The Journey Home

Good bye Kisumu!!

No I haven't forgotten about my top ten list. I will finish it. I may just finish it from the states....Needless to say the last few days of my trip I was a bit occupied with goodbyes and cramming things in to even think about writing. In London now. Flew out of Kisumu Monday night soaking in each second and then flew out of Nairobi this morning. I have a long layover here in London and will finally fly out tomorrow morning. Its definitely been a long journey. I did not go into the city. Who thought sitting on a plane for 9 hours could be so exhausting! I decided to check in the hotel and get a little sleep. It seems surreal to be able to say I will be home tomorrow. Its been a great summer to say the least and I am very very very sad to see it come to an end. I wish there were words to describe the experience but there really isn't. I already miss Kisumu and my friends there. Its going to be a very hard adjustment to be home. (Iit is still instinct to reply in Swahili when people ask me questions) The only thing left now is to plan the return trip. How many months till May?

I gave in. I saw the McDonalds and everything hit the fan...at least I can honestly say I haven't had it in about a year!

My favorite things...continued

5. The world cup

I'm going to be honest. I didn't even know the world cup was this year yet alone that it was in Africa. I don't follow soccer or consider myself a fan so when I heard that the world cup was going to be in Africa while I was I didn't think much of it at first. At the time I didn't realize that the world cup would grow to be a huge part of my life. Soccer or futbol is a way of life here in Kenya and for that matter all of Africa. No other sport holds a candle to the game and you are almost guaranteed to find a random match spring up usually with a makeshift ball or soda can. Not only should I have realized this from the start but I should have noted the importance of the world cup being held in Africa.

A little background on the world cup (and I mean a little since I know nothing!): The world cup rotates countries every four years. Countries can petition to host the event, similar to the Olympics. In order to host a country must be economically stable and have the capacity to host multiple futbol matches simultaneously. This means many large stadiums within a small radius to make traveling for players easy. So once you take this into consideration this eliminates a lot of the countries that participate in it especially those in Africa. Before the end of his presidency, Nelson Mandela appealed to the World Cup community asking for a chance for South Africa to host the games. Many scorned him and didn't think even South Africa had the infrastructure to host such a world watched event. However, Mandela saw this opportunity to host not as a way to specifically benefit South Africa but to unite the continent. This was truly seen in the 2010 games.

Africans did not identify with one team or another but instead were rooting for any African team. They followed Ghana to the final matched and the talked about how they got screwed for months after. It is this one continent one nation mentality that finally drew me in. It was contagious. I found myself looking forward to each and every game choosing one team to root for (almost always an African team, only rooting for the USA when they played Ghana). The world cup was a cultural event here. We found ourselves choosing the locations we would watch the game based on who was playing. If an African team was on we'd be out in the community rooting along with every other Kenyan.

The world cup united the continent. The songs, the media, the tv commercials; it was everywhere!! I'm not sure I would have paid much attention to the games it I was anywhere else, I'm not even sure I will watch in the future, but I do know that the world cup shaped my experience here. It was the late nights of watching at local pubs and bars, screaming at the tv when a ref missed a call, and the disappointment felt by all of Africa when Ghana lost. The world cup successfully united a content. We can only hope that something can be learned from this...

6. The scenery

Kenya is beautiful. There really is no other words to describe it. Its a country that has such diversity of scenery and environment that you never get bored. Here in Kisumu its hot due to the elevation and the lake. I've enjoyed many a nights sitting next to the water. The sunset over the lake is breathtaking and there's something peaceful about spending a day on the water. From Kisumu the land rises into the Rift Valley. As you drive east you're greeted by huge boulders that mark the start of this famous area. The rift valley is known also for its large tea plantations. Rows and rows of tea stretch out as far as the eye can see only interrupted by small white houses that hold the workers. The weather is a little cooler and is home to rainforests, barren mountain sides, and savannahs. How this is possible is beyond me. It does make for beautiful landscapes, interesting plant life, and a diverse animal populations, aka great pictures.

The tea fields at Kerico

Traveling even further east you meet Nairobi. A huge city amidst a developing country. Kind of out of the ordinary. Further on Kenya drops off again into beautiful national parks and then of course to the coast where white sand beaches line the Indian Ocean and the population suffers through humid and hot days. I only wish I could see it. Overall the scenery blew my mind. Its a blessing to be able to live in a place like this and experience it everyday. I know the pictures and the landscapes will be a constant reminder of one of the things I love most about this nation.

My Favorite Things...continued

7. Kuku Choma

My mouth is already watering thinking about this. Yes its food and yes it does make my top 10 list of favorite things in Kenya. I'm just surprised it isn't higher up there!! Kuku choma is basically grilled chicken. Its a staple here in Kenya and you can pretty much get it at any resturant whether it be a five star place or a roadside hotelli (the Kenyan word for snack shop). I've done my fair share of kuku choma sampling since I've been here and I'd like to label myself as a semi kuku expert. Kuku choma is served with ugali which is another staple around here. Ugali is basically a white paste. Its made from ground millet which is a hybrid of the corn plant. Its white and can sometimes be sort of sticky. Kenyans usually eat it as a filler to the rest of their meal and if you indulge in this there is a certain method of eating it that you must adhear to. Ugali must be broken up into small pieces with your fingers and molded into a little ball. From there you can grab any other part of your meal to eat with it whether its vegatables or some meat. Along with the ugali, kuku choma is almost always served with katchabari or tomato salad. Now the first time I ate katchabari I was warned that I was doing so at my own risk. Its not cooked and consists of fresh tomatos, onions, lemon juice, and some salantro (in the fancy places). So yes I could have been regreting this the next day but alas my stomach of steel provailed. Thank goodness too because if there is something I can't resist its katchabari. I could just eat it as a meal.

If your mouth isn't watering by now you better check your pulse. Out of all the Kenyan foods I've had kuku choma is by far the only one I'll miss. There's something strangely satsifiying about diving into a plate of chicken and ugali with your fingers. Its not just about the food either. Going out for kuku choma has been a regular event for me and my friends here. Its about the conversations over the dinner table and Richie's insane idea of opening a kuku place back in Ireland. Its about the sky opening up and it pouring everytime we decide to sit outside and having to grab the chicken and duck for cover. Yes we ALWAYS save the chicken. Its about hitting up several kuku choma places in one night for a comparison and not being able to move the next day because we did so. Its about being able to take out your staff and share a meal one last time remembering all the great times you've had this past summer. As they say no matter where you are or go, food will always be a common denominator. It brings people together and in my case holds so many memories. I know I will attempt to prepare kuku choma back home. I know it won't be the same but at least the process of it will always bring me back here.

My Favorite Things...continued

8. Public Transportation

The words "public transportation" in Kenya take on a slightly different meeting then what one would expect in the US. There isn't fancy bus lines or overhead trains. The idea of a subway system to Kenyans is absolutely laughable especially when they cannot even rely on the railway system to be on time. Here we rely on matatus, tuk tuks, piki pikis, and bota botas to get around. I know what you're thinking is something like, "What?!" so let me explain. A matatu is basically a big van that seats roughly 14 people and I say roughly because as the Kenyan rule stands there is always room for one more! I think the most I have seen and experienced in a matatu is 22. Yes that is people sitting on top of other people. Matatus run pretty consistently and there is definitely no shortage. They do have their downfalls as they are usually surrounded by people trying to sell you a snack or a beverage for the ride, they travel at breakneck speeds, oh and there's that whole pick pocketing things. Its pretty common!

Tuk tuks are by far my favorite mode of transport here. They are basically small carts, similar to golf carts, that are closed in. They are big enough not to be seriously damaged in an accident yet go slow enough to not be scary. I normally grab one of these on the way home if its late or if I'm out with friends.

A piki piki is by far the most dangerous way of travel here and I'm not going to lie and say I haven't taken one. A piki piki, or a motorbike, is pretty common means of travel here. The problem lies in the drivers. Most do not have a license, or a helmet, or drive recklessly. I mean the list goes on and on. I'm sure my family is cringing right about now, but I promise I haven't taken one of these in a very long time :)

Last but not least is the bota bota or the bicycle. I can honestly say I haven't taken one of these. (Even though its a pretty safe mode of travel) I have this fear of trying to balance on the back that's preventing me from even attempting. One of my favorite sites around Kisumu is a bota bota driver struggling up a hill with a man or women who weighs twice what they do on they back of their bike. Oh Kenyans....No matter the type of transportation here or whether its safe or not, will hold a memory for me. I can't tell you the amount of times I've been squished in the back of a matatu just dying for air. Or zig zagging on a piki piki on a dirt road. For me it will always be about the adventure that public transportation was and the stories/memories that go along with it.

9. The Market

Oh the market....I don't even know where to begin with this one. One of my favorite and least favorite things about Kenya has to be their means of purchasing goods. There really isn't stores in the sense of the word. I mean sure there is the few grocery stores and hardware stores, but the majority of Kenyans seem to pretend they don't exist. Why shop there when you can find basically anything on the street?! And I mean everything from nails and bananas to locks and used underwear. Yeah I'm not kidding, you can buy used underwear.

My favorite part of the market is the people. Sure I definitely attract a crowd with my white skin all assuming I am unaware of the 'true' prices of things, but in general its worth the struggle. Most of the time I don't buy because it is more fun to just walk around and take in the sites rather then hassle with the sellers. On the rare occasion that I find something I want, I bargain and I bargain hard. This is probably where my sometimes sour taste for the market comes into play. A set price is sometimes so nice!! First no matter what you do you will always be asked for twice or sometime three times the amount the item is worth. Not cool. Then you end up being pretty rude and short with the seller just to get it down to a reasonable price. Even then I sometimes wonder did I get screwed?

The plus side to the market is the great deals. I mean I got presents for less than a dollar.....not that I don't love you all. I even managed to get 10 great dresses for 30 dollars. I mean that's 3 bucks a dress. You can't beat that. Overall the market is a trial but when I am feeling brave enough to challenge it, it can be one of the funniest and best places in Kenya. I know I will look back on the things I got and remember the struggle it was to fight for that last 50 shillings (for those who don't know, yes I argued over 60 cents!)

I wish I had pictures of these things for you but one you don't whip out your camera in or on public transportation unless you want it stolen or broken and two the same applies in the market so alas you'll just have to take my word for it!

My favorite things-Kenya

As my time here is coming to a close (tears) I've decided to reflect on my 10 favorite things about my experience here and the country in general. These are the things I will never forget and the things that are the hardest to leave. I cannot imagine leaving this place and can only hope I will be back soon. I keep telling myself this because its the only thing keeping me from breaking down in tears. I never thought I would grow to love this nation and its people so much. I wouldn't trade my three months here for anything. I am so grateful for the experience and can truly say it has changed my life.

10. Music

The music here is amazing. I love the colorful sounds and the upbeat sounds. One of the best parts of music here in Kenya is the diversity of it. Kenya is still essentially divided by tribes despite the uniformed government. Each tribe has its own distinct culture and characteristics, including music. I have grown accustomed to the different sounds in the night clubs and restaurants here. Even though I rarely know what the words means, there's something catchy in the beats and sounds. One of my best memories is the music from the world cup. The songs inspired a continent literally. I remember when any of the music from the tournament came on everyone went crazy. There was a national pride in the songs that isn't there in their everyday music. I was even sucked into the craze. I found myself humming "This is Africa" many a time. My time here in Kenya hasn't been centered around the music by any means, but I know that when I go home these songs will trigger great memories for years to come. They will always remind me of my three months here.

Life in Kisumu

Things have been kind of slow lately. I've stayed in Kisumu the last two weekends and have had a great time hanging out with friends. The referendum passed peacefully. So thankful that there was not any violence and Kenya has a new constitution that will hopefully propel the country into a new democracy.

Despite being under house arrest that entire week I managed to have a pretty good weekend. I moved from my small closet of an apartment to a friend's huge house. He was nice enough to let me move in permanently (as I was living here during the referendum). Its kind of weird to have so much space to yourself. We had not one but two get togethers that weekend which of course ment food food food. I think the running total was one goat, 8 chickens, 20 tomatoes, 5 lbs of ugali, 2 gallons of ice cream, and two crates of beer. So much food but so good!! Had a send off party for one of my friends. Its weird that people are starting to leave and I don't even want to begin thinking about when I have to go. Even after postponing my trip I am dreading the day I have to get on a plane. That night we decided to check out the wedding across the street. Yes we crashed a wedding. It was probably one of my best memories here thus far. Definitely joined in with a little YMCA and Michael Jackson action on the dance floor!!

This weekend was spent at the markets. Its so exhausting shopping here. Everyone wants you to look at their stuff even if you know you don't want any of it. Plus there's the whole bargaining thing. Its nice that you can get a better deal but its really frustrating when they try to take advantage of you. For some reason my white skin makes me a target. Surprise surprise. Also at the market you tend to get stared at more then normal and there's always the usual taunting and cat calling. My personal favorite from today, "How are you white person. Welcome to Kenya. Do you know that we only have black people here on this continent." Love Kenyans...

Lake Nakuru and the Masaii Mara Part 3

The cheetah getting ready to stalk.


The third day of safari, I have to say, was far less interesting than the first two but for good reason. In general, most of the 'exciting' animals or the ones everyone wants to see hunt at dawn or dusk. This makes seeing them on an all day safari very rare. It was a few hours in before we came upon anything interesting. We spotted a cheetah lounging on a rock and as we slowed down to take some photos noticed an impala in the background. Another kill!!! Or that's at least what we thought. Turns out this time the impala outsmarted the cheetah and escaped into the high brush.

Some of the million wildebeest.


As the day went on we witnessed what many like to claim as the 8th wonder of the world, the wildebeest migration from the Serengeti to the Mara. I'm not lying when I say we say millions of wildebeest. I tried to get some shots of the horizon but its hard to tell. Literally all you see is black dots stretching as far back as you can see. Also learned that wildebeest normally migrate with zebra herds. Now the wildebeest far outnumber the zebra but its crucial for the zebra to be there as we soon found out.


Two of my favorite giraffe pictures

Wildebeest are dumb. There's no nice way of stating it. I relate them to a cow. They follow the rest of the heard even if that includes plunging to their death in a deep gorge. Well later that day a heard was headed straight for said gorge when the zebra suddenly stopped. Did the wildebeest stop no that was until one finally noticed no zebra. The zebra had smelled the lioness that was waiting for the heard just below the ridge. Again we waited it out but alas no kill! Zebra definitely ruined our fun here!


If you look closely you can see the lion in the far right center just waiting for them to cross.

We also came across a family of giraffe. These are the masaii giraffe, named for the land in which the are most found, and are pretty common in Kenya. I got some really great shots and we managed to get pretty close. Next on the list of things to do was to get out of the van. Yes we broke the number one rule of the Mara, do not leave your car. But I figure that if the guide was suggesting we go down to the river to see the hippos and crocs then it was probably fine. Oh and we did have an armed guard, you know no big deal.


A family of hippos sunning. One big yawn.

The hippos were huge and there were so many in the small area that we toured. We only saw two crocs but there are numerous in the river as the wait for the unsuspecting wildebeest to cross. Later that day we took a quick drive to Tanzania and did a little "jumping" in the Serengeti. All while the tour guide and driver struggled to change our flat back tire. Yes I will proudly say that I pointed this out to them. They were like 'oh we should fix that'. Yes please fix the van so we don't get stranded next to lions.



Jumping across the border! The four of us by the River Mara.

We ended the day spotting a rare leopard up in a tree. I tried to get a good shot but he was hidden behind the branches and was feasting on whatever he drug up there with him. That evening we went back to camp and sat around our fire for a bit before feasting on nyama choma.



Lion family has a wildebeest breakfast. Sunrise in the Masaii Mara.

The next day we were up before the sun for a morning safari which we didn't see many animals but got a great sunrise. After that it was back to the camp for breakfast then off to Kisumu. We managed to sweet talk our guide to take us all the way back to Kisumu instead of dropping us off in Nakuru. Even the trip home was an adventure as the driver suddenly cut off the road and into a wheat field. Short cut he says! Needless to say during the hour we were on this said short cut I wonder if we were actually going to make it out ok. Oh and of course we had to stop along the way to pick up the driver's brother. We all shared some questioning looks for sure. But alas the short cut worked and we managed to make it back to Kisumu tired but in one piece. Definitely one of the major highlights of my trip thus far. Not sure what I can do to top this one but you can bet I'm going to try!

Packing up the van for Kisumu. Relaxing after a day safari.

Lake Nakuru and the Masaii Mara Part 2

Again the boys ready for safari! Beautiful sunset in the Mara

As promised the part 2 to this past weekend's adventure! After departing Nakuru we headed south to the Masaii Mara. The parks are not necessarily close to one another but the drive wasn't too bad. We made a short stop in Narok to stock up on supplies and then headed to the Mara. I wish I had a video clip of the road to get there. Our guide jokingly asked if we were ready for our "African massage" and I honestly did not take him seriously as I feel after two months I am used to the poor state of Kenya roads. Well it was rough and he was definitely right. I still haven't figured out how Kenya vehicles can put up with the conditions and then still manage to run...

The male of the family. The small family we saw!

After driving all day we went directly to the park for an evening safari. The few hours we spent in the park were by far the best of the entire trip. We were greeted by herds of zebra and impala. We were also lucky to get up close and personal with an elephant family who was stopping to take a drink. We thought our luck had just about run its course when we stopped by a female lion but THEN she went in for the kill. Yes we saw a lion kill!! We watched as she stalked the gazelle and then went after it. The gazelle didn't go down without a fight and managed to get some serious head butts in before the lioness put an end to the playing and grabbed the gazelle by the throat. (see pictures!) I wish I had thought to take a video of it but in all honestly I was so amazed by the situation at hand that it was enough to try to take pictures yet alone a video.

Getting ready to pounce. Got it!


The gazelle gets a few good head butts in. She decides that's enough of that.

To close the evening we got some shots of the sunset. Beautiful across the savannas of the Mara. I have to say that when you think Africa you think of the Mara. Miles and miles of grass all yellowed from the sun with the occasionally tree here and there. That night we made camp just outside the reserve at Acadia camp. It was decent with friendly staff and cute safari tent rooms. My only complaint is it was cold! I still haven't gotten used to the changing weather in Kenya. It blows my mind how one part of the country is so warm while another is experiencing below freezing temperatures.

More pictures and stories to come! I know what you're thinking, "She has more?!!"

Lake Nakuru National Park and the Masaii Mara-Part 1

The boys' safari faces. Flamingos!

This past weekend I went on safari. I feel like if you spend anytime in Africa this is a must do. Unfortunately this can become kind of pricey but luckily the four of us were able to find a great deal on a four day trip. I need to preface this series of blogs (yes its going to be a series) in saying that we had an amazing time. I took over 200 pictures in the course of four days and have too many stories to share in one sitting.

A few buffalo. This guy was taking care of an itch! First of MANY zebra.

We started our adventure in Nakuru. Nakuru is the fourth largest city in Kenya and has a beautiful salt water lake. We took a matatu there Thursday night which turned out to be highly uneventful (thank goodness!). There was a small delay when we ran into an accident near Kericho. Two semis had collided and lay sprawled in the middle of the road. In true Kenyan fashion there were no police to be seen to direct traffic and everyone was attempting to weave between the two overturned vehicles. Got into the city around 9pm and grabbed a quick bite to eat (probably my one and only attempt at Chinese food in Kenya).



Two male impalas fight. Probably over a girl... A Rothschild giraffe. The rarest in Kenya.

The next day we met our tour guide, Phillip, and our driver, William. Needless to say I used the whole British royalty reference to remember this. We headed to Lake Nakuru National Forest for an all day tour. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. The lake is beautiful and you can basically drive right up to the edge where flocks of flamingos feast on the lake's shrimp population. Right next to the lake there are buffalo and impala grazing. And of course zebra everywhere you turn. Up higher in the park we spotted some Rothschild giraffe and a quite large baboon family. My favorite was the baby, however I haven't decided if he's cute or not as up close they kind of resemble a cross between a monkey and a pig.

Baboon family up in the tree. The baby!

We were also lucky to see some pretty rare animals as well. We saw both white and black rhino. The white are slightly lighter in color and have a much shorter horn. They have about 40 in the park and I believe we saw about 10! The black rhino are much rarer as they are solitary animals and prefer to feed at night. Of the 9 in the park we saw one lone male. Of the more rarer animals we also saw a baby spotted hyena and a pair of ostriches (one male and one female).

Ok do the comparison. This is a white rhino. This is a black...

The baby hyena. Think he was guarding the den. I call this osteritch hugging.

Overall the day was great. We made some friends with a bunch of school kids who could not get enough pictures with or of us and had our first real taste of safari. I'm pretty sure I didn't believe the guides when they said this was nothing in comparison to what was to come. That night we enjoyed a great dinner at a very nice hotel in Nakuru (nothing like our questionable Chinese the night before!). We even found this great Hard Rock Cafe style bar tucked away in the back where we spent most of the night. All in all a great start to an amazing weekend. Enjoy the animals (know there were requests for more pictures)!

our hotel in Nakuru! The school kids mob Richie.