Snapshots, Tidbits and Pieces: August 2008

I just got back from Africa. I spent two weeks traveling all over Kenya, from the plains, to the mountains to the coast. It was an experience that I will remember for a lifetime. For those of you who do not know, I went to Kenya to visit my Aunt and Uncle who are missionaries for the Baptist Church. In addition to visiting them I also did some traveling all over the country. Renee and David (aunt and uncle) live in Limuru, which is just north of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Their place is in the mountains, surrounded by acres upon acres of tea plantations. It felt like home to me, after spending 4 years in Boone, NC for undergrad, the weather was refreshing compared to the hot, sticky humid heat in Charlotte. To give you some geographical insight, the equator cuts right through the middle of Kenya, and Nairobi is 140 km south of the equator, which is approximately 75 miles. Nairobi is close to the equator, but the high altitude allows for a really nice climate.

The first couple of days were spent at the Masai Mara National Reserve. This is the best time of year to go to a game park, specifically because of the annual wildibeest migration, but you have to be in the right place to see the bulk of it.

Wildibeest Migration:

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/mammals-animals/deer-and-antelope/wildebeest_migration.html?fs=animals-panther.nationalgeographic.com

This is the largest migration in the world, where wildibeest and zebras cross over the Mara River to the Masai Mara in Kenya. But, outside of the wildibeest, were all kinds of other animals. One of the biggest highlights of the Mara was being able to see a pride of lions getting ready to attack a herd of zebras. All the safari vans were gathered around watching and taking pictures.

The animals did not pay any attention to the engines running or the cameras snapping. We stayed there for a while, but eventually the zebras realized they were getting ready to be lunch, and ran. Another feature of the trip was being able to see a cheetah sleeping and then walking to one remote tree and marking it. It was so funny to watch all of the safari vans taking pictures of the cheetah peeing and pooping.

While the animals were fun to watch and the main attraction for coming to the Masai Mara, the best part of the trip to the Rift Valley was visiting one of the Maasai Villages. In Kenya there are approximately 40 tribes. However, the Maasi tribe is one of the most prominent tribes in the country. I think the reason for this is due impart to the fact that most Maasai are very protective of their culture. Where a lot of the other tribes have become increasingly more westernized, the Maasai society have not. Many of them are very resistant to change. They are well known for their staple tribal color of red. Their tall and slender stature is very beneficial for jumping high, which is something that they like to do! When we got to the village we were greeted by all of the men in the tribe with a song and dance. They then proceeded to have a jumping competition. After the welcoming we walked into the village where all of the women greeted us with a song.

In Maasailand, villages are always developed in a circular shape as a form of protection, mainly for the cattle. Wealth and status in Maasai society are based on cattle ownership. When women are married off, part of the marriage agreement is gaining cows.

The settlement is made out of mud-and-dung covered dwellings that are low to the ground. We were invited to go inside one of the homes. The inside was very dark and small. I sat down where they slept, which was a little nook that was covered with tar

After leaving the Mara, we went back to my Aunt and Uncle's homestead. The next day we headed to Mt. Kenya. Mt. Kenya is north of Nairobi and lying next to the equator. It took five days to climb to the top at approximately 16,500 ft. When we first arrived at the base of the mountain, I went to use the restroom (a hole in the ground) and encountered a small, furry animal resembling something completely harmless, but you would of thought when I opened that door and started yelling and sprinting up the hill that I had seen a grizzly bear. I am certain that after it was all over with, it was more scared of me. I know that the guys were thinking that we were starting off on a bad foot, when the most challenging parts of the trip were still to come! The first two nights I slept in a tent outside, and then the next 2 nights I slept in an old, primitive like cabin. The nights would get to just below freezing. Our porters/guides were from the Kikuyu tribe, which is a tribe located in the mountains, where my aunt and uncle live. We had the best time with them.

At the end of the day when we settled down at our camp, we would hang out in the kitchen, while they cooked dinner for us, and then after dinner we would play cards. It became custom to play a card game called flower with the guys every night after dinner. They cooked the best meals in rather large portions. Whenever I was not eating, they would say, "Eat, Eat!!" Some of the traditional food staples that we had on a regular basis were ugali (a white sticky, heavy dough made out of corn meal, used to eat with meat and vegetables, it's taste is bland), also chapati which is a golden, brown flat bread (also used in Indian Cuisine) used to pick up food. Note: It is custom to eat with your hands, so every meal I ate with my hands. Nyoma Choma was another signature African dish we had, which is any roasted meat; beef, lamb, goat or pork. Every morning and every night, we also had hot tea. I became accustomed to drinking the tea, and now it is one of my new favorite things. Hiking Mt. Kenya was the best part of the entire trip. The scenery is breath taking. And there is nothing like getting up at 2:30 in the morning to climb to the very top of the mountain and see this gorgeous bright red sunrise. On the way home we stopped in Nanyuki, the town that 2 of our porters lived. We stopped by one of the shops, owned by one of our porters; James. I didn't have much money on me, so I ended up bartering with what I had in my backpack; bandannas, gloves, and a rain jacket. In exchange, I got a couple of nice Kenyan pieces. After shopping, we enjoyed one last meal with the guys at a barbecue place and heade

d back to Renee and David

's.

After Mt. Kenya, we spent the day in Nairobi, going to the markets with my aunt. The next day we left for Mombasa, which is on the coast of Kenya and lying on the Indian Ocean. The beaches are gorgeous. The water is a beautiful turquoise green color, and the sand is white. Our first day in Mombassa we ventured north to a little town called Shanzu and had lunch at a local place. To get there, we took a matatu, which is a retro like minibus that local people use for transportation. We took the matatus a couple of times, while listening to reggae music that they played. The next day we went to Old Town Mombasa. We had two men that we met in Shanzu give us a tour of the place. We walked around on the narrow roads of Mombasa, getting a taste of the markets, Kenyan shops and history. Old Town Mombasa has a unique history. Unlike the rest of Kenya, Mombasa is occupied by people of mostly Arab origin. The dress of the Arab women is from head to toe. It is custom not to wear anything that reveals too much skin. The city is dominated by mosques, where Muslim men and women gather to pray and worship. "Old Town" is the part of Mombasa that is reminiscent of the days when the Arabs exerted a heavy influence on the town, culture, language and architecture. Many Arabs came to Mombasa for trade. Because of this exposure to trade, the coastal town became a thriving port, and continues to be one.