Mom and Dad don't look!

So you know how you have to be really careful about public transportation in Kenya. How you should always wear a helmet on a bike and buckle your seat belt. Well I know this post will only freak out my family and I can almost see the look on my Aunt Mary's face but I have to share....

My only defense is that it was the only way to get into the forest....(besides walking the 12 km!) and the guy was nice enough to carry my backpack on his front.

Turning 23 in the rainforest

Again I decided to do a little exploring this past weekend and it was extra special because Saturday was my 23rd birthday! To celebrate Friday night we went out for dinner and dancing. Topped off the night with a cake around midnight. Its great to be halfway around the world but still have great friends who will celebrate with you!

Saturday we were off to Kakamega Forest. Kakamega Forest is the last remaining piece of the great African rain forest that once spanned the entire continent. The forest is home to tons of butterflies, spiders, snakes, mammals, monkeys, and even people. The local Luhya people still live off the forest and live under its canopy. It receives the most rainfall in the whole of Kenya at 2 meters annually. Sadly although the forest is part of the Kenya Wildlife Reserves it is still slowly disappearing due to illegal logging. The forest is considered to be one of Kenya's disappearing wonders and it is highly recommended that visitors spend a day or two hiking the trails. (Wow I sound like a travel guide)

After traveling for about 3 hours we made it to the guest house. Not the Hilton but definitely met Kenya standards. Running water check! Electricity....not so important. We spent the afternoon hiking some of the trails close to the compound and doing photo shoots with the monkeys who live in the area. There were so many up in the trees!!

Upon our arrival we made sure that the first thing we clarified was where we could watch the USA vs. Ghana match that evening. I mean gorgeous forest but come on; This is the world cup! We ended up at a family's home in the forest along with about 20 other Americans. (There happened to be a FSD volunteer retreat that same weekend there and we met a girl from U of M medical school. Small world!) It was amazing how they just opened their home to us. So the evening of my 23rd birthday I was huddled in a living room with one of the family's boys on my lap cheering for the USA soccer team as the game played on a small TV run by two car batteries. Definitely a night to remember and would have been even more if the USA team would have pulled out a win, but I guess if they had to loose I'm glad it was to an African team.

The next day we got up super early and did the sunrise hike. Now I'm not normally one to be like "yes, sure. I'd love to get out of my nice warm bed at the crack of dawn". But this was worth it. Sure I had to walk 2 hours in the pitch black through mud and up a side of a mountain. I also got to just sit on the top of the forest and watch the sun come up in complete silence with only the forest's song in the background. Definitely something I will never forget.

After hiking back we grabbed a quick breakfast and started back for Kisumu. The road is terrible and what should be 30 minutes is about 2 hours. 2 hours of bladder smashing, butt bruising, stomach churning fun. All in all a great weekend and a wonderful birthday. How many people can say they turned 23 in the middle of the rainforest?!

Switching projects

As many of you may know for the past three weeks I have been working on a seasonal influenza effectiveness study in the Kisumu area. We were vaccinating children ages 6 months to 10 years and then looking at the rates of respiratory illness over the next three years. Well this has been going ok. I was given some work but one of my colleagues was a bit reluctant to hand over any of her responsibilities as the primary investigator on the project had requested. So basically I was making copies and observing the field. Its a long story and not one I want to get into here. Not terribly exciting. Just this week though another investigator on the projected came and visited the sites with me. She noticed that I really don't have a job to do and suggested we look into doing something else. The team has been wanting to start influenza surveillance at two of the vaccine test sites for some time now but it really hasn't gotten off the ground really because they haven't had anyone to spear head it. So now that's me! I'll be coordinating the seasonal influenza surveillance at Ong'ielo and Mahaya dispensaries hopefully starting sometime this upcoming week. I'm really excited because its a lot more responsibility and its my own project. Right now I'm currently working out the logistics and confirming with the staff. Last week I was able to observe at Lwak where they already do influenza surveillance. It gave me a good idea of what to expect and how we want to run things. Pictures to come of the test sites!

Lake Naivasha

So in what hopes to be one of many weekend trips, I finally got away from Kisumu and spent some time traveling around Kenya. I met a great group of people my age here at CDC and Walter Reed in Kisumu and we decided to spend the weekend traveling backpack style and it quickly turned into an adventure. We caught a matatu out of Kisumu. For those unaware a matatu is like a large van with about 14 seats. Only difference is they drive like crazy and at high speeds.

The countryside is gorgeous. We drove through Kericho which is tea country in Kenya. There is just miles and miles of tea as far as you can see and people dotted along the landscape hand picking it. Beautiful. We arrived to Nakuru, an hour from our final destination, and was greeted to a huge traffic jam. As this is common in Kenya, I didn't think much about it until people started filling out of their cars and lining the roads. So we joined the crowd as they say and were surprised to find out the president was coming through. My luck again. Three feet away from the president of Kenya. I would have taken a picture but as that's against the law and I didn't have the guts alas sorry no picture of the president.

It was back into the matatu until we finally reached Lake Naivasha. After a long day of traveling (almost 6 hours) we rented out some bunk beds at this great little camping place on the lake and planted ourselves in the restaurant/bar till midnight that night. The following morning we charted a boat onto the lake and I got some breathtaking pictures as you can see. Definitely worth the little sleep!

Then it was on to Hell's Gate National Forest and yes it does live up to its name. Its a beautiful reserve where wild game can come right up to the road and mountain climbers can scale the huge cliffs. We rented some bikes and biked the 6.2km to the gorge. From there we hired a guide and started down the gorge. Now when they say 1 hour 30 minute hike I was thinking great were going to be on a nice trail that goes gradually down into the gorge and just walk through. NOPE. First few steps where two strategic jumps that landed you at the bottom. Yeah needless to say it was challenging and there were definitely a few times where I looked at our guide and asked if he was serious. But I can with all honesty that the view at the end and all the while in between were worth it. I'd even do the 6.2 km bike ride out of the park again, minus the bike breaking down on the way to and from :) Needless to say we had an adventure...

(According to our guide) the top four reasons they call it Hell's Gate:

1. If it starts raining you have approximately 1 hour to get out of the gorge before the water reaches 3 meters. This is virtually impossible.

2. The gorge is made of sandstone making it unstable. Our guide: " You can't climb here the rocks are falling." Me: "Then why are we hiking here?"

3. The gorge sits on a fault line. This translates to occasional volcanic activity resulting in cracks and crevices and sporadic vents. Lets just add earth quake to the list here. Did I mention that they just had an earthquake in Kenya. 5.0 Not huge but I felt it!

4. Oh wait, it is a volcano. Sure its been dormant for over 200 years, but its not extinct. So there's always that possibility right...

So I met Obama's grandma...

Yes I can officially say that I have met the president's grandmother. I do have to clarify and state that its not actually his paternal grandma but a step grandmother or his grandfather's third wife. BUT I was told (by my Kenya coworkers) that she takes her role very seriously. She sees 'visitors' everyday and sometimes all day. Her house is set back from the road. There's nothing special about the place minus the huge satellite on the roof and the armed guards at the gate. At first I was a little hesitant to go see her. Not cause I wasn't interested but she is constantly bombarded with people who are intrigued by the hype. As an American I didn't want to be pulled into that but alas my supervisor insisted. After signing approximately 4 guess books we were seated around a fire pit with cane chairs, her "office". She came out shortly after and spoke with us for maybe 10 minutes. She doesn't speak any English so the most I could do is smile and nod like I understood. But in the end she told my supervisor to "let the American take a picture. I know she wants a picture." So here she is....President Obama's grandma! (oh and the lady on her right is my supervisor Rachel)

karibu karibu

...and what an interesting welcome I had. Karibu means welcome in swahili (for those who are confused) and is one of the few words I actually know. In general people have been very welcoming and helpful, but it was my first night in Kisumu that will probably be one of those stories I will always remember about my Kenya trip. I arrived in Kisumu on Sunday not really knowing who I was looking for or how to find her. I had a name and a promise that she would know where I was going. I found my cab driver after a few minutes and some deciphering of the unusual spelling of Jennifer on her sign. We were off! My first impressions of Kisumu were good. Its a beautiful town right on Lake Victoria that has a laid back attitude and friendly people. The CDC had arranged for me to live with two other Americans in a flat in town and I was excited to finally get there and unpack. We kept driving and driving and pretty soon it started to look as if we were actually leaving Kisumu. So I asked the driver "Are we getting close?" She said we were but the flat was out of town a bit. Great I'm thinking this is going to be interesting but I was still hopeful. We then pulled into side road and continued to weave along the buildings each getting more older and worn as we went. At this point I was wondering what I've gotten myself into. After a 35 minute ride and a few stops along the way to ask directions we finally reach the place. Little do I know but the Americans I am supposed to live with are not at home but 20 minutes away in town. So we wait all while its getting darker and there is more and more interest in this white girl sitting in the cab. The kids playing in the streets come up to the car and try opening the doors all while yelling mzungu (white person). Finally my roommate arrives and lets me into the place. Another surprise awaits as we do not have any power because a storm is blowing in over lake Victoria. No big deal right. light a few candles and were fine. The surprises continue as I find out the flat lacks running water and I have a bucket shower to look forward to the next morning. Boy was I regretting not showering before leaving Nairobi. It was an interesting night as I also found out the windows lacked locks and the mosquito net might as well have been missing for the holes in it. Malaria is a big problem in Kisumu and although I am on anti-malarials you can't be too cautious. The picture is of the room I was supposed to have all summer. Can't really tell the extent of the place by it. Needless to say it was an adventure but after telling my supervisor about the place the next day I was promptly pulled out and placed in a hotel. Guess the place was just a bit too 'rough' for this American girl....

Baby elephants...as promised

Sorry its taken me so long to get back to blogging. I've had very sporadic internet access here in Kisumu because I've been moving so often. That's another story. But baby elephants as promised. The weekend I was in Nairobi I was lucky enough to have some time to play tourist. We went to David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage. The reserve is definitely a tourist destination as it seemed that only Americans and Europeans were there, but fun none the less. The orphanage rescues baby elephants that have been left alone due to poaching, getting separated from their families, or falling down wells. The ultimate goal is to rehabilitate the elephants and eventually release them back into the wild. For this reason the orphanage is only open for one hour daily so that the elephants do not get used to human interaction. The care keepers stay with the elephants 24/7 as a mother would do feeding them and making sure they do not fall sick. As you can see from the pictures they are so cute! And no these pictures are not zoomed in. We were that close! The one with the blanket was my favorite. He's the littlest elephant they have at the orphanage at 5 monthes old! I hope you enjoy the pics. Even though we were only there an hour I think I managed to take about 60 pictures!

Kisumu!

It's been awhile since I've been able to blog. The internet access here is sporadic and the only good connection I can find is at work. My time in Nairobi was great. I went into the office both Thursday and Friday and was given work immediately. It was great that they felt they could trust me with a little piece of the project right away. I went with a few members of the team to Kibera. Kibera is the largest slum in Africa. It houses approximately 1.5 million people in about 2 square kilometers. If you don't get the picture that's one tight fit! That experience in and of itself is life changing. You don't realize people actually live like that until you see it. We definitely stood out of place with our nice work clothes and 'gum boots' (Kenya's version of rain boots) trekking through the streets. And when I say streets I'm being very general. I was so thankful for the boots because as it had just rained it was very muddy and the side streets are naturally very wet due to a lack of drainage and sewage system. The CDC has three sites within Kibera that they are conducting the study and we were able to visit all to make sure they were set for the start of the project today. I also spent some time with the nurses on the project training them to use the PDA's to take clinical information and consent the families that come in. Mothers and caregivers can bring their children for free flu vaccination at any of these places and then we will follow them for the next three years to track the effectiveness of the vaccine in rural Africa. I left Nairobi on Sunday and was glad to get out of there when I did. Vice President Biden was on his way Tuesday and the already horrible traffic was bound to get much worse.

After Nairobi it was off to Kisumu. The flight is extremely short, it takes longer to get to the airport. It was funny to see the flight attendants rush down the aisle almost throwing peanuts and drinks at us. I then arrived in Kisumu airport if you can call it that. Its so small! There is no permanent structure on the site. The terminal is an outdoor shelter with a ticket lady behind a small desk. Although its small now there is a lot of construction going on. President Obama promised to return to Kisumu sometime during his term as his father was born near here. Workers are on the site constantly in order to get the airport ready to be able to handle an arrival of that magnitude.

In Kisumu I am currently staying with two American girls who are volunteering at an children's home and daycare. They are awesome and I felt immediately welcomed although this placement is bound to be temporary. I'm not above roughing it a little, but I'm not sure I can do without running water for three months. We also had sporadic power last night as a small storm blew in off the lake. Definitely an interesting arrival!

I'm beginning to learn that you just have to go with the flow in Kenya. Transportation to work today was interesting as the cab was late picking me up thus making me miss the CDC shuttle to the office. Luckily the cab driver knew where the office was located and we made it eventually after a few long talks with security at the gate. Hopefully getting set up logistically today with a badge and email so I can fully get started. More pictures to come. I was able to visit an elephant orphanage while in Nairobi and will share that experience and pictures shortly!

Chicago to London to Nairobi

I'm finally in Kenya. It was definitly an interesting journey. The flight from Chicago was very full but I was lucky to get a window seat and some shut eye. Never thought that 8 hours on a plane could go by so quickly. Needless to say I am not ready to do that again.

Unfortunately my 13 hours in London wasn't all I expected it to be. The city is gorgeous and I definitly want to go back, it was just very cold and rainy. I still decided to go downtown and do the double decker bus tour. Even though I had to sit below and inside the tour guide made the experience memoriable and I got a few good pictures.

The flight to Kenya was another long one, about 9 hours but again went really well. There was hardly anyone on the large plane so I was able to get 4 whole seats to myself. Needless to say I took full advantage of the leg room. Immigration and customs went extremely well. Much smoother than I would have ever thought and I was off.

CDC arranged for a car to pick me up from the airport and take me to an apartment. I've been relaxing the rest of the day. Managed to take a short nap and shower. Tomorrow I'm going into the office to meet everyone. Not sure how long its going to take to get there. There is a lot of traffic here and its only worse because Vice President Biden is currently visiting Nairobi. Hopefully the 5 minute ride doesn't turn into an hour or so! I'm really excited to get started but its nice to have this day to just relax. It defintly was a long journey!