Kenya Day 1

03/02

A rooster has been crowing since 3 this morning - it is now just after 6, and still dark, so not quite sure what planet the rooster is on.  I’m thinking winner winner chicken dinner but... 😝 you never know, it’s probably needed for a dowry or something.

Despite waking up at 3, wide awake and ready to go, I managed to go back to sleep and at least doze until now, although my back is quite stiff.  Hopefully after a couple of days of recovery from the trip it will be fine.

Sarah (and Esther) were very excited about all the stuff I brought.  Unfortunately I didn’t think to take a picture of them both sitting on the floor surrounded by the madness!  Little Kayleen (4) now has a doll, a bear and a little truck, with which I think Sarah was just trying to engage her (she is incredibly shy) but I said she could keep them.  I didn’t know she was staying here, otherwise I would have bought her a specific present!

The African culture is very different.  Kayleen is just four years old, yet her parents have sent her to live with Esther (her aunt) so that she can attend the school.  She goes to see her parents every weekend.  That, here, seems to be quite normal, while I am shocked at the idea of basically sending a four year to boarding school!  Especially one as shy and scared as this.  It reminds me of a time when my sister visited Kenya and when a family heard she couldn’t have children, they offered to gift her their two year old to take back to Ireland with her!

The house is vastly better set up than last time I was here.  What is now the living room used to be everything a year ago.  At one side there was a plastic set of table and chairs, and at the other side the fridge and stove.  That was it.  Now, they have had a couple of sofas and a real set of table and chairs built - to Jon’s specifications, and they are quite nice indeed.  Jon has built a basic kitchen in the back room, and although there aren’t any cupboard doors or anything yet, it is it’s own room with pantry, stove,benches and storage space.  

The art work in the house is all done by Sarah and Jon themselves - the picture I showed you is Jon’s contribution and on the other side of the room are two African sunsets by Sarah.  Some Masai artifacts hang in the hallway.  Although the mattresses in the bedrooms are just heavy foam, they aren’t bad to sleep on, and Jon has also now managed to build a large set of open shelves in their room so that they no longer have to live out of baskets on the floor!

Today, I really want to get a SIM card organised.  Sarah plans to sleep in as long as possible - so we probably won’t go anywhere until late morning.  The plan at this stage is to go to Kakamega which is the nearest reasonable town, and go to the markets, and Jon believes he will be able to get me a SIM there, although he may need to set it up as his not mine!  So funny.  Apparently they have very strict anti terrorism laws, or some such.  We will probably get a matatu into Kakamega which is a transit van sized bus, technically with thirteen seats but realistically crammed with over twenty people.  It gets really really tight in there!

I believe Saturday’s are also cleaning and washing days so potentially there will also be laundry etc to do.  I could do with washing my travel clothes anyway - I didn’t bring very much!  As soon as it is light outside, I will take some photos of the house and the compound.  It is a humble dwelling but very nice and clean inside, and they have made it as Western as possible - although it is amusing how crooked the doorways etc are!  Apparently Kenyans can’t build in straight lines.

Kenyan laundry

Sarah pounding the laundry - my contribution the little green bucket on the right! 

I brought Interim Dave out last night to introduce him to everyone and Esther thought he was absolutely hilarious.  I don’t think she had seen anything like it!  I kept poking his nose in her ear and she was giggling like crazy.  So funny!