Hippo Point and Dodo's Tower

As I mentioned last time, this was to be the high point of Steph's trip this time. I had read about this 600 acre private game sanctuary and knew I had to check it out.  Located on an isthmus between Lake Naivasha and Lake Oloiden (one is freshwater and the other salt lake), this is stepping into the finest of colonial Africa.  Here's the back story.

In the 1940's, Hippo Point was the Kenyan home of the Earl of Mountbatten but now belongs to his nephew Michael and wife Dodo.  It is currently run by her son and his wife, Dominic and Casilda.  Got all that family tree?  Dodo is an interior designer and totally refurbished the property and built the Tower.  It is five living floors, four bedrooms, each with a unique view of the hippo busy lake and sumptuous baths.  You feel like you have stepped into a fairy tale book.

Every inch of space is meticulously laid to inspire the eye and all senses.  From the use of cedar, cypress, mahogany, ebony and black granite, the interior is museum quality but you get to splay on the sofa or sip tea on one of the five wrap around balconies from vintage china and silver services.

I just knew I had booked an overnight for us but wow was I surprised.  It was quite difficult to even find this oasis.  Our driver had to call three times to navigate us thru the three separate, armed gated surrounds before we pulled into the unmarked sanctuary.  We were greeted on the lawn by the head housekeeper, two maids (in their pristine black uniforms with white starched pinafores) and the game warden to escort us inside.

They explained they were our staff and took us inside for a tour.

This is the main living room which has a library off to the side and a porch that views the lake.

A fully stocked premium bar with fresh lemon/lime slices waiting.  They must have been cut when we cleared the last security gate.  We were partial to the decanter of brandy and managed to put a serious dent in the supply in the decanter.  Had to make the most of just one night, right!

The view of the lake, with hippos at the edge, that could be seen from every room.

We toured all the floors and rooms.  There is even a meditation room with full sized cushions and mats on the sixth level and you can climb the iron ladder on the tippy top to a small balcony for an amazing view of everything--lake, main house, giraffes, zebras and buffalo.  When we descended to the main floor, I asked which bedroom was ours (thinking we would have to share) and was told 'whichever one you like, each of you choose one."  FOR REAL??? Then I asked which baths we were to use and was told there were no other guests in the Tower and we could use any and all spaces we wanted.  I felt like a kid in the ultimate candy shop.

Steph chose this room on the third floor.

I chose the master bedroom on the fifth floor.

We were informed by our staff, after they quickly whisked our bags away to our chosen rooms for unpacking, that Dominic and Casilda were expecting us for lunch at the main house and they would walk us over.  Ooooooookay.

After splashing off the road dust in the glorious bathrooms (there were even bottles of nice perfume available) we strolled along the lake to the manor house.

We were walking among the animals!!!!! We weren't even in a jeep but just ambling along the perfectly manicured grounds to have lunch with the owner's family.   Just another ordinary day.

They had set an amazing feast of poached salmon, fresh mixed green salad, potato salad, blanched beans with almonds, berries and assorted fruits.  Most of it grown in their own organic garden which we toured later.  We had a delightful three hour lunch, polishing off a few bottles of wine and hearing stories of how the two of them met.  In Saudi Arabia where he was shooting a documentary on womens rights and she ended up being in the movie.  They were charming, interesting and interested in our story as well.

When we returned to the Tower, our staff asked what time we would like our tea.  Well.  We had quite a buzz so decided we would have a nap and tea around 5ish and headed off to our rooms.

When we resurfaced, the balcony off the living room was set for tea with still warm cookies resting on fine china and silver spoons waiting to be used for a stir.  The maid poured our tea and get this--she silently retreated a few steps away to effortlessly return to refill the cups before I could raise my arm to reach for the pot. Aaaaaaaaaaaah!  I am sure liking this!!  But it did seem a tad uncomfortable having servants waiting on you like that.  But we got over that notion quickly and just went with it.

The game warden was waiting to take us on a walk around the sanctuary and we were instructed to return by 6:30 for sundowners on the lawn with Dominic and Casilda.  Well, excuuuuuuuuuse me.  It was incredibly awesome to walk among the animals!  The warden even pointed out a section of power line waiting to be reconnected.  Seems a giraffe had been electrocuted recently while nibbling treetop greenery.  That would never have even occurred to my mind.  We even petted an adopted gazelle.

And of course, the contest for butt shots continued.

When we returned, the lawn by the lake had been transformed to an al fresco mecca.  Oriental carpets with fat, cushy pillows, trays laden with munchies and a full bar greeted us.

We continued our luncheon conversation sipping gin and tonics with our hosts while the sun faded away and the hippos began their snorting warning that they would soon invade the lawn to forage for their evening meal.

No sooner had we retreated inside than the head housekeeper surfaced to ask what time we would like dinner and if we had any preferences or allergies our chef should be aware of. OMG!!!  This really is fantasyland!  Since we were grungy and needed a break after sundowners, we opted for a bath and dinner around 9.

Steph wanted to avail herself of the master bath  adjoining my bedroom but wasn't sure of the contents of the many crystal bottles lining the bathtub.  I told her to ask the maid that was quietly standing by.  The maid promptly accompanied Steph upstairs and DREW HER BATH with just the right mix of oil, salts and aromatics. I carried her a nice tumbler of brandy and sat down to keep her company. We laughed and giggled like school girls catching up on each others news and marveling in the moment.

I preferred to luxuriate in the eucalyptus scented steam shower before my dinner and needed to get on with it.  It was almost dinner time.  By jove, when I toweled off my pickled body, it was nine pm. I think we will dine in our bath robes!  And we did.  And the servants didn't even bat a eyelash.

The perfect table for two with yet a different set of china, silver and crystal awaited.  It was a feast for the eyes that didn't compare with the feast soon to be in our tummy.  Our chef and his staff had prepared the perfectly roasted rosemary chicken, asparagus almondine, scalloped potatoes, succotash, fresh fruit and almond crusted berry tart for dessert.  I could have licked the plate!!  We also downed almost both the bottles of red and white wine.  Not wanting to kill the buzz, we passed on the freshly roasted coffee and retreated by the unlit fireside and curled up on the sofas.  What a splendid day!  The maid peeked in to say goodnight, reminded us to keep the doors and windows closed to keep out the monkeys and asked what time we would like breakfast.  My my.  Such difficult choices.  We opted on 9am since Ceasar was coming around 10, chatted for a short while and then climbed the stairs to our sumptuous beds.  With feint sounds of hippos, water lapping the lakeshore and monkeys dashing on the balcony,sleep was blissful.

In the morning, I padded into the bathroom to brush my teeth after a couple of cups of coffee on the balcony and it was once again immaculate.  No ring in Steph's tub.  When did that happen?  I never heard a sound or saw a soul.

Once again the lawn had been transformed to an almost mystical  open air veranda.

Freshly squeezed strawberry juice, home made passion fruit jam, piping scones and croissants were waiting.  And of course the chef quickly fixed our ordered eggs, bacon, sausage and even had a spinach quiche too.  I stayed glued to my comfy outdoor chair taking in all the morning sights and sounds while Steph strolled for a few last pics of
paradise lost.

And then it was time to go.

Our staff bade us farewell with instructions to meet Dominic and Casilda at the main house on the way out.  Casilda took us on a tour of this also amazing venue of seven unique bedrooms, baths, kitchens and gardens, asked us to sign the guest book (there were some reeeeeeally famous people in there!) before we waved ta-ta and headed beyond the gates of this little piece of heaven on earth.  Most definitely my favorite place of anywhere I have been--EVER!

Next up--Steph living like a Peace Corps volunteer.

From Christmas to Countdown

Yep. I'm long overdue in keeping you up to date. It has been anxiety central here with all the election brouhaha.  I will admit to being enthralled with listening to the Supreme Court hearing on my Red Cross solar, hand crank radio.  I swear if there was a muscle in my wrist it would be the size of a mega bicep from the hours of cranking to be sure I wouldn't miss a single comment. I'm actually glad I don't have a tv because I could focus on what was being said rather than faces and other courtroom distractions.  I often wondered if our founding fathers acted the same way in presenting their arguments before the high court?  Were they allowed to go on and on and on?  Were their arguments delayed as they asked associates for papers or belabored by the numerous times they iterated 'my lords' or 'the honorable?"  Twas fascinating!  And now it's over with the ruling confirming the election results.  Amazing to listen to democracy in action. I kept thinking I might hear a shoe banging on a podium or a judge rapping his gavel for order, but it was very dignified.

So that is but one of the reasons why I am so delayed in getting this done.  Not to mention what a huuuuuuuuuge task it is to do this.  It's hard to decide which photos to use and of course I have to be in the right mindset to write the story.  So I will take you back to where I left off--heading off to the coast for the Christmas holiday and then to Rusinga Island on Lake Victoria for New Years.

I met my dear friend Jennifer on Lamu for four lovely days at Lamu House.  She lives in Kilifi on the coast so Lamu wasn't much different for her.  And of course I had been before so it was just a chance to be in a lovely place with friends for Christmas.  I have previously shown you Lamu so I won't do it again.

Who says you can't fly over the rainbow?  This was the view as I approached Lamu this visit.

The owners of Lamu House were in residence this visit and had decorated fully for the holidays.  It was so heart warming to see a huge Christmas tree all dressed up and they had designed a special 7 course dinner for guests.  We were tipsy and sated after course four but managed to down the rest of the yummy meal.

The weather was hotter and steamier than my visit last May and there were many other pals that had trekked to Lamu as well.  So we got to see them, enjoy a day of swimming and lunch on Shela Island while we lolled away Christmas.

Then it was time to head cross country to western Kenya to Rusinga Island which lies in Lake Victoria.  My pal Stacy and I took a six hour matatu ride to the shore only to discover that the ferry to the island didn't leave for another four hours.  Pisser!  So we decided to do what the locals do--hop on a local motorboat for the 20 minute ride over.

You basically do a heave-ho of your luggage onto a motor powered canoe and then clamber on board with everyone else.  Cheap but efficient.   And did I mention smelly? It's a bit nippy in the water spray and I will admit to saying a few hail mary's because we were so low in the water.

Rusinga Island resort is nice, spacious and quiet. We had a nice large room near the water and spent most of our time by the pool.  Lunch was served on the lawn and was simply prepared fresh fish and vegetables. Don't think I would go back there but now it's checked off the tourist list.

After returning to Nairobi for a meeting it was time for Stephanie's arrival.  I had a jam packed itinerary for us this trip--of course.  But I also had told her that this visit she was going to experience the life of a volunteer in Kenya.  Her last trip had taken her to my site in Maralal where I lived 'posh corps' meaning I had everything.  Boy is it different now!

We checked into the skeeter motel around midnight chattering like a bunch of squirrels and dove into bed to rest up for a loooooooong first day in the morning. I even showed Steph how the room had been freshly painted, right over top of the skeeters I had smashed on the wall during previous nights there.

 After chugging a few cups of coffee my pal and taxi driver Caesar picked us up for the drive to the Elephant Sanctuary.  This is just outside Nairobi.  Wounded or abandoned elephants from all over Kenya are brought here to be nurtured until they are age three and can be returned to the wild.  Some adults never return because they have ailments or issues which prevent return.  Promptly at 11am daily feeding commences.  They surely have an internal clock because they come trotting from the woods in a pack and head straight for the handlers bottles.  After which, they wash down the milk with water and munch on leaves before getting a mud bath.

With a tap on the butt, they quietly retreat to the forest until the ritual repeats itself the next morning.

A few miles down the road is the Giraffe Sanctuary where you can kiss a giraffe!  Well, kinda.  They give you food pellets to put between your lips and the giraffe will take its sloppy, sticky tongue and grab it from you.

Steph was a tad hesitant but was soon stuffing her lips for repeat 'kisses.'

Then we were off down the road a bit further to the Karen Blixen Museum.  Yep.  The Out of Africa movie location.  Most of the items in the house had been donated to the Kenyan government when it was decided to make this a museum.  So what you saw in the movie was actually in the house.  What a beautiful place, immaculately maintained on the Ngong Mountain foothills.

They even have some of the original farm equipment and our driver Caesar tried out the tractor.

Accessed by a different road at the far end of the property are beautiful cottages, gardens and a restaurant built in the 1980s to attract the tourists.  We toured a few of the cottages and would have loved to hoist ourselves up into one of those high netted beds.  Lunch on the veranda of the restaurant was a two hour delight of caesar salad, fresh broiled fish and chocolate brownie.  Well of course we had several glasses of wine, duh!!!

Then it was back to the skeeter motel for a nap before heading out to dinner.  There were quite a few of my peeps in town so we decided to head to a favorite watering hole, Havana.

They have some bawdy paintings on the wall, good mojitos and awesome baby back ribs.  The dj downstairs is spinning all your favorite tunes from way back when.  We were getting wound up with a sing at the top of your lungs to 'that's what friends are for' and the dj cut the music!  Damn, we were rockin it!  Guess he didn't want the competition.

My pals Dave and Farhan were enjoying the fun with the gang.

The next morning I took Steph to the Peace Corps office so she could meet peeps there and see where Mama goes for meetings and medical stuff.

Once upon a time this was a fabulous mansion--even has a pool, that has been converted to offices for 20 plus as well as a motor pool of 7  and drivers.  We wash our laundry in the medical office area washer and hang it on the line by the drained pool. The landscaping is meticulous and I always make flower arrangements for anyone offering up a container when I drop by.

The next morning we headed to the airport for the short flight to the Masaai Mara Reserve.  The premier preserve in Kenya is massive and the seasonal home for the animals during their great migration here from the Serengeti in Tanzania.  Although we weren't visiting at migration time, it is 'mtoto' time--birthing season.  So maybe we will see some babies.

After staying at the skeeter motel, I raised the bar to the Saruni Camp.  We had stayed at the Saruni in the Samburu Reserve on Steph's previous visit and I like their style.  This was our cottage 'camp.'  Although not as posh as the Samburu, it is obvious the owner corrected a few things after this first camp.  It was still awesome--great italian food, 18 guests only and our private game driver and vehicle.

Enroute to the camp we stopped along the Mara River to watch the rhinos playing in the water.

They spend the day splashing and come ashore at dark to forage the bushes and greenery.  Definitely big, mean buggers and I woulnd't want to try to outrun one.

Rising at sunrise to go on the hunt is a chilling experience with no windshield on the jeep.  Well, there is one but the guide didn't want the obstruction.

And then we heard radio chatter of lions.  so we're off!

And here is her majesty, staunchly surveying the view for a possible snack.  Her gal pal was sleeping nearby, obviously with a full tummy.

As the day wore on, it warmed up nicely and we peeled off a few layers.

In the Samburu Reserve, we felt we were hunting the animals.  Here, "they're just everywhere" was how Steph put it.  So rather than taking a zillion more photos of animals we had already on file, we decided we would try to capture the perfect 'butt shot' of each animal.  It became a daily contest.  I told Steph when I get back home I want to see a fab framed wall hanging of 'Kenyan Butts' that I can hang in my itty bitty house.

That evening it was the night for a bush dinner with entertainment by the locals.

There were some other interesting guests as well.  One we enjoyed was a retired couple from Germany and it was his birthday and she had arranged for a cake.  Yes, it was their first time to Kenya so they had no clue about cakes in Kenya.  Looked great on the outside, nicely decorated and pretty candles.  Well, he must have chewed that first bite for five minutes before choking it down.  Then there was a British couple and she was a hoss of a woman.  She never met a twinkie she didn't like!  She wolfed down that cake and even had seconds! I would not want to get between her and a plate of food.  But we couldn't blame her the way her pompous husband constantly ragged her.  I would eat constantly too just so I wouldn't have to hear him barking at me! Steph and I were about to pee our pants laughing at these two sights. No, we didn't eat our cake. It tasted like a dried up sponge.

The next day we got lucky--a cheetah kill!!  It is rare to see cheetahs and even rarer to catch a kill.  We watched a mama training her young male how to hunt.

She showed him how to silently watch, wait and then stalk a herd of gazelles until a young one was lagging behind.  Then she flew into a rapid fire chase, isolating it completely, siezing it by the neck, rendering the killing bite and dropping it for the young lad to bring to the safety of an acacia tree to devour.  There she showed him the process of severing the skin, removing the organs and then feasting on the fresh meat.  I know--sounds gross and barbaric.  But it's the circle of life.  We spent several hours just watching this lesson.

Another day as we were heading back to the lodge for luch, we discovered a pride of lions resting in a grove during the heat of the day.  One young gal was peacefully napping, cuddled next to mama, still within touching reach.

After four splendid days of hunting which also included a four hour morning hike across the range with our guide, we hit the road once again to uber exclusive Hippo Point Sanctuary on the shore of Lake Naivaisha.  This will be the acme of Steph's three weeks here.

To be continued...

Year End Clearance

I know a clearance is normally after the holidays, but I'm doing mine now.  So this will be a bunch of odds and ends I wanted to pass along and forgot about.

Whenever I am in Nairobi at the ghetto hotel, I walk past this gate and have a chuckle.  So last time I took a pic to share with you.  Wonder how someone lets them know they are outside, hmmm?

The nearest shopping mecca for me is Eldorett, which means Nakumatt.  I usually make the trek there every month.  Last visit, I wanted to have lunch at the newly opened pizza parlor next to Nakumatt.  They also serve pasta to order and chinese food to order--go figure.  The pizza is a treat but the thing I like best is real brewed ice tea with real ice cubes.  Yummy.  Sony also had put up a display truck hawking there stereos and had a couple of characters strolling the parking lot to drag over business.

These two guys were lots of fun and once we took our 'snap' everyone else wanted a snap too.

There are a couple of hotelis (restaurants) in Kabarnet where I will go for lunch.  They are owned by the same person.  I prefer Sportsline (no clue why it's called that) because the samosas are better there.  They actually have a sink where you can wash your hands instead of a pitcher or can of water.

I guess the sign works because I have never seen anyone spit.

Back on my compound there was a bit of drama a couple of weeks ago at 2:30am.  One of Mama Rhoda's sons came home and started beating his wife and children.  She was screaming, yelling, the babies were crying, pots, pans and dishes being thrown outside, Sukari barking like a crazy hound and no one did anything.  Remember I live next to the police compound and the deputy is my neighbor! It actually scared me because he didn't seem to be drunk.  I did mention the incident to the other son recently and told him if it happened again, I would be leaving because I would not feel safe here. Well, now the wife and baby are gone.  Mama Rhoda 'chased them away' because of the incident.  The woman always gets blamed in a domestic situation, huh.

This is the sweet six month old girl that was slapped.  I hope they are somewhere safe now.

Another baby cow was born on the compound a month ago and Sukari desperately wants to play with her.  In the beginning the cow feared Sukari but now just butts her in the head.

Also on the compound is a houseboy named Eric.  A really sweet 16 year old orphan. He is a total slave here.  Milking and pasturing the cows, doing laundry, cleaning the houses, cleaning the compound, watching the children, cooking all meals, doing dishes and this is seven days a week.  He left for the holidays a week ago for three weeks.  Then just this morning he was back.  He told me Mama Rhoda changed her mind about his vacation and ordered him back here or he would lose his job.  He would be 'chased away.'  He was crying and very sad.  He had gone to visit one of his brothers that he had managed to locate after 8 years.  He asked me to help him find another position.  You better believe I'm on it.  He is so abused here.

I will usually ask Eric to help me with cleaning and laundry just so I can give him some money.

For Thanksgiving I had no real plans to go anywhere.  Other peeps were heading to the coast and I didn't want to make the trek.  In talking to my pal Madame Roseline, she insisted we return to Lake Bogoria to celebrate the american holiday and also do some work brainstorming.  I'm in.

Her phone is permanently attached to her ear but she can certainly multitask.

Last time I went with her to the lake, we never actually went to the lake per se, just to the 'spa' near the lake.  So this time she was determined we would go see the hot springs and pink flamingos.  We decided to go later in the afternoon when it would not be so hot as the sun would be setting.

It really is beautiful and I was enthralled with this mating ritual of the flamingos.  They literally form lines and strut across the water passing each member of the other flock and moving on.

We drove on the see the hot springs and it was sad to see all the rubbish everywhere. There really aren't springs or geysers but just bubbling eddys in an area just off the shore of the lake.  It's hot though, with steam rising and blowing.  The locals like to stand in the steamy area and breath in the mist because they think it is healing.  Waaaaaay too hot and stinky for me.

As we headed out of the lake park area, the sun was beginning to set and colors were amazing.  I can only imagine what the picture would be like if I had a better camera.  The little pink bodies were so bright reflecting in the water that it is hard to separate them from it.

I was glad I got to see them but am not surprised the park was mainly empty--it's expensive to go there for the locals.

Roseline and I did discuss some business and created a plan to develop a demonstration garden on the plot near her office for her HIV groups to plant healthy foods.  I agreed to help and also teach some cooking classes if she would plant non traditional veggies like okra, spinach, broccoli and melons.  So we put out the word and had our first planning meeting with the groups.

I was amazed that about 50 people showed.  We divided the garden spaces and I talked to them about preparing the soil and maintaining a weedless plot.  We resumed the next week to begin to plant.

I was impressed with their hard work clearing the area of overgrown bush and weeds.  They had really paid attention!

There was still one remaining stubbon stump that this man managed to remove by the end of the day with his panga.

Roseline had installed a water tank to be used for the garden and I stressed the need to moisten the soil well before planting the seeds. On the end of the hose is a gizmo akin to what you would use to put oil in your car.

So now it is all planted and I will show you how the garden grows in the near future.

Soon my baby girl Stephanie will return for another trek thru Kenya with me.  This time we will actually have more time at my site than on her last visit.  So in preparation Steph, here is your daytime bathroom.  I will make sure you have plenty of tp and wet wipes.

And here is your night time bathroom.  This is because there is no light on the compound, there are critters outside and the rocks are slippery.  So start practicing your squats and holding your breath.  And if you get the trots at night--well you're on your own.

I thought about doing a thorough cleaning in my house but decided you needed the REAL Peace Corps experience.  So along with the bucket bath and washing your clothes by hand, you can clean the floors on  your knees and haul and purify water.  Woohoo!

So I'm heading out in the morning for the Christmas holiday in Lamu and then all the way cross country to Lake Victoria and Rusinga Island for new years.  Sukari and I wish you a very blessed season full of family, friends and love.

And when you say your Christmas prayers, whisper one for my sweet boy Cognac who is really struggling now.  He is 14 and really failing rapidly.  My Christmas wish is that he will hold on till I return. But only God has that answer.  Sure miss his sloppy kisses and happy tail.

Home Ain't What It Used To Be

I'm penning this from Nairobi where I will be seeing the drive-thru dentist in the morning for a root canal on that troublesome tooth.  I call him that because he can do an exam and cleaning in 30 minutes flat! When PCVs come to Nairobi we are booked at the government rate at the Kenyan Continental Hotel.  It's in a decent part of town, has free wifi and hot water.  Those are the good things.  The flip side is that it is a ghetto hotel, no screens on the windows or bars.  I like to stay in the 'new wing' where the rooms are bigger and you get a chair in your room.  Not supposed to stay on this wing though because one time a PCV came back to her room to find a couple of workers 'gettin it on' in her bed in the middle of the day.  Whatever.  We are in Kenya. We often have lots of other peeps here to keep us company as they traverse from other areas to the PC office on business or just passing through on a vaca.  We often put out alerts looking to share a room on the PC dime.  It's not uncommon to have five peeps in a room with a mattress pulled off the bed or sleeping in purloined chairs to bed down for free.  We are cheap!  Did I really say that?  One of the unique things about the rooms is the cleaning. Think wish and a prayer and god forbid if they wipe the zillion dead mosquitos off the walls that we have squished on our visits.  They must be trophys!

Anyhoo, this missive is about my burning yen to take Sukari to visit MaMa in Maralal.  Ever since I left there in January, I have been dreaming about a doggie reunion and a chance to see Father Jorge again.  But a two day, 18 hour matatu trip was out of the question.  I needed a free lift.

I got that opportunity when my friend Maggie called to say some people she knew were coming to Kenya to scout out a location to do a reforestation project.  They thought the arid lands around Maralal would be ideal and needed a scout with connections.  I'm in.  They agreed to my terms which included taking Sukari and getting us back to Kabarnet three days later by non matatu transport.

I met them at a local Kabarnet hotel where they had hired an uptown matatu (think clean, cushioned seats and knowledgeable driver) which had brought them from Nairobi and would squire them on their trek.  They were a family of four, Jewish, vegan, formerly from the US, now living in India, alternative lifestyles and had done projects like this in India and Haiti.  They also had their business manager along to assess the situation--a nice Indian gal from Dallas. I KNEW this was going to be an interesting ride!

We were an hour late leaving since they needed to eat their breakfast in and out of the matatu.  Imagine a clan with a 4 and 12 year old girls, noshing avocados and watermelon without implements.  Quite a sight.
Picture what you would look like after a food fight and you get the picture.

And we're off.  Chatting them up along the way, I ask how they managed to arrange a month off from school.  Well.  They don't go to school--they are 'unschooled' which means they believe in learning from life experiences.  When the child feels the need to learn, say math or science, in greater depth then they will teach them.  This 'openness' also applies to discipline.  There isn't any.  Children can do as they please as long as it is not harmful to another.  But, that harm doesn't include rudeness, inconsideration or bad manners.  Because these things are not harmful.  Okaaaaaaaaaay.  Holy Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

An hour into the trip I began to feel like I had hitched a ride on the 'Little Miss Sunshine" bus with the 'Fockers" enroute to 'Woodstock'.  AND, I had arranged for them to stay with me at my old house on Father Jorge's Catholic compound?  Whoooooooooa.  This sounds like a movie, right?

Sukari didn't mind the people but she was not digging the long matatu trip.  He longest ride as a big girl was 5km to our house each day in a taxi.  So she hurled constantly,  Everyone was cool about it and we would stop when she did to take a piece of paper and scoop out the upchuck and proceed.  What should have taken 4.5 hours took 9.  We had to stop for everything, including a few 'family conferences' when one of the kids had a temper tantrum (yep, the 12 y/o) and they would chat it out.  Excuuuuse me. 

By the time we arrived after dark, I was ready to kill someone.  We arrived at Father Jorge's compound and I rattled the gate for the watchman to open up.  My head was swirling with excited thoughts of how Sukari would sniff MaMa, tail wagging and they would be off running as MaMa wagged her tail with joy to see her baby girl again and show her around her former home.  But just in case, I kept Sukari on her leash.

The watchman was opening the gate with MaMa on her leash and I called to her.  She was over the moon with excitement at the sound of my voice.  I went inside first, alone, to give her some love.  When I had wiped the doggy kisses off my face and dirt off my clothes from her tackle, I went to get Sukari.  She had smelled MaMa, knew who she was and was whining and wagging her tail with joy.  I led her inside for the nose-to-nose  and then all hell broke loose.  When I would touch Sukari, MaMa would growl, bark and try to nip her.  Not a good thing.  Okay.  Leashes will stay on for a while longer.

We got settled in my house after kisses and hugs from Father.  Immediately upon entering, the 4 y/o strips naked and proceeds to go about moseying around. She decided that it was time for some watermelon.  So her mom cut one from their food storage in half, put it on the table and the two kids dove in.  With their hands!  No slicing, no utensils.  Just take that paw and grab a big hunk and nosh on it. Or better yet, put your whole face in it. It was like watching sharks at a feeding frenzy!  Soon seeds, juice, and rinds covered the table and floor. I mentioned to the 12 y/o that she should wipe up the table and floor or we would have a colony of ants feasting in the morning.  I got a hairy eyeball look and then she called "Mama."  Who came and cleaned up all the mess.  You gotta be kidding me!  Then Mom stated that it was time for a shower and the temper tantrums began.  By both girls.  The whole family retreated to the tiny 4X6 bathroom, closed the door and held a family conference in private.  The end result being Mom agreed to give the girls a bucket bath.  This meant they would stand in the shower area while Mom would splash buckets of water on their soapy bodies.  Conclusion?  The whole bathroom was flooded and I needed a shower.  I asked the 12 y/o to wipe up the floor so I could have some dry space and once again got that 'piss off' look.  Well. I'm pissed now.  So I picked up HER towel and wiped up the floor with it, handed the soppy towel back to her and closed the door in her face. Brat!

Thankfully they had meetings with my contacts each day scouting land so I had the days free to visit my peeps, play with MaMa and chat up Father Jorge.  Sukari loved roaming a huge compound fancy free.  I knew when she went to visit MaMa, who was kept on her leash, because I would hear the barking and growling.  Sukari gets high marks for trying.  MaMa was just way too jealous to befriend her.  I'm sure Sukari had a few heart pangs because once I caught her sitting a leash distance away from MaMa just looking at her while wagging her tail.  I bet she was thinking 'what happened to all the motherly love?' and wishing it could be different.  One visit I made to MaMa with Sukari, MaMa managed to get free of her leash and bounded after Sukari.  Sukari immediately went into the submissive position, MaMa sniffed and then started to growl.  Not a menacing 'I'm gonna bite you growl' but a warning growl.  I called to her and she immediately stopped and came over to be with me.  I put her back on her leash in her doghouse.  I don't think she would have bitten Sukari but I wasn't going to test it knowing there is no vet that treats dogs in Maralal.  Camels and cows, yep. Dogs, not so much.

One evening I went out to dinner with my pals in Maralal and left Sukari at home alone.  When the 'Fockers' returned (they told me this later), Sukari wanted to go outside but they were proud to say they didn't let her. Sukari would stand at the door and bark but they did not let her go out.  Of course this was 'distressing' to Sukari.  So the Mom decided Sukari needed something for anxiety.  She reached into her medicine bag (did I mention they practice herbal medicine?) and dissolved a pill into her water.  Then tried to get her to drink it but she just barked at them and wouldn't.  Upon hearing this story, I explained that Sukari has been trained not to eat or drink anything if home alone so she wont have to toilet in the house.  BUT, when I come home she can go outside to take care of business and that was why she acted the way she did. 'Oh.'  Duh!!!!

After 4 days with the wackadoodles, Sukari and I needed to escape so I told them to arrange my transport back to Kabarnet.  They were going to stay till Sunday and I needed to get back, PLUS I am nearly insane now anyway.  So their driver went to town and hired a local with a nice car.  But he couldn't leave that day because to make a long trip, he needed to get the starter fixed.  Yep, that would be a good thing.  So we headed out in his nice station wagon on Friday morning.  Sukari had constant anxiety drool but no barfing.  Guess she is a seasoned traveler now.  By the time we arrived at Marigat after 4 hours on dusty ravine roads and found the tarmac once again, this car is now a POS.  There are rattles everywhere and the wheels sound and feel like they will fall off the car.  We stop several times for him to haul out the lug wrench and tighten them up.  Doesn't do any good because the alignment is shot.  He asks about a garage in Kabarnet for realignment the next day.  We drove the last 60km at 30km/hr for fear the car would lose control.  Painful!!!

So we were happy to be back home again.  The 'Fockers' found  some land for a site.  And, I have seen enough of a four year old's vagina to last a lifetime, and sparred with an illiterate pre-teen enough to never want to be around another one.  And Sukari?  At least she got to see and sniff MaMa even if they didn't romp in the grass together.  Maybe in her dreams she can do that.

African Oasis

A big shout out to my new Peace Corps pal, Andrea, who hooked me up with this mini vaca a couple of weeks ago.  Her boss  who runs MwAfrica, an HIV/AIDS group funded by the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation, was having a meeting at the Lake Bogoria Resort.  I had bonded with Madame Rosealine and was asked to be their guest.  I have been trying to get there myself.  It is only 20km from my site by one way matatu.  And that's the problem.  You can get there easily but you can't get out.  Which wouldn't be so bad if you could stay forever, but otherwise you have to hire a driver to get back to wherever or the matatu stage.

We hired a matatu both ways for the trip down the mountain to the super hot town of Marigat which rests between the two mountain ranges to arrive at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort.

I got really excited when I saw "spa" and am thinking massage.  No such luck.  It only meant that one of the pools was a hot pool fed by natural hot springs.  The resort is owned by the former Kenyan President Moi and he will soon own the nearby Lake Boringo Resort.  Who said politics won't make you rich.

As far as resorts go, it wouldn't qualify.  Unless, you consider the 'amenities' of large grounds with grazing, native animals, two pools and two restaurants.

Greeting our arrival were the native storks that have built their nests in the massive acacia tree that towers over the entrance.

They are relatively quiet as they go about their construction and you really are only aware of them as you hear the swoosh of their wings and feel the wind draft as they pass.  They are extremely agile for such a massive bird.  At first I thought they were cranes.  But up close, you are awed by their size, standing over 4' tall.

They preferred the cold water pool to fill their long gullet with refreshment for the babies.

Yep.  This is Kenya and the cold water pool.  It really wasn't cold but just right for swimming in the heat.  As you can see, most Kenyans like the hot water so I had this one all to myself.  Actually, there were few Kenyans there, mostly Asian and German tourists.  It was funny to see the look on their faces when tasting ugali.  They didn't like it either.

The resort has been updated over the years to have hot water and air conditioning but still resembles a Holiday Inn.  We were told the entire resort will be leveled in the new year to make a truly modern jewel.There was no shower but a massive 6' bathtub that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Must have been a keepsake from the colonial era.  I filled that tank and laid back in warm water not even touching end to end. Aaaaah!

Two restaurants is really a misnomer.  One was cafe style and served only breakfast.  Where undoubtedly you would be accosted by the colobus monkeys stealing the food right off your plate!  They were a nuisance and the waiters kept sticks at hand to shoo them.

This thief is enjoying his fruit.  Of course the tourists are to blame because they liberally toss food to them.

Strolling the grounds are a pair of ostrich that don't seem to mind people or even the monkeys.

Overall the food was quite good.  It was nice to have a variety but especially cucumbers.  Oh how I have missed them.  Even fresh tilapia was a tasty treat.

About 5km down the road from the resort is the actual Lake Bogoria, but we never saw it as we had no wheels.  I understand it is quite a site with geysers and hot springs.  Next time.

The two days went waaaaaay too fast but long enough to get a mini tan and unwind.  On the way home we had to make a highway stop to let some travelers pass.

These camels were coming from Somalia, as most do, and they really don't like vehicles.  They will run for the hills if you don't stop and turn off your engine.

After my horrific prior week with my tooth and stitches, I needed this.  Thanks Andrea.

It's My 'Pity Party'

Nope. Definitely not your ordinary day.  I woke with the sunrise from a fitful sleep on the fourth day of my wicked toothache. Definitely worse today. I had a root canal and crown on this tooth before I left the states so I knew this had to be a gum/bone issue.  It feels like someone is trying to pull out the tooth excruciatingly slow.  Even touching it with my tongue hurts. So I dress, have a few cups of coffee and head out with Sukari to my usual four hours of solitaire while waiting for a call back from PC medical office.  After a bit 'Dr. Lisa' calls and sends me to the local chemist to get some azithromycin. I get three tablets for $4 and buy a sprite at a duka to wash one down.  While I'm on the street, I decide to get some beef from the butcher and bones for my girl.  The new PC kid in town, Andrea, wants to make some burgers with me.

As I stroll back to work with thoughts of how this medicine better cure my problem, I remember that I have another problem--hakuna maji. Yep. we've been cut off again and its been two weeks. My emergency supply of water is almost gone. So I decide to go fetch after work at 1.

Even though my head is banging, I remember the three days of dirty dishes on my counter and we hop in my favorite cab, Kim, and I tell him we are going to my house to get my jeri cans and go fetch.  I leave Sukari for her afternoon nap and lug my three cans into the back of his hatchback cab for the short trip to the water treatment plant.  I had been told that you could get water here cheap and it is much closer to my house.  We creep slowly up the dirt, rocky road and back up to the water tower.  We're trying to figure out how to turn on the hose as big as a firehose, when a man comes running from the office wiping his lunch off his face.  He climbs up the tall metal ladder and turns on the hose.  We fill my cans, load them back up, I pay my 5 shillings for my khaki colored water and we creep back down the rocky road so we don't flip over the cans in the back of Kim's hatchback cab.  One of them doesn't have a cap on it.

We arrive at the top of the hill by my house, I hear Sukari barking (she knows the sound of Kim's rickety taxi), Kim gets his trusty stick to prop the hatchback up and we both reach inside to haul out the jeri cans.  Then, the stick breaks. And down comes the hatchback right on my head.  Whack!  I swear I really saw stars. I limped a few steps to a tree and leaned against it to clear my head.  Then I felt something on my neck.  I wiped with my hand and blood was everywhere. I called "Kim" and he turned to me and the whites of his eyes were huuuuuuuuuuge.  He said "we go to district hospital sasa!" and reached inside his car to hand me a muddy blue rag he uses to wipe the dew off the windshield. I pressed it to my head and it was quickly becoming soaked.  The local houseboy was outside with the cows and with a terror stricken face managed to utter that he would take the water to my house,  The Mamas and kids playing in the yard were starting to run over to me as we hopped in the taxi and sped down the road.  I've never knew Kim to drive so fast.

As Kim, deathly silent. dodged the car eating potholes and beeped at the people walking on the road, I was wondering what a "district" hospital would be like? I had never been there but heard that it was a big place and could handle anything.

Well, it is bigger than most other places I've seen, except the REAL hospital in Nairobi where I had my leg surgery. I wish I could have taken pictures to show you.  But, with one hand carrying my purse and the other holding the rag to my head, it wasn't gonna happen.  So I'll try to give you some kodak moments in words.

It's a white rectangular building the size of maybe three decent sized medical offices in the states.  We pass through the waiting/reception area--six long wooden picnic table style benches on each side, no lights, blood/dirt stained floor and empty.  We head down a short hallway, Kim leading me like a frightened puppy, to a room marked treatment area.  Inside is a desk with two female students checking each others blood pressure.  When they see the blood on me they jump up and lead me to another room marked 'emergency.'  Inside is a open bay style room, long six foot metal sink, one exam table and two other patients seated on plastic chairs.  One is an elderly man with bloody dripping gauze over his finger dripping into a plastic bowl on the floor,  which looks completely severed.  The other is a young girl with a cut hand being attended by a lady.

My two nursing attendants usher me to my own plastic chair and this young lad (I think he's no more than 18) swaggers over to look at me.  I know there is a doctors strike on and he says he is a medical assistant.  He is dressed to impress.  Suit jacket with sleeves folded up to the elbow, shirts sleeves carefully folded over the jacket arms with sparkling gold cufflinks twinkling, crisply ironed khaki slacks and shoes buffed like mirrors. Hot stuff! He peeks at my head and says I will need stitches.  I ask him to clean the wound so I can take a peek at it.  He says to Kim that he doesn't have any sterile gloves and if I want them, we have to go buy them (Im wondering if the guy with the severed finger bought his?) and Kim rushes out to buy gloves down the hall.

Back with the gloves, he dons them, grabs a bottle of saline solution and then is looking around for gauze.  He starts to grab a bloody piece from the plastic bowl on the floor and I tell him I will buy gauze.  He opens a cabinet for a new package, tells me to hang my head over the bloody bowl on the floor while he pours the saline on my head, trying to guide the flow with a gauze pad.  Once dabbed, I head to the mirror over the sink to look.  I can't see it very well because there is no light on, but it seems to be about six inches long with a one inch section at the end still globbing blood.  So I agree to let him stitch it.

I ask if he will use a local and he shows me a bottle.  He says he needs to shave the area and asks for a scalpel.  The assistant comes back with a sterile packet, rips it open to reveal half a razor blade. I'm thinking 'holy shit.'  He starts to scrape away with this half a blade and then his cell phone rings.  He steps away from me, the assistant reaches in his pocket for the phone and puts it to his ear.  Only in Kenya right?  He has a two minute conversation and then returns to shaving my head area.  He calls for a syringe and I see a six inch needle on a tiny tube and know this is gonna hurt.  He jabs my head with it as I'm bending over this bloody bowl on the floor when the tears start silently rolling down my face.  A truly "WTF am I doing here?" moment.  Then he calls for 'suture' and a mega ball of nylon string appears, he snips a piece easily five feet long, and I see the curling mass dangle out of the corner of my eye.  I swear this stuff should be on the end of a fishing rod, NOT going into my scalp! He pokes it thru my skin and hits the area with no local and I wince. I know I'm gonna have a bugger of a headache later that may rival my toothache.  A big squirt of betadine after the two stitches, a clump of gauze, and three mega strips of white tape and I'm done.

We go back to the first treatment room where he borrows my pen to make chart notes on a piece of paper retrieved from the trash can. I tell him I've had a tetanus, have pain drugs at home and just started antibiotics in the am.  Kim meanwhile, is still at my side like a faithful puppy and is offering to pay but says he will have to bring the money next week because he doesn't have it now.  I insist that I will pay, tell him I have insurance and fork over 500 shillings ($6) and we are headed back to the taxi.

On the taxi ride home, Kim is stoically apologetic.  I know he thinks he just lost his best customer and I'm wondering if the muzungu at the hospital has spread through the grapevine yet.  Once home I know the answer.  Everyone is sitting on the front stoop and come to greet me with 'so sorry, pole, pole.'  Sukari sees the big bandage on my head and just wants to sniff it and cuddle up next to me.  Once inside I settle into my big uncomfortable chair and have a good cry.  After a few minutes of pity party, I remind myself I just had two hours of this and the average Kenyan deals with it every day!!!  So I snap the elastic on my big girl panties and go in search of pain drugs.

Crap. No where to be found.  I just knew I had a stash and tore up everything in the hunt.  No luck.  I chomped down some more tylenol, tried to eat a banana but my tooth would not allow it.  Between my toothache and stitches on the same side of my head, I now felt like I had a tomahawk stuck in my scalp.  I needed to get my mind off it so I decided to wash my dirty dishes and do some laundry.  When I looked at that khaki colored water again--no deal.  So I hit the biggest container with a purifier.  Didn't even make a dent.  So I doused it again and it cleared enough to at least not stain my clothes but no way was I going to wash my dishes with that!  I filled my clothes line and then back to my chair to think of what to do next for a distraction.  MY HEAD IS KILLING ME!  If I had a pair of plyers I swear I would yank that tooth out of my head as I think it is the biggest problem.

I feed Sukari, play toss with her for a bit, wash my face and then decide that if I take a sleeping pill that might at least put me out of it.  8pm I down that sucker and crawl into bed.   It kinda worked.  At least I got another fitful night.

Back up at sunrise and another call to medical for pain drugs.  I do some more laundry to bide my time till the chemist opens and the phone calls start.  Word is all over town.  Everyone from my office is calling.  And of course, Kenyans don't have phone conversations.  They ask how you are, you answer, they hang up.  No goodbye.  That means they are coming over.  Sure enough by 9am I have two visitors that stay till noon.  I am so miserable I could cry again.  I want my drugs!!  Andrea calls and I ask her to be my delivery gal.  My two guests leave and I go to get in bed and another two people come to visit.  Dear God--I think I'll go insane!!  Fortunately they don't stay long.

Andrea arrives with my drugs, helps me shave the rest of my head with my clippers, remakes my top bunk for me with the clean sheets and another visitor arrives.  At least now I've had my drugs so I'm okay.  After a short visit and a very looooooooooooong prayer for my speedy recovery, Andrea and I ground up that beef and made our burgers.

After she left, I had just enough clean water left to wash my skanky body and the dishes.  I did manage to eat a big bowl of rice and now am ready for my bed.  I took a pain pill for good measure and my clean sheets will feel nice tonite.

Tomorrow when I see the people in town they will be too distracted by my frankenstein stitches to ask me if the zit on my face is a mosquito bite.  I'm grateful for the little things.  Ahhhhhhhhh, lala salama.