Last month, my friend Bernard and I were working on a pedal-power seminar in Uganda, so we took the bus from Arusha. There are buses that go directly to Uganda, but we needed to run a couple of errands in Nairobi, so we stopped off there for a few hours. I went to a phone store and they were able to program a sim card so that I could have my old phone number (when my sim card was stolen, I lost lots of valuable contacts), and I just have to say that Safaricom really has their act together with that sort of thing*.
We had bought tickets and dropped off our bags with Kampala Coach for the 9:30 PM bus. It's nice, since the seats are comfortable, so it's easy to sleep on the way. Unfortunately, our bus didn't show up until 11 PM, so we were pretty tired by that point and fell asleep as soon as we were in our seats. We made it to the border at 9 AM and it was a pretty easy crossing. The bigger hassle was about 2 hours up the road at a checkpoint for the Ugandan Revenue Authority, where they held our bus and made sure that everyone had paid the necessary taxes on what they had brought into the country (one man had 3 of some kind of electronic device, so they figured he was some kind of smuggler). We were glad when they finally let us keep moving.
We admired the view of the Nile as we passed through Jinja and a fellow passenger told us all about the hydro-power station there. We arrived in Kampala at 3 PM (the bus was supposed to arrive at 10 AM) and we discovered that our bags never made it onto the bus. Always make sure that your bags make it onto the bus! After a lot of arguing with the staff, they said that they would make some phone calls and that it would be there the next morning. We went and found a small guest house nearby and grabbed a room and then found some supper before crashing.
Saturday morning, I went back to the Kampala Coach station to ask about the bags and they hadn't arrived. The man made some more phone calls and said that they would be there the next morning. I had to accept that, since I had to go to a meeting. The city was pretty crazy the whole day (and the night before) in preparation for the big Uganda-Kenya soccer match. If Uganda won, they would receive a spot in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. The way that people were blaring their vuvuzelas and running around town hollering and waving flags, you would be forgiven for assuming that they had already won. The match came out as a 0-0 draw, which meant that Uganda will have to try again for the next Africa Cup of Nations in two years. A friend explained that it was because they started their international players who hadn't practiced with the rest of the team, and that they had won the rest of their matches until the last two when those players came back.
I also met with a colleague who attended the Unreasonable Institute in Colorado in 2011 (I attended in 2010) and we talked a lot about his project in Uganda and it was great to sit down with him and talk. He also took me to a small restaurant and introduced me to the rolex, which is a Ugandan food consisting of a scrambled egg rolled up into a chapati (get it? rolled eggs / rolex) and eaten with ketchup and chili sauce. It is delicious.
On Sunday morning, we went back to the Kampala Coach station and waited for the bus to arrive. It was supposed to be there at 10, so we arrived at 9:45. It rained most of the morning, so I got soaked searching the luggage compartment of one of the buses before someone told me that the bus hadn't come from Nairobi. I managed to take my mind off of the situation by watching an episode of a South African soap opera that seemed pretty compelling. We were ready to give up hope on the bus at 2 PM, when it finally rolled up and we managed to grab our bags (well, after waiting another hour for them to process all of the parcels on the bus). We were so excited to have fresh clothes after about 84 hours without a change of clothes.
* Safaricom is owned by the same company as Vodacom, which is my phone provider in Tanzania. However, in spite of how wonderful I've found Safaricom, I'm equally frustrated by the service of Vodacom Tanzania.
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kenya. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Visiting the Embassy
When I arrived in Nairobi, the entry visa* took up the last page in my passport. I knew this was coming, so I planned to spend an extra day in Nairobi before returning to Arusha, since there wouldn't have been any space to stamp my passport at the border.
We had arrived in the morning (I didn't even know they had red-eye flights across Africa) and I hadn't slept on the flight, though I managed to grab a 2 hour nap on the taxi ride in from the airport (traffic in Nairobi is ridiculous these days, that used to be a 40 minute drive). After dropping my bags at Upper Hill, I headed straight to the embassy, though the only thing on my mind at that point was a nap.
I found the embassy pretty easily (it's rather well-fortified after the bombing in 1998) and went to the security line, only to be informed that I couldn't enter without an appointment. She gave me a sheet to set an appointment. I was too tired to read the whole page, so I just called the number she had circled only to discover that it was the "emergency services" line. The person on the line was friendly and told me that I needed to go online to make an appointment. So I found an internet cafe and scheduled an appointment for the next day.
When I arrived the next day, I made it through the security line easily and found a long line in the embassy for services. Really defeats the purpose of the appointment if they have you schedule it just to wait around for an hour. While I was there, I had plenty of time to kill, and I noted the outdated posting reminding me that replacement passport pages were recently a free service. When it was finally my turn, I had to pay my $82 so that they could stitch 6 pieces of paper into my passport. That price still baffles me and seems nearly extortionate. If they're taking that much money off of me, I'm pretty sure that they should offer that service whenever I feel like showing up. I will say that at least they handled the job fairly quickly.
In conclusion, getting new passport pages was an all-around unpleasant experience. I have seven years left on this passport, which probably means I'll get to do it at least once more. I'll do everything I can to keep my scowling to a minimum.
*Also, they just doubled all of their prices for entering Kenya. A transit visa is now $20 and the 3 month single entry visa is now $50.
We had arrived in the morning (I didn't even know they had red-eye flights across Africa) and I hadn't slept on the flight, though I managed to grab a 2 hour nap on the taxi ride in from the airport (traffic in Nairobi is ridiculous these days, that used to be a 40 minute drive). After dropping my bags at Upper Hill, I headed straight to the embassy, though the only thing on my mind at that point was a nap.
I found the embassy pretty easily (it's rather well-fortified after the bombing in 1998) and went to the security line, only to be informed that I couldn't enter without an appointment. She gave me a sheet to set an appointment. I was too tired to read the whole page, so I just called the number she had circled only to discover that it was the "emergency services" line. The person on the line was friendly and told me that I needed to go online to make an appointment. So I found an internet cafe and scheduled an appointment for the next day.
When I arrived the next day, I made it through the security line easily and found a long line in the embassy for services. Really defeats the purpose of the appointment if they have you schedule it just to wait around for an hour. While I was there, I had plenty of time to kill, and I noted the outdated posting reminding me that replacement passport pages were recently a free service. When it was finally my turn, I had to pay my $82 so that they could stitch 6 pieces of paper into my passport. That price still baffles me and seems nearly extortionate. If they're taking that much money off of me, I'm pretty sure that they should offer that service whenever I feel like showing up. I will say that at least they handled the job fairly quickly.
In conclusion, getting new passport pages was an all-around unpleasant experience. I have seven years left on this passport, which probably means I'll get to do it at least once more. I'll do everything I can to keep my scowling to a minimum.
*Also, they just doubled all of their prices for entering Kenya. A transit visa is now $20 and the 3 month single entry visa is now $50.
Friday, August 26, 2011
My Visit to the Police Station
Kenya ratified a new constitution last year that among other things brought in some much needed reforms to their judicial system. When I was in the police station, I saw that they may still have a little ways to go.
A man comes in and hands the officer a piece of paper. The officer opens the cell and lets a prisoner out. The first man explains that he is the lawyer and that the case will be happening in the afternoon and he wants to make sure that his client is ready. Then the lawyer tells the client that he doesn't want any surprises in the courtroom, so he asks the client point blank if he had any drugs with him when he was arrested. The client who was been staring at his shoes the whole time glances up at me and all the officers within earshot and asks if they can have the conversation some place private. And the lawyer takes this as a ridiculous request and demands that he just answer the question. The client sheepishly mumbles something and the lawyer thanks him and says that they will meet one another in the courtroom that afternoon.
A man comes in and hands the officer a piece of paper. The officer opens the cell and lets a prisoner out. The first man explains that he is the lawyer and that the case will be happening in the afternoon and he wants to make sure that his client is ready. Then the lawyer tells the client that he doesn't want any surprises in the courtroom, so he asks the client point blank if he had any drugs with him when he was arrested. The client who was been staring at his shoes the whole time glances up at me and all the officers within earshot and asks if they can have the conversation some place private. And the lawyer takes this as a ridiculous request and demands that he just answer the question. The client sheepishly mumbles something and the lawyer thanks him and says that they will meet one another in the courtroom that afternoon.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Wrong Move
I'm not very good at chess. I always end up making a move with some brilliant plan in mind. And right at that instant when it's too late, I see that I've just given up my queen for nothing. I had one of those moments in Nairobi.
I was walking down the road at 8 PM, which is a pretty unsafe thing to do. I figured it was just 15 minutes to the spot where I could pick up my matatu and I've walked that road dozens of times (in daylight hours). I was being especially vigilant and walking rather briskly, even trying to stay close to traffic so that no one would have the opportunity to jump out of the bushes and grab me. I really pride myself on being able to judge situations.
Being vigilant is a bit tiring. After 12 minutes of my walk, I started thinking about the fact that when I got back to Upper Hill I was going to talk with my niece on Skype video. I've never had the bandwidth for a good conversation and I haven't met her in person (she was 8 months old at that time and she is so adorable) so I was really excited about being able to call her.
Just before I was about to turn the corner for my matatu stop, I hopped over a ditch and I realized that I had given away my queen. There were two men who had come out of nowhere and they shoved me right into the ditch I had hopped over.
One man took my bag.
Then he went through my pockets.
He took my wallet.
He took my phone.
The other man stood over us.
The piece of wood he was wielding as a weapon didn't seem too intimidating.
But if I had tried to move they could have kicked the s*** out of me then and there.
It was miserable.
Absolutely miserable.
All I could think was:
Can't people see what's happening?
Why isn't anyone doing anything to stop this?
It was over in less than a minute. I had the presence of mind to ask them for matatu fare so that I could get back to Upper Hill, and they left me with 50 shillings. I thought about the one holding the piece of wood. It was probably the size of a doorstop. I was pretty sure that he was on miraa or something stronger based on how erratic he seemed. So at least the proceeds of my belongings are in part supporting Nairobi's drug industry. I thought about the fact that the terrain was pretty slippery and I could have probably taken away the one man's footing really easily, but my prospects for escape weren't too good, so it was probably good that I didn't make things worse for myself.
I took stock of things and noticed that my keys were still in my pocket, so I was really glad that I hadn't lost that (my keychain flash drive is a handy gadget and I also have an IDDS logo on there that has a lot of sentimental value). I also still had my passport in my passport carrier hidden safely in my trousers. I mean, they were good at what they were doing, but they could only be so thorough if they were going to keep moving. Besides, they got my wallet*, my smartphone, my old phone, my iPod, my Kindle, my netbook**, my backpack*** and a few other random effects that I was carrying with me. Now, I never carry that much with me, and it was just a fluke that I needed to bring so much with me that day. Had I some shred of common sense, I certainly would have taken a taxi.
Physically I was fine. My back was a bit sore from where I had landed and I was really uncomfortable in my damp jeans since the ground was moist. In terms of value, I lost a lot. But that wasn't really what bothered me. I was concerned about all of the little things. I couldn't call my friends in Kenya to say good-bye to them before flying to Ghana. They got my driver's license which is certainly useless to them and which I regularly use and do not look forward to replacing. They took away my ability to check email, and I had lots of work to get done (and also a few blog posts that I had wanted to put online). They took away my pictures. I had a lot of books on my Kindle and I wasn't traveling with any physical books. And I wasn't going to have that video call with my niece.
I was really glad that I was staying at Upper Hill. Rich and Jessie take really good care of people in those situations and they helped me get everything sorted out. I went to the police station and filled out a report. They were pretty confused when I tried to explain to them that I had an electronic book. I don't expect they'll catch the thieves. I mean, they didn't even ask me for any kind of physical description, just the most basic notes on what, where and when. At the end, they told me that I should really be more safe in Nairobi and that I was lucky that I didn't get worse. I had to agree with them there.
* I had about $350 in cash in USD and Kenyan Shillings since I had the money that I needed for while I was in Ghana as well.
**Although with the damage to the screen, that one was probably worth about as much as the computer case I had.
***Joke is on them with that one too. The zipper was broken and I never could get rid of the smell of sunscreen inside of there.
I was walking down the road at 8 PM, which is a pretty unsafe thing to do. I figured it was just 15 minutes to the spot where I could pick up my matatu and I've walked that road dozens of times (in daylight hours). I was being especially vigilant and walking rather briskly, even trying to stay close to traffic so that no one would have the opportunity to jump out of the bushes and grab me. I really pride myself on being able to judge situations.
Being vigilant is a bit tiring. After 12 minutes of my walk, I started thinking about the fact that when I got back to Upper Hill I was going to talk with my niece on Skype video. I've never had the bandwidth for a good conversation and I haven't met her in person (she was 8 months old at that time and she is so adorable) so I was really excited about being able to call her.
Just before I was about to turn the corner for my matatu stop, I hopped over a ditch and I realized that I had given away my queen. There were two men who had come out of nowhere and they shoved me right into the ditch I had hopped over.
One man took my bag.
Then he went through my pockets.
He took my wallet.
He took my phone.
The other man stood over us.
The piece of wood he was wielding as a weapon didn't seem too intimidating.
But if I had tried to move they could have kicked the s*** out of me then and there.
It was miserable.
Absolutely miserable.
All I could think was:
Can't people see what's happening?
Why isn't anyone doing anything to stop this?
It was over in less than a minute. I had the presence of mind to ask them for matatu fare so that I could get back to Upper Hill, and they left me with 50 shillings. I thought about the one holding the piece of wood. It was probably the size of a doorstop. I was pretty sure that he was on miraa or something stronger based on how erratic he seemed. So at least the proceeds of my belongings are in part supporting Nairobi's drug industry. I thought about the fact that the terrain was pretty slippery and I could have probably taken away the one man's footing really easily, but my prospects for escape weren't too good, so it was probably good that I didn't make things worse for myself.
I took stock of things and noticed that my keys were still in my pocket, so I was really glad that I hadn't lost that (my keychain flash drive is a handy gadget and I also have an IDDS logo on there that has a lot of sentimental value). I also still had my passport in my passport carrier hidden safely in my trousers. I mean, they were good at what they were doing, but they could only be so thorough if they were going to keep moving. Besides, they got my wallet*, my smartphone, my old phone, my iPod, my Kindle, my netbook**, my backpack*** and a few other random effects that I was carrying with me. Now, I never carry that much with me, and it was just a fluke that I needed to bring so much with me that day. Had I some shred of common sense, I certainly would have taken a taxi.
Physically I was fine. My back was a bit sore from where I had landed and I was really uncomfortable in my damp jeans since the ground was moist. In terms of value, I lost a lot. But that wasn't really what bothered me. I was concerned about all of the little things. I couldn't call my friends in Kenya to say good-bye to them before flying to Ghana. They got my driver's license which is certainly useless to them and which I regularly use and do not look forward to replacing. They took away my ability to check email, and I had lots of work to get done (and also a few blog posts that I had wanted to put online). They took away my pictures. I had a lot of books on my Kindle and I wasn't traveling with any physical books. And I wasn't going to have that video call with my niece.
I was really glad that I was staying at Upper Hill. Rich and Jessie take really good care of people in those situations and they helped me get everything sorted out. I went to the police station and filled out a report. They were pretty confused when I tried to explain to them that I had an electronic book. I don't expect they'll catch the thieves. I mean, they didn't even ask me for any kind of physical description, just the most basic notes on what, where and when. At the end, they told me that I should really be more safe in Nairobi and that I was lucky that I didn't get worse. I had to agree with them there.
* I had about $350 in cash in USD and Kenyan Shillings since I had the money that I needed for while I was in Ghana as well.
**Although with the damage to the screen, that one was probably worth about as much as the computer case I had.
***Joke is on them with that one too. The zipper was broken and I never could get rid of the smell of sunscreen inside of there.
The Last of My Vacation (Part 1 - Western Kenya)
I had continued my intensive blogging about my adventures in Kenya and then Uganda, but unfortunately those posts were lost as well as the pictures. Now then, I left Nairobi and spent a few days out west with my friends Daniel and Jeff in Kisumu (they were in Peace Corps with me and have extended so that they are serving for a third year). They were wonderful hosts and hopefully I introduced them to some new exciting recipes in exchange for their hospitality. I was impressed with the amount and variety of fruits and vegetables in the market in Kisumu, but not much else about the city. Maybe I spent too much time in areas with open sewers or had too many arguments with matatu conductors, but I was pretty relieved when I hopped on the matatu out of Kisumu. I don't really know why, but I was having trouble falling asleep before 4 in the morning and was a bit groggy because of that. I probably should have made an effort to visit Lake Victoria, but I decided it was just easier to get out of town.
My next stop was Kakamega, which is famous for the massive forest outside of town. Arriving in town was a refreshing experience after my time in Kisumu. The air has such a fresh feel (probably due to the nearby forest--I grew up just a couple of miles from a wonderful forest preserve) and I was greeted by my friend Elizabeth (name changed as a precautionary measure). We had a few classes together back in high school and now she's a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. Small world, eh? Anyway, I spent two days in her village which is a few kilometers outside of Kakamega and it was really nice. We spent a lot of time catching up on life back home and life in East Africa. She even baked cookies during one of the brief spells when there was electricity in the community. It was really amazing since I haven't had fresh cookies in a really long time.
It was sad leaving Kakamega, and I was planning on heading back to Bungoma to visit some folks there. Unfortunately, when I left Kisumu, I had forgotten my passport there, so I went back to see Jeff and Daniel again. I was also glad to see my friend Jessica who was in the Peace Corps group before me and is now in a nifty MBA program at Colorado State. We caught up for a bit before she had to run and catch a bus. Then Daniel and I made some quesadillas and the next day I was on a bus to Uganda.
The trip to Uganda was pretty uneventful (those are the best kind of journeys) and I arrived in Jinja late in the evening to meet with a donor who has been supporting my work in Tanzania. The organization brought together several of the groups they have been working with in East Africa to brainstorm some solutions to the problems that we've been dealing with and to find opportunities to collaborate moving forward. It was a crazy productive 24 hours and it was great to meet a lot of really cool people. I'm really excited about everyone who I met and definitely have some ideas for working with some groups in Kenya and Uganda.
During lunch the following day, a random person at the restaurant came up to me and asked me if I knew Amy Smith. He added that my IDDS shirt made me a bit conspicuous. Turns out he used to work with an organization that has collaborated a bit with D-Lab in the past. He was telling me some pretty horrific things about that organization, which were pretty depressing. Still, accountability is pretty low in this line of work, so stories like his are tragically common.
In the evening we went swimming in the Nile. It was pretty amazing. The current was super-strong and pulling us out, so we actually had a bit of a struggle to get back to land. Then a short time later, we saw some other tourists hop in the water nonchalantly and just start floating. We were a bit concerned, but we watched as the current took them in a nice circle around where we were and left them right back where they started. We ran back to the water and floated around the circuit twice. It was incredible.
After that, I headed down to Kampala to learn a bit more about a couple of the organizations that I had met there. I was pretty impressed with the massiveness of Kampala and the gaudiness of some parts of the city (outside the main mall and casino, there was a statue with some dinosaurs chasing a group of cavemen and cavewomen--I'm so bummed that I lost that picture). It was beautiful in some places, but there were an uncomfortable number of billboards with the Ugandan president looking at you. The most alarming one that I saw was the one that promised tolerance of most religions. I wonder which ones aren't tolerated.
I visited a group called Educate in Kampala and was pretty impressed with what they were working on there. I was talking a bunch with their technology manager about their work with cookstoves and making charcoal from agricultural waste. We were going on for 20 minutes before I asked him where he had learned so much about charcoal and he answered that he had found a bunch of pdfs online by someone named Amy Smith from MIT. Small world again. Well, we talked a bit more and after that I met some of the trainers who they've been working with in their program. All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable day.
After that, I hopped on a bus back to Nairobi. I opted for Easy Coach, which turned out to be anything but easy. (I've ridden with Easy Coach twice and they are 2 for 2 in disappointing me.) It was an overnight bus, and at 7 in the morning, our bus broke down and we stood in the frigid morning air (I haven't seen winter since 2008, so anything in the 40s is now frigid to me). So yeah, don't travel with Easy Coach.
I made it back to Nairobi to see my friend Jessica again and talk a lot more and then celebrate my friend Maria's birthday. I had a few more things to do in Nairobi before flying to Ghana, but I was pretty much ready to be done with adventure at that point, so I was looking forward to a laid-back 48 hours after that before flying out. Unfortunately, things didn't quite work out that way.
My next stop was Kakamega, which is famous for the massive forest outside of town. Arriving in town was a refreshing experience after my time in Kisumu. The air has such a fresh feel (probably due to the nearby forest--I grew up just a couple of miles from a wonderful forest preserve) and I was greeted by my friend Elizabeth (name changed as a precautionary measure). We had a few classes together back in high school and now she's a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. Small world, eh? Anyway, I spent two days in her village which is a few kilometers outside of Kakamega and it was really nice. We spent a lot of time catching up on life back home and life in East Africa. She even baked cookies during one of the brief spells when there was electricity in the community. It was really amazing since I haven't had fresh cookies in a really long time.
It was sad leaving Kakamega, and I was planning on heading back to Bungoma to visit some folks there. Unfortunately, when I left Kisumu, I had forgotten my passport there, so I went back to see Jeff and Daniel again. I was also glad to see my friend Jessica who was in the Peace Corps group before me and is now in a nifty MBA program at Colorado State. We caught up for a bit before she had to run and catch a bus. Then Daniel and I made some quesadillas and the next day I was on a bus to Uganda.
The trip to Uganda was pretty uneventful (those are the best kind of journeys) and I arrived in Jinja late in the evening to meet with a donor who has been supporting my work in Tanzania. The organization brought together several of the groups they have been working with in East Africa to brainstorm some solutions to the problems that we've been dealing with and to find opportunities to collaborate moving forward. It was a crazy productive 24 hours and it was great to meet a lot of really cool people. I'm really excited about everyone who I met and definitely have some ideas for working with some groups in Kenya and Uganda.
During lunch the following day, a random person at the restaurant came up to me and asked me if I knew Amy Smith. He added that my IDDS shirt made me a bit conspicuous. Turns out he used to work with an organization that has collaborated a bit with D-Lab in the past. He was telling me some pretty horrific things about that organization, which were pretty depressing. Still, accountability is pretty low in this line of work, so stories like his are tragically common.
In the evening we went swimming in the Nile. It was pretty amazing. The current was super-strong and pulling us out, so we actually had a bit of a struggle to get back to land. Then a short time later, we saw some other tourists hop in the water nonchalantly and just start floating. We were a bit concerned, but we watched as the current took them in a nice circle around where we were and left them right back where they started. We ran back to the water and floated around the circuit twice. It was incredible.
After that, I headed down to Kampala to learn a bit more about a couple of the organizations that I had met there. I was pretty impressed with the massiveness of Kampala and the gaudiness of some parts of the city (outside the main mall and casino, there was a statue with some dinosaurs chasing a group of cavemen and cavewomen--I'm so bummed that I lost that picture). It was beautiful in some places, but there were an uncomfortable number of billboards with the Ugandan president looking at you. The most alarming one that I saw was the one that promised tolerance of most religions. I wonder which ones aren't tolerated.
I visited a group called Educate in Kampala and was pretty impressed with what they were working on there. I was talking a bunch with their technology manager about their work with cookstoves and making charcoal from agricultural waste. We were going on for 20 minutes before I asked him where he had learned so much about charcoal and he answered that he had found a bunch of pdfs online by someone named Amy Smith from MIT. Small world again. Well, we talked a bit more and after that I met some of the trainers who they've been working with in their program. All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable day.
After that, I hopped on a bus back to Nairobi. I opted for Easy Coach, which turned out to be anything but easy. (I've ridden with Easy Coach twice and they are 2 for 2 in disappointing me.) It was an overnight bus, and at 7 in the morning, our bus broke down and we stood in the frigid morning air (I haven't seen winter since 2008, so anything in the 40s is now frigid to me). So yeah, don't travel with Easy Coach.
I made it back to Nairobi to see my friend Jessica again and talk a lot more and then celebrate my friend Maria's birthday. I had a few more things to do in Nairobi before flying to Ghana, but I was pretty much ready to be done with adventure at that point, so I was looking forward to a laid-back 48 hours after that before flying out. Unfortunately, things didn't quite work out that way.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Vacation in Kenya, Day 5
I set an alarm for the first time all week and woke up at 6:45. I gathered my things and left my duffle bag at the front desk at Upper Hill, while lugging a tote bag filled with charcoal briquetters to the matatu stage just up the road. I had an argument with a conductor who insisted on charging me 30 shillings for a 20 shilling ride, which put me in a bad mood. But then I hopped out and found Ben's apartment. I admired the view and it felt nice to feel the crisp morning air on his balcony. He was nice enough to let me store my briquetters under his bed* for two weeks until I get back to Nairobi.
We set off to the office. Ben works at iHub, so I was really excited to see this place after everything that I've heard about it. My favorite description is that it is Silicon Valley in a building (there are other spaces in the building besides iHub that enable it to serve a wide range of tech companies). As we walked in, I admired the decor of the room (chalkboards with notes scribbled, a huge wall map of Nairobi, a balcony with views in all directions and so on) and Ben bought me a chai from the coffeehouse there. I met some of his employees and got to see how things work at iHub. There was just so much energy in the atmosphere.
My phone had been giving me lots of trouble in Kenya, and so after 2 years of faithful service, I decided it was time to retire my trusty mobile phone and upgrade to a smartphone. I visited a phone store at the Yaya Centre, which had a wide selection and made it hard to choose . I'm excited about Android and the best part is that the phone has a camera, so it should be much easier for me to include pictures in my posts. I tried to learn as much as I possibly could about it, but unfortunately, the battery was pretty low in the phone so that had to be put off until later.
After that, I set off for City Centre and went over to the area where buses going to western Kenya leave from. I picked a company that seemed like it would be a good choice**, and they told me that they had a 1 PM shuttle*** heading to Kisumu. By the time the bus arrived at 2:15, most of us were a bit upset that they kept insisting that the bus would arrive on time (even after it was already late). So next time you're traveling to Kisumu, avoid Blueline Shuttles.
The ride was pretty low-key and I had plenty of time to admire the scenery. It was nearly 9 when we finally pulled into Kisumu and my phone battery was nearly dead (you would think I would know better by now, but then, there was a reason that I had bought a new phone). I called Jeff and Daniel (two friends from Peace Corps who have extended and are serving for their 3rd year in Kisumu) to get directions to their apartment. I couldn't quite get the whole idea (there aren't a lot of signs in their area, so they use abstract landmarks like "a shop that is made of those bags they sell charcoal in"), so I just had to take it on faith. I made it most of the way there and then hopped out of the tuk-tuk to roam around and ask people on the street if they knew where "the two white guys" lived. Everyone was very helpful and soon I found them waving to me.
I hadn't seen either of them in over a year, so we had a lot to catch up on. I wound up eating a bar of Weetabix for dinner (my stomach always feels a bit choppy after traveling, so this was actually a really clever solution) and we hung out until 2 in the morning.
* It's actually either a couch or a bench with a lot of cushions depending on who you ask. It's pretty amusing.
** There were a row of booking offices, and I wanted one with some people so that I wouldn't have to wait an eternity for the vehicle to fill, but few enough people that I wouldn't find myself crammed in somewhere.
*** A shuttle is a matatu with one less row of seats so that everyone gets a bit more legroom. It also usually doesn't have any goats or chickens on the floor. Probably my favorite mode of public transport.
We set off to the office. Ben works at iHub, so I was really excited to see this place after everything that I've heard about it. My favorite description is that it is Silicon Valley in a building (there are other spaces in the building besides iHub that enable it to serve a wide range of tech companies). As we walked in, I admired the decor of the room (chalkboards with notes scribbled, a huge wall map of Nairobi, a balcony with views in all directions and so on) and Ben bought me a chai from the coffeehouse there. I met some of his employees and got to see how things work at iHub. There was just so much energy in the atmosphere.
My phone had been giving me lots of trouble in Kenya, and so after 2 years of faithful service, I decided it was time to retire my trusty mobile phone and upgrade to a smartphone. I visited a phone store at the Yaya Centre, which had a wide selection and made it hard to choose . I'm excited about Android and the best part is that the phone has a camera, so it should be much easier for me to include pictures in my posts. I tried to learn as much as I possibly could about it, but unfortunately, the battery was pretty low in the phone so that had to be put off until later.
After that, I set off for City Centre and went over to the area where buses going to western Kenya leave from. I picked a company that seemed like it would be a good choice**, and they told me that they had a 1 PM shuttle*** heading to Kisumu. By the time the bus arrived at 2:15, most of us were a bit upset that they kept insisting that the bus would arrive on time (even after it was already late). So next time you're traveling to Kisumu, avoid Blueline Shuttles.
The ride was pretty low-key and I had plenty of time to admire the scenery. It was nearly 9 when we finally pulled into Kisumu and my phone battery was nearly dead (you would think I would know better by now, but then, there was a reason that I had bought a new phone). I called Jeff and Daniel (two friends from Peace Corps who have extended and are serving for their 3rd year in Kisumu) to get directions to their apartment. I couldn't quite get the whole idea (there aren't a lot of signs in their area, so they use abstract landmarks like "a shop that is made of those bags they sell charcoal in"), so I just had to take it on faith. I made it most of the way there and then hopped out of the tuk-tuk to roam around and ask people on the street if they knew where "the two white guys" lived. Everyone was very helpful and soon I found them waving to me.
I hadn't seen either of them in over a year, so we had a lot to catch up on. I wound up eating a bar of Weetabix for dinner (my stomach always feels a bit choppy after traveling, so this was actually a really clever solution) and we hung out until 2 in the morning.
* It's actually either a couch or a bench with a lot of cushions depending on who you ask. It's pretty amusing.
** There were a row of booking offices, and I wanted one with some people so that I wouldn't have to wait an eternity for the vehicle to fill, but few enough people that I wouldn't find myself crammed in somewhere.
*** A shuttle is a matatu with one less row of seats so that everyone gets a bit more legroom. It also usually doesn't have any goats or chickens on the floor. Probably my favorite mode of public transport.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Vacation in Kenya, Day 4
I slept in once again, and decided to shift from the dorm to the tents at Upper Hill. Then I headed back to the Ghanaian High Commission one last time to collect my visa. I grabbed lunch at Java House and sat there reading my book for a while. I nearly left my passport, but a very friendly waiter grabbed me before I could abandon it.
I left myself a free afternoon to get caught up on internet tasks (including getting some fresh posts up here), and as I was looking for a cyber cafe, I ran into my friend Baraka (a breakdancer who used to hang out at our house all the time, but has been in Nairobi for the last 7 months) on the street. He was rushing off somewhere, but hopefully I'll see him in Arusha soon enough.
I spent a while in the internet cafe checking tasks off of my to do list. After that, I hopped a bus back to Upper Hill and waited for my friend Ben (also from the Unreasonable Institute) to give me a call. He was going to an Ethiopian restaurant called Smart Village, which was near Upper Hill, so I met him there. I shared a table with Ben and three girls who had gone to Brown who I didn't know. Our conversations wandered from place to place until we realized that we had been there for 4 hours. I was ready to walk back to Upper Hill (about 20 minutes), but they refused to let me. I was reluctant to take a taxi (I enjoy nighttime walks and hate feeling like living in fear only perpetuates Nairobi's reputation as a dangerous city*), but I ended up relenting. I also had to take a taxi that they knew, so rather than making a big deal over the fact that he was ripping me off ($5 for less than 2 km is rather absurd here), I had to pay what he asked. I was just glad to be in a tent and not faced with the noise in the dorm of people shuffling their bags starting at 5 in the morning.
* Not to say that the city isn't dangerous, but I feel like people try to make you feel unsafe, which really doesn't do anything for the reputation.
I left myself a free afternoon to get caught up on internet tasks (including getting some fresh posts up here), and as I was looking for a cyber cafe, I ran into my friend Baraka (a breakdancer who used to hang out at our house all the time, but has been in Nairobi for the last 7 months) on the street. He was rushing off somewhere, but hopefully I'll see him in Arusha soon enough.
I spent a while in the internet cafe checking tasks off of my to do list. After that, I hopped a bus back to Upper Hill and waited for my friend Ben (also from the Unreasonable Institute) to give me a call. He was going to an Ethiopian restaurant called Smart Village, which was near Upper Hill, so I met him there. I shared a table with Ben and three girls who had gone to Brown who I didn't know. Our conversations wandered from place to place until we realized that we had been there for 4 hours. I was ready to walk back to Upper Hill (about 20 minutes), but they refused to let me. I was reluctant to take a taxi (I enjoy nighttime walks and hate feeling like living in fear only perpetuates Nairobi's reputation as a dangerous city*), but I ended up relenting. I also had to take a taxi that they knew, so rather than making a big deal over the fact that he was ripping me off ($5 for less than 2 km is rather absurd here), I had to pay what he asked. I was just glad to be in a tent and not faced with the noise in the dorm of people shuffling their bags starting at 5 in the morning.
* Not to say that the city isn't dangerous, but I feel like people try to make you feel unsafe, which really doesn't do anything for the reputation.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Vacation in Kenya, Day 3
I slept in a bit and was glad for the extra sleep. I took the morning to take care of some work at Upper Hill. It was relaxing to be able to work with a puppy seated next to me.
Then I headed to town and got some passport photos and photocopies and printing done so that I could submit everything for my Ghanaian visa. I was rather frustrated as I tried to find a place where I could buy an overpriced tea and use free wireless to get some attachments from my email, but was unsuccessful*. I finally opted to use one of the pay per minute cyber cafes, which always makes me anxious as I watch the money tick with the clock (it'd be less stressful if the meter weren't on the screen the whole time). Then I went to the embassy and paid $110 and was told that it would be ready the next day and valid for 5 years. I better make it count, I guess.
After that, I took the matatu further up Limuru Road to the Village Market. This was my first time there, but it's strategic location near several embassies (including the US embassy) and UN buildings attracts a certain clientele. It had the only bowling alley I've seen so far in Africa (well, I've only been to 6 countries so far) and many other exotic shops. I wanted to take advantage of the free wireless internet in the food court, but I didn't realize that my battery was nearly dead and I couldn't find an outlet. I had already ordered some food from an Indian restaurant (it was delicious), so I read while I ate before heading back to Upper Hill (a very long process, as it was the start of rush hour traffic).
I dropped off my computer and went out to meet my friend Ari (he finished his Peace Corps service and now works in Nairobi). I walked about 10 minutes from the matatu stop to his house, which shocked him, since apparently one of his roommates had recently been robbed in that area. Well, I was fine at any rate. We talked for a bit before we went to a restaurant called Hashmi. There were lots of meat options on the menu (I would call it halal barbecue, but I don't think that's actually what people call it) and I wound up getting the mixed grill (a sort of meat sampler). I hadn't seen Ari in a year and a half, so we had plenty to catch up on. I learned lots about work in the refugee sector and had a delicious meal. Then we went outside to see if we could see the eclipse (we couldn't). He had just returned from a trip, so he went home to crash. I walked to my friend Maria's house.
It was already after 9, so walking was probably a bad decision once again, but I made it without event. We (Maria, Aisha and I) grabbed a taxi to a place called Brew Bistro and philosophized until 1 in the morning. It was amazing to drink different beer (I had a rich amber called Oktoberfest--a very nice change from Tusker). Then, I grabbed a taxi to Upper Hill and crashed.
* If you have suggestions in Nairobi, I'd be glad to hear them. I didn't find anything at Yaya, I know that Java House in Sarit has been out of late, though I didn't check at Dorman's.
Then I headed to town and got some passport photos and photocopies and printing done so that I could submit everything for my Ghanaian visa. I was rather frustrated as I tried to find a place where I could buy an overpriced tea and use free wireless to get some attachments from my email, but was unsuccessful*. I finally opted to use one of the pay per minute cyber cafes, which always makes me anxious as I watch the money tick with the clock (it'd be less stressful if the meter weren't on the screen the whole time). Then I went to the embassy and paid $110 and was told that it would be ready the next day and valid for 5 years. I better make it count, I guess.
After that, I took the matatu further up Limuru Road to the Village Market. This was my first time there, but it's strategic location near several embassies (including the US embassy) and UN buildings attracts a certain clientele. It had the only bowling alley I've seen so far in Africa (well, I've only been to 6 countries so far) and many other exotic shops. I wanted to take advantage of the free wireless internet in the food court, but I didn't realize that my battery was nearly dead and I couldn't find an outlet. I had already ordered some food from an Indian restaurant (it was delicious), so I read while I ate before heading back to Upper Hill (a very long process, as it was the start of rush hour traffic).
I dropped off my computer and went out to meet my friend Ari (he finished his Peace Corps service and now works in Nairobi). I walked about 10 minutes from the matatu stop to his house, which shocked him, since apparently one of his roommates had recently been robbed in that area. Well, I was fine at any rate. We talked for a bit before we went to a restaurant called Hashmi. There were lots of meat options on the menu (I would call it halal barbecue, but I don't think that's actually what people call it) and I wound up getting the mixed grill (a sort of meat sampler). I hadn't seen Ari in a year and a half, so we had plenty to catch up on. I learned lots about work in the refugee sector and had a delicious meal. Then we went outside to see if we could see the eclipse (we couldn't). He had just returned from a trip, so he went home to crash. I walked to my friend Maria's house.
It was already after 9, so walking was probably a bad decision once again, but I made it without event. We (Maria, Aisha and I) grabbed a taxi to a place called Brew Bistro and philosophized until 1 in the morning. It was amazing to drink different beer (I had a rich amber called Oktoberfest--a very nice change from Tusker). Then, I grabbed a taxi to Upper Hill and crashed.
* If you have suggestions in Nairobi, I'd be glad to hear them. I didn't find anything at Yaya, I know that Java House in Sarit has been out of late, though I didn't check at Dorman's.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Vacation in Kenya, Day 2
I didn't have the most restful sleep, but I felt pretty energetic as I set out to tackle the day. I started at the University of Nairobi again and found the director there. I asked for five minutes of his time, which he said was the exact amount that he could spare (at one point he asked if I had made an appointment, to which I probably could have told him yes, but I admitted that I figured it would just be easier this way).
After that, I picked up a 107 matatu (which is apparently the same as 11B) and rode down Limuru Road. As we drove, I listened to a radio ad that told me that if I wanted better eyesight and stronger bones, I should eat more sugar--now fortified with vitamin A. I wasn't sure whether I should be impressed or worried about this nutrition strategy.
I hopped out where I saw the sign for the Ghanaian High Commission. I met a nice woman named Kate who was very helpful. She told me that the letter that I had received in Dar es Salaam was probably not going to help me to get into the country, but that it would suffice for the Tanzanians and Brit for whom I had obtained similar letters. I was relieved that it had worked out this way (I was dreading having to have them send their passports and find time to do all the processing) and felt once again how special being American can be. Sighhh.
I walked to a nearby supermarket where they had peach yogurt (how luxurious!) and made that my breakfast. I also discovered that my sunscreen had leaked all over my bag. Fortunately, it mostly just got on my laptop cord and a folder that I had and everything seems to be all right. I hopped on a matatu and after about two minutes, the rear tire blew out completely. The conductor changed it rather quickly and I was glad that the tire had blown in a nice scenic part of Nairobi instead of one of the many areas filled with dust, exhaust and other unpleasantness.
After that, I walked to Sarit Centre and decided to take advantage of their Tuesday movie deal*: 1 ticket + 1 hot dog + 1 popcorn + 1 soda for 450 shillings (just under $6). As it happens, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 was playing, so I got my first experience seeing a 3D movie. While I was very entertained by the movie, I found myself nearly as entertained by the 3D glasses and spent a lot of the movie playing with them to see what happens if you close one eye, or have one eye looking through the glasses and one without the glasses, or holding the glasses at different angles. The whole experience was a lot of fun.
After that, I ran across the street to Pizza Inn, which has a buy-one-get-one-free deal on pizzas every Tuesday. An important part of being a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya is knowing the deals in Nairobi so that you make the most of your time there. (Also, there are tons of radio ads everyday in case you somehow forget about "Teriffic Tuesdays"). I felt more of my exhaustion melting away with the day and I was happy to head back to Upper Hill and have an easy evening.
I mostly sat and wrote a lot. My friend Sarah showed up later and we talked for a while. My sign language is pretty dismal these days (as my grandmother would say "you rest, you rust"), but I didn't let myself speak at all and she was patient as I misspelled most of what I was trying to finger-spell and then she would show me the word for what I was trying to say and she signed slow enough for me to get most of her meaning. We caught up for a bit and it was nice to talk to a Peace Corps volunteer who has readjusted to life in the states.
* This was my third trip to the movie theater since 2008. My last two trips were to see Inception and Harry Potter 7 Part 1.
After that, I picked up a 107 matatu (which is apparently the same as 11B) and rode down Limuru Road. As we drove, I listened to a radio ad that told me that if I wanted better eyesight and stronger bones, I should eat more sugar--now fortified with vitamin A. I wasn't sure whether I should be impressed or worried about this nutrition strategy.
I hopped out where I saw the sign for the Ghanaian High Commission. I met a nice woman named Kate who was very helpful. She told me that the letter that I had received in Dar es Salaam was probably not going to help me to get into the country, but that it would suffice for the Tanzanians and Brit for whom I had obtained similar letters. I was relieved that it had worked out this way (I was dreading having to have them send their passports and find time to do all the processing) and felt once again how special being American can be. Sighhh.
I walked to a nearby supermarket where they had peach yogurt (how luxurious!) and made that my breakfast. I also discovered that my sunscreen had leaked all over my bag. Fortunately, it mostly just got on my laptop cord and a folder that I had and everything seems to be all right. I hopped on a matatu and after about two minutes, the rear tire blew out completely. The conductor changed it rather quickly and I was glad that the tire had blown in a nice scenic part of Nairobi instead of one of the many areas filled with dust, exhaust and other unpleasantness.
After that, I walked to Sarit Centre and decided to take advantage of their Tuesday movie deal*: 1 ticket + 1 hot dog + 1 popcorn + 1 soda for 450 shillings (just under $6). As it happens, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 was playing, so I got my first experience seeing a 3D movie. While I was very entertained by the movie, I found myself nearly as entertained by the 3D glasses and spent a lot of the movie playing with them to see what happens if you close one eye, or have one eye looking through the glasses and one without the glasses, or holding the glasses at different angles. The whole experience was a lot of fun.
After that, I ran across the street to Pizza Inn, which has a buy-one-get-one-free deal on pizzas every Tuesday. An important part of being a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya is knowing the deals in Nairobi so that you make the most of your time there. (Also, there are tons of radio ads everyday in case you somehow forget about "Teriffic Tuesdays"). I felt more of my exhaustion melting away with the day and I was happy to head back to Upper Hill and have an easy evening.
I mostly sat and wrote a lot. My friend Sarah showed up later and we talked for a while. My sign language is pretty dismal these days (as my grandmother would say "you rest, you rust"), but I didn't let myself speak at all and she was patient as I misspelled most of what I was trying to finger-spell and then she would show me the word for what I was trying to say and she signed slow enough for me to get most of her meaning. We caught up for a bit and it was nice to talk to a Peace Corps volunteer who has readjusted to life in the states.
* This was my third trip to the movie theater since 2008. My last two trips were to see Inception and Harry Potter 7 Part 1.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Vacation in Kenya, Day 1
Well, I'm here for relaxation, but of course I brought a bit of work with me. I did make sure to sleep in a bit before heading to town. I grabbed a yogurt at the supermarket and had a nice exotic breakfast (I don't know why there is so little yogurt in Arusha, but I'm going to eat lots of it while I'm here).
I first stopped by a shop where we have some of our GCS stock and found out that the dealer hadn't been able to sell a single product. Then again, it's hard to sell products that are completely hidden in some storage room. From there, I went to the University of Nairobi to visit the director of the FabLab. I wanted to talk with him about IDDS, and though he had told me he was pretty busy, I figured that I could grab him for five minutes since I've always found it best to communicate with him in person. Unfortunately, after waiting there for 2 hours, I decided I would try my luck a different day.
I grabbed a fruit salad from a street vendor which was delicious and then grabbed a matatu to go to the Ghanaian High Commission in Nairobi on Limuru Road. I had seen on the map that I wanted the 106, 107 or 108, but since I wasn't in City Centre, I figured that a 105 that said Limuru would probably get me pretty close. An hour later, I was well on my way out of Nairobi in an area called Limuru which is nowhere near Limuru Road. Oops. I wish there were some culprit for that besides my own stupidity.
Well, I was a bit frustrated at this point, so I decided to head to the Sarit Centre to grab a snack and use some wireless internet. Once I got there, I discovered that the internet was down (though it was nice to have a bagel for the first time in nearly a year) and was about to give up on everything when my friend Maria saw me there and made it her mission to get me out of my funk.
Maria was one of the fellows at the Unreasonable Institute with me last summer, so we had lots to catch up on. I met her intern Aisha (sp?) and saw her apartment. We sat down for tea and swapped stories from the past year and hen we got into a long talk about business models and by the end I was feeling a lot better. She even let me use her internet to send off some emails (I'm going to be pretty far behind on those for most of this vacation). After that, I grabbed a matatu back to Upper Hill feeling a bit worn out, but generally positive about everything.
I first stopped by a shop where we have some of our GCS stock and found out that the dealer hadn't been able to sell a single product. Then again, it's hard to sell products that are completely hidden in some storage room. From there, I went to the University of Nairobi to visit the director of the FabLab. I wanted to talk with him about IDDS, and though he had told me he was pretty busy, I figured that I could grab him for five minutes since I've always found it best to communicate with him in person. Unfortunately, after waiting there for 2 hours, I decided I would try my luck a different day.
I grabbed a fruit salad from a street vendor which was delicious and then grabbed a matatu to go to the Ghanaian High Commission in Nairobi on Limuru Road. I had seen on the map that I wanted the 106, 107 or 108, but since I wasn't in City Centre, I figured that a 105 that said Limuru would probably get me pretty close. An hour later, I was well on my way out of Nairobi in an area called Limuru which is nowhere near Limuru Road. Oops. I wish there were some culprit for that besides my own stupidity.
Well, I was a bit frustrated at this point, so I decided to head to the Sarit Centre to grab a snack and use some wireless internet. Once I got there, I discovered that the internet was down (though it was nice to have a bagel for the first time in nearly a year) and was about to give up on everything when my friend Maria saw me there and made it her mission to get me out of my funk.
Maria was one of the fellows at the Unreasonable Institute with me last summer, so we had lots to catch up on. I met her intern Aisha (sp?) and saw her apartment. We sat down for tea and swapped stories from the past year and hen we got into a long talk about business models and by the end I was feeling a lot better. She even let me use her internet to send off some emails (I'm going to be pretty far behind on those for most of this vacation). After that, I grabbed a matatu back to Upper Hill feeling a bit worn out, but generally positive about everything.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
To Kenya Once Again
Leaving Arusha was quite a process as I tried to get all of my tasks done (I didn't) before I take a 2 week vacation (well, I brought work with me, but I'm definitely in my vacation mindset). I finished my work at the office at 2:30 AM on Sunday morning, and Jodie convinced me that I would be better off taking the afternoon shuttle. Definitely good advice, considering I was already sleep-deprived and hadn't packed yet.
So I slept in on Sunday morning, packed everything that I'll need over the next two months (hopefully*) including some rather unwieldy charcoal briquetters. When I get on my flight, I'm a little worried I will have to wear 5 or 6 layers so that I can carry everything. Oh well, at least I won't be carrying everything around Kenya while I'm here.
I said my good-byes and hopped on the 2 PM shuttle (brilliant advice, Jodie). I napped, but we made it to the border right at 4, so I was pretty impressed with the pace that we kept. I had no problem with the Tanzanian side of the border, but when I got to the Kenyan side of the border, they told me that my 3 month Kenyan visa that I had purchased 1.5 months ago was not valid. They explained that since I have a Tanzanian residence permit in my passport, any time that I cross the border (even if I go to Uganda), my Kenyan visa becomes invalidated. It sounded like a pretty made-up rule to me, so I intend to research that a bit. Either way, it seems like some pretty bizarre fine print. And a good way to discourage people like me** from coming to Kenya.
Well, I was a bit irritated by that rule, but it did feel really good to finally arrive back in Nairobi. I headed to Upper Hill Campsite where I ran into one of my friends who served in Peace Corps with me and we caught up a bit when we saw another familiar face. It turns out my friend Sarah (one of the Deaf Education volunteers who is herself deaf) is also back in Kenya and traveling around a bit, so we all caught up and I expect I'll see Sarah a few more times on the trip.
* Actually, I already know that I forgot my dress shoes. Well, I can always make presentations in sneakers, right?
** And by that, I mean expatriates who have lots of friends in Kenya but are working in Tanzania.
So I slept in on Sunday morning, packed everything that I'll need over the next two months (hopefully*) including some rather unwieldy charcoal briquetters. When I get on my flight, I'm a little worried I will have to wear 5 or 6 layers so that I can carry everything. Oh well, at least I won't be carrying everything around Kenya while I'm here.
I said my good-byes and hopped on the 2 PM shuttle (brilliant advice, Jodie). I napped, but we made it to the border right at 4, so I was pretty impressed with the pace that we kept. I had no problem with the Tanzanian side of the border, but when I got to the Kenyan side of the border, they told me that my 3 month Kenyan visa that I had purchased 1.5 months ago was not valid. They explained that since I have a Tanzanian residence permit in my passport, any time that I cross the border (even if I go to Uganda), my Kenyan visa becomes invalidated. It sounded like a pretty made-up rule to me, so I intend to research that a bit. Either way, it seems like some pretty bizarre fine print. And a good way to discourage people like me** from coming to Kenya.
Well, I was a bit irritated by that rule, but it did feel really good to finally arrive back in Nairobi. I headed to Upper Hill Campsite where I ran into one of my friends who served in Peace Corps with me and we caught up a bit when we saw another familiar face. It turns out my friend Sarah (one of the Deaf Education volunteers who is herself deaf) is also back in Kenya and traveling around a bit, so we all caught up and I expect I'll see Sarah a few more times on the trip.
* Actually, I already know that I forgot my dress shoes. Well, I can always make presentations in sneakers, right?
** And by that, I mean expatriates who have lots of friends in Kenya but are working in Tanzania.
Kisumu pictures
Welcome to Kisumu
My hosts, Jeff and Daniel
If I were spending more time in Kisumu, I'd definitely hang out in this park.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Frisbee Tournament in Mombasa - Pictures
Here are the pictures from our trip to Mombasa for the frisbee tournament (see the story h e r e):
Back row from left: Rose, Angela, Tara, Claire, Jodie, Simeon, me
Front row from left: Shannon, Karina (aka Dutchy Dutch), Mic
Back row from left: Rose, Angela, Tara, Claire, Jodie, Simeon, me
Front row from left: Shannon, Karina (aka Dutchy Dutch), Mic
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Frisbee Tournament in Mombasa Day 4+5
Monday was a nice relaxing day for all of us. We had a slow morning and tried to get all the moisture out of the tent and our sleeping bags before packing up. The remainder of the team was heading down to Diani Beach for a bit more relaxation, while I traveled with some of my Peace Corps friends back to Mombasa. Mercifully, they helped me get back across the ferry since I was hauling the tent and an extra sleeping bag. They also told me about some administrative changes that sounds exciting and of course, the conversation then devolved into politics as it always does.
Back in Mombasa, I ran to the supermarket for some snacks and then went to the bus station and booked a seat on the bus. Not a moment too soon, since I grabbed the last seat on the bus. Then I went and booked a room in a nearby guest house and just slept away the afternoon in front of the fan. Turns out going to bed late, sleeping in damp bedding and waking up early every day had caught up with me. I woke up at 8 PM and realized that I needed to grab a bite.
I walked down the street and noticed that I had tons of options. I couldn't help thinking that if I were back in Arusha at this hour, I would have trouble finding places that were open aside from the bars and they're usually out of food by then. I chose a nice outdoor grill and had a Swahili pizza (ground beef and egg wrapped in chapati and fried--in Arusha they call them Zanzibar pizzas) and discovered that they had Fanta citrus, which is my favorite flavor. I hadn't had any in ages, so I drained three sodas with my meal and struggled to push away the stray cat who wanted to share my meal.
I headed back to my room and climbed into bed. I was on the bus by 6:30, and I was glad I had a window seat, but I was in the very back row which I knew was going to make for a very long ride. I read for most of the journey, and during the stretch from Voi to Taveta, I felt every single bump and nearly knocked my head against the ceiling a few times. Otherwise, the journey was pretty uneventful and I was happy to be heading home.
Sadly, during our photo exchange over the weekend, I didn't end up getting the pictures of our team, so I'll have to put them up in a separate post.
Back in Mombasa, I ran to the supermarket for some snacks and then went to the bus station and booked a seat on the bus. Not a moment too soon, since I grabbed the last seat on the bus. Then I went and booked a room in a nearby guest house and just slept away the afternoon in front of the fan. Turns out going to bed late, sleeping in damp bedding and waking up early every day had caught up with me. I woke up at 8 PM and realized that I needed to grab a bite.
I walked down the street and noticed that I had tons of options. I couldn't help thinking that if I were back in Arusha at this hour, I would have trouble finding places that were open aside from the bars and they're usually out of food by then. I chose a nice outdoor grill and had a Swahili pizza (ground beef and egg wrapped in chapati and fried--in Arusha they call them Zanzibar pizzas) and discovered that they had Fanta citrus, which is my favorite flavor. I hadn't had any in ages, so I drained three sodas with my meal and struggled to push away the stray cat who wanted to share my meal.
I headed back to my room and climbed into bed. I was on the bus by 6:30, and I was glad I had a window seat, but I was in the very back row which I knew was going to make for a very long ride. I read for most of the journey, and during the stretch from Voi to Taveta, I felt every single bump and nearly knocked my head against the ceiling a few times. Otherwise, the journey was pretty uneventful and I was happy to be heading home.
Sadly, during our photo exchange over the weekend, I didn't end up getting the pictures of our team, so I'll have to put them up in a separate post.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Frisbee Tournament in Mombasa Day 3
We weren't playing in the first game of the day, so we took plenty of time to warm up and decided that we would start our next game with representatives from five different countries on the line. At this point, our main ambition was to win the spirit award, so we were just going out there to have a great time. So as we lined up against Peace Corps, we had Mic (Tanzania), Karina (Netherlands), Rose (UK), Angela (Canada) and Simeon (USA) out there.
I was psyched for the game, since I knew most of the players on the team. We went into the half trailing 6-4, and to start the second half, we put 5 girls on the line. They reminded us that we only needed one on the field to match them. We replied with a friendly smile that we would try not to embarrass them. We kept the girls out there for two points and they scored one and yielded one, before we subbed some fresh players in (and provided a bit more of a gender balance). We lost the game 11-7, but we all had big grins on our face.
After that, they took the results from the 6 games that everyone had played and seeded the teams for a single elimination bracket. We were the 8th seed, so we were playing the 1st seed. As it turns out, that meant the Ugandan team that we had played once the previous day. We were a little tired following our game with Peace Corps, but we lined up against Uganda with five girls on the team. We had to assure this team as well that we were confident in our strategy and that this was a perfectly sane strategy.
We stayed with them all the way to the half, with the score seesawing back and forth reaching 6-5 their lead going into the break. Several of the spectators as well as the other team seemed to be wondering if we were really the 8th seed. Unfortunately, for the second half, they seemed to draw on infinite reserves of energy, and we couldn't keep up. They pulled away and won 11-6, eliminating us from the tournament. They joined us on the field as we made a pyramid and congratulated us on some really solid play before we took a bunch of pictures together.
We ate a big lunch and reflected on our stats for the tournament. We finished 0-7, but we had also played five of our games against the top 3 seeds (Uganda, Mwanza and Uganda) and we played each of the two teams in the final twice. There was another team that finished 0-7 and we never got to play them, and they were only seeded ahead of us since they scored more points. We talked about scheduling a friendly match, but we were all a bit tired, so we just shook hands.
We swam in the pool and enjoyed the perfect coastal weather. Unfortunately, I forgot to put sunscreen on my legs (they almost never burn) and in my 20 minute swim, I picked up a pretty nasty sunburn. I spent most of the rest of the day hiding in the shade. We did go to watch the final match (Uganda vs. Uganda) and we were happy that the team that we found more sportsmanlike ultimately prevailed. After that, there were a few more random Frisbee related activities.
Jodie, Mic, Shannon and Karina all left early, so we said good-bye to them. We grabbed dinner at Twiga, where they further disappointed us by charging us 200 shillings for an avocado salad (three of us ordered it) that was listed on the menu for 150. They assured us that the menu was wrong and that we should have asked them the price beforehand. This seems like a good place to reiterate my comment that the service at Twiga Lodge was really disappointing and I hope that people traveling to the coast find more pleasant accommodations for their stay.
At night, there was a big party where they awarded prizes, and we were really excited to receive the spirit award (combined with a frisbee and a carved keychain for each of our players). We were really thrilled and everyone seemed really happy for us. There were some games at the party, but I mostly found quiet places to talk to some of my friends from Peace Corps about how their projects were going. Then I started hanging out with the remainder of my team at the party and we didn't crash until after 1.
I was psyched for the game, since I knew most of the players on the team. We went into the half trailing 6-4, and to start the second half, we put 5 girls on the line. They reminded us that we only needed one on the field to match them. We replied with a friendly smile that we would try not to embarrass them. We kept the girls out there for two points and they scored one and yielded one, before we subbed some fresh players in (and provided a bit more of a gender balance). We lost the game 11-7, but we all had big grins on our face.
After that, they took the results from the 6 games that everyone had played and seeded the teams for a single elimination bracket. We were the 8th seed, so we were playing the 1st seed. As it turns out, that meant the Ugandan team that we had played once the previous day. We were a little tired following our game with Peace Corps, but we lined up against Uganda with five girls on the team. We had to assure this team as well that we were confident in our strategy and that this was a perfectly sane strategy.
We stayed with them all the way to the half, with the score seesawing back and forth reaching 6-5 their lead going into the break. Several of the spectators as well as the other team seemed to be wondering if we were really the 8th seed. Unfortunately, for the second half, they seemed to draw on infinite reserves of energy, and we couldn't keep up. They pulled away and won 11-6, eliminating us from the tournament. They joined us on the field as we made a pyramid and congratulated us on some really solid play before we took a bunch of pictures together.
We ate a big lunch and reflected on our stats for the tournament. We finished 0-7, but we had also played five of our games against the top 3 seeds (Uganda, Mwanza and Uganda) and we played each of the two teams in the final twice. There was another team that finished 0-7 and we never got to play them, and they were only seeded ahead of us since they scored more points. We talked about scheduling a friendly match, but we were all a bit tired, so we just shook hands.
We swam in the pool and enjoyed the perfect coastal weather. Unfortunately, I forgot to put sunscreen on my legs (they almost never burn) and in my 20 minute swim, I picked up a pretty nasty sunburn. I spent most of the rest of the day hiding in the shade. We did go to watch the final match (Uganda vs. Uganda) and we were happy that the team that we found more sportsmanlike ultimately prevailed. After that, there were a few more random Frisbee related activities.
Jodie, Mic, Shannon and Karina all left early, so we said good-bye to them. We grabbed dinner at Twiga, where they further disappointed us by charging us 200 shillings for an avocado salad (three of us ordered it) that was listed on the menu for 150. They assured us that the menu was wrong and that we should have asked them the price beforehand. This seems like a good place to reiterate my comment that the service at Twiga Lodge was really disappointing and I hope that people traveling to the coast find more pleasant accommodations for their stay.
At night, there was a big party where they awarded prizes, and we were really excited to receive the spirit award (combined with a frisbee and a carved keychain for each of our players). We were really thrilled and everyone seemed really happy for us. There were some games at the party, but I mostly found quiet places to talk to some of my friends from Peace Corps about how their projects were going. Then I started hanging out with the remainder of my team at the party and we didn't crash until after 1.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Frisbee Tournament in Mombasa Day 2
We were woken a bit early by a cold damp feeling. It rained heavily during the night and apparently the water-proofing precautions weren't adequate. As I went to talk with the other captains to prepare for the day, everyone else was working to dry out food, clothes and sleeping bags.
Simeon and I went and met the other captains and the organizers, paid the registration fee and collected our team's shirts. We had a really nice deep red. They told us that there were awards for the winner of the tournament as well as an award for the team with the most spirit. We asked a couple of clarifying questions about rules, then we regrouped with the team to go over some final details (we decided that we were more concerned with winning the spirit award than the tournament) before stretching and warm-ups. There were eight teams in the tournament (two from Kampala, three from Nairobi, one with Peace Corps Kenya volunteers, one from Mwanza and our team) so we were going to create brackets based on the results of a round robin. Kinda. More on that later. Anyway, there were only three fields, so we were sitting out the first game. We took that as a good sign, since we'd be much fresher than the other team.
The games were all played on the sand, which was a big change for all the teams. We were playing 5 on 5 and teams had to have at least 1 woman on the field at all times. Whichever team was receiving the throw-off could put 1-3 women on the field and the other team needed to put at least that many. Most teams had 3 women, while we had 6, so we were glad about that.
As we ran out for our first game, one of the Ugandan teams lined up across from us and the rain started pouring torrentially. We tried to play for a few minutes, but soon there was thunder over the ocean, so we had to clear off the field. We noticed standing on the sidelines that the water dripping off our shirts was Kool-Aid red and laughed at that. After about 15 minutes, the lightning was pretty much gone and the rain was pretty mild, so we resumed play. It was a rather frustrating game. We weren't really bothered by the fact that we lost 11-1. What was more disconcerting was that the team didn't feel cohesive and we didn't have a whole lot of passion.
We picked it up a bit for our second game (playing against the Mwanza team), but we lost 11-1 again. The other teams were definitely incredibly skilled and had a lot of stamina, but our team just didn't have the energy that we normally had during our Thursday games. We weren't supporting each other as much as we usually do and it didn't seem like people were having as much fun.
After that, the organizers provided us with a huge pasta lunch that was really delicious. We talked to all the other players and were all laughing and loosening up. We even took a quick swim and by the time we came back after lunch, we were in much better spirits. We attacked the next game with the fire that had been missing from the first two and definitely came together as a cohesive unit. We were playing one of the Nairobi teams and they wound up beating us 11-5. It was an improvement in our score, it was an improvement in how all of us were playing (half of our team had barely thrown a Frisbee before six months ago and for some it was even less than that), but most importantly, it was an improvement in that we were all having fun. We had the loudest cheering section on the sidelines most of the time and even though we were blown-out, the other team was clearly worn out after the match.
Our next game was against the other Uganda team. We had heard some fearsome reports about this team, so we were braced for the worst. We were really excited as we kept pace with them up to 3-3. Unfortunately, they took the next 7 points and the final score was 11-4. Still, our spirits couldn't be dampened at that point and we were having a great time. Then we had our next game against that first Ugandan team. So it wasn't exactly a round robin. We weren't thrilled about the prospect of playing a team that had so thoroughly mopped the floor with us earlier in the day, but we were excited to play another game, and by that time, the late afternoon weather was pretty much perfect. We lost to them 11-5, but we could tell that we had taken them by surprise this time. We put on a really solid game and made them work much harder for their points.
As we walked off the field, you could have easily mistaken us for a team that had gone 5-0 considering how we were high-fiving and patting one another on the back. Instead we were 0-5 and having a great time. We even found that the teams who weren't playing would come over to give us some scouting reports and seemed to be pulling for us. Our favorite part, however, was admiring the slight pink tint to the shirts of the teams we played against as the rain leached some of our dye onto their shirts.
We headed into the water to swim a bit and felt the day melt away. After we dried off, we raided our groceries and realized just how much we'd been running around the whole day. In the evening, some people grabbed a bite at the restaurant attached to the campsite. It wasn't the high prices for mediocre food that bothered me so much as the rudeness and difficultness of the waiters on staff. I was paying for a drink and handed him 200 shillings for a soda that costs 60 shillings (of course, most shops sell it for 25). After 30 minutes, he brought me 100 shillings and told me that he would bring me the remaining 40 shortly. Later that night, after the kitchen closed, I realized that he had given himself a bit of a tip that he certainly hadn't earned.
I was partially distracted by our poker game at the table. We used peanuts as our poker chips and had to work really hard not to eat our money. We assigned each peanut a value of 5 shillings and all put in 100 shillings (about $1.25--what can I say, we like our high stakes). We all had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. After that, I sat with one of my Peace Corps friends and had a long conversation about water pumps. We visited the beach house where the organizers were staying to see if there was a party going on. There was definitely a party, but I decided I'd rather do a low-key night on the beach, so I found some of my teammates and we sat under the stars and drank more wine straight from the box and had deep philosophical discussions including a conversation about the death penalty and Guantanamo Bay.
Around 1:30 we headed back toward the tent and feasted on some chips before crawling into our damp sleeping bags.
Simeon and I went and met the other captains and the organizers, paid the registration fee and collected our team's shirts. We had a really nice deep red. They told us that there were awards for the winner of the tournament as well as an award for the team with the most spirit. We asked a couple of clarifying questions about rules, then we regrouped with the team to go over some final details (we decided that we were more concerned with winning the spirit award than the tournament) before stretching and warm-ups. There were eight teams in the tournament (two from Kampala, three from Nairobi, one with Peace Corps Kenya volunteers, one from Mwanza and our team) so we were going to create brackets based on the results of a round robin. Kinda. More on that later. Anyway, there were only three fields, so we were sitting out the first game. We took that as a good sign, since we'd be much fresher than the other team.
The games were all played on the sand, which was a big change for all the teams. We were playing 5 on 5 and teams had to have at least 1 woman on the field at all times. Whichever team was receiving the throw-off could put 1-3 women on the field and the other team needed to put at least that many. Most teams had 3 women, while we had 6, so we were glad about that.
As we ran out for our first game, one of the Ugandan teams lined up across from us and the rain started pouring torrentially. We tried to play for a few minutes, but soon there was thunder over the ocean, so we had to clear off the field. We noticed standing on the sidelines that the water dripping off our shirts was Kool-Aid red and laughed at that. After about 15 minutes, the lightning was pretty much gone and the rain was pretty mild, so we resumed play. It was a rather frustrating game. We weren't really bothered by the fact that we lost 11-1. What was more disconcerting was that the team didn't feel cohesive and we didn't have a whole lot of passion.
We picked it up a bit for our second game (playing against the Mwanza team), but we lost 11-1 again. The other teams were definitely incredibly skilled and had a lot of stamina, but our team just didn't have the energy that we normally had during our Thursday games. We weren't supporting each other as much as we usually do and it didn't seem like people were having as much fun.
After that, the organizers provided us with a huge pasta lunch that was really delicious. We talked to all the other players and were all laughing and loosening up. We even took a quick swim and by the time we came back after lunch, we were in much better spirits. We attacked the next game with the fire that had been missing from the first two and definitely came together as a cohesive unit. We were playing one of the Nairobi teams and they wound up beating us 11-5. It was an improvement in our score, it was an improvement in how all of us were playing (half of our team had barely thrown a Frisbee before six months ago and for some it was even less than that), but most importantly, it was an improvement in that we were all having fun. We had the loudest cheering section on the sidelines most of the time and even though we were blown-out, the other team was clearly worn out after the match.
Our next game was against the other Uganda team. We had heard some fearsome reports about this team, so we were braced for the worst. We were really excited as we kept pace with them up to 3-3. Unfortunately, they took the next 7 points and the final score was 11-4. Still, our spirits couldn't be dampened at that point and we were having a great time. Then we had our next game against that first Ugandan team. So it wasn't exactly a round robin. We weren't thrilled about the prospect of playing a team that had so thoroughly mopped the floor with us earlier in the day, but we were excited to play another game, and by that time, the late afternoon weather was pretty much perfect. We lost to them 11-5, but we could tell that we had taken them by surprise this time. We put on a really solid game and made them work much harder for their points.
As we walked off the field, you could have easily mistaken us for a team that had gone 5-0 considering how we were high-fiving and patting one another on the back. Instead we were 0-5 and having a great time. We even found that the teams who weren't playing would come over to give us some scouting reports and seemed to be pulling for us. Our favorite part, however, was admiring the slight pink tint to the shirts of the teams we played against as the rain leached some of our dye onto their shirts.
We headed into the water to swim a bit and felt the day melt away. After we dried off, we raided our groceries and realized just how much we'd been running around the whole day. In the evening, some people grabbed a bite at the restaurant attached to the campsite. It wasn't the high prices for mediocre food that bothered me so much as the rudeness and difficultness of the waiters on staff. I was paying for a drink and handed him 200 shillings for a soda that costs 60 shillings (of course, most shops sell it for 25). After 30 minutes, he brought me 100 shillings and told me that he would bring me the remaining 40 shortly. Later that night, after the kitchen closed, I realized that he had given himself a bit of a tip that he certainly hadn't earned.
I was partially distracted by our poker game at the table. We used peanuts as our poker chips and had to work really hard not to eat our money. We assigned each peanut a value of 5 shillings and all put in 100 shillings (about $1.25--what can I say, we like our high stakes). We all had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves. After that, I sat with one of my Peace Corps friends and had a long conversation about water pumps. We visited the beach house where the organizers were staying to see if there was a party going on. There was definitely a party, but I decided I'd rather do a low-key night on the beach, so I found some of my teammates and we sat under the stars and drank more wine straight from the box and had deep philosophical discussions including a conversation about the death penalty and Guantanamo Bay.
Around 1:30 we headed back toward the tent and feasted on some chips before crawling into our damp sleeping bags.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Frisbee Tournament in Mombasa (Day 1)
Well, our weekly Frisbee matches were all building up to the event (we're trying to do Sunday games as well, but those haven't quite taken off yet). We sent a bunch of our players to Mombasa for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament last weekend. We heard about the tournament 3 months ago and decided to rustle up a team. The games were Saturday and Sunday on the beach south of Mombasa, so we traveled down there on Friday. We traveled as a team of 13 (Jodie, Mic, Simeon, Malachi, Janelle, Shannon, Tara, Angela, Barb, Claire, Rose, Karina and me), though only 10 of us played (Malachi is Simeon's 11 month old son, so he stayed on the sidelines with his mom, Janelle, and Barb had recently broken her wrist, so she filled the role of team manager).
We were on the Raqib bus (15,000 Tanzanian shillings or about $10 for a trip from Arusha to Mombasa), which I had taken many times when I lived in Kenya. We got there at 6:45 AM (well, everyone else followed my directions and got there at 6:30 and then had to wait for me to show up with the tickets). The bus left at 6:50 and the first song that came on the radio was Holiday by Madonna. We all took that as a good omen. The ride was pretty uneventful all the way to the Kenyan border, but the scenery was nice (we couldn't see Mt. Kilimanjaro, though, since it was cloudy). I was rather tired the whole trip, since I had woken up at 1:55 AM and didn't manage to fall asleep again.
At the border, we discovered that they were checking Yellow Fever cards because of an outbreak in Uganda. It was the first time any of us had seen this at this border crossing. Some of my fellow travelers hadn't packed theirs, but they talked to the medical officer and convinced them they were up-to-date and managed to get through. Other than that, it was just a long wait as they prepared visas for everyone, but we made it through without event and were on our way.
I spent a lot of time warning everyone how miserable the road is for the first 120 km once we get into Kenya, so they were braced. It wasn't actually too miserable (which is not to say it was pleasant), and I also told people to keep their eyes open for elephants, giraffes and possibly buffalo. We saw one giraffe near the road and Simeon said that he saw some elephants further out. I pointed out Maktau (the village where I served when I was in Peace Corps) to everyone as we drove past and had to admire it in the greenest condition I had ever seen it. The rains have definitely been helpful this year.
We made it to Voi where the road becomes much smoother and were relieved that we only had to deal with the heat. After another half hour or so, I woke up from a brief nap to discover that we were stopped to repair a flat tire. Apparently, while the conductor was jumping on the makeshift wrench to apply enough torque to loosen the lug-nuts, it bounced up and gave him a nasty cut in the upper-arm. I handed my first aid kit to Mic and he went out to clean up the wound and perform some first-aid. The tire had definitely been shredded, but thankfully, we were up and running again pretty quickly.
With all of the delays, we didn't roll into Mombasa until about 5:15 PM (8 hours is pretty good time, but over 10 isn't a big surprise). We put Simeon, Janelle, Malachi, Barb and Angela into a taxi and the rest of us took a matatu to Nakumatt to pick up some provisions for the weekend. The campsite didn't have cooking facilities, so our shopping bags were mostly filled with sandwich supplies, snacks and (for some of us) alcohol.
We made it out of Nakumatt and were right at the Likoni Ferry to take us to south Coast. A few people in the group commented that they felt like cattle. We stayed close and managed to avoid the pickpockets (always an accomplishment on the Likoni Ferry) and admired a nice sunset as the ferry struggled across. We hopped off the ferry and commandeered a matatu to take us directly to our campsite on Tiwi Beach (for price comparison, the taxi was 2,500 Kenyan Shillings--just over $30--split among 4 people, while the matatus and the ferry was 1,500 Kenyan Shillings split among 8 people).
We were all a bit wiped, but the first thing to do was to set up tents in the dark. Actually, I found some of my Peace Corps friends there, and caught up with them briefly and came back to discover that I had skipped out on the entirety of assembling the tent. Oops. Anyway, everyone else from the team went to grab dinner, but I spent more time hanging out with Peace Corps folks and playing Bananagrams (it was surprisingly addictive).
I sat down with the team after dinner and we talked a bit about rules, strategy and organization of the tournament. We typically play rather lax rules in our pick-up games, so I wanted to make sure that everyone understood what we would need to do the next day. After that, a group of us drank some wine straight from the box (classy, as they say in French) and ran out for a quick late-night dip in the Indian Ocean (the campsite was right on the beach). The tide was pretty far out and it was a bit rocky, so we didn't stay out too long and then decided to walk along the beach. We talked to some people from other teams as we walked and were feeling pretty psyched about the tournament.
We climbed into the tent (Shannon had a large tent, so he was sharing it with Tara, Rose, Claire, Karina and me) and were all asleep pretty instantaneously.
We were on the Raqib bus (15,000 Tanzanian shillings or about $10 for a trip from Arusha to Mombasa), which I had taken many times when I lived in Kenya. We got there at 6:45 AM (well, everyone else followed my directions and got there at 6:30 and then had to wait for me to show up with the tickets). The bus left at 6:50 and the first song that came on the radio was Holiday by Madonna. We all took that as a good omen. The ride was pretty uneventful all the way to the Kenyan border, but the scenery was nice (we couldn't see Mt. Kilimanjaro, though, since it was cloudy). I was rather tired the whole trip, since I had woken up at 1:55 AM and didn't manage to fall asleep again.
At the border, we discovered that they were checking Yellow Fever cards because of an outbreak in Uganda. It was the first time any of us had seen this at this border crossing. Some of my fellow travelers hadn't packed theirs, but they talked to the medical officer and convinced them they were up-to-date and managed to get through. Other than that, it was just a long wait as they prepared visas for everyone, but we made it through without event and were on our way.
I spent a lot of time warning everyone how miserable the road is for the first 120 km once we get into Kenya, so they were braced. It wasn't actually too miserable (which is not to say it was pleasant), and I also told people to keep their eyes open for elephants, giraffes and possibly buffalo. We saw one giraffe near the road and Simeon said that he saw some elephants further out. I pointed out Maktau (the village where I served when I was in Peace Corps) to everyone as we drove past and had to admire it in the greenest condition I had ever seen it. The rains have definitely been helpful this year.
We made it to Voi where the road becomes much smoother and were relieved that we only had to deal with the heat. After another half hour or so, I woke up from a brief nap to discover that we were stopped to repair a flat tire. Apparently, while the conductor was jumping on the makeshift wrench to apply enough torque to loosen the lug-nuts, it bounced up and gave him a nasty cut in the upper-arm. I handed my first aid kit to Mic and he went out to clean up the wound and perform some first-aid. The tire had definitely been shredded, but thankfully, we were up and running again pretty quickly.
With all of the delays, we didn't roll into Mombasa until about 5:15 PM (8 hours is pretty good time, but over 10 isn't a big surprise). We put Simeon, Janelle, Malachi, Barb and Angela into a taxi and the rest of us took a matatu to Nakumatt to pick up some provisions for the weekend. The campsite didn't have cooking facilities, so our shopping bags were mostly filled with sandwich supplies, snacks and (for some of us) alcohol.
We made it out of Nakumatt and were right at the Likoni Ferry to take us to south Coast. A few people in the group commented that they felt like cattle. We stayed close and managed to avoid the pickpockets (always an accomplishment on the Likoni Ferry) and admired a nice sunset as the ferry struggled across. We hopped off the ferry and commandeered a matatu to take us directly to our campsite on Tiwi Beach (for price comparison, the taxi was 2,500 Kenyan Shillings--just over $30--split among 4 people, while the matatus and the ferry was 1,500 Kenyan Shillings split among 8 people).
We were all a bit wiped, but the first thing to do was to set up tents in the dark. Actually, I found some of my Peace Corps friends there, and caught up with them briefly and came back to discover that I had skipped out on the entirety of assembling the tent. Oops. Anyway, everyone else from the team went to grab dinner, but I spent more time hanging out with Peace Corps folks and playing Bananagrams (it was surprisingly addictive).
I sat down with the team after dinner and we talked a bit about rules, strategy and organization of the tournament. We typically play rather lax rules in our pick-up games, so I wanted to make sure that everyone understood what we would need to do the next day. After that, a group of us drank some wine straight from the box (classy, as they say in French) and ran out for a quick late-night dip in the Indian Ocean (the campsite was right on the beach). The tide was pretty far out and it was a bit rocky, so we didn't stay out too long and then decided to walk along the beach. We talked to some people from other teams as we walked and were feeling pretty psyched about the tournament.
We climbed into the tent (Shannon had a large tent, so he was sharing it with Tara, Rose, Claire, Karina and me) and were all asleep pretty instantaneously.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Sisal charcoal
Back in Kenya, I lived near an expansive sisal plantation that stretched as far as the eye can see. Sisal (also here) looks like an enormous aloe vera plant only when you crack open the leaves, you find fibers instead of medicine. On large plantations, people harvest these for producing rope and twine. However, in many arid regions, sisal is one of the few plants that can survive, so it is used there as a multi-purpose plant. Its leaves have needles at the end that mean it can effectively be planted as a fence. It also has a nice stalk (I believe it is classified as a tree-like shrub since the stalk is actually rather spongy on the inside) that people use in building structures. And of course, when people are waiting for the rains to come, they may spend their days braiding twine to sell in local shops for a few cents.
A lot of these communities face acute shortages of cooking fuel, so I wanted to work on making sisal charcoal, so on one of my trips to Nadosoito, I grabbed a few leaves to do some experiments. After trying it out, I went back to Nadosoito to work on it with the community. We used old brown leaves, which were incredibly dry as well as a bit of the white spongy material to help get the burn started. I was amazed by how quickly the moisture content vanished, and this wound up being one of the fastest charcoal burns I've ever conducted (I didn't time it, but I think the whole process was over in one hour, compared to the usual 2.5). Still, there's definitely a lot of work still to be done.
1. The charcoal turned out really well, although the starts of the leaves didn't carbonize at all, so I think we just have to cut that part off in the future.
2. Collecting sisal leaves is a rather painful process. You tend to be enmeshed in needles, so my hand started to look rather like a pin cushion. Also, my shin took one more than a quarter inch deep. Next time I'm wearing gardening gloves for this.
3. We couldn't find any useful binding media for producing briquettes. We tried euphorbia milk (euphorbia is also known as the milk tree because when you cut the bark it oozes out a milky liquid), but it didn't stick very well.
4. When we burned the unbriquetted charcoal, it was producing a bit of carbon monoxide. I suspected the clear smoke was dangerous, but without any sort of testing equipment, I opted to breathe in the smoke and when I felt the carbon monoxide effects in my head, I knew we needed a solution to the briquetting issue.
Still, considering how abundant sisal is, this is definitely an exciting development and if we can just find a solution for problem number 3 above, we should have a really cool project.
A lot of these communities face acute shortages of cooking fuel, so I wanted to work on making sisal charcoal, so on one of my trips to Nadosoito, I grabbed a few leaves to do some experiments. After trying it out, I went back to Nadosoito to work on it with the community. We used old brown leaves, which were incredibly dry as well as a bit of the white spongy material to help get the burn started. I was amazed by how quickly the moisture content vanished, and this wound up being one of the fastest charcoal burns I've ever conducted (I didn't time it, but I think the whole process was over in one hour, compared to the usual 2.5). Still, there's definitely a lot of work still to be done.
1. The charcoal turned out really well, although the starts of the leaves didn't carbonize at all, so I think we just have to cut that part off in the future.
2. Collecting sisal leaves is a rather painful process. You tend to be enmeshed in needles, so my hand started to look rather like a pin cushion. Also, my shin took one more than a quarter inch deep. Next time I'm wearing gardening gloves for this.
3. We couldn't find any useful binding media for producing briquettes. We tried euphorbia milk (euphorbia is also known as the milk tree because when you cut the bark it oozes out a milky liquid), but it didn't stick very well.
4. When we burned the unbriquetted charcoal, it was producing a bit of carbon monoxide. I suspected the clear smoke was dangerous, but without any sort of testing equipment, I opted to breathe in the smoke and when I felt the carbon monoxide effects in my head, I knew we needed a solution to the briquetting issue.
Still, considering how abundant sisal is, this is definitely an exciting development and if we can just find a solution for problem number 3 above, we should have a really cool project.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Electrical Adventures
There's a technical theater joke that goes:
Q: What do you call an electrician who is trying to do carpentry work?
A: A bad carpenter
---
Q: What do you call it when a carpenter who is trying to do electrical work?
A: A dead carpenter
Though I haven't done much carpentry or electrical work in a long time, this weekend made me think of the latter half of the joke.
Our power was out most of the day Saturday. It came back for the rest of town, except for our house and the ten or so immediately surrounding us. In the past, we've had problems with the wind knocking loose the wire that connects to our house. To make sure that wasn't the problem, I climbed on the wall that surrounds our compound and inched along the top surface to the offending wire (the wall is made of concrete blocks and is 2 meters high and the part I was standing on was about one foot wide). I used a broom (isn't that always the tool electricians use? -- I would've used a fork but they just weren't long enough) to try to knock the wire back into place. It didn't accomplish anything, but at one point, I fell and just managed to stay on the narrow platform I was on (probably would've broken something if I'd fallen to the ground). Turns out it was a different problem (never actually explained to us) and finally at 9:15 pm (13 hours after power was cut and 3 hours after it returned to everyone else) our lights came on.
On Sunday, the situation was different. Power went out at 9 AM, and we could hear radios and welding kit in the neighborhood, so we knew everyone else had power. I was in town most of the day, but when I got home, I felt more confident. I climbed the wall with the broomstick and poked at the wire again until I saw an enormous spark and our lights came on. I was a little startled, but after my stumble on Saturday, I kept my feet firmly planted.
We're still losing power for an average of 8 hours a day due to rationing (including today). Kinda makes me miss my Kenyan village where power was much, much more reliable than the third biggest town in Tanzania...
Q: What do you call an electrician who is trying to do carpentry work?
A: A bad carpenter
---
Q: What do you call it when a carpenter who is trying to do electrical work?
A: A dead carpenter
Though I haven't done much carpentry or electrical work in a long time, this weekend made me think of the latter half of the joke.
Our power was out most of the day Saturday. It came back for the rest of town, except for our house and the ten or so immediately surrounding us. In the past, we've had problems with the wind knocking loose the wire that connects to our house. To make sure that wasn't the problem, I climbed on the wall that surrounds our compound and inched along the top surface to the offending wire (the wall is made of concrete blocks and is 2 meters high and the part I was standing on was about one foot wide). I used a broom (isn't that always the tool electricians use? -- I would've used a fork but they just weren't long enough) to try to knock the wire back into place. It didn't accomplish anything, but at one point, I fell and just managed to stay on the narrow platform I was on (probably would've broken something if I'd fallen to the ground). Turns out it was a different problem (never actually explained to us) and finally at 9:15 pm (13 hours after power was cut and 3 hours after it returned to everyone else) our lights came on.
On Sunday, the situation was different. Power went out at 9 AM, and we could hear radios and welding kit in the neighborhood, so we knew everyone else had power. I was in town most of the day, but when I got home, I felt more confident. I climbed the wall with the broomstick and poked at the wire again until I saw an enormous spark and our lights came on. I was a little startled, but after my stumble on Saturday, I kept my feet firmly planted.
We're still losing power for an average of 8 hours a day due to rationing (including today). Kinda makes me miss my Kenyan village where power was much, much more reliable than the third biggest town in Tanzania...
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Farewells in Kenya (Day 2)
I slept pretty well through the night, but I was woken up at one point as the mosquitoes were attacking and then I woke up early to see one person off. After that, I passed out until 11, when I was greeted by someone telling me that my friend Nick (he was the closest volunteer to me for most of my time in Peace Corps) had arrived a while ago and hadn't been able to reach anyone (we both had dead batteries on our phones).
We hurried over to meet Nick and had a bit of brunch. We wound up sitting at the restaurant for a few hours catching up and grading Nick's students' exams. I think Reuben learned a bit about education over here as he joined in the fun (nope, not being sarcastic, marking papers definitely made me a bit nostalgic). I was really impressed with some of Nick's students, and I think that his effort to help them improve really shows. I also had a Coke as we were grading, and as much as everyone says that Coca-Cola tastes the same wherever you buy it (with the exception of high-fructose corn syrup as opposed to sugar), I have to say that Kenyan Coke tastes better than Tanzanian Coke. Maybe it's my imagination? Maybe there's a bad bottler in Arusha?
After that, we decided to spend the afternoon at the pool, so we put on our shorts (close enough to swimsuits) and headed to the pool. It was really perfect weather, and the pool was a little small, but just big enough for diving. We swapped more stories, and I felt really happy when Nick told me that there was another volunteer who had raised similar issues to what I raised to Peace Corps Kenya about his work and they had given him permission to decrease his teaching load significantly and work on more secondary projects. I don't know all the details, but it's nice to know that the staff is trying to accommodate volunteers these days. It made me wonder how many more volunteers from my group would have stayed around had they been more supportive back then. Still, the important part is that attitudes have definitely changed.
After that, Nick had to get back to his site, so we tried to hurry back to the bus stand, but we couldn't find any vehicles heading that way, so we wound up walking most of the two kilometers (it was nice to talk more, but Nick was becoming more anxious about missing the last bus back to his site). We made it in time and Nick got home safely, which was nice. Then we ate a quick dinner and played more cards. Once again, it was after midnight and I decided to crash. Reuben headed out to the club and later reported that it had a decent scene for a Sunday night.
Reuben and I woke up the next morning, packed and hopped on the bus back to Arusha. The ride was pretty uneventful. I mostly read The Economist on my phone. As we passed through Maktau, I saw my old landlord Mr. Kori and noted that he was looking well. Then, we saw six elephants further down the road. At immigration, I was trying to get my permit stamped, but they told me that I will need to go to the immigration office in Arusha (a place where I don't have happy memories) to get it stamped and attached to my passport. However, above the stamp in my passport, they wrote "RR" for Returning Resident. Reuben and I made it back to Arusha without further event (although 17 hours on buses in less than 60 hours is making my spine increasingly unhappy) and then hopped on some motorcycle taxis and headed to the office to put in the last two hours of the workday.
We hurried over to meet Nick and had a bit of brunch. We wound up sitting at the restaurant for a few hours catching up and grading Nick's students' exams. I think Reuben learned a bit about education over here as he joined in the fun (nope, not being sarcastic, marking papers definitely made me a bit nostalgic). I was really impressed with some of Nick's students, and I think that his effort to help them improve really shows. I also had a Coke as we were grading, and as much as everyone says that Coca-Cola tastes the same wherever you buy it (with the exception of high-fructose corn syrup as opposed to sugar), I have to say that Kenyan Coke tastes better than Tanzanian Coke. Maybe it's my imagination? Maybe there's a bad bottler in Arusha?
After that, we decided to spend the afternoon at the pool, so we put on our shorts (close enough to swimsuits) and headed to the pool. It was really perfect weather, and the pool was a little small, but just big enough for diving. We swapped more stories, and I felt really happy when Nick told me that there was another volunteer who had raised similar issues to what I raised to Peace Corps Kenya about his work and they had given him permission to decrease his teaching load significantly and work on more secondary projects. I don't know all the details, but it's nice to know that the staff is trying to accommodate volunteers these days. It made me wonder how many more volunteers from my group would have stayed around had they been more supportive back then. Still, the important part is that attitudes have definitely changed.
After that, Nick had to get back to his site, so we tried to hurry back to the bus stand, but we couldn't find any vehicles heading that way, so we wound up walking most of the two kilometers (it was nice to talk more, but Nick was becoming more anxious about missing the last bus back to his site). We made it in time and Nick got home safely, which was nice. Then we ate a quick dinner and played more cards. Once again, it was after midnight and I decided to crash. Reuben headed out to the club and later reported that it had a decent scene for a Sunday night.
Reuben and I woke up the next morning, packed and hopped on the bus back to Arusha. The ride was pretty uneventful. I mostly read The Economist on my phone. As we passed through Maktau, I saw my old landlord Mr. Kori and noted that he was looking well. Then, we saw six elephants further down the road. At immigration, I was trying to get my permit stamped, but they told me that I will need to go to the immigration office in Arusha (a place where I don't have happy memories) to get it stamped and attached to my passport. However, above the stamp in my passport, they wrote "RR" for Returning Resident. Reuben and I made it back to Arusha without further event (although 17 hours on buses in less than 60 hours is making my spine increasingly unhappy) and then hopped on some motorcycle taxis and headed to the office to put in the last two hours of the workday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)