Silver Star Mombasa

<br><br>Kenya<br><br><br><br><br>01/11/ 09<br><br><br><br><br>Segera Twiga lodge Mombasa<br><br><br><br><br>220 ks <br><br><br><br><br>The boarder crossing was the easiest yet. No people, we rode out in a hour. <br><br>The highlight today was the riding and Omar marrying me to 4 local woman ...

... Africa. But this year is different thanks to Talia.<br> <br>Talia is a 16 year old girl from the USA who visited Tanzania last year. There she met Witness and Pendo: two very clever but severely economically challenged girls who asked Talia to help them go to school. Talia could not bare to think of either of these bright 13 year old girls constantly being sent home from school for fees, or worse yet, out of school completely before they ever hit ...

... lack of street lights meant that we had to use the moonlight to navigate our way home. Needless to say we took our time and eventually made it back in one piece. The funny thing was that at no point did any other driver on the road seem to find it strange that we were driving without lights! My first impressions of Mombasa and Kenya in general is that it is an extremely friendly place. On more than one occasion I have been invited for dinner from people ...

... to meet my friends and lay on a sun lounger and next time do the Safari but unless things improved there is no point, I'll let the next volunteer or missionary do their bit. But I hope and pray that Kenya will rule mighty again, that the people will once again rejoice in their land and their good fortune to be blessed with a beautiful country made even more beautiful by the real people of Kenya who so desperately need change and hope again. Then I ...

... rather than later! Just a thought... Anyway; enough of the role reversal stuff; Dad I thought you'd like to see some nice photos; ones of me smiling and at ease with mother nature to keep your heart rate moderate. I took your advice and had a day of total relexation; bar paying off a few suspect Sisters who wanted 500 ks shillings for training a new sister into God's Church (two of whom I saw promoting other services in a Pool bar last week ...

... was in swahili, you could tell that she made a big impact. This women is such an inspiration. She is 30 years old and is a mother of four children, of which only her youngest is alive (who is 9). Her husband and her eldest three children died of AIDs. She has gone through so much hardship but when you talk to her you would never know it. Thankfully she is healthy and is such a great example that HIV does not have to ruin your life! The second girl's forum ...

... Strasse zum kleinen, unscheinbaren Oloiden Lake runt**g**adelt. Nach ein** halben Stunde Fahrt wurde das Waldstueck zu mein** Rechten langsam licht** und licht**... und auf einmal pink. Die Strasse v**lassen, hing**adelt - und einen ganzen See voll** Flamingos gesehen! Ich bin ziemlich schlecht im Schaetzen, ab** mehr als hund**ttausend warens absolut. Und da d** See wirklich klein war (am Uf** stehend konnte man ihn imm** noch voll im Blick haben), war es fu** die Voegel auch ...

Today we saw a dead body, gazelle, zebra and buffalo. I should start from the beginning. We left Watamu at 10am to get a Matatu ( minibus) to the Gede junction (50ksh) then a Matatu to Mombasa (direct for 200ksh). We spent the day hiding from the heat in cafes and bars before our train journey (2210 ksh) back to Nairobi on the 7pm train. Firstly it was delayed by 2 hours due to a train derailment and after getting used to the bumps ...

... by these children and give them an opportunity." Mother to child transmission of HIV/Aids is now one the leading causes of death amongst children under five across Africa. Since there are few facilities and resources to care for them, often HIV positive babies are merely left to die, abandoned or uncared for. In 1994 Clive and Mary Beckenham started the New Life Home for HIV positive and abandoned babies in Nairobi. The project grew and ...

... of Stu's parents conference. After dinner we watched some very bouncy acrobats dance around the poolside! O and we met the Registrar of Oxford University who told Stu off for only getting back on the last possible day...'Your leaving it a bit late aren't you!' Counting the last few days of the holiday down, getting back to reality and work is not going to be easy!