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 . . .