do, bad news was we were told we couldn't load there because everything was booked, so we had to go to another station (walking with suitcases through the city, without Fred) do you feel my heart beating faster, LOL. The station wasn't too far away and there were only a few people there so it worked out fine :-)
We caught a shuttle (big upgrade from Matatu) to a city called Noruk, about a 2 hour ride. During this stretch I was able to see the Keyan countryside which is full of mountains and hills, very beautiful sights. We also travelled through the Rift Valley which is sunken in, I believe well below sea level, it was creepy yet amazing to view the valley from mountainside. I must admit I held on a little tighter because the drop distance was unbelievable. At Noruk we grabbed a taxi to Masai Mara.
Good thing we didn't try to drive ourselves, because shortly after taking off from Noruk the pavement ended and dirt roads sprung up, with few posting to tell you which way to go. I swear our taxi driver and all others on the road were navigating using a sixth sense. I should note that the roads were more stones than dirt, so the ride was very bumpy, and while dodging gangs of goats and cows, we drove primarily on the shoulder, at an angle because it was "smoother". after about 3 hours we made it to Keekrok Resort.
We caught a shuttle (big upgrade from Matatu) to a city called Noruk, about a 2 hour ride. During this stretch I was able to see the Keyan countryside which is full of mountains and hills, very beautiful sights. We also travelled through the Rift Valley which is sunken in, I believe well below sea level, it was creepy yet amazing to view the valley from mountainside. I must admit I held on a little tighter because the drop distance was unbelievable. At Noruk we grabbed a taxi to Masai Mara.
Good thing we didn't try to drive ourselves, because shortly after taking off from Noruk the pavement ended and dirt roads sprung up, with few posting to tell you which way to go. I swear our taxi driver and all others on the road were navigating using a sixth sense. I should note that the roads were more stones than dirt, so the ride was very bumpy, and while dodging gangs of goats and cows, we drove primarily on the shoulder, at an angle because it was "smoother". after about 3 hours we made it to Keekrok Resort.
Powerelss in the City
The demand for power here is greater than the supply so blackouts are frequent. Tuesday afternoon the power went out at about noon, and was restored just before dinner time. Wednesday it went off again around noon, came back at about 4.......and went off again around 7. The outage was local so not everyone was in the dark. However, the outage caused a big problem for me because Thursday we were planning to travel to a resort- packing in the dark is nothing nice! I am happy to report that I was able to get some things together and luckily we did leave Thursday morning. Good thing we left when we did because the power did not return until sometime on Friday or Saturday.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Big Big City-driving
Nairobi is huge! I have been downtown everyday so far, and there is always a traffic jam getting there. Driving here is something that requires great aggression, if you don't or can't possess it, you will never make it to your destination. I will take a 60 minute wait on 694 anyday compared to this. I have seen about 100 incidents that would have easily been accidents in MN., some caused by the car I was riding in. They have a lot of those roundabout thingys.
In comparison I'd say land wise downtown is about 4 times the size of DT Mpls., with about 5 times as many people.
I have also been on public transportation which is something a horrow film script could be written about. They have these mini-van things called Matatu's which take you pretty much any where you need to go. The hold about 15 passengers, and they were not made for any person above 120lbs. It was quite the squeeze, and you need something to hold onto because these drivers are wild!
Last night we were in a Matatu coming from a dinner party with some relatives. Well there was
"beef" between our van, and another one.....not really sure what it was about, but they were trying to run each other off the road.....I was terrified. I was waiting for gun shots, thank goodness it didn't come to that.
In comparison I'd say land wise downtown is about 4 times the size of DT Mpls., with about 5 times as many people.
I have also been on public transportation which is something a horrow film script could be written about. They have these mini-van things called Matatu's which take you pretty much any where you need to go. The hold about 15 passengers, and they were not made for any person above 120lbs. It was quite the squeeze, and you need something to hold onto because these drivers are wild!
Last night we were in a Matatu coming from a dinner party with some relatives. Well there was
"beef" between our van, and another one.....not really sure what it was about, but they were trying to run each other off the road.....I was terrified. I was waiting for gun shots, thank goodness it didn't come to that.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Response to Habari Gani
So I learned the phrase Habari Gani back in my Clark Atlanta Univerity days. I had a professor named Dr. Black (I've always wondered if Black was his birth name or a name he assumed to match character). Anyways he taught us that Habari Gani was a greeting asking "what's the news?",or "whats up?"'
On Saturday we went to Nairobi National Park which features an animal orphanage, and a nature walk trail where you can observe animals. The park was very busy and we had to wait in line. From the line we saw the admission fees: Kenyan citizen 300 shillings (about 4 USD), US Citizen 15 USD. So I was instructed not to speak any English to pass as a citizen. It seemed like a good idea at the time, how could they know? so I complied, didnt't say a word.
We get to the front of the line, and the guys says 4 Kenyans is 1200 shillings, and 1 US citizen $15. Fred immediately starts to argue about the fee, so they guy asks us to produce ID, I just shook my head no, don't have it. Then he said " Habari Gani?", I stared at him, so he repeated it a couple of times......I had a serious dear in the headlights look on my face because I had no clue what he was asking me. It sounded like baby talk to me, and I just "froze". Fred was not impressed with me not knowing how to respond, and I have been reminded of how I "froze" at least twice a day since Saturday. LOL.
I learned the correct response is Mzuri (good).
.
On Saturday we went to Nairobi National Park which features an animal orphanage, and a nature walk trail where you can observe animals. The park was very busy and we had to wait in line. From the line we saw the admission fees: Kenyan citizen 300 shillings (about 4 USD), US Citizen 15 USD. So I was instructed not to speak any English to pass as a citizen. It seemed like a good idea at the time, how could they know? so I complied, didnt't say a word.
We get to the front of the line, and the guys says 4 Kenyans is 1200 shillings, and 1 US citizen $15. Fred immediately starts to argue about the fee, so they guy asks us to produce ID, I just shook my head no, don't have it. Then he said " Habari Gani?", I stared at him, so he repeated it a couple of times......I had a serious dear in the headlights look on my face because I had no clue what he was asking me. It sounded like baby talk to me, and I just "froze". Fred was not impressed with me not knowing how to respond, and I have been reminded of how I "froze" at least twice a day since Saturday. LOL.
I learned the correct response is Mzuri (good).
.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
WOW- Football
I can't beleive this, I'm watching the Giants and Eagles game live, just like home, except its 7:45 AM here.
The Arrival
Habari Gani (greetings)!
The first 48 hours have been great...I suppose I should back up a little to properly set the scene for you.
We made it to the airport with just a few ticks before boarding. Our first destination was Newark, and we took a small jet there. This was my first time touching down on the East coast, and therefore my first time seeing the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty live and in person-very exciting for me!!
Our stay there was short, and the next stop was Brussels, Belgium. I must say the plane ride was very relaxing, they constantly serve food and drinks which is a great distraction. One thing I thought was pretty cool, is they have real time animation showing you where you are, how far away your destination is, and the time & temperature. Minnesotan's I now know there is a least 1 place colder, its about 30,000 feet up- 56 degrees below zero!
After Brusels (about 8 hour flight) our next stop was Entebbe, Uganda, and finally made it to Nairobi a couple of hours later a little after 11 pm here. Friday night we shared laughs well into the morning.
Saturday and Sunday we had fun as well, so much so that those days need their own posts...stay tuned for that and to meet my hosts!
The first 48 hours have been great...I suppose I should back up a little to properly set the scene for you.
We made it to the airport with just a few ticks before boarding. Our first destination was Newark, and we took a small jet there. This was my first time touching down on the East coast, and therefore my first time seeing the NYC skyline and the Statue of Liberty live and in person-very exciting for me!!
Our stay there was short, and the next stop was Brussels, Belgium. I must say the plane ride was very relaxing, they constantly serve food and drinks which is a great distraction. One thing I thought was pretty cool, is they have real time animation showing you where you are, how far away your destination is, and the time & temperature. Minnesotan's I now know there is a least 1 place colder, its about 30,000 feet up- 56 degrees below zero!
After Brusels (about 8 hour flight) our next stop was Entebbe, Uganda, and finally made it to Nairobi a couple of hours later a little after 11 pm here. Friday night we shared laughs well into the morning.
Saturday and Sunday we had fun as well, so much so that those days need their own posts...stay tuned for that and to meet my hosts!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Kenya 411
Kenya is a country located in the continent of Afric
a. East Africa to be precise, her neighbors are: Ethiopia, Somolia, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda, and the Indian Ocean.
a. East Africa to be precise, her neighbors are: Ethiopia, Somolia, Tanzania, Sudan, Uganda, and the Indian Ocean.I can clearly remember some images of Africa I was presented with as an elementary school student. None of those images were positive. African people were show as poor, uneducated, even barbaric. I can't say what the school systems intentions were- but this is how I remember it, and I would guess that other American students were left with the same impression. Fortunately, I have been enlightened, and a bit of my ignorance has been replaced with REAL knowlwedge.
Africa, has over 40 countries! within those countries different cultures, customs, and traditions live within the people.
Kenya is a country of 39 million people, the capital city Nairobi is home to about 3 million. My sister-in-laws Linet & Maurine currently leave in Nairobi. I am looking forward to having them as my personal tour guides! The official languages of Kenya are English(yeah), and Swahili, however within the different cultures there are other languages. To date I know about 5 Swahili words: bibi (wife), bwana (husband), asante (thanks), caribou (your welcome), penda (love), jambo (hi), sawa sawa (what's up), chai (tea). I am hoping this list of words will expand, maybe I'll be able to string together a sentence by the time I get back.
I'm out for now, stay tuned for Kenya 411 pt. 2.,
Dee
Monday, November 23, 2009
17 Days to go
Hello friends and family!
As ya'll know I am Kenya bound. I want everyone to know what's going on with me leading up to my departure date, while I'm there, and everyting else in-between.
I really have no idea what to expect- however I believe it will be an incredible experience for me :-) one that will best be shared by me logging on to update you as things are happening.
I'm not as tech savvy as I used to be (back when there was less technology) but I'm going to try to make this blog thingy look good, post well, smell great, etc........ Check it out, I figured out how to add color!
So stay tuned- Dee Out
As ya'll know I am Kenya bound. I want everyone to know what's going on with me leading up to my departure date, while I'm there, and everyting else in-between.
I really have no idea what to expect- however I believe it will be an incredible experience for me :-) one that will best be shared by me logging on to update you as things are happening.
I'm not as tech savvy as I used to be (back when there was less technology) but I'm going to try to make this blog thingy look good, post well, smell great, etc........ Check it out, I figured out how to add color!
So stay tuned- Dee Out
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