bevhunt's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member bevhunt on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/bevhunt en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:47:59 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Jambo from Kenya — Nairobi, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1189893600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1189893600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1189893600/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:47:59 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nairobi, Kenya

I have arrived in Kenya! I had a good flight over, although I only managed a couple of hours sleep so was pretty tired by the time we arrived in Nairobi at 5.30am. Luckily I was greeted at the airport by local guide David from i-to-i who helped me to get some Kenyan shillings before driving me to my hotel for the night. The other volunteers arriving today aren't coming until the evening so I had the drive to myself. On the way to the hotel I chatted to David about Kenyan culture and politics as well as their notoriously bad driving. My hotel is simple (looking a little like a prison block inside) but it's comfortable. After checking in I decided to take a quick nap but woke up 3 hours later!
By midday I was ready to explore the city. Nairobi is a relatively small city for a capital - I walked around most of it in one day. It is also quite a modern city, built largely in the last 100 years, and is surprisingly free of pollution.
I started my exploration at the National Archives (where else?!?). It houses an interesting museum on African history so seemed a good starting point. From there I found a little cafe for lunch (shamefully Western I'm afraid to say) and then continued to the city square which houses the Parliament building and the Kenyatta Conference Centre. I paid a guard to take me up to the top of the conference centre, where there are supposed to be great views of the city. She took me up the 30 floors to the helipad and I wasn't disappointed.
Afterwards I found a fantastic arts and crafts market, which took all of my willpower not to buy anything (time for shopping later) and then wandered around some more of the city's streets and gardens, taking in the city mosque and the Thorn Tree Cafe (inspiration for the Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum).
The Kenyans have so far lived up to their friendly reputation - everyone smiles and welcomes you to their country. I got chatting to one man in the street, a teacher at the University, who told me he had read lots of books from an Oxford Press. He was very excited when I told him I work there!
But apparently it is not too safe to walk around Nairobi after 7pm (especially for a single white female) so I am going back to the hotel shortly for my complimentary dinner and some relaxation. Orientation begins tomorrow morning...
]]> Builder Bev! — Nakuru, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190322240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190322240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190322240/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:46:17 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nakuru, Kenya

Tuesday was our first day of building. I was a little apprehensive that I wouldn't be able to manage but it turned out really well.
The building project is right next to the school. Susan walks to the school every day so she said she would walk me, Cassie and Rik to show us the way (the others live closer to the school). It is a really nice walk. It takes about 15 minutes to get from my house to the centre of town and then another 30 minutes or so to get to the school. We actually decided it is probably quicker than a matatu, which stops and starts such a lot, and it's a great way to see rural Kenyan life and the countryside, so Cassie, Rik and I have decided to walk every morning.
The volunteers all meet at 9 at Alex's house, which is next to the school. Ken supervises the building work so he took us all up to the building site to start work. It is on the local rubbish dump and is piled high with litter. The area has the best view of the town and the nearby lake, but the ground is too hard to build on so it is just used as a dump and a slum for people who have nowhere else to live. The smell can be quite bad and the hygiene conditions very poor. There is no running water, no toilet facilities, just land.
The volunteers are building housing for the people on the slums. The structures are very very simple - basically a 3x3 metre square, surrounded by sticks and stones for walls and a tin roof. It can be really hard to get materials too, as there isn't enough money to buy a lot of equipment. One guy, Stephen, has been living in a tiny cave for 7 years and no-one knew he was there. When he was found, some other volunteers promised to build him a house and he will hopefully move in next week. It will be great to see him in some sort of better accommodation, even if it is very simple.
The existing volunteers were working on Stephen's house but us 5 (plus Hugh, an Irish guy)were to work on a different house. This one had the stick wall structure in place but each layer of sticks needed to be filled with rocks from the ground to make the walls. The boys began smashing up rocks while Cassie and I did a bit of stone-masonry on the walls themselves. We were pretty impressed with our efforts. Even Hugh said he was impressed, after his earlier comments that girls are no good at building!
It was hard work though, especially as the sun was beating down on us. We all thought we were to work from 9-5 but it turns out the builders only work until 1 because it gets too hot to do such physical work in the afternoon. We were all really pleased with our mornings work though and it felt good to be doing something tangible.
By 1 we were all ready for some food so we headed back into town to another cafe. And then we thought we would check out that hotel pool. We all felt a bit guilty about spending time at a pool after being at the slums, but we were all so hot and dirty that it was just what we needed. I don't think I have ever been so covered in dust and dirt. The weather is really nice here too. It has been raining for weeks, but since we arrived in Nakuru it hasn't rained once and the sun is really hot, a bit too hot really.
The next day we were to work at the school. A previous volunteer built the school a chicken hut but it needed some chicken wire fixed around the base. Cassie, Craig and I spent most of the day digging trenches and nailing in chicken wire, whilst Rik and Lai painted a basketball hoop and board - some people get all the good jobs! Again it was a great feeling to get a whole job done in a day. And it was also great to be working at the school. We took a break at playtime to play with the kids, which is always so much fun. And they like watching the mzungus work. Walking around the slums, kids will just run up to you and grab your hand - they love just to walk alongside you. And everyone says hello as you pass by them. The kids have all learned how to say 'how are you' so you hear that everywhere you go. It's really lovely.
After work and lunch, the boys arranged a football match with the local Kenyan team. Cassie and I went to cheer them on. It was very competitive, as football tends to be. The Kenyan boys had proper kits and did a proper warm-up. We thought the volunteers would get slaughtered but they ended up winning 5-2. It was a great atmosphere with locals and foreigners all playing together. And Cassie and I were joined by some of the local girls which was good fun. They are all so friendly.
Today we spent another morning up at the project, continuing our work on the house. The evenings are either spent at our homes or in bars/restaurants with the other volunteers. But tomorrow, the 5 of us have been given a day off. We are going to the Masai Mara for the weekend to do the most famous safari in the world - hopefully we will get to see the big 5 - lions, rhinos, leapords, elephants and buffalo, as well as the wildebeest migration. Apart from the 6am start and the 8 hour drive there, it should be a great weekend. See you next week...
]]> The Walk Children's School — Nakuru, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190320800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190320800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190320800/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:26:09 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nakuru, Kenya

On Monday we had our first visit to the slums of Nakuru, where we will be doing our building project. In the morning we met in town with Ken and Alex, the Kenyans who run all the projects here. They are really cool guys - Ken is totally mad about football and is a big Arsenal fan - all the boys talk about is football!!
Ken and Alex briefed us about the projects and life in Nakuru, before taking us on a tour of the city. It really has everything we need - supermarkets, bars, restaurants, shops, even a hotel with a pool. Then we caught a matatu to the slum area (bizarrely called London Hilton!!). The matatu costs something like 15p each for a 15 minute ride. As the rest of the building volunteers were off for the day on a weekend trip, Ken decided our time would be best spent at the local school. It is called the Walk Children's Church and hosts about 150 kids from the slums.
It was the most incredible experience. We arrived during morning break, which lasts from 10 until 11. All the children were in the yard, playing. As soon as they saw us they came running over - they love to spend time with the mzungus (white people). They grabbed our hands to walk with us and wanted to be swung in the air, hugged, played with - just some attention really. And they love cameras, especially digital ones. Everytime they see a camera they all come running in to have their photo taken and then they want to see themselves on the screen. I didn't get to put my camera away for about half an hour!
The boys all got involved in a football game, Cassie and I helped them with some skipping. All they have for a skipping rope is a long piece of banana skin. The kids have nothing really. They all wear second hand clothes (one boy had a very smart brown and white striped blazer and looked very cool). Until recently none of them had shoes but Susan has been buying them all second hand shoes (nearly 150 pairs). One girl was particularly pleased to show us her shoes that light up when you stamp the ground! For many of them, the only meal they have every day is the one they get at the school and they might have nothing all weekend. Some of them don't have running water so don't even get a chance to wash properly. Susan thinks that about 35% of the children have HIV/Aids and a lot have malaria too. But despite that, they are the happiest, friendliest, most energetic kids I have ever spent time with. Their smiles simply light you up inside and it's a joy to be around them.
After morning break, we were allowed to sit in on a class. I was dragged into the baby class by some of the little ones. It was utter chaos! The teacher was trying to teach them the numbers 1-10 but it was a lost cause really. They took a bit more interest when it turned to singing songs. And their favourite part of the lesson was when I was allowed to hand them some stickers - I was literally swamped with hands!
One hour of class and then it was time for lunch. They each get a bowl of cabbage and some ugali (a maize like substance). And the boys from the big school come down for lunch too, as they don't get given any at their school. It was good to see them all eating a proper meal, even a simple one.
By 1 o'clock it was time for us to say goodbye to the kids for the day. It was a real pleasure to spend time with them and I know we will be back many times. But now it was the volunteers turn for lunch. We jumped on a matatu back to town and some of the existing volunteers took us to a little cafe for some food. Then the 5 of us spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town before a couple of Tusker beers in one of the bars here and back home for dinner. It was a really good introduction to our next few weeks.
]]> Lake Nakuru — Nakuru, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191269460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191269460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191269460/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:15:56 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nakuru, Kenya

On Saturday the 5 of us took our second safari, this time to Lake Nakuru just 5km out of Nakuru city centre. Our guide was Ben and he picked us up at 7am for a 5 hour exploration of the lake.
Lake Nakuru is probably the second most visited park after the Masai Mara and it's easy to see why. At the centre of the park is a large lake comprising a pink sea of flamingos. From a distance you can just see a pink shade hugging the shores of the lake while close up you can see flocks and flocks of flamingos - it's quite incredible. The rest of the park contains large areas of grassland, euphorbia and acacia forests and rocky cliffs containing many different animals and birds.
During the day we saw more zebras and giraffes, a lot of baboons and many buffalo, as well as various different deer, including waterbucks, gazelles and elands. We also saw some hyenas trying to hunt the flamingos but failing miserably. And finally we got to see some rhinos. First we spotted a black rhino with a baby far in the distance - black rhinos are very shy so it's quite unusual to see them. Later we saw a herd of white rhino. Two of the males were fighting for the attention of the ladies, although the fight was very short-lived and not as exciting as we were hoping.
The best moment of the day though was when we drove up to Baboon Cliff. From the top of the cliff you get a breath-taking view of the park with all its forests, wildlife and of course the lake. It was very peaceful up there and we stayed for about half an hour admiring the view. It was really lovely and another great safari to add to my Kenyan experience.
Back in Nakuru town we headed to Taidy's again as we had promised Ken we would meet him there to watch the football. Everyone is crazy about football here, especially the Premier League. First we watched the Man City match and then we watched Ken's beloved Arsenal win. The rest of the volunteers joined us later. There are a couple of pool tables in Taidy's so we had a bit of a pool competition and, yet again, far too many drinks. The evening ended up in a crazy boda-boda race to Dimples, a small club here in town where there was lots of opportunity for dancing - it was another fun evening and one that led to a lazy Sunday by the pool.
So now I am into my third and final week of building. It seems strange to think that I will be leaving Nakuru at the end of the week, but I am looking forward to my last few days here.
]]> The Masai Mara — Masai Mara, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190663280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190663280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190663280/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 05:49:43 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Masai Mara, Kenya

I have returned from my weekend to the Masai Mara. I had a really great time there. 6 of us went from the project - the five of us who arrived here together plus Rob, another English builder.
Pick-up time was 6am, which was a bit of a wrench, as was the 8 hour drive there. Parts of the road were quite smooth and well tarmaced, but most of it was dirt track or rubble which made for a very bumpy journey. Thankfully I had my ipod to keep me entertained. We were all very glad to arrive at the camp at about 3.30pm.
The camp was really nice. We were all quite surprised when we opened our tents to find proper beds inside - much better than the camping I am used to! There was also a hot shower - an ingenious design by the Masais, where they heat a hot water tank on top of a bonfire that slowly smoulders all day and night - very clever and very hot.
On arrival we had a cup of tea in the dining hall before heading out for our first game drive in the park, a short 2 hour drive. Our guide was Rufus, who had driven us from Nakuru and was now to drive us around the park - he has a minivan where the roof pops up so we could all look out the top - it was very cool.
That afternoon we saw quite a few animals in the wild. We saw a few lions, which was the most exciting, although we didn't get to see an adult male. We also saw a couple of herds of elephants. As well as that we saw a lot of zebras, a few giraffe, lots of deer, some birds and just as we were leaving the park, a cheetah, which was also really exciting. As it was very hot, the animals weren't doing much more than lying around, but it was really great to see them in their natural habitat. The park is vast - we only covered a small corner that afteroon. The scenery is amazing, just endless. And as we drove out of the park, we saw the most incredible sunset over the plains - just what you imagine Africa to look like.
We arrived back at the camp just in time for dinner, a lovely meal of soup and beef stew with rice and potatos. Then the 6 of us decided to join the Masais around the campfire. Cassie and Rick had bought marshmallows so we toasted them with the Masais (who were a bit sceptical) under a beautifully starry sky, beer in hand. It was really relaxing and we all felt very chilled. But we were also very tired so we were all in bed by 10 ready for our full game drive the next day.
The following day brought even more animals. We saw more lions, including an adult male with full mane, and two more cheetahs as well, one of them eating lunch. We saw a lot more giraffe, zebra and deer. We got a glimpse of a couple of warthogs too. Just before lunch we reached the Mara River. The wildebeest cross this river from Tanzania to Kenya once every year and then back again six months later. We saw a huge herd of wildebeest just this side of the river. Unfortunately we also saw a lot of dead ones in the river - ones that had been trampled by the others in the migration or washed away by the current. It was a pretty nasty sight. But at the river we were allowed out of the van to walk to where the hippos live - there were lots of them and they were huge. We also saw a couple of crocodiles. And just as we were leaving the park we spotted a couple of buffalo - our third of the big five - we were just missing the leopards and rhinos. We were driving for eight hours that day and it was an incredible experience - so much to see.
We were back at the camp for about 4 and then we visited the nearby Masai village (at a small cost). Daniel, one of the Masai camp-workers, walked us to the village and he told us about the various plants they use for their daily lives. When we reached the camp we were shown their houses (built by the women) and some of the villagers showed us their native dances, dragging us in for the experience!! They had also set up their market so we could buy some Masai souvenirs. It was all a little bit commercial but it was interesting to see how the Masais live.
The evening went much the same way as the night before - a lovely dinner followed by more marshmallows and beer around the campfire. I even saw a shooting star. It was a really great experience, only to be dampened by the 8 hour drive back to Nakuru yesterday! But we all agreed it was well worth the effort, an incredible two days.
]]> Lamu Life — Lamu, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1192395240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1192395240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1192395240/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 05:07:09 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Lamu, Kenya

The rest of my week in Lamu lived up to the first few days. It is such a beautiful, relaxing, friendly place.
On Wednesday Lai and I took a dhow trip with Captain Ali and his sidekick Waya Waya. It was a great day. Dhows are wooden boats with a huge white cotton sail. We first sailed to Manda Island where we did a spot of fishing, first on the boat and then in the creek. We were just using a wire and a hook but I managed to catch two snapper: Lai caught three and Waya Waya one so we had enough for lunch.
While we were fishing, Ali was cooking a bbq on the beach. He made a fantastic vegetable stew, some coconut rice and of course the fish, followed by some fresh fruit. It was really delicious. After lunch we took a swim in the ocean before returning to the boat to sail to Takewa ruins, an old 16th century settlement. It was a really enjoyable day and great to be sailing on the open water in such a beautiful boat.
Most of our evenings were spent in Lamu town which involved getting different boats there and back every night with a variety of locals. The people of Lamu are so friendly - they generally came and sat with us for the evening before taking us back home - it was great to talk to them and get to know them. By the time I left Lamu I felt I knew half of the town.
We ate nearly every night at Hapa Hapa restaurant as David wanted to show us all four versions of the bao game. I even managed to beat him twice! By the end of the week both Lai and I had bought a board to take home which Dave inscribed on the back for us. He is a really nice guy and a great carpenter.
We usually followed dinner at Hapa Hapa with a visit to Petley's Inn where we mingled with all of the locals, especially the two Mohammeds who took us on our first moonlit boat trip. It was a very chilled place and perfect for a few beers.
Our last morning in Lamu sadly came around far too quickly. We left our lovely apartment in Shela to spend the morning in Lamu town to do a bit of last minute shopping. Our main goal was to visit 'Crazy Artist's' studio. We had met him on the first day and had promised to return later in the week to buy some souvenirs, which we dutifully did. He was another great character.
But by early afternoon it was time to take the ferry back to the airport to return to Nairobi. We were both really sad to be leaving Lamu. I felt so relaxed and at home there. I will miss all the lovely people I met and waking up to the stunning view of the ocean from the apartment. Life just seems so simple and stress-free on Lamu - it's all about friendship and family and sailing and the ocean and helping each other out. Of course people have their problems like everyone else but they just seem so happy and content with their lot and it really rubs off on you after a while. I could have stayed there for days and days.
But all good things must come to an end and by 6pm Lai and I were back in the hustle and bustle of Nairobi. It took us less than two hours to fly from Lamu to Nairobi and another two hours to drive from Nairobi airport to our hotel in the city centre where we were to spend our final night in Kenya. Both of us were flying home on Saturday morning, the end of a fantastic month in Africa.
It's been a really amazing experience - the perfect mix of volunteering, travelling and holidaying. I have met some wonderful people on this trip and seen some amazing, interesting and heart-warming things. Kenya is a really great country to visit and I hope to return here one day.
]]> Pole Pole — Lamu, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191965400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191965400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191965400/tpod.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:55:36 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Lamu, Kenya

Wow - what can I say about Lamu. It's close to paradise.
They have two mottos here - hakuna matata (no worries) and pole pole
(slowly slowly).
Lai and I arrived on Saturday afternoon. The flight was good (late of course) and

offered us a fantastic view of the coastline as we landed on Manda
Island. Unfortunately Lai's bag didn't land with us but had been
taken off the plane at our brief stop at Malindi en route. The
locals took it very calmly, as did Lai,and they assured us it would
arrive on the next flight the following day. Now, Kenyan official
systems aren't usually the most reliable but sure enough the bag
arrived the following afternoon, much to Lai's relief.
On arriving
at Manda Island we had to take a short ferry ride to Lamu Island where
we would be staying. We got our first glimpse of Lamu town as we
floated towards the dock. It's a beautiful place - an old Swahili
Muslim town, a maze of narrow paths and alleyways, whitewashed and
tumbling buildings, little shops tucked away here and there, a
beautiful waterfront and not a single car, just donkeys. It is
like stepping back in time.
We had reserved beds at Casuarina
Resthouse for our first night, a lovely little place right on the
waterfront with a great roof terrace and only three pound each per
night. On checking in, we went to explore the town. As it
is Ramadahn at the moment nearly all of the restaurants are closed
until sundown (it is also quite hard to get alcohol here
unfortunately!) but we
did find one little café open for business.
Later
that evening we went for a lovely meal at Hapa Hapa restaurant where
the owner showed us how to play one of the traditional bao (wooden)
games and then we discovered the best bar in town, Petley's Inn.
It's a great place - a bar and a dancefloor downstairs with another
great roof terrace upstairs. There we were treated to a display
of traditional Swahili dancing while sinking a few Tusker beers and I
even won a prize in the raffle after picking out my own ticket!!

The following day we decided to check out the next village of Shela,
about a 40 minute walk from Lamu town. Some Swedish people in
Nakuru had recommended a guy with an apartment here. The walk to
Shela was lovely, all along the shoreline, and eventually we
reached a beautiful white sandy beach. We couldn't resist a quick swim in the Indian Ocean

- the water was so warm. After our swim we called the guy about
the apartment. It's a lovely place right in the middle of
beautiful Shela village with a great terrace overlooking the
ocean. At about five pounds each per night we took it
immediately.
That night we wanted to go back to Lamu for
the reggae night at Petley's. By the time we had drunk a couple
of beers on the terrace it was dark and we knew we would need a boat to
take us there. We walked down to the main hotel in Shela and
found 3 Rasta guys (this place if full of Rastas) who offered to take
us there and back (staying with us at the Reggae night in the
meantime). They were completely stoned but great fun and we
enjoyed watching all the locals dance the night away. Their boat
was a traditional dhow. It was a magical experience to sail along
in the moonlight with hundreds of stars twinkling behind the huge white
sail - not something I will forget in a hurry.
The last two days
have basically been spent on the beach in Shela or in and around the
apartment, just relaxing after our three weeks of work. The place
is so friendly - everyone
knows everyone else and most people stop
to say hello and have a chat. To be fair, there is often a reason
- they want to sell you something or offer you a trip or a service and
it can get a bit tiring after a while - but I think they would be
friendly even if they had nothing to sell. It's just that kind of
place. Tomorrow we are hoping to take a dhow trip around the
islands for the day, with a bit of fishing and a bbq lunch on the beach
- it should be another great day.
]]> Last night in Nakuru — Nakuru, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191530640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191530640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191530640/tpod.html Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:17:24 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nakuru, Kenya

Well, it is my last day here in Nakuru. Tomorrow afternoon I head back to Nairobi before a week on the coast. I can't believe my three weeks here has come to an end already.
This week has been as enjoyable as the previous two. The building has been a bit slow. It's quite frustrating because they have very few materials here which makes building quite hard - it's annoying because we all pay a lot to come here and do the volunteering but very little of it goes to the projects we are working on and we end up buying a lot of materials ourselves just so we can get some work done. Anyway, we managed to do some more cementing on Stephen's house and we fitted a roof and a door to another new house so we have made some progress this week.
Today we spent the day helping at the school which is always great fun. Some of the volunteers at the school arranged for the kids to go on a visit to Lake Nakuru (most of them have never been before despite the fact it is only 5km from town). Half went yesterday and half today. We all saw them leave this morning - they were so excited, it was great to see. We stayed behind to help look after the remaining kids. Cassie and I ended up teaching a lesson, helping the children write the numbers 1-50 and then teaching them about parts of the body (we did a pretty great drawing on the blackboard!). After school, Ken took us to his 'crib' where his heavily pregnant wife was waiting to greet us. They were really welcoming and made us tea and showed us around their (very small) home. I'm going to miss Ken.
Tuesday was Cassie's birthday. Unfortunately while we were working on the housing, one of the rocks was dislodged from the wall and hit Cassie in the head so she has a nice birthday bruise now. Anyway, to celebrate her birthday Cassie and I went to Rose's salon for a lovely massage and then we all went to Taidy's in the evening for a few drinks and some pool.
Last night we hired the stadium again for a re-match of Kenyans versus volunteers. Fifteen minutes into the game a huge storm erupted - the boys had to play in torrential rain for most of the match. Cassie and I hid under a shelter with two of the teenage girls from the girls team - Joyce and Florence - they were really good fun and we had a great time cheering for our opposing teams.
So, tonight we have a big night out planned for our last night in Nakuru. We are going to go to the Summit resort which is supposed to be good for food, drink and dancing. Tomorrow morning we will visit the school again before Cassie, Rick, Lai and I get a matatu back to Nairobi. Cassie and Rick are heading to Tanzania for a few weeks, Craig returns to England on Saturday and Lai and I are both heading to the coast for a week - we both have our last week free to travel so we decided we might as well do it together.
I have really enjoyed my stay here in Nakuru. The city has a really nice atmosphere and the people here are so friendly. I feel I have made quite a few friends in just a couple of weeks, especially Ken, Rose and Eva. And the other volunteers have been great too - I am sure we will all keep in touch. Spending time with the children at the school has been a real joy and working on the building has been a really interesting experience. Seeing the poverty has been quite an eye-opener but, at the same time, seeing the way the people here cope with it all and seeing them smile every day has been quite amazing. The Kenyans have a smile to melt a thousand hearts. I'm really glad I decided to come.
But now it is onwards to the sea and a week of relaxation. I'll see you there...
]]> Stephen's House — Nakuru, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191268440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191268440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1191268440/tpod.html Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:46:56 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nakuru, Kenya

So, last week was my second week of building here in Nakuru. It was another interesting and enjoyable week and also a little emotional.
The other builders had all left so it was just the 5 of us and Rob, along with boss Ken who is really great fun to work with. We spent the first 2 days working on Stephen's house (the one who lives in the cave). The previous volunteers had built the structure so we had to fill the walls with rocks and try to cement them with the little cement we had at our disposal. A couple of local Kenyan boys came to help too and carved all of our names into the cement on the walls of the house. Even Stephen was helping - he is a 65 year old man and he spent the 2 days carrying heavy buckets of rocks up to the house and smashing them up with a sledgehammer. Cassie and Rick brought up their mp3 player and speakers which was great - the local slum people seemed quite intrigued by the sound of the music.
By Wednesday the house was pretty much finished so we called Stephen up to see the end result. We had promised him the finest wine money could buy to celebrate his moving but we actaully bought a cheap bottle of red from the supermarket and some cups. Before drinking, Stephen insisted on hearing all our names and home towns and then he gave an emotional speech, interpreted by Ken. He said no-one had ever really done anything for him before and he was quite over-whelmed that people wanted to do something like build a house for him. It brought a tear to his eye and also to mine. He has moved in now and he seems very happy in his new abode.
The next two days were spent working at the school. First we had to build a fence around the area where the teachers burn the litter and then we had to build a ramp for the chicken shed. There was much amusement as Ken and Rick attempted to catch chickens to test out the ramp. Oh, and I managed to bury the only hinge we had under a huge pile of earth - it took us 15 minutes to find it again!!
Aside from the building, there have been other enjoyments. On Tuesday afternoon Ken helped us to hire out the Nakuru football stadium so that our lads could play the local school team on a proper pitch this time. Following on from our victory last week, we beat them again but it was a really good match and great to see the kids playing at the stadium. There was even a trophy!
Thursday night was Emilia and Susan's last night so all the volunteers went to Taidy's bar for food and far too many drinks. We all missed our curfews home so ended up staying in a dodgy hotel in the centre of town but it was a fun night. Since Emilia and Susan's departures I am now the only volunteer staying at Rose's - in some ways it is lovely to have some space to myself but in other ways it is sad to have said goodbye to my room-mates.
Oh, I also took my first boda-boda right last week. A boda-boda is basically a bike with a padded cushion on the back for passengers. It costs less than 20p for a ride anywhere in the city but it can be pretty terrifying when there are cars, taxis, matatus and lorries coming at you from all angles. Good fun though.
So my second week was over and the weekend brought another safari but more about that in the next blog...
]]> To Nakuru — Nakuru, Kenya http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190055900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190055900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bevhunt/kenya2007/1190055900/tpod.html Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:35:42 -0400 In Swahili, safari means journey. So join me on my journey to Kenya.
Nakuru, Kenya

I am in Nakuru. We arrived last night. Yesterday morning I met up
with my fellow volunteers; a Scottish guy called Craig, a Norweigan
called Lars (Lai) and a couple from Manchester called Rik and Cassie.
They all seem really nice. It turns out none of them have been to Kenya before, none of them have volunteered before and none of them have any building experience,
so that was a relief!!
We spent yesterday morning having our orientation in Nairobi,
basically just a briefing about the project, and after lunch we took
the 3 hour drive to Nakuru. We got there in a matatu (a sort of
mini-van) which is the normal method of transport here. It started
out quite smooth, but the road became very bumpy for the second half
of the journey. We did all wonder why the roof of the matatu was
padded! But the journey allowed us to see some of the countryside and
even some wild animals (there were some zebras at the side of the road).
Anyway, we arrived in Nakuru at about 5pm (in torrential rain). It is
much smaller than Nairobi but seems like a nice place. On arrival, we
were donated to our families. I am staying with Rosemary, a Kenyan.
She lives on her own in a flat just outside Nakuru, but a girl called
Eva also lives there to help out with the cooking and cleaning etc.
The house is much grander than I expected - it is a first floor flat
with a comfy lounge with tv and stereo, a kitchen, bathroom and
bedrooms for Rose, Eva and the volunteers. I am sharing with Susan, a
53 year old Australian who has been volunteering at the local school
for nearly 3 months (she has left her husband and kids at home), and Amelia, a Swedish girl who is also volunteering at a school. And I have a Barbie duvet on my bed!
I was given a cup of tea as soon as I arrived (most welcome) and given
time to unpack before Rose served dinner - a lovely meal of stewed
beans, cabbage, and chapati. The rest of the evening was spent
chatting and watching tv. Rose runs one of the beauty salons in town
so I am on the promise of a massage later in the trip. She's really lovely and I think we will have a good time over the next 3 weeks.
I have spent today in the slums, working at the local school, before
starting building tomorrow, but I will fill you in on that next time...
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