Nakuru

So yesterday was my triumphant return to Kenya. I am here on GCS business, which I'll discuss in another post. My first stop after arriving was at Java House for some free wireless and a really good milkshake. I put the wireless to some good uses, but I also used it to edit the GCS blog so that I usually appear as Daniel instead of Dan (it might seem nitpicky, but Dan is my father, and I always introduce myself as Daniel, though I often seem to become Dan). Then I went to Upper Hill, which is where I usually stay in Nairobi, since it's a pretty friendly and affordable place.

This morning I grabbed a matatu to town and hopped on another one going to Nakuru (200 km northwest of Nairobi). We got there in 2 1/2 hours. The objective was to visit a site for Running Water International (RWI), since I'm trying to learn more about their work. They are working to manufacture and disseminate bio-sand filters (by sending water through a column of sand, it is possible to remove bacteria and other disease causing organisms as well as certain minerals). They seem to have the process down really well and some cool ideas to be a zero-waste enterprise, but selling water purification systems is always a challenge. Fortunately, I enjoy a good challenge.

I also demonstrated the maize sheller for some students at the polytechnic (similar to a technical college) where RWI is based. There was no maize to run through it, but they were pretty impressed. The teacher kept instructing them to speak to me in "kizungu" (roughly equivalent to "White Man's Language", rather than kiingereza=English). The technician who was helping me with the assembly was named Kamau and was really handy. At one point, the students were talking about tribes (always an interesting conversation in Kenya) and I told them that I was from the Taita tribe (my community had told me as much during my time there in 2009). Kamau looked up and greeted me in the Taita language. Fortunately I know the response, but not much else. Then he said something to me that baffled me completely. I put on a guilty smile and replied with "thank you" in the language. He laughed and said that I was a true Taita and then started talking about other tribes. It was a good demonstration but I was pressed for time, so I had to pack up quickly and rush for a matatu back to Nairobi.

My goal was to get back to Nairobi by 2:30. I boarded the vehicle at 2:00. Fortunately, we only caught the start of rush hour and I arrived at 4:45. I had kept Jodie and Reuben (a new addition to the GCS team, who I met today) waiting, but the timing seemed to work out well. I was a little worn down from not quite getting enough sleep and then eating only three apples the whole day, but this is only the start of my brief Kenyan adventure and my triumphant return.