6:15 p.m. Sunday,16 Aug 2009, Meru
Today has been a rest day, although it began early (7:00 a.m.) when I got up to see the kids in their new Sunday clothes. Last night, when we got home from the meeting – it was late, around 9:30 – Karamana and Dolphin were going through a donated suitcase full of brand news clothes (including underwear!) that Jan had brought for the children. Beautiful dresses, shirts and pants for the boys. They were deciding who would get what and would surprise the kids this morning with new outfits.
When I heard the kids up this morning, I jumped out of bed and went downstairs with my video camera. They were all getting ready for church, looking so smart! The girls were fixing each other’s hair. The boys were more subdued, but still liking their new clothes. It’s amazing how well everything fit! After breakfast, they all put on fancy shoes (new ones, I think. Maybe also from Jan?) and went up the hill to Sunday school at the Methodist church right next door.
This afternoon, after lunch, some of us went to the just-completed kitchen in the adjacent building to clean it up and get it ready for the “kitchen move.” How exciting! The women have been cooking in what amounts to a closet for the last two weeks, preparing huge pots of food for 20 or so people each meal. Also boiling lots of water for tea. It was wonderful to see the new huge kitchen with four sinks, tons of counter space, and a large pantry with room for all the food! Karamana was soon cooking deep-fried breads for afternoon tea. It seems that this place is evolving everyday. Yesterday, Jan, Karambu and I made a trip into Meru town to purchase some more things – bowls, silverware, and chairs. That’s where I’m able to post emails and blog updates. No chance to get to town today, although soon, we’ll be going to Meru for dinner at a restaurant – all of us! That is 12 kids, Karambu, all the visitors from the U.S. (I think there are about 12 of us), and possibly the others who are here at the Amani home, like Karamana, the head cook and Karambu’s sister. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to get to an internet café, but I’ll bet that doesn’t happen due to the number of us going. It will take two filled matatus to get us there and back. One is leaving right now. I’ll catch the next one. For now, I’m putting some photos on a CD for Gale to take to town tomorrow and print. I’ll be going to visit the nuns with Michelle, hoping to connect with some pregnant women to find out more about birth in rural Kenya.
11:10 pm Tuesday,18 Aug 2009
I’m exhausted! But I know if I don’t sit and write while things are fresh on my mind, they will disappear forever.
Yesterday was my favorite day so far. Jan and I went with Michele and Rose to visit the Catholic nuns who run a clinic in nearby Ruiri. They are specifically there for women and children, but have facilities to take care of general medical needs. The place was beautiful! Lovely grounds and a spotless clinic with a three-bed patient room, four maternity beds in a separate area, a delivery room that accommodates two mothers, a pediatric examination room, a general examination room, a small lab, all very clean and welcoming, and all housed in a small quaint building with the typical beautiful beauganvia bushes all around. They also have a children’s room with two small beds for children who are in need of a safe place to live temporarily. They have a small kitchen there as well where they have their tea. Sister Eva was just amazing. Her joyful spirit and excitement were contagious. She seemed so pleased to have us there, and guided me through the place so I could get good video footage. This morning, I edited a short (2 and a half minute) “tour” of the facility that they will use in their presentation to the Congress on Friday. Michele went there to ask if they would like to speak at the conference since they represent women’s health. They are an oasis of medical care that, unfortunately, it seems many aren’t aware of. Sister Eva said their meager charge of 1000 schillings for a newborn delivery and 300 schillings for an overnight bed was too expensive for most rural people. (70 schillings roughly equal a dollar)
Once again, I have been inspired by nuns who love above all else. Their residence had been broken into just a few days earlier – a group of thieves cut a hole in their roof and stole all the money and a laptop – so they were having to keep all the gates locked and secured. This morning, they arrived at KACH (Amani Home) to see the place, and they came in their little ambulance, their only form of transportation. So cute! They had two young Polish doctors with them that we had also met yesterday. I just found the whole experience very special. Not sure why it affected me so, since no one else seemed the slightest impressed. But Sister Eva left me with a feeling much like Sister Ardeth does. Pure loving spirit. Religious or not, I can’t argue with that kind of purity.
Then we went to KEMU campus where I was able to check email briefly for Tatenda’s email. He is having trouble getting off work in time to get to the city where his flight leaves. Now he’s supposed to arrive in Nairobi Thursday a.m. – a day later than planned – hopefully to get to Meru by afternoon. KEMU is a stunningly beautiful campus! We had lunch at the cafeteria, which is really a room where food vats are brought in and served cafeteria style. The meal was typically African – rice, a beef and gravy style dish, and greens. I loved it! Only 80 schillings per person, unbelievable! That’s just over a dollar.
From the university, Peter picked us up in the van and took us down to the town market, an incredible mass of people crowding a large dirty slope with blankets covered with every item imaginable for sale. 
Ben, a Kenyan student here at KEMU, came with us and took some video with my little Flip camera, trying to go unnoticed. He was asked by some women what he was doing and he lied and told them he was a university student working on a project. Well, not a complete lie! Meanwhile, Peter, Jan and I wandered through the periphery of the chaos and bought lots of fruits and vegetables for the children – avocados, oranges, papaya, potatoes – bags full of stuff! I was able to get a few still photos of it all. It was seriously crazy and a bit unsettling being white and so obvious. It isn’t safe to be alone in those circumstances because people will steal your purse or belongings, or just ask for money. Trying to navigate out of the mess in the van took 15 minutes at least, during which time I was trying to take some pictures out the window without being noticed.
I had to eventually shut my window because it was too dangerous to risk someone reaching inside for my camera. All in all, it was a crazy experience that I’ll never forget. Jan said it was nothing like India, but to me it was the biggest sea of humanity that I have been exposed to in that way. Then we went to the Nakumatt, where I bought some snacks and drinks for all of us.
What did we do last night? I’m already forgetting. Jan and I are sharing a room, and we kind of stayed in our room talking most of the evening. She was packing to go on safari this morning and will meet up with us at KEMU tomorrow night. We’re all relocating to the dorms there during the conference, Should be fun! The women will be coming in from different countries tomorrow and Thursday. This is going to be some conference!
This morning I woke up to the sound of rain. In my half sleep, I couldn’t figure out what it was, but then realized it was raindrops hitting the roof. It was chilly and damp and I didn’t want to get out of bed! Finally around 7:45 I got up – had to finish the video before the nuns arrived at 9:30! No shower, just up and dressed and before I knew it, off to town again. Peter again was a great escort and took Gale and I to a photo shop where we can get pictures printed for 10 schillings each – 15 cents. He parked the van and led us through back streets in town. The road was muddy and covered with litter, and the open air shops on either side of the road buzzed with activity, like mechanics repairing some kind of machinery, tailors sewing clothes. I felt very conspicuous, but we found the little photo shop and went in. I had my flash drive so downloaded a few to have prints made so I can give them away, primarily to the neighbors next to KACH who invited me over to take their pictures a couple of days ago. I want to surprise them with the pictures! Many people here have never had a photograph of themselves before.
(ooo, it’s getting blustery outside – might rain again!)
Spent some time at the internet café today, a maddening experience because their PCs have funky keyboards and I can’t type on them worth a damn! Also, it takes FOREVER for pages to load! But Facebook worked just great! I was able to message Charley, Nick, Alex and Laura, and post a note on my profile. Sent an email to Charley and mom & dad, basically copied that content onto my WordPress blog (I swear that took a half hour!). So I’m pretty caught up on the communication front. Had a delicious lunch – hamburger and chips (French fries) at the open-air café in the shopping center. ($500 schillings)
After getting back to KACH, I shot footage of the gardeners – extremely nice guys, Bernard, Simon and Lawrence – and took their photos, promising to get prints made (but when??). Also got footage of Kent and the carpenter beginning the arduous task of making cabinets with no power tools. 
Ugh. Cutting all the wood with a hand saw – unbelievable! More footage of the kids playing, the older boys dancing, kids painting with watercolors, putting photos of themselves in their notebooks that Gale brought, learning how to floss their teeth. Tonight, I made a kitchen chart that tells the meals and snacks for each day of the week. Jody finished sewing the beautiful quilt that she helped the kids make. So much inspiring work being done here! So much dedication and personal commitment on everyone’s part. Totally undirected. 
Everyone brings what they can to this place. The young people generally keep the children entertained. Molly and Ditra (the high school seniors from Vermont) Ty (Jody’s 13 year-old grandson), Abby who arrived yesterday… all play with the kids and keep them squealing and laughing.
Well, it’s now after midnight and tomorrow is moving day – getting myself and gear over to KEMU, along with everyone else. I want to be sure to shower in the morning, so will need to be up somewhat early.
Lala salama!
9:17 a.m. Wednesday, 19 August 2009, Meru
Ahhh…. I feel clean! Most of the showers here at KACH have no working hot water. Even though I’m in a room with a bath, the water is cold, and I’m not one to take a cold shower! I would be ruined for the rest of the day if I had to do that! The girls (Molly and Ditra) just got hot water a couple of days ago, so I used their shower this morning. Heaven! I had used the one in Jody’s room (the best room in the house!) the first few days here because Jody and Ty were in Nairobi to pick up Kent, Anne and Mark. I got to use the community bathroom one morning, but then the hot water quit working in there. So I went without yesterday. Boy, does it feel good to be all clean! I had to decide what was more important – breakfast or shower. Of course, the shower won out. Then I was lucky enough to get bread and butter with some tea as the children were finishing up their breakfast. (I missed out on the porridge). I have a little stash of coke and cookies in my room, so won’t go hungry today.
Food: the food here is somewhat similar to Zimbabwe in that all is prepared in large pots and served with a starch (rice, beans, maize meal stuff), but there is less custom, at least as far as I can tell. No washing of the hands, no eating with the hands (the children use spoons), no sadza, although they have a similar type food that they make that isn’t as good and isn’t a regular staple. It’s probably because there are more Western influences here and this is an institution so less rural customs. The women who cook have been working on the meals all day each day. The beans are dried, so must be cooked (over a fire outside for now) for a long time. All vegetables are mixed together almost in stew form – carrots chopped small, different types of beans, potatoes, and goodness knows what else. They grow herbs here, so the flavor is good. I find it all very tasty, although it does become somewhat old after a while. The women make wonderful greens! Last night we had cabbage, which I thought was delicious, along with the bean mixture and chipatas (flat bread). The kids eat big servings of everything. I feel weird heaping my plate so have had smaller helpings and no seconds. It’s been enough. I didn’t bring many snacks so can’t supplement unless I go into town like yesterday.
The garden here is beautiful! They grow a lot of their own food, but not enough for daily meals. 
It will produce more as time goes by, though, and there’s a second garden at the neighboring house, a beautiful place that is being leased to Karambu by friends who also have a home in Nairobi. They are obviously quite wealthy. The house is beautiful – by African standards. Houses here are generally made of large bricks the size of cinder blocks. Floors are concrete or tile. Doors are heavy, often metal, with old-fashioned locks and keys. Every house has a bit metal gate – security is a big issue. Sinks have cold water only (one spigot). 
Here at KACH, the hot water is turned on by a switch on the wall. It’s instant hot (warm) water – if it works. I think that there is a lot of luxury here. The neighbors, for instance, have no electricity and no running water, much like what I saw in rural Zimbabwe. Kitchens are still generally outdoors. The strange thing is that I haven’t seen a single hut here! People construct houses, even the poor. No round huts with thatched roofs. So it doesn’t have the same feel as Zimbabwe. Plus there are many more trees, so not the sweeping vistas of the savannah. I’m sure the safari will reveal a totally different landscape. I like the trees and bushes, but it does make things feel very different than what I experienced in Mhondoro, even in Harare. Kenya is wonderful, but I must admit, it has not yet captured my heart like Zimbabwe has. There doesn’t seem to be any particular traditional music here, at least that people seem aware of. There are 42 different tribes in Kenya, so not the cohesion of the Shona people. I miss the sound of women singing, of mbira, just the musical feeling of the community. But the people couldn’t be nicer! Everyone greets with a smile. [p.s. That’s the other strange thing to me – no formal greetings or typical exchanges. No “mangwanani, mamuka se?” Just habari (hello) and mzuri (I’m fine). Of course there is more to be said, but not formal as I’m accustomed to. I miss that.]
Tatenda should be arriving here tomorrow afternoon. He was to have come today, but had some problem with his job so had to delay a day. I hope that he makes it here without incident. I don’t think he realizes how long a journey it is, and then to have to turn right around and go back to China on Monday… I feel like I should have discouraged him from coming, although he’ll love the experience. It’s just so expensive and so far to travel for such a short time. We’re scheduled to present Tumbuka to the Congress on Friday. Our time will be short, so I want him to be the primary speaker and answer the audience questions. I hope the film will be well received! Ditra told me they tested the projector yesterday and it is working! The events will primarily be held in the campus chapel, a large hall with very comfy looking seats! I’m so excited for the Congress to begin and see who all comes, hear their stories, hopefully interview many women (and men) about their work in their home communities.
Sidebar: I can’t believe I didn’t bring any hand lotion! My hands are so dry today! There are many things I didn’t bring. I can purchase almost anything I need at the Nakumatt, but seem to be doing fine without.
So I’m here at KACH today while almost everyone else has gone to town. I had meant to go, but the van came at 8:00 and I wasn’t about to miss the shower opportunity! I hope to get in later today – will not have the opportunity again until the Congress is over, and then we leave Monday morning on safari. Not sure when Tatenda takes off for Nairobi. I hope we don’t have scheduling conflicts! I can’t abandon him, but I do want to go on this safari! I’m only going for three days, then will return to Meru to spend the last couple of days with Karambu. Everyone else from the U.S. will be gone at that point. Most of the kids will have gone off to boarding school. It’ll be weird! I might try to get to Nairobi a day or two early to visit the elephant orphanage and try to hook up with Courtney. I would hate to miss meeting her again! She has been so nice in her emails. I’ll be on my own if I go to Nairobi – no Kenyan escorts – so not sure what I’d get myself into. Don’t want to overpay for things or get ripped off. We shall see! Too bad Tatenda has to go home so soon. It would be fun for him to stay though the week so we could sightsee together.
Saturday 22 Aug 2009, Meru (KEMU campus)
Well, here it is Saturday. The conference has been a true African experience. Nothing on time, nothing quite as planned. What began as an international conference has turned out to be more of a conference for Kenyans with a few “rich” Americans thrown into the mix. (perfect for purchasing things from the market place!).
There have been many inspirational moments and tragic stories – like yesterday’s stories from the Ripples girls, who have had horrible experiences in their young lives. One was raped until she became pregnant at age 11. She is now 12, a tiny girl with a baby! It was very sad to watch her address the audience with her story. I’m not convinced it was right to put her in that position, although some said it was “therapeutic.”
I’ve enjoyed the ritual ceremonies conducted by Esther, her beautiful songs that keep looping in my head (You are my sister, you are my brother, I wish you peace always… Peace begins with me…), and the native songs and dance, first performed by the women, then a community celebration including children, men, even muzungus! (white people). I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Jan over the last week, rooming with her, talking about our thoughts and experiences here and back home. She leaves tomorrow and it will be lonely without her! Monday, I’ll be going on safari with the other Americans – Jody, Kent, Ty, Ann, Mark, Molly, Ditra, Gale, and Abby. Gale has also been wonderful to be around. I’m so impressed with her gumption and ideas, and her ability to communicate so easily with the people here. I feel inhibited, as usual, but Gale jumps right into any situation. And she’s done amazing work with the children at the Amani home as well as students here at KEMU.
We’ve been staying here on campus for the last three nights and will go back to KACH tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to safari and a hotel room! While it’s nice to have toilets and showers and such, the bathrooms here are somewhat disgusting, smelling strongly of urine, often messy. We must carry toilet paper with us – none is in the stalls. I have not seen carpet or rugs anywhere since I’ve been in Kenya, only tile, so floors become wet and messy, and sound reverberates off of everything. All is stone, concrete and metal. I’m not complaining, but I am beginning to miss some of the creature comforts. That’s one reason Jan is so fun to talk to. She is a person who is used to high class living, and although she’s tolerated the conditions well, it’s fun to hear her talk about her desire for nice sheets and a comfortable bed. We can complain just a little to each other without feeling guilty!
While the conference has been good overall, it’s also been a test of patience with everything running hours behind schedule, people talking WAY over their time limits, cell phones going off all over the place (with annoying jingles for ring tones!). Africa is certainly different from America, as I knew, but the differences have been highlighted in this conference on a very nice campus where it feels like things would run more smoothly. Way too much planned and scheduled! It would have failed to happen as planned even in the U.S. Here in Kenya, keeping on time is hopeless! Theoretically, Tumbuka will be shown this afternoon, but I’m not holding out for it to happen. And I’m okay either way – really. Everyone is tired and the film is in English, which it seems many people don’t really speak in this crowd. The translations have been agonizing – some speeches have been translated two times, with three main languages – English, KiSwalhili, and KiMeru. That is one of the reasons for falling so far behind schedule. Ten-minute presentations stretch out to 45 minutes. Now that it is almost over, I’m realizing I don’t need to attend all the sessions, and in fact I can’t endure it! The videotaping is not worth much with poor audio, bad background in most cases, and poor lighting after sunset. I’ve realized that personal interviews are the way to go, but this is the last day and it’s 4:20 p.m., so will probably not get much today. I should have set aside some time to interview Naomi Tutu… 
But Jan did help me get an amazing interview yesterday with Rose, a Torkana woman from the Samburu region, where war is occurring between tribes because there is no water and the cows are dying, people are starving. These women wear ornate beaded collars around their necks and have colorful skirts and shawls. They look very exotic! Rose is wonderful, well spoken, and obviously very smart. I bought quite of bit of things from their marketplace table yesterday – baskets, necklaces, bracelet, a keychain. I spent about 5000 schillings there – over $75.
Tatenda did not make it here. Not sure what happened, but he emailed Jackie a couple of days ago saying his plans were all messed up. Now that I’ve been at the conference and it has been so different than expected, I think it’s best that he didn’t make the huge effort to get here, especially to stay for such a short time. I think he would have been fascinated by the Kenyans and their ways – African for sure, but different in many ways from Zimbabwe – and he would have loved being in Africa again, but I really want him to be able to go home and visit his family. I hope that he’s able to keep the money for his plane fare and all. I haven’t been able to check email since early yesterday, but did not have a message from him.
Sunday 23 Aug 2009, Meru (KACH)
The conference is over now and I’m back at KACH. Tumbuka did get screened last night, and it was a nice experience to hear the response from an African audience. There were probably 150 to 200 people in the audience, and although I know many of them do not speak English, it seemed the point of the film came across. Severl people came up to me afterwards and thanked me for my work. That was worth the trip!
So now I’m listening to the church service as it continues up the hill. I was there for about two hours, but it’s now 2:09 and they seem to still be going strong. Thank goodness I was sitting right by the side door and snuck out right after they took up the collection (and I had no coins!). I came back to my room and washed my dirty laundry, hoping to have it dry by tonight so that I can pack up for the safari tomorrow. A word to the wise… never walk around in rural Africa with a camera. Everyone wants a picture taken of themselves, and then they want you to send it to them! Two people stuffed notes into my hand with their names and addresses, one man gave me a string of beads. They all want me to send them pictures, and probably money. Many didn’t speak English, or spoke little, so it was awkward for me to try to explain anything to them. All are very sweet but I get overwhelmed by all the attention. Also find it a huge responsibility to try and note who is who in the photos and attempt to send them all to the right people. Probably won’t happen, and I feel bad about that. I will do my best.
I can still hear them singing up the hill! Four hours and still going – sheesh! They have a keyboardist who accompanies on organ. It’s so interesting that the keyboard sits on a baby’s changing table. It actually looks fine – spindled wood and all – but it is an odd sight in a church, all the same!
P.S.I’m STARVING! Have not been eating the meals much because I’ve just had it with all the starch. A typical meal at KEMU was a plate piled high with mashed potatoes, rice, often flatbread, and some kind of meat stew (little or no vegetables). I am surprised at how little I’ve been eating the last couple of days. I actually had a coke and chocolate chip cookies for dinner last night! I skipped the meal in the dining hall – tired of the long lines and the mounds of starch.
Over the past week, I have felt like I have a neon sign on my head that says “rich American,” and really, not much personal interaction of substance with people other than those here from Colorado. Although, to be fair, Nick has been wonderful. And I have a “forever friend” sister named Mary who always welcomes me with a big hug. This morning she gave me a beautiful blue and white beaded necklace. I gave her my blue and white headband that I know she’ll get more use out of than I ever would! 
One of the memorable moments of the conference for me was yesterday when were all sitting outside under the tents freezing in the cold wind, enduring the last day of speakers. A little girl came to sit by me and Mary put her up on her lap. It was so cold and we were all freezing, so Mary wrapped the little girl in her shawl. Soon the girl was fast asleep, and Mary held her and made sure she was protected from the wind. After quite some time, Mary began looking around and said to me, “I must return this child to her family.” It was then that I realized that Mary didn’t know who this girl was or who she belonged to. She gently picked the girl up off her lap and carried her around, asking people who she was with. Finally someone acknowledged her and took the little girl. I was amazed at how Mary had mothered that little stranger, and also at how her parent had not even known where she was for such a long period of time. It was the ultimate example of the saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ It was moving, to be sure.
Thursday 27 August 2009, Maasai Mara
Sitting here on the flagstone patio of our safari “tent.” 
It’s really like a cabin with three walls made of canvas, and there is a full tiled bath, hot running water and electricity. Not really roughing it! Although they do turn off the electricity for much of the day. I’m listening to lots of bird in the trees, looking out into forest. Gale has gone to the lobby to charge her phone and check into a Maasai-led walking safari. We both passed up the evening safari drive – just really needed a break from the bumping and dust of being in the van! Over 7 hours to get to Lake Nukuru yesterday, then a 3 hour evening safari drive, then up this morning for another short drive around the lake and then a long and bumpy (and dusty!) ride here to Maasai Mara – about 5 hours. Ugh. I think I have a sinus infection from all the dust, exhaust and smoke from the last two days. Sometimes it’s just terrible with my eyes welling up from sinus pressure. Now that I’m not in the van, though, I feel a lot better. Have been taking Sudafed and ibuprofen, and Jody’s sunglasses and Jan’s bandana were life savers today!
The ride here was amazing, probably the most beautiful countryside yet. Kenya is amazingly diverse. Much like Colorado/New Mexico in that you can be in dry flat dessert one minute, then find yourself winding through lush green areas the next. 
Yesterday, we went through the Great Rift Valley – beautiful and green! The lake area was green and jungle-like, and then today we drove over the Mao Mountains, which were beautifully green and covered with flourishing crops. I guess, though, that the clear-cutting of forest has altered the climate all over Kenya, so in two weeks, all of the people living there will be relocated and the forest will be replanted. Weird. It was one of the areas where I saw the most food being produced, but it is necessary to replenish the trees to keep the rains. We’ve seen the poorest of people in our travels throughout the country. Many different tribes, some migratory, others agriculturalists.
** I’m hearing movement in the forest and think it must be monkeys – branches breaking and such. Wish they would appear!
I’m seeing many similarities with Zimbabwe – the structures, people selling things roadside, the dingy stores lining the road, women in skirts of all colors, many with babies on their backs, men pushing loaded carts…
** I see one of the sources of the noises – a gazelle with small horns is eating bushes in the creek bed just below me. He’s spotted me but has gone back to eating and flipping his tail.
The similarities tell me that this is all pretty standard “African.” People live with what they have and have very little. Children wave at us as we pass, most in ragged clothes. We’ve seen many little boys tending herds of cattle or, more often, goats. Little ones as young as maybe 6. Some are keeping 40-50 goats, all with a stick. Lots of men on bicycles loaded down with stacks of goods. That was mostly near the towns (like Nukuru and Nyahururu yesterday).
** The gazelle has walked through the clear area here and has moved on past the tents.
I’m feeling very tired and in need of a nap so will stop for now. Two hours until dinner. So glad I stayed behind, even though I might be missing a good safari ride. But there will be two more tomorrow. Then Saturday, the drive to Nairobi!
Friday 29 August 2009 Maasai Mara
It’s 6:34 p.m. and the electricity has been turned on in our tent. They turn it off during the day until 6:30. Gale has gone on a walking safari with a Maasai guide, but I wanted to just relax and have some alone time. Six of the others went on the evening safari drive, but Ann, Kent and I have had enough bouncing and dust, and we’ve seen pretty much every animal we expected to see on this trip. Today we saw a leopard! It was in a tree, relaxing on a branch. We could never see its head, but did see its huge strong feet, body, and long muscular tail. We saw several lions – two groups. They were within feet of the van and just looked at us without care. On the way to the river, where the hippos live and the wildebeest cross, we stopped where there were military men with semi-automatic weapons. 
One got in our van to escort us to the river! It felt kinda scary for him to be sitting in the van with the gun, but then we understood that he was there to protect both the animals and us, and to serve as a border control since we were right in the line with Tanzania. (His name was Raymond). Once at the river, he guided us to the hippos, then down a path to see some crocodile (saw one up close). No wildebeest, unfortunately. I guess they don’t continually cross the river. He said they had most recently crossed about a week ago.
Ugh, I keep smelling the dust – must be on my clothes – that is giving my nose and eyes fits. I felt wonderful in the shower – took a long one this afternoon – but now am feeling sneezy all over again. My face is healing, but still looks bad. A woman at the front desk asked me if it was bites. Oh well. I definitely look like hell and feel a bit shitty. I have a cold sore in my mouth too. But hey, my back is amazing!!! I can’t believe what it’s been through this week. I don’t think I’ve ever been so jostled around, bumped and bounced ever. I keep thinking how unbelievable it is that a month ago I was just recovering from back surgery and worrying about this trip! It’s been absolutely amazing… but I’m so ready to go home. Tomorrow, everyone but me is leaving. I still have two days, which might turn out to be really fun. I’m going to try to get in touch with Courtney tomorrow and will go from there – will see if she invites me to stay with her or if I’ll stay at Karambu’s house, or maybe even a hotel. Bundi said he could get me to the airport early Monday morning. Will see how that all turns out. Then I have another night in London, which I’m really looking forward to! Nice quiet hotel room and a phone to call home and actually talk! I REALLY miss Charley and the kids, and the dogs, and my friends. And a hair dryer, and not feeling so old and gross. This trip has been very humbling to me, and it’s changed my perspective a bit on international travel. I love it for sure, but feel far away from the things and people I love. Also am missing the creature comforts of home, even though I’ve had hot showers and decent food the whole time I’ve been here. We’ve been staying in nice lodges all week, but the dust and daily rides have worn me out. Safari reminds me of dogsledding, in a way. Very nice, but not necessarily restful. Feeling dirty isn’t my thing. But I have loved this whole experience – one of a lifetime! I’m so grateful for the chance to be here! Have met great people, some of whom I’ll stay in touch with for years to come, I’m sure. 
Gale and Jan in particular have been great to get to know. When I get back to Colorado, I want to go visit Jan either in Denver or in Vail. And Gale will be hosting a gathering in Boulder. Also want to talk with her more about solar panels, as well as introduce Nick to her.
So there have been many emotional experiences in Kenya that I haven’t yet written about. My perspectives on life, Africa, women, and culture have been altered to some degree. I think I’ve actually become more cynical (must be old age!) and critical, while at the same time more aware and educated of the greater human condition. Right now, I’m afraid I’m feeling selfish and thinking of myself too much because of the physical discomforts and lack of close family here with me. As Gale said the other day, we’re all done! Time to go home. 
