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 . . .