5/19/2010

Here's a picture of Katie in her 1st conga. It's simply a colorful sheet that all women wear here. They're comfortable and cool (at least that's what I'm told), and she looks great in it!

Despite my best efforts, I never got hold of Anne or the kids last night, so it will have to wait until later today. I’ll call them from the park. We left for Masai Mara at 6:45am. Everyone’s bags were packed, and we loaded them onto the bus. The driver, Ben, who was the same man who picked us up at the airport, was the guy who was driving today. He failed to bring a tarp to cover the luggage on top of the bus, so everything was stored inside for fear that they would get wet in the rain. We lost 2 more seats because we had to store the suitcases in the isle and on the 2^nd to the last seat. I’ve told him that he has to find a tarp for the ride back. It’s only a 6 hour drive to the Norok, and 2 hours to the Mara, and we’ll need the extra room to move around during a trip that long.

I got in the front seat with the Ben and Ashley. In 15 minutes we knew it was a bad decision. The pot holes were bad enough, but there was also this insane heat coming up through the seats. We were, after all, sitting on top of the engine… and the engine seemed to constantly remind us of that fact. We fidgeted as frequently as possible. The only thing that really took our attention from the heat on our backsides was Ben flagging down a passing vehicle to ask for directions from time to time. Super. I’ve never taken this ride before, and found it unnerving not knowing when we were going to arrive. I assumed that if our driver was asking for directions, it wasn’t going to be an easy ride, despite the smile he showed me each time I questioned his ability to find his way to Norok.

We passed several towns and villages of varying sizes and populations. Some were neat and peaceful while others were disheveled and in constant motion. The one thing they all had in common, besides Kenyans, were pot holes – big angry pot holes. It made driving a 20 passenger bus much more of a talent than I had previously thought. He did a wonderful job weaving his way through the trenches and holes that littered the road. It didn’t make me like him anymore, though. I failed to tell you that he suckered me for an extra 2,200 ksh. I knew he was overcharging me, and after arguing fro 5 minutes, I just gave up. I suppose I was angrier at myself than at him, but I found much more comfort in being angry at him. It probably wouldn’t have been as bad if he didn’t smile so much, but he did. I decided to turn my attention to something more productive, so I spent much of the ride thinking about Ann, Kevin and Karen. I wish they could have played baseball with Katie and the students from MOSS. I would have loved the opportunity to sit in the grass with Andrea and just watch them. They would have marveled at Karen talent at the sport, and Kevin's speed on the bases. One of these days we'll get that chance. I've got a friend who drives a piki piki (motorcyle) just outside Maseno University who is always training for marathons. While talking to him about Andrea he once said, "Have her come with you so she can eat my dust." I'd love to see her and Kevin run with him! Although his name is Lucas, his nickname is "Champion." We'll see. Now I look forward to seeing the animals later today... another treat that Ann and the kids would love! They'll have to wait for that one too, though. Only 5 more hours to go...

7 hours later, we arrived at Norok, and found Isaac, Jim’s friend who was a guide at Masai Mara with his 2 brothers. He, too, was full of smiles, but it was a smile you could trust. We got back on the bus with Isaac, and he began to give directions to Ben to get us through the next 2 hours of driving. You know it’s a rough road when the passengers get excited to be on a stretch of washboard road rather than driving through potholes. This stretch made it sound like everyone was speaking through the back of a large desk fan.

After 1 ½ hours of this, we had Isaac call his brothers to bring the Land Rovers to us, and drive us the rest of the way… it would be faster and smoother. It was. Ben arrived about 45 minutes after we did. When I first saw Isaac, he said, “Long journey?” “You have no idea,” I responded. “In the morning they will all have forgotten it.” He was right.

We weren’t even on the Mara yet, and we had already seen zebras, spring bucks, antelope and wildebeest. We drove by dozens of brilliantly clad masai herding goats or steer throughout the property on which they reside. The road we were driving on separated the mara from the Masai land, although the Masai didn’t seem to care much about this “boundary.”

We arrived at Sekenani Camp two hours after we left Norok. Everyone was so enamored by the compound, that they proved Isaac wrong. I think most of them forgot about the long bus ride 30 minutes after we arrived. Nick Woods, the general manager, explained some of the rules. The camp is in one of the more remote areas of Masai Mara. In fact, it’s just a little bit off. It’s in a bowl, which prevents any good cell reception with my phone/modem from Safaricom, but that wasn’t the half of it. It’s one of the only camps that ISN’T fenced in, so animals can come and go as they please. Baboons, monkeys, bush babies… all of them, just wander around. We were told not to go out at night without an escort. Our escorts were plain clothed masai, wandering the property with a flash light and what appeared to be some long thin sticks. Apparently they’re quite handy with the “long thin sticks” that they refer to as “weapons.” All the masai carry them, and they’re not to be trifled with. They wander the compound all night long. That’s the extent of the animals that wander through… it’ not like we heard lion’s roaring outside our room, we always felt perfectly safe.

Everyone was hungry, and the staff was eager to please. Pasta bolagnese or red sauce was our light (and late) lunch. The first person to sit down at a table was Liz. Just as the rolls were set down, a small monkey jumped on the table to grab one. Despite her shriek, she grabbed the rolls and the monkey hissed. 3 staff members, Nick included, came over and scared the monkey away. All it took was a couple claps. Apparently, this monkey’s future does not look very bright… he’s been getting bolder and bolder over time. The food came quickly, and it was delicious! It was such a contrast to what we’ve been having for the last week. Just when we though it couldn’t get better, it did. We went out on a first game drive. It was incredible. Isaac and his brothers were phenomenal. We saw animals that came within 20 feet of our Land Rovers. Elephants, lions, zebras, wart hogs… it was simply breathtaking.

We came back to the compound about 3 hours later, and we picked up our bags, and were shown to our rooms.

I can only describe the rooms as high end tents. Some had a single bed, but most were doubles. It was a thick canvas shell with a zippered end, and rollup clear plastic windows and screens on each side. The bathrooms in each tent not only had hot water, but a full length bathtub. Sekenani means “clear water,” but the heavy rains they’ve been experiencing has caused silt to find its way into the water, so it wasn’t very clear, but that didn’t matter to anyone… it was warm, and we could have it whenever we wanted. Katie was on cloud nine. Sharing this experience with her was glorious, and she continued to repeat how much we needed to, “… come back with mom, Karen and Kevin.” We came down to the dining area to have dinner. The large tent had a bar and small round tables on one end, some larger dining tables on the other. At the far end was a constantly burning fire, surrounded by chairs and cocktail tables.

Dinner came with an entrée option: beef stroganoff or curry chicken. So here we sat, eating dinner, drinking wine, in beautiful surroundings, in Africa. It was a bit overwhelming for some of us. Two days earlier, we were taking cold showers and eating ugali and kuku. The conversation at the table was about the pillows that accompanied the comfortable beds, the hot water in the shower, and how amazing this place was. It was about what we had done over the last 5 days, and what a wonderful way to end this trip. After we were full, everyone retreated to their tents for a restful sleep. We were going on a game drive tomorrow, and we were departing at 7:30am.

5/18/2010

We started the long walk to Mbaka Oromo at 6:30am. Despite the early beginnings, each day has gone by quickly. This one turned out to be no exception. It’s rained every day since we’ve been here, and at virtually the same time every day. The rain starts at 5/5:30, and lasts until about 6:30/7. This leaves the mornings a relatively crisp 75 degrees, but much better for walking. The nurses were going to a couple of hospitals in Kisumu, where we’d meet them later in the day at the Masai market – a line of shops loaded with all the jewelery, soapstone/wood carvings and wearables anyone could want… and all of them authentically Kenyan. It’s what everyone is really looking forward to… the items are pretty inexpensive, and haggling is a requirement. We’ll get to that later.

Rick, Liz, Tim, Brent, Mark, Alex,Steve, Harriett, Katie and I were the ones who headed for the school. Our packs were loaded with school supplies and baseball equipment. We stopped at the ATM across the street, and Brent’s card was eaten by the machine. It was the first time he looked uncomfortable since he got here… and rightly so. I tried to put him at ease, and loaned him some money. He was very grateful. Our walk continued through the Maseno University Campus. The conversations were constant, and people bounced between small groups made of the larger whole. Brent is the only individual who didn’t know anyone else in the group when he arrived in Nairobi. He, however, just like everyone else now converses as if he’s known these people for years. I’m fortunate to be able to be with these people. They have much to teach me.

We got to the school, and after stories about climbing the hill behind the school, the group (sans Rick) wanted to go up ½ way to get some pictures. They were all interested in hiking, so I obliged. We first climbed on some rocks to take some photos, then moved to the base of the hill. Thankfully, John Ogongo was there, and offered to lead us. Much of the vegetation had grown over the years since I’d done this, and I was glad John offered to take us up.

We started on our way, and when we got probably 1/3 of the way to the 1^st false peak, we stopped. The view was spectacular. I took some great pictures of the primary and secondary schools, as well as the dispensary foundation. It’s really turning into it’s own little city… or at least that’s how it looks from this height. The pictures came out well.

It was almost time for the baseball game to start, so we headed back down to find Jim and Rick heading over to the field to get set up. The Mbaka Oromo Secondary School(MOSS) was a mixed group of girls and boys that looked determined to win. It was the Americans vs the MOSS Simbas. Dan Lane and his girlfriend took video and stills of the game. I also sat out and took pictures. After Rick, Jim and I sung the national anthem, Rick yelled out, “Play ball!” and we began. I wasn’t sure what to expect out of the group. Liz played soft ball, Katie and Alex were actually both rugby players (we later learned that the also shared a passion for knitting), Harriett was nervous, so I wasn’t sure if she was sure what she was doing. The men in the group probably all had little league experience. I think they were expecting an easy defeat. Such was not the case. We don’t follow all the rules… at least not yet. Everybody bats, so we don’t use 3 outs, or 3 strikes for that matter. The bases are closer together and there’s a swamp in the outfield. Jim was the permanent pitcher. Even with his cheating in our favor, it wasn’t much of a contest. The MOSS players seemed to hit it in the swamp frequently, and although some of the elementary school boys would run in to grab it for us, it wasn’t enough. Everyone had a blast. The group really seemed to hit a wall at the end of the third inning; probably due to a combination of lack of sleep and fatigue from climbing the hill. The late morning sun wasn’t helping.

It was then I realized that I was standing in Africa watching my daughter play baseball with Kenyans. I am in awe when Karen plays fast pitch and can tell what pitch is thrown by watching the seams on the ball as it comes out of the pitchers hand. I am in awe watching Kevin run 2 miles in just over 10 minutes. I’m in awe when Katie plays rugby, despite the size of her opponents. It was amazing to sit there taking pictures of her while she played. We were on the other side of the globe, but we may have well been in the Dollinger’s back yard. I just sat and smiled. The pictures tell the entire story.

We then walked to Chuolembo, the town that Rick repeatedly referred to as “chipotle.” We hopped onto a matatu, while Jim took Harriett, Liz, Katie and Alex to the airport so Harriett could catch a flight to Nairobi to meet the next group. As we pulled into the matatu station, Jim pulled in with his car. Steve and I walked while he took Rick, Mark and Tim to Mon Ami – a little restaurant next to a Nakumat that sells pizza and cheeseburgers (the pizza’s much better). All the nurses were there with Katie, Liz, Harriett and Alex. Everyone was having lunch before going to the Masai market. Lunch was a provided a good break from kuku, ugali and dengu. The nurses then went to their next hospital, while the baseball players went to the market. The nurses would meet us with the bus to bring us all back to Maseno.

Shopping was wonderful as always. Katie was like a kid in a candy shop. But actually purchased very little. She looked for something for Karen and her mom, and tried to find something for Kevin. She was very discerning, and Harriett helped her haggle. We got some really cool stuff, and to be honest, I bought a lot more than she did. Katie’s been telling stories out of school, so the group already knows I can sing show tunes (we’ll get to that later) , I can imitate Elvis, but more importantly for this story, I like to shop. That’s exactly what I did.

We got back to the Guest House, and some people went to the Green Park for dinner, while others stayed home. Katie and I chose the latter. We were both exhausted, and I knew I wanted to skype with Anne and the kids at 9, so we turned in. I can’t wait to talk to them about the day’s events. I just love to be able to see them… even if they aren’t really nearby.

Lala salama

May 17, 20100

This morning was a bit of a made up day because the bricks they delivered to MOPS were garbage. We sent them all back, but the only way to get good bricks was to go further away. They probably won't have bricks until after we leave. That's really sad, because i know many of the men here were very interested in helping to build. We weren't sure what to do, so we ended up volunteering to help one of the employees of the Maseno Mission Hospital. I can't remember his name, but he serves as what we would consider the head of public relations. He lives on the side of this mountain... this very steep mountain, and I don't know how he manages to get up and down with crutches. I had trouble, and I've got two good legs. The fact that I'm out of shape didn't help. We wandered through the university, and met up with Jessica's husband Steve. He then took us to meet this gentlemen, who sent his son with us to his home. As we started to climb, a young boy began to shadow us. Barefoot, wearing a leather jacket and shorts, he never made a sound, but he followed us right to where the house was. It was a pretty tough path, full of twists and turns, narrow paths, and hug rocks. But we did indeed make it. We were sweating pretty profusely.

The boy sat on a large stone next to us while we rested for a bit. Lillian tried to talk with him, but again, he never said a word. We learned that he doesn't go to school, and pretty much has the run of this mountain. He new numbers from 1-10, but struggled with the alphabet. Lillian would ask him what a number was, and he would write it on a sheet of paper. She then played catch with him. He started out pretty slow, and it was impossible to tell if he was enjoying himself. She gave him her sunglasses, which he wore proudly. They stayed on his face... probably long after he left, because she left them there for him.

This house was beautiful and the view was breathtaking. You could see a signifcant portion of Lake Victoria and beyond. These monstrous rocks peppered his property, and made for some beautiful pictures. Tim climbed up on one, and Katie had to follow. She needed a bit of a boost, but once she got on top, she was happy to be there. It made for some good pictures.

We were there to build bee stands... something a honey comb would sit on. Or at least that's the way I understood it. We climbed down another 50 feet to find some 3" diameter Eucalyptus trees. Katie, Karen, Lillian, Brent and Tim did most of the chopping down. The trees were about 13' high, and the only tool they had for chopping them down was a panga (machete). Everyone did a great job with it. Rick and I stayed close to the house because we were old and tired. After a rest, however, we joined the crew. Not before we ate some roasted peanuts that Rick brought, and some terriyaki beef jerky that Tim brought. We went down to where they were gathering the timbers they just cut down. Rick and I helped cut those pieces into 3' lengths. We then peeled the bark off, exposing the moist hard wood. it was kind of cool actually.

It was getting close to 1:30, and people were getting hungry so we departed to let a couple of other boys finish the work. When we left, they had 3 stands already completed, and they were going to make 5, so he was in pretty good shape. We took the opportunity to take some more photos before departing. Having Lake Victoria as a backdrop makes picture taking easy.

My camera's acting up again. It freezes, and tells me that I don't have a lens attached to the body, when that's obviously not the case. Looks like I'll be going back to Rowe when I get home. I'm just hoping that I can figure out how to fix it before we get to Masai Mara. We'll see.

We stopped at the Maseno Club on the way home, and had a road soda. The beverage service is great, but the food service...not so much. Jim and I know that the service is bad, but the group wanted a snack (it was 3:30, and the peanuts and jerky had already worn off). We ordered a couple of plates of fries. They arrived one hour later. In the meantime, we had discussions about traveling, and the general consensus was that Katie should go through a study abroad program out of Switzerland. At that point, I told them all that I was never traveling with any of them again. Katie loved every minute of it. To be honest, much of the conversation for the 2 hours we were there was directed at her. She and Tim were trading stories about traveling, and I just sat there and shook my head. I forgot to take pictures of the Maseno Club, so hopefully katie has some that I can put up to show you... she doesn't have much time for blogging, or she'd probably have them up already.

We got back to the guest house at 5:30, and 5 minutes later, the heavens opened up and it began to pour! The other group decided to hike up a mountain behind the hospital despite Jim's concern about the rain. They forged ahead anyway, and Jim had to go pick them up to get them back her by 6:30. The rain apparently slowed them down, and the people here at the guest house made dinner to be served at 6. they pushed it back to 6:45 after a commitment from Jim that he would drive them home afterwards. I don't think he even had time to eat! Once everyone had a plate in front of them, it was time for Betty and Rhoda (Guest House employees) to leave. Daniel was the only one left. He insisted on cleaning up by himself.

We've been looking for 5 liter bottles of water, but everyone seems to be out. We haven't had time to go to Kisumu to pick any up because Jim's been running around shuttling people back and forth. He came back tonight and said, "I feel like I haven't seen you in 2 days." We're so used to spending so much time together during our trips here, that now when we're busy, we don't say much to each other. I'm sure that tomorrow we'll be able to chat. We're heading to MOPS to climb a little of the mountain behind the school, then play baseball. The rest of the group will be touring Aga Kahn Hospital and the Provincial Hospital. They'll have lunch at the "hotels" along Lake Victoria. Someone must have made a bad translation, because every one of the hotels is actually an open air restaurant. They serve the tilapia that are so plentiful in the lake. They're big fish (samaki kubwa), and absolutely delicious. I gave the group I was with today a rundown on what to expect to see. We'll be meeting up with them at the Masai Market. That's where you get the best stuff! Rosewood carvings, soapstone pieces, masks, traditional Kenyan clothing and jewelery... all at ridiculously low prices! Katie's been looking forward to this all week. Truth be told, I have, too.

Well, everyone's in bed, and we're leaving at 6:30 tomorrow. So far, the weather's been cooperating, but I don't want to be climbing that hill in the sun. My goal is to get everyone up there and back to the school by 9/9:30. Shouldn't be a problem... I'm knocking on wood right now. I'm turning in now... exhausted again, and I'll be able to get 6 hours of sleep before waking up to skype with Andrea, Kevin and Karen. I love 'em!

Tomorrow's is Karen's birthday! (Tuesday, 18th) Please say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to her. It's stinks not being there for that, or the 2 Junior Dances and the Senior Prom that I missed for Kevin. Andrea's handling it all like a pro, and posting pictures for me to see. Time seems to be passing faster and faster with each passing day, so before you know it, I'll be on a plane to Dubais!