Hello,
Stephen sent me the following note. “Those pics you just sent out of the slum - those are actually of the slum called Kawangware (not Kibera). And what you saw - and took photos of - were the business, i.e., the "good" areas of the slum! It's the living areas - the residential areas - that are usually the worst!” I did realize that I was not seeing the worst of the slum, but only the edge. As I said I could not seem to snap a shot of the alleyways between buildings. I am glad that he let me know that some of my information was incorrect. I guess I just had too much to absorb it all. I have retitled the photo album.
Then there were the monkeys that I called velvet and instead it is vervet.
I have also updated a plant picture of the Bougainvillea. Our safari driver told us the bougainvillea was one of the most drought resist plants. So along with beautiful flowers it is a survivor.
Leroy bought a new bike yesterday. He could not bring himself to spend the money on a recumbent so he got an aluminum frame Trek. He also sent in his registration for the bike ride across Iowa. In the mood for training he rode his old bike to church this morning. When he came home at noon Leroy was gasping with effort after battling strong winds and dropping temperatures. He walked back to church in the afternoon. That was enough bike training for one day.
I hung clothes out this morning earning some self-righteousness and hurting cold hands. I did hang the socks up inside so it was not quite so many small pieces. Clothes did dry rather quickly as the wind whipped the water out of their fibers.
Paula
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
More thoughts on Nairobi
March 30, 2009
Hello,
Our fastnacht day went well. It was fun to have people in our home. I had some help frying donuts and washing dishes. So I mingled with guests. I was pleased that some of them even noticed some photographs that I had taken. They were also impressed with the photo album of our grandchildren that Jen assembled for us.
Now back to Nairobi. Someone, who lives in South Africa, commented about the pedestrians at night walking along side the road or on the road. Dark skin and dark clothes make them almost impossible to see in the dark. Driving in Nairobi means that you have to be especially alert at all times. Another rather dangerous activity was the numbers of people who are riding in the backs of trucks. I suppose the alternatives make it worth the risk. Walking for a long period of time, spending food money to ride the matatu, risking life and limb by riding in the back of a truck, or not going at all are probably some of the options open to them.
I have included some pictures of the slum in Nairobi. It is quite close to the home of Stephen and Sarah. There were riots there in December 2007. We did not go in the slum as we needed a guide to do that, but we drove around the outskirts. There were many people out and about. I tried to get pictures of the narrow alleyways/streets, but was unable to snap the shutter at the proper time. Mostly I have pictures of the venders. It was incredible dusty, the street was holey, and there were certainly no other white people around. I felt caught between thinking I was invading “their” territory and wanting to see what it was like. You can read about this slum of Kibera on the Internet. It is a sad thing. It is very large, requiring some time to drive around it. Homes are densely packed with just narrow passages between them. Opulence and depravity are almost next door to each other.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/KiberaSlumInNairobi##
March 30, 2009
Hello,
Our fastnacht day went well. It was fun to have people in our home. I had some help frying donuts and washing dishes. So I mingled with guests. I was pleased that some of them even noticed some photographs that I had taken. They were also impressed with the photo album of our grandchildren that Jen assembled for us.
Now back to Nairobi. Someone, who lives in South Africa, commented about the pedestrians at night walking along side the road or on the road. Dark skin and dark clothes make them almost impossible to see in the dark. Driving in Nairobi means that you have to be especially alert at all times. Another rather dangerous activity was the numbers of people who are riding in the backs of trucks. I suppose the alternatives make it worth the risk. Walking for a long period of time, spending food money to ride the matatu, risking life and limb by riding in the back of a truck, or not going at all are probably some of the options open to them.
I have included some pictures of the slum in Nairobi. It is quite close to the home of Stephen and Sarah. There were riots there in December 2007. We did not go in the slum as we needed a guide to do that, but we drove around the outskirts. There were many people out and about. I tried to get pictures of the narrow alleyways/streets, but was unable to snap the shutter at the proper time. Mostly I have pictures of the venders. It was incredible dusty, the street was holey, and there were certainly no other white people around. I felt caught between thinking I was invading “their” territory and wanting to see what it was like. You can read about this slum of Kibera on the Internet. It is a sad thing. It is very large, requiring some time to drive around it. Homes are densely packed with just narrow passages between them. Opulence and depravity are almost next door to each other.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/KiberaSlumInNairobi##
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Hassles
Hello,
Last night Leroy spent some time working on the computer, but finally I said, “Why don’t you just forget it until tomorrow? You need some time to relax.”
Earlier that day the plumber came to fix the shut off valve for the whole house. That involved having city water people search for the shut off close to the street. I am not sure why, but they could not find it at first. Then the plumber did his thing. When he was done there he also fixed the valve that controls the water going to the icemaker. The last step was to put in a shut off valve by the toilet on the main level.
This all started because there was no shut off for the toilet. The guys who laid the new floor needed that so they could lift the stool and put the floor under it. Unfortunately the main shut off leaked. Consequently they glued the floor to the toilet. If the toilet malfunctions the floor will have to be replaced. For that purpose they left an extra box of flooring.
Everything went smoothly with the shut off valves. The water to the icemaker was a different matter. The floor guys had told us that we must check to make sure the water to the refrigerator did not leak on the floor or it would be damaged. The plumber turned on the water and left. I told Leroy, “I think we should pull the frig out and check for a leak.”
Leroy tried, but the refrigerator fits so tightly that it is very difficult to pull out especially since it was now so heavy with cabbage and oranges. He said, “I don’t think it is leaking.” When I checked later there was still no water in the icemaker. But we sat doing the crossword puzzle at 9:45 when I heard a dripping sound downstairs. Oh no there was water coming out of the ductwork.
Between the two of us we managed to get the refrigerator away from the wall. Sure enough water was dripping from the top as the connection had pulled away. We turned off the water downstairs, fixed the connection, left the refrigerator out, tried the water away from the floor by pulling the metal away, drilled a small hole and finally got a bigger flow of water to the basement. Everything seemed good this morning so we turned on the water again and listened to the sound of falling ice throughout the day.
We thought that was enough stress for one day, but Sarah wanted to web cam with us. Our computer at home did not work so we took the web cam to church. We had had one there, but we just sent it to Stephen. Leroy had taken off the software to run it since he no longer had a web cam. This morning his computer froze so he tried to get it on the one in the secretary’s office, but Sarah needed to go home before we got it done. At the end of all this time Leroy was exhausted and it was only 9:15 in the morning.
The rest of the day was much better, just a matter of cleaning for our fastnacht party tomorrow.
Paula
Last night Leroy spent some time working on the computer, but finally I said, “Why don’t you just forget it until tomorrow? You need some time to relax.”
Earlier that day the plumber came to fix the shut off valve for the whole house. That involved having city water people search for the shut off close to the street. I am not sure why, but they could not find it at first. Then the plumber did his thing. When he was done there he also fixed the valve that controls the water going to the icemaker. The last step was to put in a shut off valve by the toilet on the main level.
This all started because there was no shut off for the toilet. The guys who laid the new floor needed that so they could lift the stool and put the floor under it. Unfortunately the main shut off leaked. Consequently they glued the floor to the toilet. If the toilet malfunctions the floor will have to be replaced. For that purpose they left an extra box of flooring.
Everything went smoothly with the shut off valves. The water to the icemaker was a different matter. The floor guys had told us that we must check to make sure the water to the refrigerator did not leak on the floor or it would be damaged. The plumber turned on the water and left. I told Leroy, “I think we should pull the frig out and check for a leak.”
Leroy tried, but the refrigerator fits so tightly that it is very difficult to pull out especially since it was now so heavy with cabbage and oranges. He said, “I don’t think it is leaking.” When I checked later there was still no water in the icemaker. But we sat doing the crossword puzzle at 9:45 when I heard a dripping sound downstairs. Oh no there was water coming out of the ductwork.
Between the two of us we managed to get the refrigerator away from the wall. Sure enough water was dripping from the top as the connection had pulled away. We turned off the water downstairs, fixed the connection, left the refrigerator out, tried the water away from the floor by pulling the metal away, drilled a small hole and finally got a bigger flow of water to the basement. Everything seemed good this morning so we turned on the water again and listened to the sound of falling ice throughout the day.
We thought that was enough stress for one day, but Sarah wanted to web cam with us. Our computer at home did not work so we took the web cam to church. We had had one there, but we just sent it to Stephen. Leroy had taken off the software to run it since he no longer had a web cam. This morning his computer froze so he tried to get it on the one in the secretary’s office, but Sarah needed to go home before we got it done. At the end of all this time Leroy was exhausted and it was only 9:15 in the morning.
The rest of the day was much better, just a matter of cleaning for our fastnacht party tomorrow.
Paula
Friday, March 27, 2009
Computer Troubles
Hello,
The computer is going bad again. I am not sure if I am a jinx on these machines or what. Seems to me it should last longer than two years. Leroy is thinking the hard drive is bad. At any rate I am using the computer at church. Do we “need” two computers so we have a back up at all times?
Leroy at least has now saved all files. We will have to take it somewhere so they can run some tests on it. We do not have that software.
After fussing around with this at home I decided to use the computer at church in Leroy’s office. Luckily he gave me the password for the secretary’s computer because when I got here I realized I did not have the key for his office.
This computer was working fine, but after five minutes I could no longer use the keyboard. The mouse still worked. I tried to call Leroy and could not get the phone to work. I would tear out my hair if I had any to spare. I used the phone in the kitchen and he told me, “There are two phone lines in the office and perhaps the right line button was not down.”
He could not imagine why the keyboard would not work. Then I remembered, “I kicked a cord. I’ll bet I kicked it off the computer.”
Sure enough that is what happened. So it was a simple matter of plugging it back in.
It is a little unnerving being in the church alone at night. When I came to the church there were two cars parked in front. It did not look like young people in those cars. Before I saw the people I thought, “Maybe young people come here and hang out since it is off the beaten path.” After I unlocked the church they left. Now just a few minutes ago I heard faint voices.
Even though the hair was rising on the back of my neck, I looked out the door to see if I could see anything. The tail lights of a car were moving away from the church. A chair scraped on the floor downstairs. More hair rising. Fortunately a few seconds later I remembered someone having said that AA meets here on Friday night. Hopefully that is who is here. I feel better. I will trust that is who it is. I will not bother them and they will not bother me.
Is my life exciting or what?
Paula
The computer is going bad again. I am not sure if I am a jinx on these machines or what. Seems to me it should last longer than two years. Leroy is thinking the hard drive is bad. At any rate I am using the computer at church. Do we “need” two computers so we have a back up at all times?
Leroy at least has now saved all files. We will have to take it somewhere so they can run some tests on it. We do not have that software.
After fussing around with this at home I decided to use the computer at church in Leroy’s office. Luckily he gave me the password for the secretary’s computer because when I got here I realized I did not have the key for his office.
This computer was working fine, but after five minutes I could no longer use the keyboard. The mouse still worked. I tried to call Leroy and could not get the phone to work. I would tear out my hair if I had any to spare. I used the phone in the kitchen and he told me, “There are two phone lines in the office and perhaps the right line button was not down.”
He could not imagine why the keyboard would not work. Then I remembered, “I kicked a cord. I’ll bet I kicked it off the computer.”
Sure enough that is what happened. So it was a simple matter of plugging it back in.
It is a little unnerving being in the church alone at night. When I came to the church there were two cars parked in front. It did not look like young people in those cars. Before I saw the people I thought, “Maybe young people come here and hang out since it is off the beaten path.” After I unlocked the church they left. Now just a few minutes ago I heard faint voices.
Even though the hair was rising on the back of my neck, I looked out the door to see if I could see anything. The tail lights of a car were moving away from the church. A chair scraped on the floor downstairs. More hair rising. Fortunately a few seconds later I remembered someone having said that AA meets here on Friday night. Hopefully that is who is here. I feel better. I will trust that is who it is. I will not bother them and they will not bother me.
Is my life exciting or what?
Paula
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
More about Kenya
Hello,
I may be home, but I often think of the things I have seen or experienced. As you can see from the pictures there were not many sidewalks, and sometimes no paved road, including in front of the hospital. You could not see, but many people are walking. It is certainly one of the most popular modes of transportation. Lexi was quite comfortable greeting everyone. I wonder if it will be strange for her to come to the US and see so many white faces and almost no black faces. I think she will miss them.
We saw more than one guy who was fixing bikes along side the road. He brought his equipment and set up shop close to the road.
I also thought it was interesting to see the knife sharpener. He was on the area outside of a shopping mall. His business is easy to move along as needed.
As you can see from the pictures, construction is a different matter here. It is really much more like what we saw in Slovakia. As our brother-in-law Rex said, “What would OSHA say to that?” But it uses local materials and hopefully it stays up in the air. So there are some positives too.
There were many plants for sale along the sidewalk. Sarah tells, “Those plants are there all the time and people do not steal them. The rest of the venders put their things away at night. Seldom does it appear that anyone is even selling these plants.”
Stephen had a mild case of typhoid while we were visitng. He went to the local hospital said, “They were competent and it is much easier than going to our doctor.”
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/OutAndAboutInNairobi##
I may be home, but I often think of the things I have seen or experienced. As you can see from the pictures there were not many sidewalks, and sometimes no paved road, including in front of the hospital. You could not see, but many people are walking. It is certainly one of the most popular modes of transportation. Lexi was quite comfortable greeting everyone. I wonder if it will be strange for her to come to the US and see so many white faces and almost no black faces. I think she will miss them.
We saw more than one guy who was fixing bikes along side the road. He brought his equipment and set up shop close to the road.
I also thought it was interesting to see the knife sharpener. He was on the area outside of a shopping mall. His business is easy to move along as needed.
As you can see from the pictures, construction is a different matter here. It is really much more like what we saw in Slovakia. As our brother-in-law Rex said, “What would OSHA say to that?” But it uses local materials and hopefully it stays up in the air. So there are some positives too.
There were many plants for sale along the sidewalk. Sarah tells, “Those plants are there all the time and people do not steal them. The rest of the venders put their things away at night. Seldom does it appear that anyone is even selling these plants.”
Stephen had a mild case of typhoid while we were visitng. He went to the local hospital said, “They were competent and it is much easier than going to our doctor.”
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/OutAndAboutInNairobi##
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cemetery
Hello,
On the way home from the giraffe sanctuary we stopped at a WWII cemetery. I was surprised to learn that there were so many soldiers from Africa in WWII. I am not a big history person, but I do think about the war just involving North America, Europe, and Asia. I do not know the number of burials here, but it was a lot. It was well taken care of with mown grass and rows and rows of identical small tombstones. It was interesting to read the names, dates, and ages.
In the middle of the city of Nairobi there is an arboretum. We spent a pleasant morning there walking around some native trees and some imported trees. I was glad that they had labels. Some paths were paved and some were dirt. In spite of the sense of care it was not as groomed as things generally are in the US. It was also pleasant to see so many people there. Some of them seemed to be rehearsing a play while others were sitting on benches or walking as we were. A couple guys were, as Lexi said, “La la.” That is the word for sleeping in Kswahili.
I will be going back to Kenya on April 21, 2009. Stephen has come back to the US to look for a job. It seemed to me that it would be good for Sarah to have some help managing these two long flights with a small girl. We will fly a bit more than eight hours to Amsterdam, sit in the airport for about five hours, and then fly another nine hours to Minneapolis. In New Brighton we will all gather at Brian and Jen’s home for the first total family reunion since 2004. I am so looking forward to that. We hope to be able to get a family picture complete with all four little girls smiling. What do you think will be the chance of those smiles happening at the same time? At least they will be in the picture. Solemn is ok.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/WWIICemetery#
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/GiraffeSanctuary#
On the way home from the giraffe sanctuary we stopped at a WWII cemetery. I was surprised to learn that there were so many soldiers from Africa in WWII. I am not a big history person, but I do think about the war just involving North America, Europe, and Asia. I do not know the number of burials here, but it was a lot. It was well taken care of with mown grass and rows and rows of identical small tombstones. It was interesting to read the names, dates, and ages.
In the middle of the city of Nairobi there is an arboretum. We spent a pleasant morning there walking around some native trees and some imported trees. I was glad that they had labels. Some paths were paved and some were dirt. In spite of the sense of care it was not as groomed as things generally are in the US. It was also pleasant to see so many people there. Some of them seemed to be rehearsing a play while others were sitting on benches or walking as we were. A couple guys were, as Lexi said, “La la.” That is the word for sleeping in Kswahili.
I will be going back to Kenya on April 21, 2009. Stephen has come back to the US to look for a job. It seemed to me that it would be good for Sarah to have some help managing these two long flights with a small girl. We will fly a bit more than eight hours to Amsterdam, sit in the airport for about five hours, and then fly another nine hours to Minneapolis. In New Brighton we will all gather at Brian and Jen’s home for the first total family reunion since 2004. I am so looking forward to that. We hope to be able to get a family picture complete with all four little girls smiling. What do you think will be the chance of those smiles happening at the same time? At least they will be in the picture. Solemn is ok.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/WWIICemetery#
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/GiraffeSanctuary#
Monday, March 23, 2009
Lunch on the lawn
Hello,
Leaving the elephant orphanage behind, but memories spinning in our brains, we headed to the home of Karen Blixton aka Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa. It was a beautiful hilltop setting for lunch. I wish now that I had taken some pictures of the trees there because they were so lush and full compared to many that we saw.
We did not go in her home after deciding that it was not worth the entrance fee. Instead we would watch the movie to see the place. We have watched the movie and now I would like to see the house.
Her husband decided to grow coffee. It was an unsuccessful venture. We were able to take a couple pictures of coffee plants, but generally they do not do well in Kenya. Kenyans drink a bit of tea for their health and relaxation.
After lunch Stephen took us to yet another interesting place, a giraffe sanctuary. If you decide to spend the night in the house on the grounds you can welcome a giraffe to eat breakfast with you as these animals roam freely about the grounds.
One of the big thrills for us was to feed the giraffe. Even though I remember having calves suck my fingers, this animal is much bigger. It did not seem so aggressive, but it took a bit of courage to hold still, let it come to me, and take the proffered pellet from my hand. A guide put a pellet between his lips or teeth, I am not sure which, and the prehensile tongue looped around it taking that tiny pellet morsel neatly into its own mouth. Leroy and I opted for a vicarious experience and still believe that is good
We learned quite a few giraffe facts besides just the obvious ones that they have very long legs and long necks. Mature giraffe require a very large approximately 25-pound heart to pump blood to their heads.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/RandomKenyaPlants#
Leaving the elephant orphanage behind, but memories spinning in our brains, we headed to the home of Karen Blixton aka Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa. It was a beautiful hilltop setting for lunch. I wish now that I had taken some pictures of the trees there because they were so lush and full compared to many that we saw.
We did not go in her home after deciding that it was not worth the entrance fee. Instead we would watch the movie to see the place. We have watched the movie and now I would like to see the house.
Her husband decided to grow coffee. It was an unsuccessful venture. We were able to take a couple pictures of coffee plants, but generally they do not do well in Kenya. Kenyans drink a bit of tea for their health and relaxation.
After lunch Stephen took us to yet another interesting place, a giraffe sanctuary. If you decide to spend the night in the house on the grounds you can welcome a giraffe to eat breakfast with you as these animals roam freely about the grounds.
One of the big thrills for us was to feed the giraffe. Even though I remember having calves suck my fingers, this animal is much bigger. It did not seem so aggressive, but it took a bit of courage to hold still, let it come to me, and take the proffered pellet from my hand. A guide put a pellet between his lips or teeth, I am not sure which, and the prehensile tongue looped around it taking that tiny pellet morsel neatly into its own mouth. Leroy and I opted for a vicarious experience and still believe that is good
We learned quite a few giraffe facts besides just the obvious ones that they have very long legs and long necks. Mature giraffe require a very large approximately 25-pound heart to pump blood to their heads.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/RandomKenyaPlants#
Friday, March 20, 2009
Still at the elephant orphanage
Hello,
After we watched the babies eat we saw them and their keepers head off into the trees for their afternoon. This was all well coordinated as the preteens came charging out of the forest from a slightly different spot. These thirteen kids knew the routine and they did not want to delay any feeding. They were definitely bigger and more confident. No one in this crowd had on a blanket for warmth. We had been told we could pet them if they came close enough, but that did not happen for me. We were warned not to get down as they see that as a submissive move and they might attack. The keepers and the other elephants were jostled around a bit by some of the more aggressive.
In the distance we could see the yellow baboons in the trees and at some point they headed into the feeding area. The animals in this park are not caged for the most part. The baboons and warthogs would not hurt us, but we were warned not to try to touch them, especially the warthogs since they would not like that. The baboons could be pests, as they liked to grab any available food. So if we had lunch with us we should guard it.
There are teenage elephants in the park. We did not see them because they are preparing to be re-introduced to the wild; consequently they no longer spend time around humans other than the keepers who are also withdrawing.
It seems that this trip just keeps giving us sights not commonly seen. The last animal that was presented to us was a premature baby rhino. Premature births in the wild are very rare. Most probably die very soon after birth. This guy had been found and brought here because there was no other place that could deal with him. He is wearing a blanket because all mammal mothers provide a lot of heat for their babies. The baby moved around the perimeter so we could touch his rather dry skin. What a special treat!
As we walked out we saw a mature rhino behind a strong fence. The guide invited us to come over and get a closer look. Maybe not as good as seeing it out on safari, but certainly this was much closer.
Not bad variety for an hour visit to the elephant orphanage.
And to think, Stephen waited patiently in the car because he had already been there once.
Paula
After we watched the babies eat we saw them and their keepers head off into the trees for their afternoon. This was all well coordinated as the preteens came charging out of the forest from a slightly different spot. These thirteen kids knew the routine and they did not want to delay any feeding. They were definitely bigger and more confident. No one in this crowd had on a blanket for warmth. We had been told we could pet them if they came close enough, but that did not happen for me. We were warned not to get down as they see that as a submissive move and they might attack. The keepers and the other elephants were jostled around a bit by some of the more aggressive.
In the distance we could see the yellow baboons in the trees and at some point they headed into the feeding area. The animals in this park are not caged for the most part. The baboons and warthogs would not hurt us, but we were warned not to try to touch them, especially the warthogs since they would not like that. The baboons could be pests, as they liked to grab any available food. So if we had lunch with us we should guard it.
There are teenage elephants in the park. We did not see them because they are preparing to be re-introduced to the wild; consequently they no longer spend time around humans other than the keepers who are also withdrawing.
It seems that this trip just keeps giving us sights not commonly seen. The last animal that was presented to us was a premature baby rhino. Premature births in the wild are very rare. Most probably die very soon after birth. This guy had been found and brought here because there was no other place that could deal with him. He is wearing a blanket because all mammal mothers provide a lot of heat for their babies. The baby moved around the perimeter so we could touch his rather dry skin. What a special treat!
As we walked out we saw a mature rhino behind a strong fence. The guide invited us to come over and get a closer look. Maybe not as good as seeing it out on safari, but certainly this was much closer.
Not bad variety for an hour visit to the elephant orphanage.
And to think, Stephen waited patiently in the car because he had already been there once.
Paula
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Elephant Orphanage
Hello,
I did a blog on this on February 17 when we were actually in Kenya. I am going to add a little more to it now that I have the time. Apologies to those of you who have already seen this information.
Our good guide Stephen took us to the elephant orphanage that is located in the game park in Nairobi. They only allow the public to this particular area one hour a day. These orphans are to be reintroduced to the wild and it is not good for them to get too used to many humans. I was quite surprised to see the large crowd that had gathered to witness the feeding of these babies.
There was a woman who gave us all the details about each elephant. We were told their names, age, where they had lived, and how they came to be an orphan. Many of them came up and rubbed against her. The first group that we saw was the sixteen smallest. There were three more, but they were too new to the facility and could not handle any more upset in their lives. Elephant babies are much like humans in that they need consistency, love, and much physical care. The keepers are with them 24/7. However one keeper did not stay with one elephant instead they rotated times and animals. When an elephant has lost their mother they shift their trust and loyalty to the human keepers.
Elephants become orphans for three reasons: death of a mother (often by poachers), fall into a well, and human animal conflict. Elephants have a great need for water so when they smell water in a well they try to get to it. The babies often end up falling in. Sometimes mothers can get them out, but more often not and they leave them there. The human animal conflict comes about because both want to be on the land at the same time. Humans often win that confrontation by killing the elephants.
We also learned that wounds on an elephant take years to heal. The babies are fed human infant formula. Any donations to support the cost of formula are appreciated. They use a big bottle and these babies are quite eager to eat on schedule.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/ElephantOrphanage#
I did a blog on this on February 17 when we were actually in Kenya. I am going to add a little more to it now that I have the time. Apologies to those of you who have already seen this information.
Our good guide Stephen took us to the elephant orphanage that is located in the game park in Nairobi. They only allow the public to this particular area one hour a day. These orphans are to be reintroduced to the wild and it is not good for them to get too used to many humans. I was quite surprised to see the large crowd that had gathered to witness the feeding of these babies.
There was a woman who gave us all the details about each elephant. We were told their names, age, where they had lived, and how they came to be an orphan. Many of them came up and rubbed against her. The first group that we saw was the sixteen smallest. There were three more, but they were too new to the facility and could not handle any more upset in their lives. Elephant babies are much like humans in that they need consistency, love, and much physical care. The keepers are with them 24/7. However one keeper did not stay with one elephant instead they rotated times and animals. When an elephant has lost their mother they shift their trust and loyalty to the human keepers.
Elephants become orphans for three reasons: death of a mother (often by poachers), fall into a well, and human animal conflict. Elephants have a great need for water so when they smell water in a well they try to get to it. The babies often end up falling in. Sometimes mothers can get them out, but more often not and they leave them there. The human animal conflict comes about because both want to be on the land at the same time. Humans often win that confrontation by killing the elephants.
We also learned that wounds on an elephant take years to heal. The babies are fed human infant formula. Any donations to support the cost of formula are appreciated. They use a big bottle and these babies are quite eager to eat on schedule.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/ElephantOrphanage#
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
On the road back to Nairobi
Hello,
On our way out of the camp there were elephants on the road and then some impalas. “Oh, did you tell them that we were leaving,” I teased the driver, “and they have came to say goodbye?” He just laughed and drove on.
Close to the camp we passed a Maasi village. It was not in such good shape compared to the one we had visited. Perhaps all that tourist money makes a difference.
After a bit we left the road and took off on a dirt path again, but this one seemed a little more direct. We could even see that some progress had been made on the new road. There were bridges that were being put in and many workers were in those spots. I wonder when they get this new road built will people come and live close to it?
When we got on a good road I commented to the driver, “You really have to concentrate to drive on those roads.”
“That is why I do not talk much then because I have to pay full attention to my driving,” he assured me.
Our trip was much the same going back, but because it was later in the day when we approached Nairobi we saw more diversity in the travelers. More tour buses and merchants bringing things to Nairobi as well as more sedans.
As we got closer to the city the countryside kept getting greener and greener as well as higher and higher. Traffic increased and the intensity of the drivers seemed to increase as well. Typical city!
Our trip back did not take as long as the trip out so I guess the driver must have found a shorter path. The bouncing was as strong, but I was a seasoned traveler now so no matter.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/LeavingTheGamePark?feat=directlink
On our way out of the camp there were elephants on the road and then some impalas. “Oh, did you tell them that we were leaving,” I teased the driver, “and they have came to say goodbye?” He just laughed and drove on.
Close to the camp we passed a Maasi village. It was not in such good shape compared to the one we had visited. Perhaps all that tourist money makes a difference.
After a bit we left the road and took off on a dirt path again, but this one seemed a little more direct. We could even see that some progress had been made on the new road. There were bridges that were being put in and many workers were in those spots. I wonder when they get this new road built will people come and live close to it?
When we got on a good road I commented to the driver, “You really have to concentrate to drive on those roads.”
“That is why I do not talk much then because I have to pay full attention to my driving,” he assured me.
Our trip was much the same going back, but because it was later in the day when we approached Nairobi we saw more diversity in the travelers. More tour buses and merchants bringing things to Nairobi as well as more sedans.
As we got closer to the city the countryside kept getting greener and greener as well as higher and higher. Traffic increased and the intensity of the drivers seemed to increase as well. Typical city!
Our trip back did not take as long as the trip out so I guess the driver must have found a shorter path. The bouncing was as strong, but I was a seasoned traveler now so no matter.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/LeavingTheGamePark?feat=directlink
Monday, March 16, 2009
Even More Animals
Hello,
When we saw the wildebeest babies our guide told us, “It is the time for birth. Look at that one it is less than five minutes old. The afterbirth is still hanging from the mother.” I was hoping to see a birth, but no luck on that score I would have to settle for minutes old.
Later we saw a hyena dragging something about which our guide said, “That is dinner for tomorrow. He will hide it and then come back to it when he is hungry again.” I gather that an unoccupied armadillo hole would be a good hiding place.
I did ask our guide if there was anything that he would still like to see and he responded, “I have never seen an armadillo. They are nocturnal so I am not there at the same time.”
Before we left the park we saw a lone Oryx. Our guide commented, “I have not seen one of them in many years. It is a bit out of its territory.”
Another unusual sight was a large elephant herd. Apparently they are family groupings generally of about ten. The herd we saw had more than twenty in it. Our guide even took some pictures of them.
In the evening on the first day we saw a couple of young male lions heading back to their night territory. The next morning we saw those same two; at least we all thought it was the same two, heading in the opposite direction. Our guide informed us that they would go get a drink and then spend much of the rest of the day sleeping. We had not progressed very far down the road when we saw two more lions. These were young females walking across the road. I think our guide had better binoculars than we did to be able to tell the sex for sure. It was not long and these girls were walking faster. When we looked back we could see the males gaining on them. Pretty soon those ladies were lengthening out their stride and running. “Lions are very territorial,” our guide said, “Those females are probably out of their area.”
After a bit one of the females stopped running and returned to a walk. Then our guide said, “Maybe I am wrong and one of the females is in heat and she is teasing the males.”
We could not see what happened after that as they had gotten too far away to see clearly even with the binoculars. Was it romance or territory?
Paula
When we saw the wildebeest babies our guide told us, “It is the time for birth. Look at that one it is less than five minutes old. The afterbirth is still hanging from the mother.” I was hoping to see a birth, but no luck on that score I would have to settle for minutes old.
Later we saw a hyena dragging something about which our guide said, “That is dinner for tomorrow. He will hide it and then come back to it when he is hungry again.” I gather that an unoccupied armadillo hole would be a good hiding place.
I did ask our guide if there was anything that he would still like to see and he responded, “I have never seen an armadillo. They are nocturnal so I am not there at the same time.”
Before we left the park we saw a lone Oryx. Our guide commented, “I have not seen one of them in many years. It is a bit out of its territory.”
Another unusual sight was a large elephant herd. Apparently they are family groupings generally of about ten. The herd we saw had more than twenty in it. Our guide even took some pictures of them.
In the evening on the first day we saw a couple of young male lions heading back to their night territory. The next morning we saw those same two; at least we all thought it was the same two, heading in the opposite direction. Our guide informed us that they would go get a drink and then spend much of the rest of the day sleeping. We had not progressed very far down the road when we saw two more lions. These were young females walking across the road. I think our guide had better binoculars than we did to be able to tell the sex for sure. It was not long and these girls were walking faster. When we looked back we could see the males gaining on them. Pretty soon those ladies were lengthening out their stride and running. “Lions are very territorial,” our guide said, “Those females are probably out of their area.”
After a bit one of the females stopped running and returned to a walk. Then our guide said, “Maybe I am wrong and one of the females is in heat and she is teasing the males.”
We could not see what happened after that as they had gotten too far away to see clearly even with the binoculars. Was it romance or territory?
Paula
Sunday, March 15, 2009
More Animals
Hello,
After Leroy and I ate lunch sitting on the hill looking out over the lake watching three elephants meander around, we got back in the Land Rover and headed out once more. I haven’t mentioned them, but we did see yellow baboons and velvet monkeys. There were also a number of birds that our driver could identify and a number that he could not. Some of the identifiable were ibis, a very large gray goliath stork, ducks, black headed crane, weavers, snowy egret, jarande, yellow beaked ox pecker, a yellow necked … Oh what was that called? We cannot remember.
Then there was the baby elephant that came up to mama as she was grabbing a grass lunch and helped himself to a long liquid lunch too. Oh was I sorry that the camera did not work then. We were so close probably only about 10 feet away.
As we were driving along we arrived at a little bridge that had short sides. Two zebra were approaching the other side of that bridge. Our driver slowed to a stop and announced, “Animals have the right of way.” He also told us that noise would scare them.
One zebra, after some hesitation crossed the bridge and, avoiding the steep drop off, walked quite close to us, perhaps only about three feet away. We waited for some time for the second zebra to come across. First it merely looked at us. Finally our driver started moving; initially the zebra turned away, but immediately turned back and nervously walked to the bridge so the driver stopped with us almost on the bridge. Greatly agitated the zebra came closer, turned in a quick circle, glanced around nervously, stamped the ground, backed up, circled, came back, shivered, backed up, circled, stamped the ground and came across the bridge shaking as it was forced to walk almost against my side of the vehicle to get past. It was so close I could have reached out and touched it. It raced off as soon as it was clear. It was only then that we all let out our breath and said, “Wow!”
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/AmbroseliSecondDay?feat=directlink
After Leroy and I ate lunch sitting on the hill looking out over the lake watching three elephants meander around, we got back in the Land Rover and headed out once more. I haven’t mentioned them, but we did see yellow baboons and velvet monkeys. There were also a number of birds that our driver could identify and a number that he could not. Some of the identifiable were ibis, a very large gray goliath stork, ducks, black headed crane, weavers, snowy egret, jarande, yellow beaked ox pecker, a yellow necked … Oh what was that called? We cannot remember.
Then there was the baby elephant that came up to mama as she was grabbing a grass lunch and helped himself to a long liquid lunch too. Oh was I sorry that the camera did not work then. We were so close probably only about 10 feet away.
As we were driving along we arrived at a little bridge that had short sides. Two zebra were approaching the other side of that bridge. Our driver slowed to a stop and announced, “Animals have the right of way.” He also told us that noise would scare them.
One zebra, after some hesitation crossed the bridge and, avoiding the steep drop off, walked quite close to us, perhaps only about three feet away. We waited for some time for the second zebra to come across. First it merely looked at us. Finally our driver started moving; initially the zebra turned away, but immediately turned back and nervously walked to the bridge so the driver stopped with us almost on the bridge. Greatly agitated the zebra came closer, turned in a quick circle, glanced around nervously, stamped the ground, backed up, circled, came back, shivered, backed up, circled, stamped the ground and came across the bridge shaking as it was forced to walk almost against my side of the vehicle to get past. It was so close I could have reached out and touched it. It raced off as soon as it was clear. It was only then that we all let out our breath and said, “Wow!”
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/AmbroseliSecondDay?feat=directlink
Friday, March 13, 2009
Maasi Village
Hello,
After showing us how they so effortlessly build a fire without matches, they talked about their medicine. Our guide, who is the chief’s son, laid out three different looking sticks. The first stick is boiled and they drink the liquid causing them to vomit and have diarrhea. He said, “This is necessary because we only eat meat and drink blood so sometimes we need to be cleaned out.” The second stick is boiled producing a bitter green liquid that they drink to protect/cure themselves from malaria. This liquid also makes them throw up, and they must take three times. The last stick was only for the married men and especially for those with many wives so they could keep them all happy. I believe this stick was also boiled and they drank the liquid.
Next we were given a tour of a home and graciously invited to spend the night there. All of the homes were round buildings constructed of a meager but adequate pole frame and covered with cow dung. These homes last about six years and our guide declared them larger than it appears from the outside. The homes formed a circle around the edge close to the fence. At night their animals would have two barriers around them, the fence and the homes.
All of the houses looked much the same and were about 6-10 feet in diameter. We had to duck down when we entered. We went down a dark curving narrow hallway. There were only two small slits in the main area wall to let in light so it was difficult to see at first. He said they have only those small openings to keep out the malaria mosquitoes. We came to a cooking room that might have been 3’ x3’. There was a small fire and I only saw one pan. I guess if all you are going to eat is meat you don’t need much else. There were two raised rooms off the main room. No doors here just openings. There was no clothing or bedding but maybe a leather base. Mother slept with the girls in one of room and father slept with the boys in the other. I would guess that these rooms were about the size of a twin bed plus a foot. If there were multiple wives, each wife had her own house. When children were about five or six they moved to the house for unmarried people e with girls and boys having separate areas in the building.
We then were shown all the crafts that they had for sale. Our entrance fee of $25 per person went to the school and the craft moneys went to the family that had produced the item.
We saw only the outside of the school. It was made of cement blocks and maybe as large as a small two-bedroom ranch home. Our guide said, “We used to move around often, but because of the school, parents want to stay in one place now.” I am not sure that is an advantage considering sanitary conditions and finding grass for their animals. I was not aware of any sanitary issues, but surely it gets to be a problem when people stay in the same place.
As we were leaving a strong wind whipped up the dust and it was very difficult to breath. Being the perfect gentleman our guide flipped his blanket over my face to protect it.
When we left that area, our driver told us, “My father is Maasi. People can leave the tribe and come back at anytime. But when they come back they must leave modern civilization behind and live as the Maasi do.
Paula
After showing us how they so effortlessly build a fire without matches, they talked about their medicine. Our guide, who is the chief’s son, laid out three different looking sticks. The first stick is boiled and they drink the liquid causing them to vomit and have diarrhea. He said, “This is necessary because we only eat meat and drink blood so sometimes we need to be cleaned out.” The second stick is boiled producing a bitter green liquid that they drink to protect/cure themselves from malaria. This liquid also makes them throw up, and they must take three times. The last stick was only for the married men and especially for those with many wives so they could keep them all happy. I believe this stick was also boiled and they drank the liquid.
Next we were given a tour of a home and graciously invited to spend the night there. All of the homes were round buildings constructed of a meager but adequate pole frame and covered with cow dung. These homes last about six years and our guide declared them larger than it appears from the outside. The homes formed a circle around the edge close to the fence. At night their animals would have two barriers around them, the fence and the homes.
All of the houses looked much the same and were about 6-10 feet in diameter. We had to duck down when we entered. We went down a dark curving narrow hallway. There were only two small slits in the main area wall to let in light so it was difficult to see at first. He said they have only those small openings to keep out the malaria mosquitoes. We came to a cooking room that might have been 3’ x3’. There was a small fire and I only saw one pan. I guess if all you are going to eat is meat you don’t need much else. There were two raised rooms off the main room. No doors here just openings. There was no clothing or bedding but maybe a leather base. Mother slept with the girls in one of room and father slept with the boys in the other. I would guess that these rooms were about the size of a twin bed plus a foot. If there were multiple wives, each wife had her own house. When children were about five or six they moved to the house for unmarried people e with girls and boys having separate areas in the building.
We then were shown all the crafts that they had for sale. Our entrance fee of $25 per person went to the school and the craft moneys went to the family that had produced the item.
We saw only the outside of the school. It was made of cement blocks and maybe as large as a small two-bedroom ranch home. Our guide said, “We used to move around often, but because of the school, parents want to stay in one place now.” I am not sure that is an advantage considering sanitary conditions and finding grass for their animals. I was not aware of any sanitary issues, but surely it gets to be a problem when people stay in the same place.
As we were leaving a strong wind whipped up the dust and it was very difficult to breath. Being the perfect gentleman our guide flipped his blanket over my face to protect it.
When we left that area, our driver told us, “My father is Maasi. People can leave the tribe and come back at anytime. But when they come back they must leave modern civilization behind and live as the Maasi do.
Paula
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Second Day in the game park
Hello,
We did not head out so early as people often do because we wanted to visit a Maasi village. That required having a packed lunch provided and coming back in the afternoon. The lunch had a boiled egg, small sandwich of tomato and some type of spread, half an orange, half a passion fruit, half a papaya, lettuce leaf, a juice box, and a wafer type cookie.
I said, “I will need to use the toilet sometime during the day.” I felt that I should mention that because once in the game park you are not allowed to get out of a vehicle.
“Don’t worry about that,” our driver assured me, “I will take care of that.” Mid morning he took us to a resort/hotel in the park and then in the early afternoon we ate lunch at the top of a hill. There was a pit toilet at the bottom of the hill. So all needs were covered.
We went to the Maasi village just after our first potty break. The village was totally surrounded by a fence created from brambles from some thorny plant that they managed to mesh together. Their gate was made out of the same locally available material.
We were greeted and invited to take as many pictures as we would like. After taking our pictures with them the camera battery gave out. Oh crumb! No more pictures and we could have taken some inside the house, but before we got there they had a prayer welcome that we were encouraged to join with their word for amen. We all squatted in a circle and they prayed in Kswahili.
When that was finished we had a demonstration of how they start a fire without a match. They used a board, a stick, and dried elephant dung. It was all quite efficient and a flame was visible in about two minutes.
Paula
A link to Maasi photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/MaasiVillage##
We did not head out so early as people often do because we wanted to visit a Maasi village. That required having a packed lunch provided and coming back in the afternoon. The lunch had a boiled egg, small sandwich of tomato and some type of spread, half an orange, half a passion fruit, half a papaya, lettuce leaf, a juice box, and a wafer type cookie.
I said, “I will need to use the toilet sometime during the day.” I felt that I should mention that because once in the game park you are not allowed to get out of a vehicle.
“Don’t worry about that,” our driver assured me, “I will take care of that.” Mid morning he took us to a resort/hotel in the park and then in the early afternoon we ate lunch at the top of a hill. There was a pit toilet at the bottom of the hill. So all needs were covered.
We went to the Maasi village just after our first potty break. The village was totally surrounded by a fence created from brambles from some thorny plant that they managed to mesh together. Their gate was made out of the same locally available material.
We were greeted and invited to take as many pictures as we would like. After taking our pictures with them the camera battery gave out. Oh crumb! No more pictures and we could have taken some inside the house, but before we got there they had a prayer welcome that we were encouraged to join with their word for amen. We all squatted in a circle and they prayed in Kswahili.
When that was finished we had a demonstration of how they start a fire without a match. They used a board, a stick, and dried elephant dung. It was all quite efficient and a flame was visible in about two minutes.
Paula
A link to Maasi photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/MaasiVillage##
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
In the game park
Hello,
As we moved into the game park the driver turned on a CB radio. There was quite a bit of talk, in perhaps Kswahili, when he said, “This is important I must listen to it.”
We drove on following those instructions and soon came to two cheetahs feeding on something. We watched for quite a while when they picked up lunch and moved it more into the shade. At that moment we could see that it was a male ostrich. Our driver told, “It was probably a young one because ordinarily two cheetahs would not be able to catch a mature adult.” He added, “I have not seen a cheetah in a long time. You are very lucky to be here now. They are shy animals and hide most of the time.”
We saw many of the same animals that we had seen before, but now we could add to the list: hippo on land, elephant, hyena, lions, warthog, crown crane, waterbuck, cape buffalo, and ostrich running around and not some one’s lunch. Because we were there late in the evening the animals were heading to their bedding down places. It was quite fine so see so much movement by so many different species.
The Land Rover had a removable top so Leroy and I could stand, see, and take pictures without obstructions getting in the way. Even though much of the land was dry there was what they called a lake. I would have named it a swamp or marsh because of all the green that was growing in it. Also when the animals walked in it they did not disappear from sight unless they lay down.
We went back, took a shower to wash off the dust, and had a great supper complete with cloth napkins. Even though we had been told by health care workers in the US that we needed to take the malaria pills on safari we did not see many mosquitoes. We did take the pills and had no ill effects from them. There was a mosquito netting on the bed so we used bug spray the first night, but not the second.
In this dark place the stars were brilliant and both of us wished that we had done a little research about the southern sky because we did not know any of the formations.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/AmboseliNationalGamePark#
As we moved into the game park the driver turned on a CB radio. There was quite a bit of talk, in perhaps Kswahili, when he said, “This is important I must listen to it.”
We drove on following those instructions and soon came to two cheetahs feeding on something. We watched for quite a while when they picked up lunch and moved it more into the shade. At that moment we could see that it was a male ostrich. Our driver told, “It was probably a young one because ordinarily two cheetahs would not be able to catch a mature adult.” He added, “I have not seen a cheetah in a long time. You are very lucky to be here now. They are shy animals and hide most of the time.”
We saw many of the same animals that we had seen before, but now we could add to the list: hippo on land, elephant, hyena, lions, warthog, crown crane, waterbuck, cape buffalo, and ostrich running around and not some one’s lunch. Because we were there late in the evening the animals were heading to their bedding down places. It was quite fine so see so much movement by so many different species.
The Land Rover had a removable top so Leroy and I could stand, see, and take pictures without obstructions getting in the way. Even though much of the land was dry there was what they called a lake. I would have named it a swamp or marsh because of all the green that was growing in it. Also when the animals walked in it they did not disappear from sight unless they lay down.
We went back, took a shower to wash off the dust, and had a great supper complete with cloth napkins. Even though we had been told by health care workers in the US that we needed to take the malaria pills on safari we did not see many mosquitoes. We did take the pills and had no ill effects from them. There was a mosquito netting on the bed so we used bug spray the first night, but not the second.
In this dark place the stars were brilliant and both of us wished that we had done a little research about the southern sky because we did not know any of the formations.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/AmboseliNationalGamePark#
Monday, March 9, 2009
Photos going to Amboseli
I need to figure out how to make a link to my photos http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/GoingToAndComingFromTheGamePark##
I think that should do it.
I am going to add more pictures to this album, but I got into a bit of a twit since I made a mistake and uploaded a lot of pictures to the wrong album. I am now tired and I will add to it later. If you want to view it later that is ok with me. Paula
I think that should do it.
I am going to add more pictures to this album, but I got into a bit of a twit since I made a mistake and uploaded a lot of pictures to the wrong album. I am now tired and I will add to it later. If you want to view it later that is ok with me. Paula
Finishing the Ride to Amboseli
Hello,
After a while our driver made the comment, “Perhaps I should have followed one of the other roads.” There were four paths that had intersected with our path.
He then added, “If we were on the old road we could be going faster. I thought we would be there by now. I don’t really know where I am.”
You must understand that we had not seen a road sign for possibly two-three hours by this time. “Well, hopefully you have a good sense of direction,” I suggested with no hint of distrust in my voice.
“I have an excellent sense of direction,” he assured us as he pointed ahead and a bit to the right, “I know that we want to go in that direction.”
Soon we saw another path that he swiftly turned on and away we went leaving our road stakes behind. It did not take too long before we found the real road. Now how anyone knew it was the real road was beyond me. It was more hard packed and much less smooth. Also some people lived close to it and I think one group could be called a village. We again saw a sign for Amboseli National Park following which the road improved greatly. I suppose things have to be good for the tourists.
We were to eat lunch at our camp and we did not get there until close to 2:30. Lunch closed at 3:00 so we rather quickly signed in and hustled off to fill these stomachs that had not had much since 7:30. We were grateful for the water bottles and granola bars that tided us over the long stretch.
Our driver told us, "Eat, settle in, and rest a bit. We will go out at 4:00 and stay out late since we were getting a late start."
We headed off to get the first glimpse of our tent that had a veranda added to it. There was not only a full sized bed, but also a couple small tables and two chairs. Then there was a bathroom in the back, small, but complete with a shower, toilet, and sink.
Then the crowning greatness was that we were in the last tent next to the park so we had an unobstructed majestic view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Course I think most of the pictures have clouds in them, but we did see it better sometimes.
Paula
After a while our driver made the comment, “Perhaps I should have followed one of the other roads.” There were four paths that had intersected with our path.
He then added, “If we were on the old road we could be going faster. I thought we would be there by now. I don’t really know where I am.”
You must understand that we had not seen a road sign for possibly two-three hours by this time. “Well, hopefully you have a good sense of direction,” I suggested with no hint of distrust in my voice.
“I have an excellent sense of direction,” he assured us as he pointed ahead and a bit to the right, “I know that we want to go in that direction.”
Soon we saw another path that he swiftly turned on and away we went leaving our road stakes behind. It did not take too long before we found the real road. Now how anyone knew it was the real road was beyond me. It was more hard packed and much less smooth. Also some people lived close to it and I think one group could be called a village. We again saw a sign for Amboseli National Park following which the road improved greatly. I suppose things have to be good for the tourists.
We were to eat lunch at our camp and we did not get there until close to 2:30. Lunch closed at 3:00 so we rather quickly signed in and hustled off to fill these stomachs that had not had much since 7:30. We were grateful for the water bottles and granola bars that tided us over the long stretch.
Our driver told us, "Eat, settle in, and rest a bit. We will go out at 4:00 and stay out late since we were getting a late start."
We headed off to get the first glimpse of our tent that had a veranda added to it. There was not only a full sized bed, but also a couple small tables and two chairs. Then there was a bathroom in the back, small, but complete with a shower, toilet, and sink.
Then the crowning greatness was that we were in the last tent next to the park so we had an unobstructed majestic view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Course I think most of the pictures have clouds in them, but we did see it better sometimes.
Paula
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Life In Chariton
Hello,
Yeah! We just got our Saturn back. The repair guy said, “The last part finally came in yesterday and I finished it this morning.” It looks nice. I was going to pay for it, but the insurance check had been written out to Leroy and the shop so I could not sign it. Leroy just came home and now all is squared away.
Leroy is finally getting better. He was sick last Sunday but did not lie down until after church. Since then he has spent a good deal of time lying down. His throat hurt, progressing to a headache, followed by a pain in his abdomen, and then he went back to a headache. Luckily nothing was major and it was mostly one symptom at a time except for the extreme tiredness that settled in for the long haul.
Leroy had a funeral in Cedar Rapids today. The only member of this congregation who was older than 100 years died. She was originally from CR so the funeral was over there. Leroy rode in the hearse for three hours each way so he got to sleep. Last evening when we walked the .6 mile to the funeral home he announced that he would live in spite of being tired by the time he got home. Thursday he thought he would work for the morning hours, but came home after just two hours. Friday he managed to make it the morning.
It was so nice here that we thought it was summer, but now we are back to spring and even a possibility of snow later.
I do not intend to get this illness mostly because so many people have talked about something that just drags on.
I have started “Stretch and Pray” here. I have had about six people in the late evenings and just two for the early sessions. I really should have been a gym teacher or health professional specializing in exercise. It fits me better than teaching English. I have thought about getting trained in laugh yoga, but I am not sure that I could make money with that training because I hate to charge people. But I would like doing it.
Paula
Yeah! We just got our Saturn back. The repair guy said, “The last part finally came in yesterday and I finished it this morning.” It looks nice. I was going to pay for it, but the insurance check had been written out to Leroy and the shop so I could not sign it. Leroy just came home and now all is squared away.
Leroy is finally getting better. He was sick last Sunday but did not lie down until after church. Since then he has spent a good deal of time lying down. His throat hurt, progressing to a headache, followed by a pain in his abdomen, and then he went back to a headache. Luckily nothing was major and it was mostly one symptom at a time except for the extreme tiredness that settled in for the long haul.
Leroy had a funeral in Cedar Rapids today. The only member of this congregation who was older than 100 years died. She was originally from CR so the funeral was over there. Leroy rode in the hearse for three hours each way so he got to sleep. Last evening when we walked the .6 mile to the funeral home he announced that he would live in spite of being tired by the time he got home. Thursday he thought he would work for the morning hours, but came home after just two hours. Friday he managed to make it the morning.
It was so nice here that we thought it was summer, but now we are back to spring and even a possibility of snow later.
I do not intend to get this illness mostly because so many people have talked about something that just drags on.
I have started “Stretch and Pray” here. I have had about six people in the late evenings and just two for the early sessions. I really should have been a gym teacher or health professional specializing in exercise. It fits me better than teaching English. I have thought about getting trained in laugh yoga, but I am not sure that I could make money with that training because I hate to charge people. But I would like doing it.
Paula
Half Way to Amboseli
Hello,
We probably rode on good highway for about half hour to an hour when we finally took a break. I was happy to scurry in to the toilet at this rather large gift shop that carried many locally made items. The toilet had no seat, but there was toilet paper and privacy so who was quibbling about any lacks.
Leroy and I did not buy anything here because Sarah and Stephen had said, “On Sunday we will take you to a big market where you can bargain. Then you do not have to haul the things around with you. Just look at things and get an idea of what you want.”
Amboseli is the name of the National Park that we were going to explore. There was a road sign that stated it was about 100 kilometers, however when we got back on the road we took off on a slightly different possibility. This was a very new looking road 45 degrees away from the direction the sign was pointing. Someone yelled something to our driver and he stopped and came back. Then another person yelled something else causing him to go down a steep incline to a dirt path next to this beautiful road. I think these people were probably speaking Kswahili at least we could not understand. Soon I could see why we were not on that new road as it became impassable with road workers. This path was not so hard packed, but a clearly discernible lane of parallel tire tracks. It did not take long until we left the road workers, other vehicles, homes, most plant life, and any sense of civilization behind us. We rode along in a sea of dust that threatened, from time to time, to suck us into its grip. At one point after we had struggled through a particularly loose spot, I said to the driver, “We could get stuck in that, couldn’t we?
“Yes,” he responded, “But those people I talked to told me they had come this way in the morning. This is supposed to be shorter.” I guess that was meant to be reassuring.
We could see the projected new road bed along side of us much of the way. Occasionally there would be a piece of large road working equipment parked on it. I would think it was deserted only to see, as we drew closer, that a guy was sleeping in there or just sitting. After a while the new road deteriorated to just surveyors stakes driven into the ground.
I have a length that I make these posts, and I am beginning to think we are never going to get to the game park, but it will happen, you just have to be patient. Surely tomorrow we will arrive.
Paula
We probably rode on good highway for about half hour to an hour when we finally took a break. I was happy to scurry in to the toilet at this rather large gift shop that carried many locally made items. The toilet had no seat, but there was toilet paper and privacy so who was quibbling about any lacks.
Leroy and I did not buy anything here because Sarah and Stephen had said, “On Sunday we will take you to a big market where you can bargain. Then you do not have to haul the things around with you. Just look at things and get an idea of what you want.”
Amboseli is the name of the National Park that we were going to explore. There was a road sign that stated it was about 100 kilometers, however when we got back on the road we took off on a slightly different possibility. This was a very new looking road 45 degrees away from the direction the sign was pointing. Someone yelled something to our driver and he stopped and came back. Then another person yelled something else causing him to go down a steep incline to a dirt path next to this beautiful road. I think these people were probably speaking Kswahili at least we could not understand. Soon I could see why we were not on that new road as it became impassable with road workers. This path was not so hard packed, but a clearly discernible lane of parallel tire tracks. It did not take long until we left the road workers, other vehicles, homes, most plant life, and any sense of civilization behind us. We rode along in a sea of dust that threatened, from time to time, to suck us into its grip. At one point after we had struggled through a particularly loose spot, I said to the driver, “We could get stuck in that, couldn’t we?
“Yes,” he responded, “But those people I talked to told me they had come this way in the morning. This is supposed to be shorter.” I guess that was meant to be reassuring.
We could see the projected new road bed along side of us much of the way. Occasionally there would be a piece of large road working equipment parked on it. I would think it was deserted only to see, as we drew closer, that a guy was sleeping in there or just sitting. After a while the new road deteriorated to just surveyors stakes driven into the ground.
I have a length that I make these posts, and I am beginning to think we are never going to get to the game park, but it will happen, you just have to be patient. Surely tomorrow we will arrive.
Paula
Friday, March 6, 2009
Rough road
Hello,
Who needs roller coasters when for thrills you can ride the roads under construction in Kenya? Getting out of the city was not a problem, but later on it was good that we were in a Land Rover. And Americans think they need off road vehicles, most have no concept of the possibilities. We sat, bounced, and trusted our driver for six or seven hours. The vehicle rattled and shook, but kept going. There was no air conditioning, or at least none was used, so depending on the amount of red dust in the air the windows were open or closed. In the morning it was cool so then it was not a problem. In the afternoon I was happy that I had on some removable layers and sandals consequently my feet were comfortable.
At the construction area we left the pavement and went on a hard packed well-driven path that had holes so deep we slowed to a crawl and wobbled dangerously from side to side. Sometimes we played chicken with the on coming semis. Sometimes we won and sometimes we did not, but that means someone always “gave way”. In all this time we did not see an accident, so somehow they figure it out. From time to time the dust was so thick it was difficult to see most of the other vehicles. Sometimes we were driving on one side of the road and then it might switch to the other if the way looked smoother. Smoother is a relative term here. My bottom was quite sore by the time we were done. Sometimes approaching drivers would flick their lights on and off signaling that we should yield which we always did. Sometimes drivers would honk their horns with a mighty blast.
I was so amazed that semis could navigate through this, but we met a long string of them that went on for several miles. Our driver commented that they must have let them past some check point since there were so many. At times we were three or four abreast. Sometimes we could have opened our window, put our hands out about one foot and touched the semi next to us on either side. I am not sure how, but we came through without a scratch. I should tell you that in places there were cement or rock barriers along side the road. I guess they find that more effective than signs. Really there are very few directional signs.
Later we were back on good pavement. Sarah said from there on south to the border or sea, the road is very good. We were privileged to ride on the very worst part. Again I was just amazed, now that I could see around us, that there were many people out walking far from any obvious abode.
Paula
Who needs roller coasters when for thrills you can ride the roads under construction in Kenya? Getting out of the city was not a problem, but later on it was good that we were in a Land Rover. And Americans think they need off road vehicles, most have no concept of the possibilities. We sat, bounced, and trusted our driver for six or seven hours. The vehicle rattled and shook, but kept going. There was no air conditioning, or at least none was used, so depending on the amount of red dust in the air the windows were open or closed. In the morning it was cool so then it was not a problem. In the afternoon I was happy that I had on some removable layers and sandals consequently my feet were comfortable.
At the construction area we left the pavement and went on a hard packed well-driven path that had holes so deep we slowed to a crawl and wobbled dangerously from side to side. Sometimes we played chicken with the on coming semis. Sometimes we won and sometimes we did not, but that means someone always “gave way”. In all this time we did not see an accident, so somehow they figure it out. From time to time the dust was so thick it was difficult to see most of the other vehicles. Sometimes we were driving on one side of the road and then it might switch to the other if the way looked smoother. Smoother is a relative term here. My bottom was quite sore by the time we were done. Sometimes approaching drivers would flick their lights on and off signaling that we should yield which we always did. Sometimes drivers would honk their horns with a mighty blast.
I was so amazed that semis could navigate through this, but we met a long string of them that went on for several miles. Our driver commented that they must have let them past some check point since there were so many. At times we were three or four abreast. Sometimes we could have opened our window, put our hands out about one foot and touched the semi next to us on either side. I am not sure how, but we came through without a scratch. I should tell you that in places there were cement or rock barriers along side the road. I guess they find that more effective than signs. Really there are very few directional signs.
Later we were back on good pavement. Sarah said from there on south to the border or sea, the road is very good. We were privileged to ride on the very worst part. Again I was just amazed, now that I could see around us, that there were many people out walking far from any obvious abode.
Paula
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
On Safari
Hello,
Who would believe that this little farm girl from Illinois (I almost said Iowa since I have lived here so long.) could write that statement, “on safari” and talk about herself? Do you realize that I was never more than a days travel from home until I was 18 years old and my class went on a senior class trip to New Orleans? What a difference forty years can make!
Leroy and I were up and ready on time for this trek out into the unknown. Our driver was a little early because he had to explain some things to us. The camp had been inside the national park and now it was outside. The place that we had to buy the pass was a longer drive away so he thought it best to get the passes at the national park in Nairobi, did we agree?
We, of course, agreed since we did not have a clue and trusted his judgment. We then headed off into city rush hour to the largest game park in a major city in the world. Actually traffic was not too bad at first since we were going in the unpopular direction.
At the game park the driver said, “You need to give me $240 to pay the park fee.
“Oh do you have enough?” I wonderingly asked Leroy. We had been told that we needed to bring $160 in newer bills supposedly the fee was $40 per night for Americans.
Our guide explained that on January 1 the fees had gone up to $60 per person per night. Perhaps because he has been in the business for a while he brought a brochure and verified his claim. Luckily we had brought some extra dollars just in case, leaving us just enough for the fee to visit a Maasai village at $50. Then we had some old ratty dollar bills that we expected to use to get on the city bus in MN, but no more.
We were grateful to cover the cost because it would be difficult to find more crisp dollars at that moment. As we headed out of the city I was excited to see a baboon running next to a hedge. There were some people walking there as well. Not something I see everyday in the city.
Paula
Who would believe that this little farm girl from Illinois (I almost said Iowa since I have lived here so long.) could write that statement, “on safari” and talk about herself? Do you realize that I was never more than a days travel from home until I was 18 years old and my class went on a senior class trip to New Orleans? What a difference forty years can make!
Leroy and I were up and ready on time for this trek out into the unknown. Our driver was a little early because he had to explain some things to us. The camp had been inside the national park and now it was outside. The place that we had to buy the pass was a longer drive away so he thought it best to get the passes at the national park in Nairobi, did we agree?
We, of course, agreed since we did not have a clue and trusted his judgment. We then headed off into city rush hour to the largest game park in a major city in the world. Actually traffic was not too bad at first since we were going in the unpopular direction.
At the game park the driver said, “You need to give me $240 to pay the park fee.
“Oh do you have enough?” I wonderingly asked Leroy. We had been told that we needed to bring $160 in newer bills supposedly the fee was $40 per night for Americans.
Our guide explained that on January 1 the fees had gone up to $60 per person per night. Perhaps because he has been in the business for a while he brought a brochure and verified his claim. Luckily we had brought some extra dollars just in case, leaving us just enough for the fee to visit a Maasai village at $50. Then we had some old ratty dollar bills that we expected to use to get on the city bus in MN, but no more.
We were grateful to cover the cost because it would be difficult to find more crisp dollars at that moment. As we headed out of the city I was excited to see a baboon running next to a hedge. There were some people walking there as well. Not something I see everyday in the city.
Paula
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Around Nairobi
Hello,
Tuesday Stephen was again our guide and helper. He took us to the Natural History Museum. Just an aside comment as was true in Slovakia non-taxpayers paid a significantly higher entrance fee. When I lived in Slovakia and paid that lower fee, I thought it made perfect sense because I was being paid such a low salary and still contributing to the local economy. Now however, I thought, “Wow, that really is a difference! Is this fair?” I still think it is, but I have to process it a bit more to arrive at that thought. We were still able to get into the museum for less than $10, not so much out of our (oops, I mean Leroy’s) salary.
We were just inside the door of the museum trying to get our bearings when a young woman came up to us and proceeded to tell us that she would take us around. She wanted to know what sections we were interested in, “all”, and how much time we had, “one hour”. She gave us a much more thorough, fast look than we could have achieved on our own. It was very interesting and we could look at some of the native animals stuffed, harmless, and up close. She has graduated from the University and she is looking for a job. We both wondered if she was paid for what she did for us.
After we were done there we headed off to get a glimpse of Sarah’s office at Lutheran World Federation where she is an accountant. I will tell you that it is in a former house and it seemed to be quite full of people and file cabinets. There was certainly a hum of activity. Through some oversight we only have one picture. I think the picture is jinxed because when I tried to upload it to the Internet I got a picture of me learning how to feed a giraffe even though the thumbnail was otherwise. After retrieving it once again from the camera, I could not find it on the desktop when I wanted to upload it. Finally I had to ask for help from Leroy. I just hate doing that. I like to independent and all knowing, but it was not to be. Leroy got the brilliant idea of clicking on it, dragging it into a folder that I can find, and uploading from there. I left the giraffe picture there just to remind myself that I am not invincible. And to make you wonder what that is all about.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/SarahSOffice#
Tuesday Stephen was again our guide and helper. He took us to the Natural History Museum. Just an aside comment as was true in Slovakia non-taxpayers paid a significantly higher entrance fee. When I lived in Slovakia and paid that lower fee, I thought it made perfect sense because I was being paid such a low salary and still contributing to the local economy. Now however, I thought, “Wow, that really is a difference! Is this fair?” I still think it is, but I have to process it a bit more to arrive at that thought. We were still able to get into the museum for less than $10, not so much out of our (oops, I mean Leroy’s) salary.
We were just inside the door of the museum trying to get our bearings when a young woman came up to us and proceeded to tell us that she would take us around. She wanted to know what sections we were interested in, “all”, and how much time we had, “one hour”. She gave us a much more thorough, fast look than we could have achieved on our own. It was very interesting and we could look at some of the native animals stuffed, harmless, and up close. She has graduated from the University and she is looking for a job. We both wondered if she was paid for what she did for us.
After we were done there we headed off to get a glimpse of Sarah’s office at Lutheran World Federation where she is an accountant. I will tell you that it is in a former house and it seemed to be quite full of people and file cabinets. There was certainly a hum of activity. Through some oversight we only have one picture. I think the picture is jinxed because when I tried to upload it to the Internet I got a picture of me learning how to feed a giraffe even though the thumbnail was otherwise. After retrieving it once again from the camera, I could not find it on the desktop when I wanted to upload it. Finally I had to ask for help from Leroy. I just hate doing that. I like to independent and all knowing, but it was not to be. Leroy got the brilliant idea of clicking on it, dragging it into a folder that I can find, and uploading from there. I left the giraffe picture there just to remind myself that I am not invincible. And to make you wonder what that is all about.
Paula
http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/SarahSOffice#
Monday, March 2, 2009
Daily News
Hello,
I decided I am having a hard time not telling about current news. Yesterday there was rehearsal for a community chorus. I was quite pleased to do that since it has been a long time since I have sung with a larger group. This will be short-term only two practices and one performance, but better than nothing.
It was quite cool here yesterday, maybe it even fits in the cold category as there was a strong wind and the temperature did not get much above 20 degrees. I walked to the building with no trouble because the wind was at my back. When I came home it was a bit more noticeable as it was in my face. When I got closer to the train tracks I could hear the whistle blow and sure enough before I reached the tracks an empty coal train was whizzing by. Coal trains are long trains. It seemed that my body would feel better if I kept moving so I walked into a ball diamond that is next to the road. Just as I reached the opposite side the train was gone. I immediately turned around and headed back to the tracks only to again hear a whistle announcing another train. This one came faster than I did even though it appeared to be crawling along with its full load of coal. So I put in some more walking, but stayed closer to the tracks and zipped across as soon as I could check around the tail end to make sure that yet another train was not heading my way. I was quite happy to get in the warmth of the house. What a wonderful thing to have a place to go that is welcoming.
Leroy is sick. He had been complaining of a scratchy throat for a couple days. He came home from the second service on Sunday and went to bed. He is still lying around today although he sometimes has better moments is not well.
I am ready to start planting something outside. Surely it is almost spring.
Paula
I decided I am having a hard time not telling about current news. Yesterday there was rehearsal for a community chorus. I was quite pleased to do that since it has been a long time since I have sung with a larger group. This will be short-term only two practices and one performance, but better than nothing.
It was quite cool here yesterday, maybe it even fits in the cold category as there was a strong wind and the temperature did not get much above 20 degrees. I walked to the building with no trouble because the wind was at my back. When I came home it was a bit more noticeable as it was in my face. When I got closer to the train tracks I could hear the whistle blow and sure enough before I reached the tracks an empty coal train was whizzing by. Coal trains are long trains. It seemed that my body would feel better if I kept moving so I walked into a ball diamond that is next to the road. Just as I reached the opposite side the train was gone. I immediately turned around and headed back to the tracks only to again hear a whistle announcing another train. This one came faster than I did even though it appeared to be crawling along with its full load of coal. So I put in some more walking, but stayed closer to the tracks and zipped across as soon as I could check around the tail end to make sure that yet another train was not heading my way. I was quite happy to get in the warmth of the house. What a wonderful thing to have a place to go that is welcoming.
Leroy is sick. He had been complaining of a scratchy throat for a couple days. He came home from the second service on Sunday and went to bed. He is still lying around today although he sometimes has better moments is not well.
I am ready to start planting something outside. Surely it is almost spring.
Paula
Going back to Nairobi
Hello,
In the morning, at Elsamere, we again had a nice breakfast, explored the Joy Adamson museum, paid our bill, and headed off for home. On the way we stopped in the area to get a tour of a long-stemmed rose research greenhouse. We saw roses of many varieties in various stages of growth. The roses are developed in Holland and grown here for testing because Kenya is a big exporter of commercial flowers, especially to Europe. Numbers of pedals were counted, life length of blooms was checked, weight of blossoms noted, and growers came to see the product before ordering their desired varieties.
We saw many people walking or riding their bikes on rocky dirt paths along side the road. These are indeed strong hardy people because they can move so very far using their own power to go up and down steep trails. It seems that only men ride bikes. Over all there were not really very many bikes. Almost all of the people were quite thin by US and European standards. In spite of walking on these dusty trails they often wore dress clothes that looked very neat. They take care of their appearance when they are out in public.
Besides people walking close to the road we also saw goats, sheep, donkeys, and cattle. I guess the animals stayed off of the road because there was no grass on it. Sometimes we did have to wait for animals that were being herded across the road, but that was infrequent. I am still impressed that these animals survive on such a meager amount of grass. The rains were late, otherwise I understand we would have seen a lot more green.
Nairobi is greener than the surrounding countryside in the directions that we went out of town, but even there people were talking about the rains that should come soon. I have been a little surprised and pleased at the small number of insects that have been in the territory. I suppose the dryness contributes to that plus the higher altitude in Nairobi surely makes a difference.
Paula
More pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/LakeNaivashaRoseGrowingAndDomesticAnimals#
In the morning, at Elsamere, we again had a nice breakfast, explored the Joy Adamson museum, paid our bill, and headed off for home. On the way we stopped in the area to get a tour of a long-stemmed rose research greenhouse. We saw roses of many varieties in various stages of growth. The roses are developed in Holland and grown here for testing because Kenya is a big exporter of commercial flowers, especially to Europe. Numbers of pedals were counted, life length of blooms was checked, weight of blossoms noted, and growers came to see the product before ordering their desired varieties.
We saw many people walking or riding their bikes on rocky dirt paths along side the road. These are indeed strong hardy people because they can move so very far using their own power to go up and down steep trails. It seems that only men ride bikes. Over all there were not really very many bikes. Almost all of the people were quite thin by US and European standards. In spite of walking on these dusty trails they often wore dress clothes that looked very neat. They take care of their appearance when they are out in public.
Besides people walking close to the road we also saw goats, sheep, donkeys, and cattle. I guess the animals stayed off of the road because there was no grass on it. Sometimes we did have to wait for animals that were being herded across the road, but that was infrequent. I am still impressed that these animals survive on such a meager amount of grass. The rains were late, otherwise I understand we would have seen a lot more green.
Nairobi is greener than the surrounding countryside in the directions that we went out of town, but even there people were talking about the rains that should come soon. I have been a little surprised and pleased at the small number of insects that have been in the territory. I suppose the dryness contributes to that plus the higher altitude in Nairobi surely makes a difference.
Paula
More pictures are up at http://picasaweb.google.com/psbradway/LakeNaivashaRoseGrowingAndDomesticAnimals#
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