My African stalker named Annie & assorted adventures

Habari rafikis. Well it has been quite a delightful week here in Kenya. Journeys across the country have yet again changed my perspective on this land. To my loyal and faithful readers, I unfortunately must bring up an old "friend." As many recall, when I was in the dustbowl of Maasailand, I had the most precarious situation of hosting an amoeba, a common African parasite. Since she was present for a spell of time, we decided to name her Annie. Much to my dismay, like symptoms began to bombard my low key weekend. After a trip to the hospital, it is confirmed, Annie is back. Anti-parasitics in hand, I am bound and determined to seal her fate this time :) I suppose my sense of humor has seriously swayed during my time here, but you have to laugh. 

On more positive and less icky news, I returned this week from my journey east. I am living and working in Kisumu, a little town on Lake Victoria that is just on the edge of Uganda. Allison & a big groups of pals wanted to journey to the coast, so I of course was in. After a 7 hour bus ride to Nairobi, a city where my admiration is less than flowing for, we met the posse at the Y and headed for the train station. A bit of history, the train is the first of its kind in Africa, once used for cargo carried from the Nile to the Indian ocean, it now takes passengers. I of course was beaming with excitement, but to all my Californian friends, this is no Surfliner sadly. It is an overnight train with an estimated time of 15-24 hours to Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city which rests on the Indian Ocean. However, I loved it. I had dreams of white gloves serving curry, they were matched with a very bumpy train and a hot vat of soup, lethal combination, but it was all actually great fun. The train runs through the main stretch of East Kenya, including Tsavo National Park, which is stunning. Allison & I with new friends had a tasty bottle of wine and took in the sights. Eventually we arrived in Mombasa, which I must say, may be my favorite city in Kenya. It reminded me so much of Zanzibar in Tanzania. I think it is just a coast thing, people are generally happier when they live by the ocean, just a theory. Anyway, Mombasa is a town filled with history, a huge Islam presence, and amazing architecture. The winding streets of Old Town, one could spend all day wandering through. Fort Jesus was a particularly good stop, a 16th century Portuguese fort that was used for slave trade is covered with history. The views are breathtaking. I think that the Indian is my favorite ocean thus far. We moved on from Mombasa up the coast to a little town called Shariani. A friend Ari is with the Peacecorps. He started a great eco-tourism project with local fisherman taking people snorkeling. The coral reefs and fish were amazing, I swear sometimes this all looks like a dream. Beautiful empty beach on the ocean and us, it was a great day. A must stop for anyone traveling on the Kenyan coast. We then ventured up to Malindi, a sweet little town totally walkable. We arrived in a bit of a pickle, Allison sitting on the back of a matatu with an indiscretion from the driver, conclusion, this is not sawa, but nevertheless hilarious. Dinner at a stellar Italian place, what a find, thank you Ari. I have not had food like that in quite some time. Sadly the next day, it was time for my departure. The rest of the crew was venturing up to Lamu and the remainder of the coast, oozing with jealously, I had to return to the TIA job in Kisumu. A 2 hour bus ride to Mombasa, I then boarded the big on 14 hours to western Kenya. I optimistically suspected this may be a good means of sleeping, silly girl. 14 hours of blasting techno music that sounded akin to a carnival, freezing temps and few potty stops later, I arrived back in my homeland and went straight to work, yikes. It was well worth it though. 

With Annie hopefully on her way out of town permanently, I have less than 3 weeks left in this country I have called home for some time now, I cannot even believe it. I am very excited for family & friends, washing machines, sushi, and various other oddities I have missed, but I think I will always take a bit of this experience with me wherever I land. Lala salama.

Kisumu Adventures

After our amazing hippo tour, I was beginning to feel a strong admiration for this little place. Things are settling down, as much that can be expected anyway. We are still seeking out adventures at every turn. This weekend I found myself in a rather unique scenerio. The girls went to Maasai Mara (the place where the wildebeasts do the Great Migration across the savannas), amazing. I made the trek the next morning, and realized what an interesting life we do lead here. My friend Alex made the remark, Cristin, did you ever think that you would be journeying in the middle of the night across rural Kenya with a Hindu & Muslim to go looking for lions. Umm, no. But what a fun experience. Here in Kenya, I have been lucky enough to go a few times to Amboseli, which is a fantastic national park with loads of wild things. Maasai Mara is just as stunning. The landscape looks like a painting, there are lions, elephants, cheetahs & all sorts of things. I didn't think Kisumu could be beat on the Hippo front, but this park certainly trumped them. Wild hippos & me within about 30 feet of each other. I had to restrain myself from jumping the lake with them, my cup of joy overfloweth. The game drive in the morning was quite dandy, and saw many things for the first time. There is so much to do in this country and such a difference in all the people and cultures, a girl just doesn't have the time to squeeze everything in. I am T-minus one month today from departure from Kenya, and I cannot even believe it. Kate, my bff from grad school arrived yesterday. I am so happy to show her the ropes in this sleepy little town. We have made such great friends thus far, and I am sure that the weeks to come will be the same. There is also a curious little street child that I have befriended, I am hopeful that I can do something to help him, and of course the orphanage is a must. This weekend is an event unto itself though. Alli/Sisterg, and assorted others are trekking to Nairobi only to board the overnight train to Mombasa. Mombasa is a beach city on the coast of Kenya. There are dreams of white gloves and curry that the train promises. I think that it will be delightful, and there is no better sister girl departure finale than a coast trip by train (not to fret Anna, I will be bringing a stick figure of you). Until then lala salama

Kiboko=Hippo

Again my apologies for the delays in updates. Leaving Zanzibar, ahh, a sadness that fills my heart. If you ever have the opportunity, it is truly a magical place. Stonetown is like heaven. Anna & I shlepped ourselves back on the plane towards Nairobi. After a minor spat with Mombasa customs, we touched down. It is always a bit of an anxiety attack there, the traffic is insane, amongst other various TIA issues. It is so strange the connections you find here though. Through my good friend Alli, she put us in touch with some kids studying in Nairobi, who happened to be Florida Gators, who would have thought this Bulldog would be sharing mendozis over breakfast in Kenya. Who knew? Thank you YMCA hostel for all your character, we said farewell to Nairobi yet again and headed for Kisume. Interesting fact~so many times I am not asked if I am from the US, but rather are you from Obama? Not kidding here folks. Our final destination Kisumu, happens to be this darling little town that reminds me oddly of Savannah. It is in Western Kenya and sits on Lake Victoria, fish is king here, hippos are abundant and it borders right on Uganda. Also, it is the home of Obama's father, so he is all the rage here. What a great time to be an American in Kenya, I tell you. Allison Prather (aka sister girl) is also in Kisumu, which literally makes my cup of joy overflow. Anna and I checked ourselves into the Sooper Guest House, which was so very super. Hot showers & tv, um, need I say more, I was almost overwhelmed. The town is also filled with delicious Indian and Kenyan foods, and all sorts of modes of transportation. In order to get here, Anna & I took a 7 hour bus ride, sounds hellacious, granted, but it was actually beautiful. The bus drove through the Great Rift Valley (think Lion King, and you get the picture), it was stunning. Here we have been traveling by mode of Tuk Tuk, these small two seater motorized things that are beyond hilarious. Pascal, one of the local drivers, has indeed become my new best friend. The first weekend here was lovely. One place that is truly divine, is a little dive down on the lake. You go with 5 or so people, pick your fish, and they cook it for you with all the delicious sides as you sit by the water, such a treat. As I stated before, the hippos are amazing here. I am not sure if you are all quite informed on my fascination, but I am downright obsessed with them. Hippo sunrise boat tour? Umm, yes please. The lake is stunning for the sunrise, we went out on a small boat with a local guide and watched the hippos play. I do have to detail the TIA (this is africa) details of this adventure though. In true time tradition here, the one hour tour was 3. It ended with us docking the boat at a local fishing village. Dalmas, our fearless leader, wanted to show us the fish ponds they had created. So we all, in a single file line are walking around this village, brazen with our bright orange life jackets. The locals were so confused, & I truly don't blame them. Then, I start to hear this very curious music, lullabies. I immediately think, oh no, my malaria meds have gotten the best of me, & my mind is gone, because I am hearing lullabies in a strange fishing village in Kenya at 9am. I was quickly relieved? to learn that they were actually playing and this was church music for that particular day. I suppose you had to be there, but it was one of the more ridiculous moments of the trip. This week, I was so sad to loose my friend Anna, as she retreated back to the US homeland. Pascal and I loaded up the tuktuk, said our farewells and dropped her at the airport. Very sad tuktuk ride home :(

However, I did move in with Allison this week. We are just missing sisterg kerry sadly, but it is so wonderful to be in Kenya together. Certainly more to come . . . 

Back to Civilization . . .

My apologies for the lack of entries as of late. Internet access was again, not really present, one could say. We officially have been gone from Kilimanjaro Base Camp & Maasai land for almost two weeks. There is so much to be missed, & in ways it all feels like a dream, but with Maasai spear in hand, indeed it was not. We made one last jaunt in the Landcruiser, took in the "roads" of southern Kenya & headed north for Nairobi. Saying goodbyes were strangely harder than I suspected. Totally lost it when saying farewell to Susan. It is a strange thing. You become so close to people, & you say goodbye, a real one. The probability that I will ever see any of these people again is so slim. As widespread as technology is, Kimana is a place that things like Facebook have not yet conquered. But as all things must end, we departed & entered back into the world of Nairobi, which is a bustling, overwhelming city in its own right. Me back in a city= major culture shock. Taking a proper shower, looking like a girl again, all of this was grand. The girls and I brushed our KBC cobwebs off & took ourselves out to a delightful dinner at a place called Carnivore. If you are ever in Nairobi, don't miss it. Basically, it is a Brazilian steakhouse gone Kenya, delicious. With a good bit of meatclub members present, we dominated. After a few days in Nairobi, which included buying off police officers & all sorts of delightful ventures, Anna and I headed south for Tanzania. 

We boarded a total T.I.A. situation of a plane & flew into Zanzibar, which equaled heaven. We stayed at this little magical place called the Beyt al Chai. A hundred year old tea house turned bed and breakfast. The architecture in this place is phenomenal. Stonetown, the main city in Zanzibar, is rich in African & Persian influences. It is highly Muslim & Christian, and one of the safest and most beautiful places I have ever traveled. Anna and I took in the sights, and just spent hours walking through the narrow streets, each leading to a new area of town. There is a good bit of history here. One of the major ports where African where sold into slavery is here, & the platform is truly haunting. Culture is just bursting out of this place. Life happens here, & as a tourist, you are just fortunate to observe. It is so unique and in many ways, untouched, the perfect place for us to uncoil from our past experience in the bush. The sunsets are truly stunning. Places like the Africa House, Fodoriani & Mercurys are highly recommended. The nightly fish market was such a gem of a find. Skewers of all the fresh catches of the day paired with traditional spices, heaven. In true Zanzibar form, a spice tour was high on the agenda. I know more about spices than I ever thought I would, but so fascinating. Not to mention out palm leave hat & purse, added bonuses, classic TIA moment. The Abdi shirts were definitely brought out for that one. After three days in our magical tea house, we had to pry ourselves away and head up to the north coast. We thought we were in for a relaxing couple of days in Kendwa, so you can imagine my surprise over lunch on the beach when the chumba started blasting 50 cent, and mzungas were everywhere. I still have no clue where all these white people came from, but it was a little spring break cancun. We were still "adjusting" back to society, so that was an interesting pairing. However, probably the most stunning beach I have ever been too. Dhows (traditional boats) were everywhere, and the water is crystal blue, just grand. A nice surprise were the Maasai. We didn't think that there would be any in this area, this is totally not where this tribe resides, but many come to work as guards. Walking down a desolated beach past two Maasai men, was certainly not something we were expecting, however, I am sure they were not expecting us to greet them in Maasai. It was really refreshing to both sides. Decision to turn 3 days in Zanzibar into one week, perhaps the best decision ever made. We departed so sad, but I feel so lucky to have gotten the chance to be there and see this gem of a place. Back to the land of Nairobi . . . 

Hakuna KBC

Departure time is eminent from Kilimanjaro Bush Camp. I cannot believe that 5 weeks has flown by so quickly & relatively seamlessly! Tuesday, we pack up & ship out for Nairobi, aah civilization, how I have missed you. Troop Beverly Hills meets National Geographic will end, at least for a little while. I am sad to leave many of the dynamics of this little home we have here, but I will not be sad to reconnect with the outside world. A burger & pedicure will be well received before I go for further East African adventures. Our research project has concluded. I will say that presenting to a roomful of roughly 100 Maasai warrior men on adequate ways to use the bathroom, was in fact, one of the top most awkward moments of my life. But it really ended so much more positively than I could have imagined. The partnership that we made with the community exceeded everything I expected. In addition, I think that groundwork was made to assist these fascinating people with challenges lying before them. I really enjoyed my time in this little corner of the world called Kimana. As we conclude our time here at the camp, there are a number of things I will & will not miss terribly. I have compiled a small list for your reading pleasure. Those things that I will leave here at KBC & not likely remiss are~ 1. Dressing akin to a duffle bag 2. Performing a routine black mamba checks each night in my sleeping bag 3. Amoebas that I may have named Annie 4. Kenyan marriage proposals 5. Strolling by the sole mirror & failing to recognize myself.

On the contrast, there are a number of things that I will miss greatly here~

1. The people. I feel like I had the privilege of being invited into a world that very few of the outside world has seen. The Maasai embody a great sense of honor to their culture, display the art of being humble quite well and show respect and discipline in many ways that have been lacking in the Western world. It has been such a pleasure.

2. The constant troupe of children. At times I felt like the Pied Piper roaming around the bomas & savannas of Kimana, Kenya. Looking like a crazy Muzunga, many adults were a bit confused on how  & where this white girl came from, but children have this universal way of connecting. I will miss looking behind me and finding a brood of 20 or so little ones. Curiosity so often goes both ways, and it is just laughable at times. Another thing I have learned, bubbles are universal & always result in happiness. 

3. I will also miss the luxuries that we had during our time here. As many of you know, I am not the most rugged of girls, and struggled at times without those things at home that we so often take for granted, however we had other things in its place. On my walk to the chumba every morning, you glance to your left for a stunning view of Kilimanjaro. We must have a thousand pictures of that mountain, but it truly never tires. 

4. The staff here. They are amazing. I have never laughed so hard. They are some of the finest people I have ever come across, and I am proud to call them friends. They have been a huge part of my education here, & I value all I have learned from them. I wish I could put them in my pocket & take them with me, just gems. Also, Hakuna can be followed by anything, & I doubt that I will find a Duka as fine as Abdi's.

My time here has been one of enlightenment. Some of pure joy & laughter matched with hesitance & frustration, but ultimately, I will take a piece of all this with me. 

What lies next on my little adventure . . . a few days in Nairobi, where I will relish my new found appreciation for indoor showers, cleanliness & adult beverages, playing at all the appropriate haunts; then Anna and I depart southward. Zanzibar is going to not know what has hit it for the beginning of July, followed by a jump over to Uganda & then settling in my new home of Kisumu, Kenya for the remainder of the summer. Updates & most delayed pictures soon to follow. Salama sana rafikis. 

Adventures in Cow Dung Huts

Habere all. Week 3 here at Kilimanjaro Bush Camp, which we lovingly call Jurassic Park on good days, and Kenyan jail on the others, has been quite hopping. This week we started going out into the field for our research project. This entails me, and another student, trekking out into the african savannas and a maasai translator. We are dressed akin to duffel bags ps, and we are knocking on cow dung huts and the such to gather data on access to water. It is most definitely the most random thing I have ever done, but in the process you get absolutely submerged within the culture. For the vast majority, the families we are interviewing have been amazing, having chai with them, you learn so much. The kids are hilarious. If I have learned one thing about my time in Africa, it is that bubbles are universal. I am usually found walking across the hills with a brood of about 20 or so little ones parading behind me, it is quite the sight. 

Whenever we are let out of the camp, we love unwinding at the local watering hole Club Kimana, run by the local chief, it is quite stellar. I severely underestimated my appreciation for warm beer. 

The staff here is fantastic and hilarious. Their depth of knowledge on life here is beyond, and I am constantly asking hundreds of questions. We amuse ourselves through silly games and antics, and they of course take part. Example, we are having Banda Idol on monday. Our local Maasai guru, Sipaya, duka master, Abdi, and chef expert Arthur, will be serving as our lead singers in our own signature version of  "American Boy." Not to fret, video to shortly follow. 

It is so funny, but at times I forget where I am, working with a number of BU kids, but then I look around, see Kili, or have a chat with an escari or pass galloping giraffes on the way home, & it all comes back. La la Salama

Maasai, Kili & Hippos

Jambo friends, The week has been laced with various interesting experiences, and a whole heap of laughs. I apologize for the lack of pictures, our internet connection is sub-par at best, and cannot handle picture uploads, so I will have to keep you in suspense. Located about 6 hours south of Nairobi, we are right on the Tanzanian border, outside a little town called Kimana. I am officially here for a research project on water and its use. Initially, I will admit, I thought it a bit dull, but the issue is real and apparent here. You look at Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the snow is visible depleting. The Maasai, a fascinating tribe in and of their own right, have severe inadequate access to basic things like water. Our job is to inquire why. In the mean time, I am learning, by being thrown in. In the last week, I have been ripped out of my comfort zone in a National Geographic meets Troop Beverly Hills type scenario. We have gone to Maasai bomas (traditional cow dung homes), gotten acquainted with the people through markets and such, built water furrows (tried to rather), safaried through Amboseli National Park (hippos abundant), trekked to a suspect Maasai Manyata, hit up a version of a Kenyan bar, coined Club Kimana in which the song selection included Barry Mannelow & Ace of Base accompanied by beer & chicken, took part in the World Environmental Day/Marathon, learned to throw a Maasai spear,  and laughed a whole lot along the way. The girls and I have been entertaining ourselves by daily ridiculousness, it has certainly been challenging. Due to the elephants, we are unable to leave the camp walls without an escari (Maasai guard), yes, I did say elephants. It is a total T.I.A. experience (This is Africa friends)