I left Maralal at 4am on 18 December with a driver taking me to the Samburu airstrip for a flight to Nairobi. He had never been to Maralal before (lots of people haven't) and also had never been to the Samburu airstrip. Off we went and he only got lost when when were near the airstrip. I was getting a bit antsy but have looooong since learned not to sweat things here, so he made a call for directions. As we were nearing the strip a plane flies overhead and I comment that "I bet that's my flight." He had no comment and when we arrived, sure enough it was. I just looked at him and said "You better get me to Nairobi today if you have to drive me. Do you want to call your boss or shall I?" He slinked away to make a call and returned a few minutes later saying "the plane is coming back for you in 15 minutes." Well, you know what I'm thinking right? But I don't say it, just sit down in the hot sun, check my watch and wait. There is no airport terminal here, just a dusty airstrip with some white plastic chairs and a few local Samburus standing around shooting the breeze. Can you get this? 15 minutes later the plane lands, the pilot opens the door and yells "you Christyne?" I answer and haul my bag into a mesh and elastic area inside the back of the plane, buckle up and we're off. No security check, no ID required, no weighing of luggage. Just 12 seats and four other people are on board. It was a smooth ride for 30 minutes to Nairobi.
In Nairobi I grabbed my bag and hopped in my cab for some quick shopping stops before settling into my hotel. Dusty and whupped, I was in bed asleep by 9pm. Up again at 6am for a quick breakfast and then off to the airport to meet Steph's flight. And there she was!! A vision of beauty I had not seen in over six months. She had followed my instructions to sleep on the flight so we could storm Nairobi.
And we were off--first stop some lunch before hitting the museums. The western-style Westgate Mall has some nice cafes and shops and we needed some food to tide us over until we settled into the dining car on the train to Mombassa at 7pm.
Next stop was the National Museum. Although it houses some fabulous treasures dating back centuries, they are also in cases that have been neglected and poorly lit. My favorite part is the sculpture gardens that surround the museum and the medicinal garden that showcases an assortment of herbal treatments for various maladies.
We didn't have time to peruse the inside of the museum as we needed to dash to meet our train for Mombassa and it was rush hour in Nairobi. As it turned out, traffic was light because the matatu drivers were on strike for fare increases.
The train goes TO Mombassa every Monday and RETURNS every Wednesday only. This is a very old train on a very old track built back in the British colonial period. Nothing has been done to it (barely) since the 50's. You can ride First Class or Open Class. With First Class you get a bunkbed sleeping compartment for two (better travel with a pal or you will end up with a stranger) and a full dinner in the dining car. Open Class is the cattle car with minimal seating. I don't do cattle cars.
While the conductor was having a heated conversation with some would-be passengers who were desperate to get on a fully booked train for the holidays, we noticed another train on the parallel track headed to Kisumu in western Kenya. It had barely come to a stop and throngs of people were running to hop aboard. This train had only open seating for the same overnight trip as we would have to Mombassa. Yuk! Open seating means there are about as many seats as you would find in a dining car without the tables. Well put Steph. So we were watching the spectacle. Too many people with stuff and not enough doors for everyone to pile through fast enough creates quite a kodak moment for those of us watching.
Since the conductor was still on the platform arguing with the wanna-be passengers, he decided to ring the dinner bell or the two dinner seatings would never happen and we were already an hour behind. So we headed off to chow down.
We had mystery soup, because we weren't sure what the chunks were that were floating in it, but think it was mushroom. There was of course ugali, rice, potatoes and some roast chicken and stewed beef. After dinner it was bedtime as we were wiped. Steph videoed me walking back to the room and thought it was hilarious! The train was rocking and swaying and the hallway was barely wide enough to traverse, so I looked like I had had waaaay too much to drink.
In the morning after a non-descript breakfast we settled by the window to watch our arrival in the coastal region. Of course we had to stop in every small town along the way and here are some shots of the sights.
Finally we arrived in Mombasa to meet my fellow Peace Corps pal "Dutch" who was our official tour guide for the area. She had lots planned for us too. We stowed our bags at her tiny two room place and headed out to tour the city. It was bustling with activity pre holiday. We walked through the "old city" and settled on a favorite place of hers to have lunch on the water. It was late for lunch but the server assured us they had food. We placed our orders and were told a few minutes later that they were all out of those choices. So we made second choices. None of that either. Third choices were also declined and finally Dutch irately asked "what do you have today?" The only options were beef or vegetable pilau. Guess that is what we'll eat. I had the beef and thought I was going to lose my crowns and didn't eat most of it. When the bill came, Dutch told them we weren't paying for the beef and berated the server for the poor quality of the food. We paid and walked on down the street to observe the interesting old architecture of the buildings and doorways as we sidestepped the open sewage troughs flowing thru the narrow streets. Soon we heard the waiter come yelling after us that we had not paid for the beef. Dutch lit into him and I thought she was about to beat him with her "mary poppins" umbrella as she yelled "I told you we weren't paying for the mbaya beef!" And off we went again. We strolled thru the old market area and Steph had fresh coconut peeled on the spot. Very soft shell and meat and just sweet enough to be refreshing.
It was time to traipse over to Fort Jesus which is an historic buttress along the water built by the Portuguese in the 1500s as they were the first settlers to the area. It is so named because as Catholics they wanted to construct it in the shape of the cross.
Dutch had originally planned for us to stay at a rooms in a local house. Since it had no hot water or air (Mombasa is like New Orleans in August this time of year) I opted for a little luxury that included both and a pool. So we checked into the Tamarind. It is a well known beachside resort with awesome food, service, dhow cruises and even a casino right on the Indian Ocean.
We had a yummy dinner alfresco at the hotel of fresh prawns and red snapper before calling it a night. We were off to meet more of my pals in Kilifi in the morning to tour the Gede Ruins.
Try thinking about your most frustrating moments and how you deal with them? For Steph it was the whole matatu experience. Hearing a cacophony of voices yelling "where to", grabbing your bags,boom box music from the 60's blaring from inside and bumping you while you are trying to negotiate your fare for the ride. I saw Steph's eyes glaze over in complete shock before the pressure blew and she was like a tom in a catfight snatching back her bag and pushing people away. Dutch gives her senior smile as do I, we are veterans to this process now. Onboard with the rest of the smelly crowd, we pass hundreds of acres of sisal growing to produce the lovely baskets and floor mats we all enjoy.
The Gede Ruins date back to the 13th century and were mysteriously abandoned in the 1600s, probably due to war and strife. There are clear remains of a very organized and efficient society that built a complete town, seven mosques and even some ingenious toilets for their era.
Now it's off to lunch and Jenn had been working with a local eco-tourist camp nearby that had a cool facility and raised all their own food. Sounds terrific! This is also where Steph had the honor to meet Jesus. Lucky girl!
As it happens, Steph was taking the "family" picture and a young white guy approached her with a very important story that "would change her life." He ordered up a round of sodas (which we quickly told Steph to be sure she didn't hold the tab on that) and ushered his family upstairs to tell his tale. He stated he was channeling Che Gueverra in a former life, we were all related to each other and he himself was Jesus. He put his foot up on the chair to show his foot wounds (cigarette burns?) as proof. He wanted Steph to write his life story and post it on the web. Steph let him know she was not a very good writer and he stated she must destroy the photo since she would not show the world proof.
[By this point I'm getting a bit concerned that Steph may be a bum magnet for every local weirdo. There was already a guy on the matatu that was encroaching on her personal space by trying ever so stealthily to put his arm around her. She hopped into the seat next to me at the first opportunity!]
We left Jenn and Kelly in Kilifi and headed back to Mombasa after Dutch got into a shouting match with the matatu driver over the fare. Muzungus are constant prey for overcharging and sometimes it will really wigg you out. I separated them and got us a matatu for the right price.
Back at the Tamarind, we had a nice alfresco dinner again and Dutch packed up (she was crashing with us) to head to South Africa in the morn for Christmas. We didn't even hear her leave at 4am. We enjoyed our lazy day by the pool before strolling to board the dhow for a dinner cruise and local water sights.
That nasty looking millipede is nicknamed "mombasa train" and we saw lots of them. They are harmless but really creep me out and Steph loved to spook me with them. Pest!
The dhow was really good seafood and after we docked we packed up and decided to hit the casino. We knew we would be back late and we were leaving the next morning for the south coast as it would be Christmas Eve. We enjoyed the hours and hours at the casino--but of course gave all our winnings back.
[Oh. Steph's bum magnet is still working overtime! We stopped for iced tea on our return from Kilifi and a creepy guy whispered to me that he could get her an evening date and make alot of money. Then a strange guy who sat at the table with us on the dhow wanted to show us his videos of lion kills in the Masai Mara last year. He whipped open his ipad and played movie after movie. All he cared about was watching lions kill their prey. Sicko! I reminded Steph that her shoulder tattoo and sleeveless blouse were scarlet letters in Kenya]
In the morning our driver was waaaay late to take us to south coast peninsula town Ukindu where we would spend several days at the Pinewood Resort. As a result we were caught in a monumental traffic jam waiting to load onto the ferry. What should have taken about an hour took four. At least we had a/c. Here are some sights from the traffic jam along the route.
We checked into Pinewood, a charming place at the tip of the peninsula, and were treated to a fabulous koi pond, baby turtles, and rabbit breeding. All meticulously maintained for the pelasure of the guests in their natural habitat. There were even colobus monkeys that played in the trees and scampered across your balcony looking for items to filch. You had to be diligent about locking your doors because they a very smart little fellas and will walk right in and make themselves at home.
One the the items on Steph's list was to swim in the Indian Ocean. She did. Hated it! It was beyond bathtub warm--probably about 95 degrees and no relief. She went in at low tide and had to walk thru seaweed and it was icky.
[Are you tired of reading yet? My brain and fingers are numb but I am determined to get this finished before my internet minutes run out in 10 days. Granted, this is not the normal vacation for a Kenyan--not even close. But occasionally you have to go big, right!]
So let's move on to Maralal. This is my old site and I wanted Steph to see how I really live daily. We hired a transport for the trip and neither of the drivers had ever been there. Not uncommon since Kenyans rarely go to places outside their work or home locations--too expensive to travel on their meager incomes. It only took 9 hours this way--woohoo--instead of the usual 20 on a matatu. As we arrived on a Wednesday, Steph got to reeeeeeeally live my life--no power. We had a nice candlelight dinner while we swatted bugs and mosquitos and waited to shower off the road dust tomorrow when their would be hot water.
I told you I had attended a training class recently where we learned lots of new things. One being how to make a bag garden, aka vertical garden. I had promised Father Jorge to show his shamba man how if he got me the fertilizer etc. So Steph and I showed Samuel how to grow kale, a staple here, in a bag and reduce the amount of water and space needed.
She enjoyed comparing the different tribal areas, now Samburu, and seeing the variety of climate and customs.
After three days here we were off again for the final leg of our trip--Samburu National Reserve. It is a safari camp about 5 hours southeast of Maralal and home to some unique species of animals only found in this part of Kenya. We were staying at a very small "camp" that only allows 16 guests, Saruni. It was built 3 years ago by Riccardo Ortiz, a former CNN world correspondent and author from Italy. I had met him several months ago in Nanyuki and he had arranged our entire Christmas vacation. Well done Riccardo. The camp sent a driver for us and when we arrived there, the vehicle had to literally climb the side of the mountain to get to the site on top.
Everything about our time here was straight from the movie Out of Africa. Beautiful scenery, local Samburu in native clothing as guides and waiters, and incredible wildlife. Talk around the table was of how we would spend each day--nature walks, tracking lions or leopards or just lolling in the absolute stillness of the surroundings.
We opted for the tracking part and were awakened by someone gently calling "good morning" at 5:30 am (ungodly hour for vacation) and holding a tray of hot coffee, fruit and pastry. We were loaded up by 6am as the sun rose behind the mountain and our tracker and guide slowly drove our jeep thru the reserve observing the footprints of animals on their morning hunt.
The trackers keep in contact with each other via short wave and we soon learned of two female lions having a warthog for a snack. We zoomed to the location to watch.
And we saw a leopard!!!!! Not many do. We saw his tracks and boom there he was just walking down the road. Very exciting. We made the early morning trek for four days in a row and also went out on an afternoon hunt when we saw the leopard. This is not a fenced preserve so the animals are free to roam wherever. The locals are amazed that our only experience with these animals is in a zoo.
Nearby we visited a local Samburu village so Steph could see local life, The women are in charge of EVERYTHING! That means cooking, cleaning, raising children, building the houses and literally keeping the home fires burning. They all came out to greet us singing and dancing as they brought us into their compound. They grabbed us by each arm and invited us to dance with them as the children swayed on their backs or ran around looking at the strange white women.
I bid a very sad farewell to my baby girl after our wonderful three week trek and she headed off to Nairobi for the long flight home. I hopped in a jeep for my transport back to Maralal.
Once there it was time to start packing because moving day was only three days away. Peace Corps had decided it was too dangerous for me to continue my trips to the bush to work with the camel groups and basket ladies. There had been several cases of highway banditry where a couple of people were shot and others robbed. So I am being moved to Kabarnet. It is about 12 hours southwest by matatu but luckily I am being moved so it will be much shorter. I had to leave my sweet Sukari behind as animals are not allowed in Peace Corps vehicles. I cried for at least an hour before we left.
And now I'm here. It is beautiful here. Nestled between two mountain ranges, very green, hot during the day and cool at night. And this is Kalingen tribe area. So this will be the third tribe I get to experience. I am now settled in my little place--not nearly as nice as Maralal, but pleasant. I do not have any running water so have to haul it in jeri cans daily. I've learned to really conserve water just so I dont have to haul it or continually dump out the dirty water. Today, I did my dishes and the rinse water then became a bath for Sukari (yep she's here now) and then I washed the floor with it before I dumped it outside. I have an outside shower room I NEVER use because it is cold and stuffy. So I have a big plastic bowl I use with warm water to sponge bathe and another to rinse. The choo is also outside with the smallest hole I have ever seen in my life. I peed on my shoes and clothes the first couple of days before I found a "short call" soap jug that is much easier to use and empty. I have better aim when it comes to pooping in that tiny hole.
I love my job and the people here. They are very western in dress and demeanor. I work at a SACCO which is like a local credit union. I am helping them get it together. They folded after mucho shillingi in bad loans in 2009 and have reorganized to give it another try. They are already in a precarious spot so it is a daily struggle. Actually encouraged them to go after the old loan money and felt like dog the bounty hunter last week when we went door-to-door chasing it down. Was really funny to have a muzungu tell someone she was going to repo their goat or cow if they didn't pay in 7 days. I will!! I already have a day scheduled with the local askari (police) and a van to accompany me next week.
Okay. That's it. I'm done. Totally whupped now. Don't expect anything anytime soon but when it comes it will be good. Serious Kenyan repo stories!
