Kijabe

We arrived in Kijabe on Saturday, the Andersens have been here for a few weeks already.  They have come here to have the baby (their 6th) because Kijabe has the best hospital in East Africa.  As well as being home to the AIC Kijabe Hospital, it also houses the Rift Valley Academy (a boarding school, mainly attended by missionary children), and the Moffat Bible College.

Because Kijabe sits on the side of the valley everything is up or down hill from where you are, we are going to be very fit by the time we're done here.  It also means that it has amazing views of the valley, like this:

PS - this was taken on a foggy day, its better when it's clear.

The journey here was, interesting to say the least.  9 people, 11 bags and at least 4 lots of hand-luggage don't really fit in one landcruiser too easily.  We were distinctly squashed.  Which was fine, it's only an hours journey.  It was once we went over the top of the valley and started to go down hill it got interesting, several of the suitcases stacked in the boot started to slide down ontop of Caleb and Levi who were sitting in the 'boot'.  We travelled about the last 15 minutes or so twisted around in our seats in order to hold back the luggage that was threatening to squash the boys, who managed to sleep through the whole thing.  Don't ask me how.

Setting off - Arne, Caleb, Jonny, Levi, Becca and Me

Orientation

It's been a crazy few days.  We've started learning Swahili using the LAMP program, which involves picking a phrase a day and practising it again and again until you've got it perfect.  We then go down to the market to practise our phrase on as many Kenyans as possible, it doesn't half make you feel stupid.

Another thing we have experienced is the matatus, matatus are like little mini-vans that run kind of like buses.  They are all, without exception, driven by maniacs, it's terrifying.  I've been on a matatu 4 times now, the first time a guy called Stephen took us downtown to see what real Nairobi looks like, on the second trip we went to visit Kibera.

The view from the top floor of the community building

Kibera is the biggest slum in Africa, a guy called Micah took us around and showed us the community building and a building they use for running after school lessons for the children.  Although it was a national holiday the place was full of children, some of the older ones were reading and testing each other whilst the younger ones just ran around and played.  I sat down on the floor to better talk to one of the children and loads of the children started stroking my hair, it was funny and cute at first, although after a while it did start to hurt as some of the littlest ones would pull my hair.  One of the older ones explained what they were doing by saying 'why is your hair so smooth?  My hair is rough.'  They had never really seen anyone with straight hair before.

Why is your hair so smooth?

Becca surrounded by kids

2 of the boys, Mishak and Nicholas walked with us right out to the outskirts of the village to catch our matatu home.  We had to physically stop them from getting on the bus with us, they didn't want us to leave.  A little bit down the road we stopped at a junction, Mishak had chased the bus, he shouted through the window to us 'will you come again?'  It broke my heart, I didn't want to leave.

Mishak

Today we go on to Kijabe, from there Jonny and Arne leave for Tanzania tomorrow.  The Andersens baby was due yesterday, needless to say it didn't arrive.  Me and Becca will be staying in Kijabe until the baby is ready to travel, who knows how long that'll be.

The first 48 hours

Well I'm here, it doesn't feel too strange at the moment, although the fact that I'm staying with a Scottish family in Nairobi might have something to do with that.  At the moment it looks as though we'll be here until Saturday when we'll go to Kijabe to join the Andersens.

I found Becca in the airport, she's pretty much like I imagined, lovely and friendly, with a strong American accent.  It's kinda funny really, despite speaking the same language we constantly have to stop and translate what we are saying.  By the time I found her she was about to board her 3rd flight in the space of 24 hours and so the poor girl was exhausted.

Despite the plane setting off an hour behind schedule we managed to only land in Nairobi 20 minutes late.  We were met by Peter Wilson who's the short term volunteering director for Kenya and Tanzania.  He and his wife, Katy, and their 3 boys, Daniel, Caleb and Levi are our hosts.  They're a lovely Scottish family who have spent time in both Kenya and Namibia in the past.  It's a very full house, as well as the 5 of them, me and Becca there's also Jonny (who incidently was at my orientation in July) and Arne who are going to stay with another family of Andersens (cousins of my Andersens) in Tanzania for 10 months.  When I arrived there was also the Fisher family who have now gone to Kijabe to work at the hospital there.  That's a lot of people in one house.

Caleb and Levi decided it would be fun to throw things at me, I'm assuming it was an attempt to stop me taking pictures, needless to say it failed

Arne, Caleb, Jonny and Peter playing football in the garden

Becca and Levi - the only child in the world who likes this and really asks to be tickled

The night before

I leave tomorrow morning (how on earth did it get to be this soon without me noticing?).  That means being up at some stupid time in the morning (like 4.30am).  Ok so I realise that's not actually that early, but this is me, and so yes, it's very early.

I don't really have anything else to say right now, nothing's really happened at this point.  I'll keep you up to date, I promise.

All I really have to say is thank you for being interested in me and my adventures, and, whilst I'm not promising daily updates, I'll try not to leave it too long with nothing appearing on here.

Hopefully this will be as amazing as I'm expecting it to be.