At the Ecuador/Peru border we were met by a host of taxi drivers offering to take us across to the Peruvian immigration office and then on to where we could catch a minibus to the next town. After choosing a friendly guide (or did he choose us?) we walked across a bridge that spans the no mans land between the two countries. A chaotic and unruly affair where officials didn´t appear to care who came and went and the bridge was crowded with street vendors selling everything from sweets to pet monkeys! We went through immigration on the other side without any problems and got back into the taxi.
The driver had tried explaining to us (in Spanish) that he could take us to the next town for $30 but we explained that we just wanted to be dropped where we could catch much cheaper minibuses, which we knew ran between the border and the next town. After what we thought was his understanding we drove on.
After a few minutes we started to question where he was taking us as it seemed as though we had left town, which we had! A frustrating 10 minutes ensued during which we tried to figure out what he was doing and insisting on. He appeared to be trying to explain that these public minibuses, that the guide book had advised on, did not exist. All this whilst minibuses drove past us in both directions! The taxi driver soon changed from a friendly amigo into an annoying asshole! We asked the driver to turn around which he eventually did after much persistence. At this point he turned around and started lowering his price! We got him down to $15 which wasn´t bad given the distance and so decided it would be easier to carry on with the taxi.
With the drama over we turned back around and onwards in the right direction. About a minute later the police pulled us over. Out stepped two of Peru´s finest, sunglasses on and thankfully weapons still holstered. One officer spoke to the taxi driver who seemed to be snivelling for his life and the other spoke to us, in Spanish of course, none of of which we understood. The whole time we were just waiting for them to make us a little poorer, but that never came, and after a few minutes the driver had obviously answered their questions sufficiently and we were back on our way. A great start to Peru we thought.
After a few brief stops along the coast we headed to the town of Huaraz which is situated in the Cordeilla Blanca mountains i.e. the Andes. We used the town and it´s great cafes (good coffee is surprisingly hard to find as they export most of the good stuff) as a base for some hiking. We spent a great 4 days on a trek passing small villages, snow capped mountains and lakes. It was particularly nice to have our gear carried for us by donkeys and our tents and dinner waiting for us at the end of tiring day. We were also lucky to have a decent group of fellow hikers who we taught the infamous game of ´Spoons´ to which was a great way to keep warm during the freezing nights. For Phil the nights were not only cold but also long since he could not sleep at altitudes over about 4,500 metres (one sympton of altitude sickness). Even with a little insomnia the trek has been a highlight of S.America so far.
After hiking through the mountains we decided we ought to try and summit one. Once we´d decided on a suitable mountain and with an experienced guide and cook (we could get used to this) hired we set off to base camp. This was a long and steep 4 hour hike carrying all of our equipment. Once at base camp we rested and ate before going to bed early (no sleep for Phil) for a 2.00 am alarm call.
The first half an hour involved a scary climb over steep rock made all the more nerve wracking due to the complete darkness surrounding us. Once we reached the edge of the glacier we stopped to attach our crampons to our boots and rope ourselves together. We assume the rope was there for our safety rather than a way of ensuring that if one falls we all honorably fall together! The next 4 hours were a gruelling but exhilirating countless number of steps to the summit just as the sun rose. An unforgettable experience and sense of achievement and hopefully not the last of its kind (well maybe for Katie!).
From the mountains we headed south to Lima for a few days where we treated ourselves to the cinema and popcorn for the last installment of Harry Potter. When you haven´t seen much decent TV for a while Harry Potter is like watching The Godfather; dramatic!
After Lima we headed to a small resort called Huacachina. Once a gettaway for the wealthy their houses are now hotels and hostels for tourists and backpackers which all surround a desert oasis that is backed by giant sand dunes. This was the setting for a few days of sand boarding. Unfortunately there are no sand lifts although there were dune buggys which took us on a tour of the arabian like sand dunes and to the top of some of the steepest for our boarding pleasure.
Our next notable stop was the city of Cusco from where we travelled by train to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu has to be one of the best preserved archaelogical sites that either of us have visited. Probably not because of human foresight but rather due to its fantastic remote setting at the top of a forested mountain among a tightly wound valley.
From Cusco we travelled to Puno, a town on the shore of Lake Titicaca and our last stop in Peru. From Puno we departed on a painfully slow boat tour of the lake´s islands which involved a brief stop on the famous floating reed islands. These islands made solely from reeds are unfortunately completely overwhelmed by tourism and we expect only now exist for that sole purpose. Still an interesting albeit tainted experience. A more unique and traditional experience (although tourism will soon leave its mark) was the overnight stay on the island of Amantani. On this island, 3 hours from the mainland, lives a small farming community. On arrival we were met by a host family who provided us with food and a bed for the night. Another situation where some conversational Spanish would have been nice!
Once back on the mainland we headed to the Peru/Bolivia border and on to La Paz. We chose the quicker and apparently more chaotic and dangerous border crossing and were met by a quiet and sedate town. Lonely Planet you´re full of crap, stop you scaremongering! That being said we did have our bags searched by Police on the Peruvian side. One officer took a keen interest in Phil´s stash of varied foreign currency whilst we kept a close eye on him in case he tried some Paul Daniels slight of hand magic! Just as well we´d just released the rare collection of Amazonian animals we´d colllected and consumed the remaining kilo of contraband for brunch!
We Made It!!!
Vallunaraju (5676m), Cordillera Blanca, Peru
School World Map
Saturday 10 September 2011
Monday 8 August 2011
Ecuador
Leaving Cape Town we flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina where we spent 4 days enjoying some good food and drink and exploring this large and modern city. Heavily Spanish influenced in architecture and general vibe although porteños (people of the port) prefer their pizza over tapas and spend much of their spare time drinking coffee in one of the countless cafes. We visited the colourful La Boca district with it's houses painted in a patchwork of colour, as residents used to use leftovers from the shipyards. We also bumped into the legend that is Maradona! Well ok it was a good look-a-like.
From BA we flew to Quito, Ecuador though not before a delay at the airport apparently due to the flight staff being too tired (surely that's what narcotics are for!). We think they'd probably been working overtime due to the flight back-log caused by the volcanic eruption in Chile (which we'd been completely oblivious to until the day before and couldn't understand at first how the volcano in Iceland could be affecting South America!). To add to this, during the final part of the flight we were informed that due to "personal reasons" the plane would be landing on auto-pilot. What happened to the pilot? Mid-air dispute over working hours and pay perhaps?!
After starting in Quito we made our way to the Pacific coast and stopped at a couple of seaside towns where we surfed and watched local fisherman bring in their catch, which included giant swordfish and hammerhead sharks that were swiftly de-finned and gutted in front of our feet. A special highlight was during a boat trip where we encountered a few different groups of humpback whales each of which put on a spectacular display, breaching from the water on many occasions. These sightings were a welcome distraction from the rough seas we encountered that made Katie feel sick and Phil fear that the boat would capsize and drown everyone onboard! After a week along the coast we headed back East into the highlands where we enjoyed a few days trekking and horseback riding between small Andean villages and beautiful scenery. After a tiring 6 hour trek the journey ended at the beautiful blue volcano lake of Quilotoa.
After travelling around Ecuador for a few weeks it was time to head to the volunteer project we had organised but not before a bout of food poisoning inflicted by a Chinese. We were able to pin-point the source since we had shared the meal with our hiking comrade named Kyle whose symptons presented themselves during his flight home to the US! Can't remember the name of the restaurant so just make sure you don't eat Chinese if you find yourself hungry in Latacunga! You have been warned.
After recovering we spent 2 weeks at the animal rescue centre where we helped prepare the food and feed the animals and maintain/improve the centre. Animals included; squirrel, spider, wooly, capuchin and marmoset monkeys, an Ocelot, Margay and Tiger cat (3 types of jungle cats), a Capibara, Cayman, Parrots, Cabeza de mate, Coatis and some other random jungle creatures. The whole experience which included being attacked by monkeys and feeding live chickens to the cats (decapitation!!) was very privelledged and unforgettable. Surprisingly and also disappointingly we didn't encounter any Tarantulas during our stay.
After finishing the 2 weeks we spent another week or so travelling around Ecuador, white water rafting, flying down 500m zip lines and cycling down Ecuador's highest mountain. During the last few days in Ecuador we were slightly bemused as to why every bar and restaurant we went in to had stopped serving alcohol from their well stocked fridges. We eventually discovered that a national 72 hour alcohol ban had been enforced following the death of 21 people and the hospitalisation of about 100 others who had consumed bootleg liquor. There's a lesson for all of you homebrewers!
From Ecuador we crossed the border in to Peru. That relatively straight forward process turned out to be a little more eventful and stressful than expected. More to come on that one in our next entry when we leave Peru.
From BA we flew to Quito, Ecuador though not before a delay at the airport apparently due to the flight staff being too tired (surely that's what narcotics are for!). We think they'd probably been working overtime due to the flight back-log caused by the volcanic eruption in Chile (which we'd been completely oblivious to until the day before and couldn't understand at first how the volcano in Iceland could be affecting South America!). To add to this, during the final part of the flight we were informed that due to "personal reasons" the plane would be landing on auto-pilot. What happened to the pilot? Mid-air dispute over working hours and pay perhaps?!
After starting in Quito we made our way to the Pacific coast and stopped at a couple of seaside towns where we surfed and watched local fisherman bring in their catch, which included giant swordfish and hammerhead sharks that were swiftly de-finned and gutted in front of our feet. A special highlight was during a boat trip where we encountered a few different groups of humpback whales each of which put on a spectacular display, breaching from the water on many occasions. These sightings were a welcome distraction from the rough seas we encountered that made Katie feel sick and Phil fear that the boat would capsize and drown everyone onboard! After a week along the coast we headed back East into the highlands where we enjoyed a few days trekking and horseback riding between small Andean villages and beautiful scenery. After a tiring 6 hour trek the journey ended at the beautiful blue volcano lake of Quilotoa.
After travelling around Ecuador for a few weeks it was time to head to the volunteer project we had organised but not before a bout of food poisoning inflicted by a Chinese. We were able to pin-point the source since we had shared the meal with our hiking comrade named Kyle whose symptons presented themselves during his flight home to the US! Can't remember the name of the restaurant so just make sure you don't eat Chinese if you find yourself hungry in Latacunga! You have been warned.
After recovering we spent 2 weeks at the animal rescue centre where we helped prepare the food and feed the animals and maintain/improve the centre. Animals included; squirrel, spider, wooly, capuchin and marmoset monkeys, an Ocelot, Margay and Tiger cat (3 types of jungle cats), a Capibara, Cayman, Parrots, Cabeza de mate, Coatis and some other random jungle creatures. The whole experience which included being attacked by monkeys and feeding live chickens to the cats (decapitation!!) was very privelledged and unforgettable. Surprisingly and also disappointingly we didn't encounter any Tarantulas during our stay.
After finishing the 2 weeks we spent another week or so travelling around Ecuador, white water rafting, flying down 500m zip lines and cycling down Ecuador's highest mountain. During the last few days in Ecuador we were slightly bemused as to why every bar and restaurant we went in to had stopped serving alcohol from their well stocked fridges. We eventually discovered that a national 72 hour alcohol ban had been enforced following the death of 21 people and the hospitalisation of about 100 others who had consumed bootleg liquor. There's a lesson for all of you homebrewers!
From Ecuador we crossed the border in to Peru. That relatively straight forward process turned out to be a little more eventful and stressful than expected. More to come on that one in our next entry when we leave Peru.
Saturday 18 June 2011
Tanzania and Zanzibar
Since Kenya we have spent about 5 weeks in Tanzania with the majority of this time spent volunteering at an orphanage school (Faraja) in a village called Shangari. It is a short but cramped dalla dalla (minibus) ride away from Arusha where we have been staying. Arusha is the safari capital of Tanzania and sits at the foot of Mt Meru. Faraja's provides free education to about 100 disadvantaged children in the area. It is funded purely by donations and is run by a group of untrained and poorly paid teachers.
We were a little surprised to find no structure or organisation to the teaching, with school starting at different times each day and with poorly planned lessons. We quickly realised that we were not going to be assisting with lessons but leading them instead. We decided to teach the 2nd of four classes (35ish kids aged 5-7) primarily because when we arrived they had no teacher as she was absent due to injuries suffered after a beating from her husband! Thankfully school finishes after all the children are given lunch which meant we had some time to put together some lesson plans. We spent most of our free time the first week doing this and then repeating and modifying for subsequent weeks.
The teaching proved to be quite a challenge not only because of the language barrier but also due to the vast ability gap of the class. Nevertheless we persisted with teaching basic English and Maths and hopefully some of it stuck. Our initial lessons were continuously interrupted by "teacher, pencil" as the lead yet again snapped off in the crappy pencils they were using and which then refused to sharpen. We immediately went out and bought some better quality pencils which the children systematically chewed the rubbers from!
We were not the only volunteers at the school, in fact on average there were 8 of us. A few of the volunteers are were back for a 2nd time and will be staying till the end of the year. Those volunteers in particular have made a big difference at the school which has included the employment of a social worker with their own funds. We both enjoyed the experience and feel that it was a much deserving project that has many challenges and is in constant need of help, not just financially but also in the management and oversight of the school. Those supposedly in charge have their heart in the right place but their brains somewhere else!
As many of you know we have sponsored (along with your help) one of the children at Faraja's to attend a private school. Here they will receive a good standard of education with all lessons taught in English, which we've learnt is essential if you now want a half decent job in Tanzania. We chose to sponsor Elisha, a 7 year old boy who lives with his grandmother after his father died and his mum left. He was one of the brightest in our class and after visiting his home, which had no power or running water, we certainly feel he is deserving (although many children live in the same, if not worse conditions). Before Elisha started school we had to take him to a local market to get him school shoes, backpack, wellies and raincoat all of which he seemed very proud to try on and wear. Hopefully we'll be able to stay in touch with Elisha and communicating will be easier as he learns English.
In our spare time (when not planning lessons!) we have explored the local area. Highlights have included a visit to a Maasia village where we learnt about their traditions and lifestyle and were shown different uses for the loca flora. This includes a plant which they use to prevent malaria (successfully apparently) which is just as well as they don't like to use western medicine. We also had a few attempts at throwing a spear which they carry for protection against Lions! It was just like being back on the school playing field with Javelin in hand.
Another highlight has been the 4 day safari visiting lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. We saw all of the big 5 apart from Rhino which gives us a good reason to come back and try again. We got particularly close (outstretched arms distance) to Elephants and Lions. On one occasion we came across a solitary male Lion who was not in the least bit bothered by our presence. In search of a great photo Phil decided to stick his head out of the window which in hindsight was a risky move. Clearly the Lion wasn't hungry or just didn't like the look of Phil! We also had 3 Elephants enter our campsite at dusk to drink from the water tank which was an awesome site. Camping in open campsites is quite an experience given that anything can walk into your tent in search of some food or your tootpaste!
The final leg of our trip has included a brief stay in Moshi to see Mt Kilimanjaro and to do some walking around the foothills and through the villages of the native Chagga people. Our guide took us to a waterfall and during the steep descent down to the bottom he explained how one of his friends had, 3 weeks earlier, jumped into the pool below only to not come back up! When they finally found his body crabs had eaten his eyes (sorry to the feint hearted). Needless to say we decided to keep our feet dry. After Moshi we travelled to Zanzibar where we explored the historic Stone Town and relaxed on the island's northern beaches.
Other experiences of amusement during the last 5 weeks have included;
We were a little surprised to find no structure or organisation to the teaching, with school starting at different times each day and with poorly planned lessons. We quickly realised that we were not going to be assisting with lessons but leading them instead. We decided to teach the 2nd of four classes (35ish kids aged 5-7) primarily because when we arrived they had no teacher as she was absent due to injuries suffered after a beating from her husband! Thankfully school finishes after all the children are given lunch which meant we had some time to put together some lesson plans. We spent most of our free time the first week doing this and then repeating and modifying for subsequent weeks.
The teaching proved to be quite a challenge not only because of the language barrier but also due to the vast ability gap of the class. Nevertheless we persisted with teaching basic English and Maths and hopefully some of it stuck. Our initial lessons were continuously interrupted by "teacher, pencil" as the lead yet again snapped off in the crappy pencils they were using and which then refused to sharpen. We immediately went out and bought some better quality pencils which the children systematically chewed the rubbers from!
We were not the only volunteers at the school, in fact on average there were 8 of us. A few of the volunteers are were back for a 2nd time and will be staying till the end of the year. Those volunteers in particular have made a big difference at the school which has included the employment of a social worker with their own funds. We both enjoyed the experience and feel that it was a much deserving project that has many challenges and is in constant need of help, not just financially but also in the management and oversight of the school. Those supposedly in charge have their heart in the right place but their brains somewhere else!
As many of you know we have sponsored (along with your help) one of the children at Faraja's to attend a private school. Here they will receive a good standard of education with all lessons taught in English, which we've learnt is essential if you now want a half decent job in Tanzania. We chose to sponsor Elisha, a 7 year old boy who lives with his grandmother after his father died and his mum left. He was one of the brightest in our class and after visiting his home, which had no power or running water, we certainly feel he is deserving (although many children live in the same, if not worse conditions). Before Elisha started school we had to take him to a local market to get him school shoes, backpack, wellies and raincoat all of which he seemed very proud to try on and wear. Hopefully we'll be able to stay in touch with Elisha and communicating will be easier as he learns English.
In our spare time (when not planning lessons!) we have explored the local area. Highlights have included a visit to a Maasia village where we learnt about their traditions and lifestyle and were shown different uses for the loca flora. This includes a plant which they use to prevent malaria (successfully apparently) which is just as well as they don't like to use western medicine. We also had a few attempts at throwing a spear which they carry for protection against Lions! It was just like being back on the school playing field with Javelin in hand.
Another highlight has been the 4 day safari visiting lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. We saw all of the big 5 apart from Rhino which gives us a good reason to come back and try again. We got particularly close (outstretched arms distance) to Elephants and Lions. On one occasion we came across a solitary male Lion who was not in the least bit bothered by our presence. In search of a great photo Phil decided to stick his head out of the window which in hindsight was a risky move. Clearly the Lion wasn't hungry or just didn't like the look of Phil! We also had 3 Elephants enter our campsite at dusk to drink from the water tank which was an awesome site. Camping in open campsites is quite an experience given that anything can walk into your tent in search of some food or your tootpaste!
The final leg of our trip has included a brief stay in Moshi to see Mt Kilimanjaro and to do some walking around the foothills and through the villages of the native Chagga people. Our guide took us to a waterfall and during the steep descent down to the bottom he explained how one of his friends had, 3 weeks earlier, jumped into the pool below only to not come back up! When they finally found his body crabs had eaten his eyes (sorry to the feint hearted). Needless to say we decided to keep our feet dry. After Moshi we travelled to Zanzibar where we explored the historic Stone Town and relaxed on the island's northern beaches.
Other experiences of amusement during the last 5 weeks have included;
- Phil suffering recurring electric shocks, either from the shower and kitchen taps at our house in Arusha or on 2 separate computers! Phil is now afraid of the next lightning storm!
- Katie took a group of small kids to the small pig farm at the orphange which terrified most of them, so much so that one of them wet himself!
- A sunset kayaking trip on Zanzibar ended in disaster when we tried to reach the shore and the usually calm waters started producing some larger waves which turned the kayak around, flipped us out and left our sunglasses with the mermaids!
Monday 9 May 2011
We've spent the last 2 weeks in Kenya building the beginnings of a house at the local school and church that will be used to house volunteers. We worked with about 6 locals in digging foundations (by hand, no JCB's here!), mixing mortar and cement and carrying bricks to the masons (one of them is 62 yrs old and still going strong). Don't imagine Britain's 1kg sized bricks but rather Goliath size stones ranging from about 20kg up to 60kg! The builders often found amusement in asking Katie to help with the heavy lifting. Much to Katie's credit she was able to impress them by lifting and carrying some of the smaller stones. By the end of the 2 weeks we had finished the first phase of the building. The church now have to try and raise some more funds to continue with the project. The builders have ensured that we don't get a moments rest and at times we have certainly felt like reminding them that we're volunteering and aren't the ones being paid. They receive 300 KSH per day which is about 2.50 GBP!! Not sure how they survive on that. That would leave no change from 2 beers at one of the bars in town.
Having finished the 3 week project our time in Kenya has come to an end and we have now moved on to Tanzania (we'll save that for another entry). Before we start writing about that we thought we'd share a few of our observations and experiences of some aspects of Kenya:
Government
After the 07/08 post election riots, Kenya formed a coalition government which, every Kenyan we've met tells us, doesn't work. Why doesn't that surprise us! Corruption is another issue that Kenyan's often gripe about and is a big issue affecting the country's development. We read in the paper about the salaries that government officials receive and it's +100k GBP which is ridiculous. It's not surprising Kenya is decades behind western countries. Kenyan's are at least confident that a change in power next year will help turn things around. Foolish optimism?
People
We've met a lot of Kenyan's from many different places, backgrounds and occupations. In general we have found that they are very friendly and welcoming and are pleased to have us in their country. A conversation often begins with "Karibu (welcome) to Kenya, please feel at home. A phrase that no doubt Starbucks will start coining soon. There are of course the usual hustlers and con artists vying to relieve you of your few precious possessions. As long as you don't fall foul to their scheming you can't hold too much animosity against them given the struggles they face (you can tell we haven't been mugged yet!!).
Kenyan's are all very proud of their country and consider themselves to be much more advanced than their neighboring countries, Uganda and Tanzania. We shall soon see about the latter comparison.
We always have to bite our lip whenever someone requests anything as they do so without using the word "please". We're fairly confident that they're not being rude on purpose and that it's not due to the lack of English but rather that the word doesn't actually figure in Swahili and their customs. However the rural children would have better luck with us if they'd add "please" when they shout "give me money"!
Religion
Our host family are Christians which has probably meant we've met a disproportionately high number of other religious folk although it does still seem that many Kenyan's are religious and boy do they love it! Church on Sunday is a staple and a highlight of the week for those attending. One regular house visitor, George (who we nicknamed Curious George because of the number of questions he asks us. Honestly he'd give Paxman and Dimbelby a run for their money!), attends a service which lasts for 5 hours! We wonder if he takes food in with him. With a large Christian population there comes a lot of gospel style music, much of it in a bad pop style format with appropriate low budget video (a montage of the same people dancing badly). I thought it was white people who had no rhythm!
Food
Food is certainly high on our list of things we miss (2nd after all of you of course!).We eat every evening with the host family and it's a variation of the same 4 things; sweetcorn & beans, green and white cabbage, chapati (which Phil is addicted to and will go out and buy if none is served) and Ugali (a maize flour and water mix that they form into a cake and serve in tasteless chunks). There is very little meat and it is of poor quality. Certainly not the Tesco finest fillet steaks that Phil had come accustom too! These staples may be constantly served due to the family's lack of adventure but more likely influenced by the fact that these foods are cheap and abundant. Thankfully the local supermarket sells Cadbury's chocolate to supplement our diet as well as a few chicken and chips restaurants that we've indulged in (we figure we've been burning a lot of calories so no harm!).
Hope you've enjoyed this post and we'll post another one in a week or 2.
Having finished the 3 week project our time in Kenya has come to an end and we have now moved on to Tanzania (we'll save that for another entry). Before we start writing about that we thought we'd share a few of our observations and experiences of some aspects of Kenya:
Government
After the 07/08 post election riots, Kenya formed a coalition government which, every Kenyan we've met tells us, doesn't work. Why doesn't that surprise us! Corruption is another issue that Kenyan's often gripe about and is a big issue affecting the country's development. We read in the paper about the salaries that government officials receive and it's +100k GBP which is ridiculous. It's not surprising Kenya is decades behind western countries. Kenyan's are at least confident that a change in power next year will help turn things around. Foolish optimism?
People
We've met a lot of Kenyan's from many different places, backgrounds and occupations. In general we have found that they are very friendly and welcoming and are pleased to have us in their country. A conversation often begins with "Karibu (welcome) to Kenya, please feel at home. A phrase that no doubt Starbucks will start coining soon. There are of course the usual hustlers and con artists vying to relieve you of your few precious possessions. As long as you don't fall foul to their scheming you can't hold too much animosity against them given the struggles they face (you can tell we haven't been mugged yet!!).
Kenyan's are all very proud of their country and consider themselves to be much more advanced than their neighboring countries, Uganda and Tanzania. We shall soon see about the latter comparison.
We always have to bite our lip whenever someone requests anything as they do so without using the word "please". We're fairly confident that they're not being rude on purpose and that it's not due to the lack of English but rather that the word doesn't actually figure in Swahili and their customs. However the rural children would have better luck with us if they'd add "please" when they shout "give me money"!
Religion
Our host family are Christians which has probably meant we've met a disproportionately high number of other religious folk although it does still seem that many Kenyan's are religious and boy do they love it! Church on Sunday is a staple and a highlight of the week for those attending. One regular house visitor, George (who we nicknamed Curious George because of the number of questions he asks us. Honestly he'd give Paxman and Dimbelby a run for their money!), attends a service which lasts for 5 hours! We wonder if he takes food in with him. With a large Christian population there comes a lot of gospel style music, much of it in a bad pop style format with appropriate low budget video (a montage of the same people dancing badly). I thought it was white people who had no rhythm!
Food
Food is certainly high on our list of things we miss (2nd after all of you of course!).We eat every evening with the host family and it's a variation of the same 4 things; sweetcorn & beans, green and white cabbage, chapati (which Phil is addicted to and will go out and buy if none is served) and Ugali (a maize flour and water mix that they form into a cake and serve in tasteless chunks). There is very little meat and it is of poor quality. Certainly not the Tesco finest fillet steaks that Phil had come accustom too! These staples may be constantly served due to the family's lack of adventure but more likely influenced by the fact that these foods are cheap and abundant. Thankfully the local supermarket sells Cadbury's chocolate to supplement our diet as well as a few chicken and chips restaurants that we've indulged in (we figure we've been burning a lot of calories so no harm!).
Hope you've enjoyed this post and we'll post another one in a week or 2.
Friday 22 April 2011
2 weeks in Kenya
So this is our first blog entry and hopefully not the last (that will depend on reviewer comments!). If it is too long, full of drivel, etc. let us know and we'll amend for the next edition and ensure the editor-in-chief reviews. So on to the good stuff.....
After a few anxious days (actually weeks) we were very much relieved to be met on arrival in Nairobi by a friend (Susan) of the project coordinator (James) who we had been in contact with. Susan drove us to her flat down roads which must have been hit by stray bombs aimed at Libya given the size of the potholes! Susan's flat was in an area on the outskirts of Nairobi and how shall we put it, it was no Beverly Hills!
We met with James 2 days later and he took us to a town called Gilgil, about 50 miles north of Nairobi. Gilgil is situated in an area called the Rift Valley, a very picturesque area of Kenya, surrounded by peaks and dotted with numerous lakes along the valley floor.
On arrival we met with our host family. Jane and Joseph are both in their 60's, the former a director of a local orphanage and numerous humanitarian projects and the latter a former professor, policeman and farmer. Both have been extremely welcoming and thankfully speak good English. Living with them are a daughter, son and grandchild (Faith). Faith is a source of much entertainment. Faith is 9 years old, speaks excellent English, is intelligent and well mannered and would put most British children of the same age to shame. It is sad to think that she will not have the same opportunities that those in England are fortunate to have. When we don't aways understand what other people have said we do the standard smile and nod and then ask Faith what on earth they just told or asked us!
With regards to the volunteer project it has been a little disorganised, to our frustration, but we're beginning to realise that that is the Kenyan way. In our first week we had to take matters into our own hands and come up with an idea. Whilst we did this we spent the first day at the local school running a P.E. class, the majority of which was spent playing a dusty game of football :), and marking some homework which included Swahili! We were both concerned when meeting with the teachers that the "English" teacher was unable to properly introduce herself in English yet all the others could. By the end of the first day we had suggested painting a world map on the side of the school (whilst we waited for the construction project to start) much to the headmasters delight.
We are both quite proud of the finished article and even more so that we are now referred to as "artists"! If that's the case we might start selling some knock-off Picasso's. The school children have had a lot of fun watching us work, naming the different continents and surprisingly seeing us mix and make different colours. Art is not supported here given the lack of funds and need to prioritise.
We are 2 of only a few mzungu's (whites) in Gilgil and are therefore a source of amusement for the locals particularly the children. At first the continuous shouts of “How are you?” were a welcoming novelty and we would stop and chat. However now by the end of the day, when we are hot, dusty and tired we want to teach them a new phrase; “piss off". We know that sounds bad but believe us they are relentless!
After a few anxious days (actually weeks) we were very much relieved to be met on arrival in Nairobi by a friend (Susan) of the project coordinator (James) who we had been in contact with. Susan drove us to her flat down roads which must have been hit by stray bombs aimed at Libya given the size of the potholes! Susan's flat was in an area on the outskirts of Nairobi and how shall we put it, it was no Beverly Hills!
We met with James 2 days later and he took us to a town called Gilgil, about 50 miles north of Nairobi. Gilgil is situated in an area called the Rift Valley, a very picturesque area of Kenya, surrounded by peaks and dotted with numerous lakes along the valley floor.
On arrival we met with our host family. Jane and Joseph are both in their 60's, the former a director of a local orphanage and numerous humanitarian projects and the latter a former professor, policeman and farmer. Both have been extremely welcoming and thankfully speak good English. Living with them are a daughter, son and grandchild (Faith). Faith is a source of much entertainment. Faith is 9 years old, speaks excellent English, is intelligent and well mannered and would put most British children of the same age to shame. It is sad to think that she will not have the same opportunities that those in England are fortunate to have. When we don't aways understand what other people have said we do the standard smile and nod and then ask Faith what on earth they just told or asked us!
With regards to the volunteer project it has been a little disorganised, to our frustration, but we're beginning to realise that that is the Kenyan way. In our first week we had to take matters into our own hands and come up with an idea. Whilst we did this we spent the first day at the local school running a P.E. class, the majority of which was spent playing a dusty game of football :), and marking some homework which included Swahili! We were both concerned when meeting with the teachers that the "English" teacher was unable to properly introduce herself in English yet all the others could. By the end of the first day we had suggested painting a world map on the side of the school (whilst we waited for the construction project to start) much to the headmasters delight.
We are both quite proud of the finished article and even more so that we are now referred to as "artists"! If that's the case we might start selling some knock-off Picasso's. The school children have had a lot of fun watching us work, naming the different continents and surprisingly seeing us mix and make different colours. Art is not supported here given the lack of funds and need to prioritise.
We are 2 of only a few mzungu's (whites) in Gilgil and are therefore a source of amusement for the locals particularly the children. At first the continuous shouts of “How are you?” were a welcoming novelty and we would stop and chat. However now by the end of the day, when we are hot, dusty and tired we want to teach them a new phrase; “piss off". We know that sounds bad but believe us they are relentless!
In our spare time we have travelled around the local area using matatu’s (public minibuses). Visiting Lake Elementaita – a soda lake inhabited by pink flamingos. Climbing Mount Longonot (2,777m) an extinct volcano (inadvertently hitchhiking a ride home with a private party who shared cartons of red wine and miraa (a twig which people chew for stimulant – no effect on us!). And Crater Lake - a game sanctuary which we could walk through and get close to wild zebra, giraffe, baboons, gazelle etc (getting another lift home this time with a Dutchman and a south African who are working for the UN in Kenya to try to help deal with Somalian pirates).
The matatu’s are an experience in themselves, the legal capacity is 14 people but they cram as many on as possible. The record so far is 21 and if they see a police check point people have to try and hide.
We'll look forward to your comments and update you all again in a couple of weeks. More photo's to come via Facebook.
The matatu’s are an experience in themselves, the legal capacity is 14 people but they cram as many on as possible. The record so far is 21 and if they see a police check point people have to try and hide.
We'll look forward to your comments and update you all again in a couple of weeks. More photo's to come via Facebook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)