You may notice that there are two posts today, thats because I wrote the previous one further down on the page two weeks ago but haven't been able to get the blogspot website to load on the internet here.
So....It has been about two weeks since I've been in Kenya. I am enjoying myself here. We are inthe midst of the rainy season so there are daily storms/ rain showers. I have been able to get out and about to the towns of Kakamega and Kisumu as well as to some surrounding villages.
I have been taking some pictures but the internet is really really slow and doesn't do well with uploading pictures.... or mabey I just can't figure it out. Anyway I have some pictures and if I can't figure it out here, I'll post them up when I get back in August.
I got to see a bull fight today. At first I was worried that it would be mess but its just two bulls butting heads for an hour or so until one runs off. No gore or stabbing bulls with swords or anything like that. Although you do have to be carful and run out of the way of a scared or distracted bull.
I must say too that if you ever go to africa taking the anti-malarial Methaquine gives you lots of dreams. Not necessarialy bad dreams but each time you sleep you will have a realistic dream.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Arrival!
Well after about 48 hours I’ve arrived in Shinyalu Kenya! It was quite a trip.
First stop was London for a twelve hour layover. I accomplished much, tea
with the queen and a quick address to parliament….. wait I think that may have
been Obama’s schedule.
I did get to see the British Museum and wander around the Soho district
(kind of the arts district of London) for a while. The British Museum is like
Denver or Chicago’s art museum…. Just on steroids.
Once in Nairobi I pretty easily met some of the people I’m working with and they
directed me to the bus station to pick up a bus. It was a ten hour trip but I got to
meet some interesting people. The bus trip would have been quicker but we were
transporting desks and a motorcycles on the top of our bus…. And it takes a hell of a
long time to lower a motorcycle off of the top of a bus when you have rope and crappy
ladders to work with.
I was the only mzungu (white person) on the bus and I think all the passengers thought
I was crazy. We stopped for food in the town of Nakuru and while there it started
raining. As everyone else ran for shelter there I was standing and enjoying something
that seldom happens in Denver. Of course the downside of standing out and enjoying the
rain is that you are completely drenched!
I am now living in the town of Shinyalu Kenya. It consists of a small town center and
many surrounding farms. Despite its small size it has become famous due to the death
of a member of parliament who grew up here. There has been funeral celebrations the
last few days including bull fights, dancing, speeches, etc. all going into the wee
hours of the morning.
The work I do ranges from teaching reading skills to primary school students to working
in the garden area to playing football (not the American variety) at an orphanage. The
people I work with are a Quaker based group the house volunteers. It is very nice,
there is occasionally electricity and running water (kind of).
I’m not sure how easily I will be able to load pictures on this blog due to the
slowness of the internet but we’ll see….. I am using my camera this time though and
have taken some pictures (although none during the bus ride across Kenya…. It didn’t
seem like a good idea to pull out a digital camera on a cheap bus packed full of people).
First stop was London for a twelve hour layover. I accomplished much, tea
with the queen and a quick address to parliament….. wait I think that may have
been Obama’s schedule.
I did get to see the British Museum and wander around the Soho district
(kind of the arts district of London) for a while. The British Museum is like
Denver or Chicago’s art museum…. Just on steroids.
Once in Nairobi I pretty easily met some of the people I’m working with and they
directed me to the bus station to pick up a bus. It was a ten hour trip but I got to
meet some interesting people. The bus trip would have been quicker but we were
transporting desks and a motorcycles on the top of our bus…. And it takes a hell of a
long time to lower a motorcycle off of the top of a bus when you have rope and crappy
ladders to work with.
I was the only mzungu (white person) on the bus and I think all the passengers thought
I was crazy. We stopped for food in the town of Nakuru and while there it started
raining. As everyone else ran for shelter there I was standing and enjoying something
that seldom happens in Denver. Of course the downside of standing out and enjoying the
rain is that you are completely drenched!
I am now living in the town of Shinyalu Kenya. It consists of a small town center and
many surrounding farms. Despite its small size it has become famous due to the death
of a member of parliament who grew up here. There has been funeral celebrations the
last few days including bull fights, dancing, speeches, etc. all going into the wee
hours of the morning.
The work I do ranges from teaching reading skills to primary school students to working
in the garden area to playing football (not the American variety) at an orphanage. The
people I work with are a Quaker based group the house volunteers. It is very nice,
there is occasionally electricity and running water (kind of).
I’m not sure how easily I will be able to load pictures on this blog due to the
slowness of the internet but we’ll see….. I am using my camera this time though and
have taken some pictures (although none during the bus ride across Kenya…. It didn’t
seem like a good idea to pull out a digital camera on a cheap bus packed full of people).
Monday, May 11, 2009
The night before
Welcome to my blog! I'm scheduled to head to Kenya tomarrow via 12 hours in London. I will be in the town of Shinyalu Kenya, which is outside of the town of Kakamega. There is a map below of the area. Its on the western side of Kenya so when I land in Nairobi I will hop on a bus and head out.
I'll be working at a place called Takitifu Gardens. This is a volunteer center run by Quakers. I think I'll be working with kids mostly teaching English, playing, and other such things as needed.
I'm pretty sure I'll have reliable internet connection so I'll be able to check my e-mail and post pictures on this blog.
Also, I plan in August to head to Wanzhou China in Chongqing province to teach English and study Chinese for a year at Chongqing Three Gorges University.
Well hopfully this blog will become much more interesting in the next few weeks with some pictures of where I'm going.
Here's hoping for a smooth trip!
I'll be working at a place called Takitifu Gardens. This is a volunteer center run by Quakers. I think I'll be working with kids mostly teaching English, playing, and other such things as needed.
I'm pretty sure I'll have reliable internet connection so I'll be able to check my e-mail and post pictures on this blog.
Also, I plan in August to head to Wanzhou China in Chongqing province to teach English and study Chinese for a year at Chongqing Three Gorges University.
Well hopfully this blog will become much more interesting in the next few weeks with some pictures of where I'm going.
Here's hoping for a smooth trip!
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