Blog 12

Monday, June 30, 5 p.m., Nairobi, Kenya

We are back in Nairobi, our departure city, staying here until tomorrow evening. I will tell you the tale of our trip from Mombasa on the sleeper train.

Once again, we greeted bus drivers for the trip into the Mombasa train station. The people here are probably scandalized (and rightly so) by the amount of "stuff" we require for safari. Our 20 passenger bus had no room inside for baggage, so it was hoisted to a rack on the top, covered and secured with rope. 

Our bags have expanded considerably since we arrived, filling up with gifts and African treasures. (We are checking them all for the flight back, even if we have to pay for excess weight.) 

All loaded up, we proceed through the streets of Mombasa again, but we take a different road that gives us a bit of hope. There are actually some nice houses, smooth streets, and some degree of comfort to be found on a few streets. However, the train station is nothing to boast about.

At the station, the poor bus drivers must unload from the bus to the wagons the porters have supplied. Then it is off to find our train car. The 20 of us take up five of the six sleeper cabins in car #2503. There are four bunks per cabin -- two upper, two lower. 

We are only in these cabins for a few minutes before the chime is sounded by a porter for dinner in the dining car. Of course, by this time we have inspected toilet facilities with some degree of trepidation. One of the two in our car is adequate for women. And it flushes!

Dinner is served by several adept young men who rock and roll with the motion of the train while serving soup and the main courses without spilling any on the table or on our laps. Amazing! Both entrees -- chicken marsala and beef goulash -- are tasty, and we chose white wine, also tasty, to accompany our meal. 

Once again, we represent the majority of passengers, at least in the sleeper cars and in the dining car. There are not many train travelers this trip.

Rather than retire immediately to our sleeping quarters, which another porter was making up as we ate, most of us stayed in the dining car playing games or reading. When sleep overcame us, we headed to our bunks.

The accommodations were fine, but sleep was intermittent as the train stopped often with some shuddering and then started up again. We were supposed to get to Nairobi by 9:30 a.m. Monday (leaving Mombasa at 7 p.m. Sunday), but we pulled in closer to noon. That was okay. We had nothing better to do today. The trip is shorter by half by roadway, but this was more fun and we did not have another hotel bill.

Pete and Liz commented that the stars they saw from the train were the best yet. Seeing stars over Africa and over the Indian Ocean has been amazing, so I can't imagine how it got better.

Because we were all buddied up during the night with four to a cabin, the cabin of four men had an unofficial snoring contest. There was some agreement that Br. Chuck took the award, but I don't know that he had a vote in that.

We found the morning part of our train ride quite interesting, seeing a few animals along the way -- notably ostrich and baboons. We climbed from sea level to mile-high plus, so at times the ride was quite slow-going, with the Little Engine That Could chugging up the inclines.

People brought out their cameras to record life along the railroad line. We were once again among the herding villagers in their stick or straw or mud huts. In some towns children were headed to school in their uniforms. 

Sadly, the most memorable part of our trip was past the slum area of Nairobi, which, we found out later from our new van driver, is the second largest slum in the world. The largest is in Soweto, South Africa. This cannot be adequately described. Shack after shack after shack -- children and their parents. Trash heaps. People foraging in trash heaps. No running water, no sewers, no drainage.

These people set up their "shops" so close to the railroad tracks we could almost touch them. Later we saw a view of this area from another angle and it goes on and on! Our driver told us houses were being built for them to buy at low cost, but I don't even know how that can be. No hope! Sorry to be so sadly graphic.

And here we are again, back at a hotel with all our bags and all our stuff. Smack me hard if I ever complain about anything again!

This afternoon six of us went to the Karen Blitzen Museum (Out of Africa) and took a tour. It was quite interesting. I have a feeling many of us will be rereading and reviewing African-themed books and movies. Darrel and Jim K. bought Out of Africa at the gift shop there. This area of Nairobi was quiet and quite affluent looking. 

From there we went to the Giraffe Center, a breeding reserve for Rothschild Giraffes (they are the ones with white stockings.) We were able to feed giraffes by dropping food pellets on their tongues while hugging them -- we got pictures. Giraffes are my favorite safari animal. They are so graceful and they have the most beautiful eyes and eyelashes. 

Other members of our group went on a shopping trip with Br. Chuck at the helm. We will hear their adventures at dinner tonight. We are staying at the hotel to have our closing night meal together.

Tomorrow is the Maasai Market just down the street from our hotel. This will be our last chance for bargains. I am going for beads and musical instruments. We have almost reached capacity.  

As time winds down, many of us are ready to be back home. The long journey by air begins late tomorrow night and ends the next night.

See you soon!

Kathy

boat ride

Musical entertainment on the waterways.

tusker photo

Travelers like Lucas have discovered a great Kenyan beer!

Blog 11

Blog 11

Sunday, June 29, 9:30 a.m.

Most of us are plum worn out from resting. This is our last day at the
shore of the Indian Ocean. Later this afternoon we will climb on board
a Kenyan train (perhaps THE Kenyan train), a sleeper that will take us
overnight to Nairobi. We are excited if not a bit apprehensive about
the journey.

Evidently, in second class travel, there are 4 bunks to a compartment.
For this trip Darrel and I will be separated, he joining a 3-man group
and I a 3-woman group to avoid anyone having to travel with complete
strangers. The entire trip should be quite interesting -- I will fill
you in on the specifics in another blog.

Reminiscing to last night, however, we had another amazing adventure
as we were treated to a sunrise cruise on the hotel's dhow (small
ship). We had a cruise director (Sylvia), a congenial captain and
crew, and a musical duet to entertain us. The musicians played a
guitar and a small percussion instrument and sang Kenyan and
international songs, including "LaBamba," "The Twist," and "My Bonnie
Lies Over the Ocean." This last song seems to be really popular in
Kenya as we have heard it several times in different places.

Of course, part of the adventure was the drive to the dock, once again
passing through the crowded busy streets and the crazy traffic. Every
time we take a drive, we comment that it is just impossible to
describe the situation satisfactorily. It is one of those "you have to
see to believe" scenarios. But I will try again, giving some sights
along the way.

Many of the storefronts along the street could best be described as
sheds. They have sides and roofs, mostly of rusted corrugated metal,
and doors. There are no sidewalks or pavement of any kind beyond the
street, not even shoulders. The booths are constructed within 10-20
feet of the street. In some places there is standing water as there
are no curbs or gutters for run-off. (Hence the mosquito problems.)

Offshoots of the streets are what we would consider alleyways full of
these same structures and teeming with activity. Here in Mombasa we
see mostly people in these areas. In some of the places we have passed
through, the animals -- goats and cows mostly -- roam freely. Here
there are bicycles, motorcycles, mutatus and more cars and trucks than
in remote areas.

Br. Chuck rode back to the hotel from the train station in a 3-person
taxi yesterday. The drive to the station in a car took 1 1/2 hours.
The ride back in the taxi took 20 minutes! I am not sure what that
says, but Chuck said it was a great ride. There are hundreds of these
small taxis throughout the city.

On the way to the dock we passed a Muslim area from which many women
in traditional garb were emerging. We saw lots of signs for schools
and churches. A sign indicating "Heaven's Gate Church" seemed like a
misnomer to me. Many businesses have religious names, but I can't call
one to mind now. Along this main drag we see the school for the deaf,
the school for the mentally handicapped, the school for the physically
handicapped and the headquarters for child welfare, all in close
proximity.

An amazing sight on the return trip in the dark -- each little booth
has a flaming lantern of some sort to light its wares. And the crowds
are still filling the streets. Couples are walking along together, the
women dressed in pretty clothes. That is one thing I noticed, the
women really dress nicely, taking great pride in their appearance.

The cyclists are still on the streets, no lights or reflective clothes
or devices. Neither are the pullcarts lit, and people dart
indiscriminately across the streets in front of vehicles. We are
amazed that there is no carnage along the road.

The cruise itself is great. Seeing Mombasa from the water gives it an
entirely different presence. There are magnificent structures along
the shore, many of them privately owned. We go under the only bridge
connecting one island to another here. The other island is connected
by a ferry which some of our group saw earlier.

A crew member has picked up a conch shell and stands on the bow of the
boat, and as we go under the bridge, he blows into the shell creating
beautiful echoing notes. As we go under the bridge, one of the many
strollers drops banana peels and a whole banana on us. The crew is not
happy about that! This is one of the few examples of rudeness we have
experienced during our visit.

We have passed a for-hire fishing vessel and the excited fisherman
holds up a barracuda for us to admire. It is nearly as tall as he is!
We are impressed. We pass smaller boats with individuals fishing, and
as darkness falls, these unlit vessels cause some worry.

After plying us with nibbles, free drinks and an opportunity to enjoy
the sunset, the crew gets us back to the dock. One of the nibbles we
have enjoyed is similar to our ethnic bieroch -- a dough pocket with
ground meat and cabbage. The Kenyan version is quite small and
triangular and is called samosas. They serve them at the hotel also.
We have decided that every ethnicity has something akin to this
serviceable food item. Pete and Liz said their Welsh ancestry
developed theirs so the miners could take them into the mines for lunch.

Buses take us back to the hotel for our dinner. Tonight there is a
full house in the restaurant. We are happy for this establishment that
more guests have arrived. Evidently another group will arrive today to
take our places. Our friends on the beach will have more customers to
hassle.

Our bags are mostly packed, so now we have to just relax and wait
until we depart for the train station at 5 p.m.

blog 10

Blog 10

Just some random happenings and thoughts.

Pete, who is having some stomach problems, went with Liz to a local
store to get some antacids. While the storekeeper could not
accommodate the request, he did offer a special service -- prayer.
"Come around and I will pray with you," he said.

At first turning down the offer, Pete relented and joined the Indian
proprietor behind the counter where he put his hands on her hipbones,
called on the Lord and begin his prayer for healing. Asking if she
felt any better after a few minutes, Pete replied in the negative.
Going for a second try, the proprietor prayed again, still to no
avail. "Do you feel anything?" the man asked. "Only your hands on my
hips," Pete replied.

Pete is taking Pepto tonight and avoiding heavy food.

Another cure came from the nail techs today while I was coughing
during my session. I was offered some ginger tea. They asked if I
wanted sugar and I declined, but the younger woman gasped (literally)
and said that I should definitely have a bit of sugar. "Black tea is
different," she said. "I can't drink it without sugar." Rahma said
she sometimes uses 3 teaspoons of sugar in the black tea!

I agreed to sugar and was glad I did. I think the tea did the trick.
The coughing subsided, at least for the moment. My cough is better,
but not totally gone.

Comments on the beach Thursday -- things you don't say/hear everyday:

Picking up a cup and handing it to Karen I said, "Here, Karen, you can
put your barnacles in here."

From Chuck to his fellow beachcombers, "Be careful of the camel poop."

Music at dinner tonight: John Denver -- Take me home country roads
I Can't help falling in Love with You

At the disco -- Mama Mia, Cecilia, Abba songs, Stayin' Alive
At Samburu -- John Denver, Celine Dionne

One thing we all notice is the friendliness of the Kenyans. They all
welcome us to Kenya -- Karibu -- they want to know where we are from
and if we are having a good time. They shake hands with us. Of course,
they want us to spend money with them. And they literally BEG us to
tell our friends to come to Kenya. So, we are telling you. Chuck and
Francis may do this again next year. Think about it.

Blog 9

Thursday, June 26, 2:30 p.m.

Today is a rainy day at the beach, which means there is not much to
do. However, any day at the beach could be described that way since
relaxing is what beach is all about.

We did get in a morning stroll past the peddlers, nearly to the end of
the beach where the camels were lolling and rolling about in the surf.
Yet another adventure awaited us there -- a shipwreck! No fooling!

A freighter ran onto the reef that surrounds this place and is stuck
there. We arrived on the scene just as the rescued crew was being
ferried to the shore. There were TV and print coverage. Who knows, we
might be on Kenyan TV tonight. One of our good friends from the beach
said the ship was overloaded, the captain lost control and they
slammed into the reef. There is virtually nothing that can be done to
rescue the ship -- at least that is what our friend said.

Never a dull moment in Mombasa. Another town excursion was offered
today, but I don't think there were any takers. Yesterday was quite
enough for most of us. Today's trip might have been interesting, but I
am not up for another mutatu adventure through crazy traffic.

I spent much of my day at the beauty salon here, getting a pedicure
and a manicure. Mike (aka Tui), who does my nails in Lenexa, gets both
services done in less than an hour. I was in this shop for nearly
three hours! However, like most of the merchants and business people
here, the women in the shop are desperate for clients.

The government has pretty much ruined the economy of this country. A
couple of the places we were to stay closed down due to lack of
reservations, which put us in something of a bind. Of course, it was
difficult to find replacements at the same price. The hotel we are
scheduled for on our return to Nairobi raised its rates by $50 since
we have been here. The budget is being CRUNCHED!

For us, however, it is just an inconvenience. For the people here, it
is survival. Rahma, the nail technician, is a single mother with a
severely slashed income. Not only that, prices have gone up for
subsistence foods. Several of us had our nails done just to help out
after one customer told us how grateful Rahma and her sister were that
she had a pedicure.

We are probably reaching the end of our relaxation mode. If it were
possible, I think some of us would be on a train to a plane soon. But
TIA and we have several more days to relax. I am glad that we have the
computer with us because that gives us some "work" time. Darrel has
already edited and rated all his pictures and put them in a slide show
which he updates regularly. And I have been keeping up the blog and
writing an article for a magazine. It still feels like nothing to do.

Some of our travelers are game players. Cribbage and Bananas have been
popular. Others are doing a dice game and cards. Most of us are avid
readers so there are books everywhere.

This group have been fun and amiable travelers, up for any adventure
and slow to complain. The most adventuresome among us are Lucas and
Justin, the two young men who are on the journey of a lifetime. Travel
time is nearing an end for Lucas, who will attend law school next
term. Justin will be at the Olympics in Bejing this summer. They have
shared some of their pre-Kenya traveling experiences with us. They are
brothers and they have been on the road for several months.

Their dad, Jim, has a story to tell also. In March he had brain
surgery. A lawyer, he was giving a speech in Washington, D.C., when he
suddenly lost cognition. Rushed to the hospital, he was diagnosed and
treated by one of the few experts in performing this kind of surgery.
And now, here he is, in Africa! On Father's Day Justin gave the nicest
and most moving toast to his dad, extending it to all the dads of the
group.

Their mom, JoEllen, reminds me of a friend back home (Hey, Kathleen,
in case you are following!) She worked in development at DeLaSalle in
Minneapolis. She is energetic, curious, and friendly, along with her
two sisters, Teddy and Kathy. They are the game players, and do they
ever have fun together. We have heard stories of their exploits. There
are three more sisters and a brother who are not among the travelers.

Kathy's husband Fred has this great booming voice and catching laugh.
Lonny, Teddy's husband has a story also. Right before this trip he
made a hole-in-one in a golf tournament and won a car and a new set of
golf clubs. It was his first hole-in-one ever! And he called it.

We have three scientists on board -- Don and Karen from Memphis and
Kathy from Cincinnati. They have provided information on flora and
fauna. On our beach walk this morning, Karen spotted some barnacles
which she carted back for Don to see. Don has some great pictures of
the lion crossing the river amid the crocodiles.

Kathy's husband, Jim, creates woodworking manuals, concentrating
especially on the photography aspect. His camera and his knowledge of
cameras is right up there with Darrel's which has been gleaned
primarily from our photographer friend Keith. Kathy and Jim, both
widowed, married in April, just in time to make the journey.

Lois, who is also from Minneapolis, is the birdwatcher among us. She
can spot them and name them, and we appreciate that.

The Bonderer brothers are Brother Raymond from Montana and his brother
Phil from KC. Br. Raymond is on the board of directors at O'Hara so he
makes a trip several times a year from the Black Feet school where he
works to KC. Recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, he is a real
trooper, not missing many of the events we have scheduled. He has been
taking TONS of photos, and he is a Mac guy!

Phil is shooting video as well as stills. He has well over 12 hours on
his HD video camera. We can't wait to relive the trip on video, but
Phil will have to market it in installments for us. Phil is also an
excellent shopper! On our walk this morning, one of our beach friends
asked, "Where's Phil?" He was very disappointed to find out that Phil
is under the weather today.

The Kansas City group has already scheduled a gathering for September
something when Br. Raymond is back in KC so we can all share the
outcomes of our photography.

The KC sisters are Pete and Liz. One of their claims to fame is that
they are sisters to Rusty, the man who keeps O'Hara running. (Tell
Rusty we all say "Hey!) Aside from that, they are both educators --
Pete teaches English and Liz works with special needs children. Liz's
famous quote for the trip, noted after a particularly tedious road
trip, was: "You mean there's an AIRPORT here?!!!" I don't normally use
multiple punctuation marks, but that's the way it was said.

For those of you who are reading this and don't know me, I am RETIRED
from my job as Communications Director at Archbishop O'Hara High
School. This is the retirement trip of my dreams so I am happy.

My husband, Darrel, is in the laser printer business and is our
computer and camera guru. He is traveling with more computer, phone
and camera equipment than you can imagine. As I said, however, it has
given us something to do on down time.

And then there is Br. Chuck, our fearless leader. We are dependent on
his Swahili to navigate through the throngs on the beach and in the
markets. He is a bargainer of the first class. At O'Hara last year
Chuck was teaching art and computers and redesigning the website. Also
a gourmet cook, he is in great demand for special dinners. Of course,
we would not be here without him.

I TOLD you I needed something to do. After this long entry, you
probably need a nap. As a matter of fact, I am thinking about a nap.

Kathy

photos

Children having lunch on a street in Mombasa.

photos

Muhamed, our guide in Mombasa near the end of the journey. We were
tiring out.

photos

Brother Chuck and a few of his best friends.

Blog 8

Wednesday, June 25, 3:35 p.m.

I did not think I would have much to tell you from Mombasa, but here
is another adventure.

So, remember those taxis I told you about? They're called mutatus.
Well, today we rode in one to go into Old Mombasa and Fort Jesus and
come back to the hotel. When one pulled up here this morning, it was
about half full of locals, but they made everybody get out and move to
another one. There were 14 of us piling into the van, plus a driver
and a money-man. Whoo Hoo! Off we went into major city traffic!

Br. Francis has returned to the trip, and he was our guide today.
However, he and Lucas and Justin followed in another mutatu.

Things seemed to be going well and then we pulled into a petrol
station. They have attendants at their petrol stations and as one
proceeded to put diesel in the tank, the hose or the spout broke,
spewing gas everywhere. Ah -- TIA (This is Africa!)

With a change of drivers we were off to Fort Jesus. A guide at the
fort latched onto us, giving us the options for seeing the area. We
opted for an external tour of Fort Jesus and a tour of Old Town
Mombosa. And what a tour we got!

We were wandering through walkways, alleyways, streets, stores, etc.,
for over two hours. Unfortunately for me, I seem to have caught a
cold, being in the stage that made me wish I had remained at the
hotel. However, I would not have been happy to miss this adventure.

Once again, we saw things that few tourists would see. I have read
about such things in novels and travel books (not guides so much), but
we needed to experience to believe it.

Mombasa is an interesting city. It was settled by Arabs, Portuguese,
Indians, and of course, native Africans -- our guide told us by a
tribe of cannibals. He said he was descended from that tribe, but
later he recanted. His name is Muhamed Ali -- not the boxer. He wore
an official tag and carried official papers, and he was quite
knowledgeable, but who knows. One thing he did was chase away people
who came too close to our group.

I can't tell you everything we saw and learned. Here are some brief
memories -- my head is not functioning too well right now:

Baobob trees are HUGE deciduous trees that can live 3000 years.
We saw jasmine and henna trees also.

The fort has an interesting history, but that has slipped my mind
since it went through many occupations, as forts are known to do. When
the fort was built about 400 years ago (I think), the water from the
inlet came up to the walls. Global warming through the years has taken
it well away from the fort.

We passed a British Club where Muhamed told us "the big bellies" meet.
I guess he was not looking at us, but we would not be welcome there.
We would call these people "big wigs.
We shopped at a couple of stores, probably relatives of Muhamed. We
saw more hard living conditions. Workers came off the job for lunch
which was served from pots in the streets. Children were sitting on
the sidewalk eating from a pie tin. There is trash collection of a
sort here, but the containers are right on the street.

We saw a flea market, the produce market, little shops of goodies. The
area we were in has been taken over by the Somalis, who, Muhamed tells
us, have no hope of returning to their land.

The Muslim population is large. There were women in various veiled
states, including the full Burka. Muhamed is Muslim and did lots of
explaining about the religion -- that women and men cannot be in
services together because men's minds always turn to one thought
(women), that a woman could never lead men in service, but she could
lead the women on the other side of the curtain from the men.

When someone commented negatively about women, Muhamed was quick to
react, telling us of the respect that Muslims have for mothers. If you
ask a Muslim who is the most important person in his life, he will say
"Mother." If you ask him again he will answer the same two more times
before he will say "Father. These answers, of course, come after God.

There is no such thing as fundamental Islam -- Islam is Islam and
there is no variance from it. He did say that they respect all other
religions because there is only one God. No shoes are worn in the
mosque. He also defined jihad for us, saying it had nothing to do with
terrorists, rather it is facing a challenge -- like protecting one's
family from robbers, or preparing for exams, or a doctor performing
surgery.

I did not hear it when we were in town, but we have heard it
elsewhere, and that is the call to prayer for Muslims. It is done with
the voice and amplified through speakers so everyone can hear.

Burial customs are interesting. We passed a cemetery. Muslims are
buried in white gowns to indicate purity for meeting God and also to
show that there is no difference between the people -- pauper or king.
They are buried in the ground, on their right side, facing Mecca --
the center of their religion. Whenever people make the pilgrimage to
Mecca, they also only wear white for the reasons above. There are no
grave markers, just a mound of dirt to show others that they will be
following their loved one to the grave in the future.

Our tour lasted quite awhile and we were tiring out, ready to get back
to the fort and into a mutatu again -- believe it or not. More
adventures on the trip home. Lots of passing, horn-honking, scary
driving in general. We picked up one additional passenger for part of
the way. But we made it, piling out of the van at the entrance to our
hotel. Hooray.
I believe I will take a shower to get the grit off and wash some
clothes --laundry, just like home. Well, not EXACTLY like home where
my washer and dryer are. Here it is a shower with a tub this time (not
always the case.)

Laundry is hanging out to dry.

I am skipping tea today and will try to rest up from this cold.

Kathy

Group & our Drivers

More pictures

More pictures

Greetings From the US

Hello to everyone in Mombasa! I hope everything is wonderful there and you are all truly enjoying the relaxing break. I will be looking forward to reading about adventures on the blog.

The St. Louis groups made it home no problem. We even got our luggage! Hooray!

Enjoy the rest of the trip!

Katie

Blog 7

Monday, June 23, 9 a.m.

We are beginning our second full day of winding down at the beach. It
was a bit odd yesterday not to be packing up and running for a van,
but we all managed, spending much of our day at poolside or walking
the beach.

Today's blog is retrospective. It has been interesting to note that we
are having conversations that begin, "Remember when ...", and then
proceeding to recount events that, while recent according to the
calendar, seem like eons ago. So, I am going to share some of those.

Perhaps you would be interested in knowing a bit about our group. My
info is sketchy, but here is what I have gleaned from conversations
throughout the trip.

The entire St. Louis group departed after Tsavo. There were three
families (and I will only use first names because I either can't
remember or can't spell last):

Larry and Susie are parents of Buddy, Patrick and Courtney (we
celebrated Larry's birthday along the way)
Greg and Catherine are parents of Thomas (who had to leave even a bit
earlier) and Jessica
Dan and Marlene are parents of Katie and Paul

There are two sister groups:

Teddy and husband Lonny from Virginia
Kathy and husband Fred from Wisconsin
JoEllen and husband Jim from Minnesota and their sons Lucas and Justin
who joined the group in the midst of their world travels -- between
Cambodia and Cairo.

The other sisters are Pete (Maureen) and Liz from Kansas City

There is a brother/Brother pairing -- Phil and Br. Raymond from Kansas
City

Three married couples:
Don and Karen from Memphis (we celebrated Don's birthday last night)
Jim and Kathy from Cincinnati (newly weds as of April -- what a
honeymoon!)
Darrel and Kathy from Kansas

Married but traveling single is Lois from Minnesota

And, of course, Brother Chuck from Kansas City.

Other Brothers joining us along the way have been Br. Francis and Br.
Michael. They will be here with us again tomorrow.

(Hope I did not miss anybody!)

Among the common topics of conversation within our group is the
poverty and disrepair of this country. We are at a loss as to how this
came to be and what can be done about it. Spoiled and arrogant as we
Americans are, we expect the same comforts that we have wherever we go
-- that is certainly not the case here.

We have mentioned the roads, which are not much of a priority here,
evidently. Unfortunately, the Minister of Roads and his assistant were
killed two weeks ago in a plane crash. No doubt, this will be a major
setback in road construction. We understand the Japanese are building
a highway here, most likely to accommodate all the Japanese-made
vehicles we are seeing on the roadways.

Mombasa is a port city so our entrance to the city was through a jam-
packed roadway full of semis headed to the docks. The diesel fumes
were overwhelming. This area also contained homes and shops for people
who were walking in the area, carrying their supplies and going about
their daily business.

We are also amazed at the children who roam about, seemingly without
supervision. While dealing with our third flat tire on Edwin's van on
the way here, two little boys ran across 4 lanes of the highway to
investigate the incident (and probably to ask for treats or money.)
They stopped short of us, however.

The resort that is our home for several more days is like an oasis in
the poverty desert. We have palm trees, a few monkeys, beautiful
rooms, two pools, casual and formal dining. This is German-owned,
although all the workers are Kenyan. So it does provide livings for
many citizens.

We have heard that the lifespan for Kenyans is 48 years. Infant
mortality and AIDS probably account for that. The women are certainly
hard workers. Men and young boys are herders and protectors. The women
do pretty much everything else. Education is compulsory, but we have
seen many VERY young children herding goats and cattle during what
should be school time.

There are many signs for schools. Apparently primary and elementary
grades are coed and then high school is single sex. There are lots of
church-run schools and lots of churches of many denominations.

We have also heard that the average yearly income for Kenyans is $300.
Imagine! The clothing, luggage and camera gear that we have brought
could support a Kenyan family for a lifetime!

And here we are, having the experience of a lifetime. We like to think
that our tourist shillings and dollars are helping a bit. This resort
is only about half full, and we are about half of that. Since the
weekend is over, we will probably be the majority of guests. The
people selling things along the beach and along the streets in the
cities are desperate for tourists to buy their trinkets.

Oh, yes. The Kenyans are eager for U.S. elections when they expect to
see Obama elected President. Even in the Maasai village where we had
warriors helping us fix our first flat tire, they know about Obama.

I am going to wrap this up now. It is time to head for the beach where
several of us will be mounting up for a camel ride along the
shoreline. I have to do this -- another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Mombasa

We've now visited numerous schools and a variety of game parks. My favorite stays were at the tented camps, although the Massai Mare was really a tremendous place to visit as well. The zebra were the advance guard of the migration. It is amazing to think that in just a few weeks there will be literally millions of animals there seeking the water and grazing opportunities.

 

Currently we are in the Severin Hotel in Mombasa - right on the beach of the Indian Ocean. We have been having cool breezes and a gentle rain each of the last two mornings. It's hard to walk the beach without being swarmed by the local people trying to sell you some trinket, but overall we have pretty much all held our own.

 

This week will be a chance to decompress. We have been on the move so much during the first two weeks that right now the chance to put our feet up and read a book is such a pleasant feeling.

 

This morning, Karen and I took a camel ride on the beach. Brother Chuck negotiated a price of 350 Kenya shillings per person. Many of us got our turn to ride and all of us got pictures of everyone.

 

Everyone is doing well. It's been quite a trip so far with about a week remaining.

 

Yesterday was my birthday so everyone had a good laugh when the servers brought out a cake singing "Happy Birthday, Donnie" - I figured Kathy put them up to that.

 

Don and Karen Whittington

Jim and Kathy Stack

New Pictures

Other Friends in Africa

Blog 6

Saturday, June 21, 6:38 p.m.

We are at the beach! Today I walked in the Indian Ocean. Downtime for
20+ of us has begun as the rest of the troops are in Nairobi,
preparing for their return to the U.S. The St. Louis contingent of 12,
accompanied by Br. Francis, took their leave this morning.

I will backtrack to my last blog on Wednesday, the warning of a 12-
hour drive to Amboseli. Yes, another early rising, miles and miles
over bumpy roads, through towns and villages. It is impossible for me
to put into words what we see along the way. We have, however, a
stretch of the best highway in Kenya, one built by the Italian
prisoners of war in WWII. Amazingly, there have been no repairs to
this road which climbs the escarpment out of the Rift Valley. Of
course, it is only two lanes and there is a lot of truck traffic.

We stop at a scenic lookout with, you can guess, more salespeople.

While most of our pictures are of the animals in the game parks, we
have also taken some of the sad realities of the third world. We are
ever so fortunate to be citizens of the U.S.A.

Our goal for this day is to arrive at Amboseli in time for sunset at
Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Edwin (and all the drivers) meet the goal. Having
driven all day under a cloud cover, we are thrilled when the clouds
lift and we can see the Snows of Kilimanjaro. Sadly, the picture we
have in our guidebook from several years ago shows much more snow than
remains of the glacier today. Br. Chuck said it has receded
significantly since last he saw it.

The lodge here is tented, a bit more rustic than Sweetwaters, but we
all are enamored of the authenticity. This is safari -- and my idea of
camping with indoor plumbing and a shower. On the way into the park we
see lots more animals with the promise of "herds" of elephants to come.

Sitting around the campfire that evening, we are entertained by
dancing Maasai warriors who encourage (and receive) dancing by a
couple of our younger safari goers. Drinks and dinner and then to bed.

Friday, June 20

After another early breakfast and packing up once again, we experience
lots of animals and birds here on a morning drive. Then it is back to
the camp for lunch and another departure. Indeed, we saw LOTS of
elephants, some so close up we could almost touch them!

We leave Amboseli for Tsavo, another game park and a much shorter
drive this day. A section of this drive takes us through a lava field.
It is like a moonscape. We are all in amazement.We stop at Mzima
Springs in this park where we can take a nature walk to see the
springs and the animals in and around it. We are up close and personal
here with an armed escort to protect us from the animals (I think. It
could be the other way around!). Every place we go there are "monkey
warnings" -- do not feed the monkeys.

The water in this springs comes from Kilimanjaro and provides the
water supply for Mombasa, our beach destination. There are hippos and
crocodiles enjoying the cool, clear water. One crock sits at a falls
in the springs with his mouth wide open, waiting to catch the fish
that will come through the springs. We are standing right above him.
There is also a below-water observation tank that allows us to see the
fish -- talapia -- swimming around.

As we return to our vehicles, a school bus is filling with girls from
what a person with the group describes as one of the best public
schools in the area. They just keep piling kids on the bus and into a
smaller vehicle for the trip back to the school. Windows are broken
out of the bus, girls are two deep in the seats. This would NEVER fly
in the U.S. We see lots of incidents like this, actually.

Our accommodations this night are at the Severin Safari Lodge, another
tented camp, several steps up from the previous one. The tents here
are bigger and the "facilities" more to our liking. Camping has gotten
better still.

This camp is not fenced from the animals so we are escorted to and
from our tents by a Maasai warrior with a spear and a flashlight. As
we prepare for dinner, several cape buffalo are grazing outside our
tent. They are a bit smelly but it is interesting to watch and listen
to them.

Another campfire, stoked by a Maasai, more drinks, and we await the
arrival of animals at a nearby watering hole. People see a hippo and
other animals there. We see only the buffalo. During the night, some
of our group witness the feeding practices of a large group of
giraffe. We missed it -- darn! I love the giraffes. One giraffe bumped
into the tent of two of our party during the night while feeding on
the trees above the tent. Whoa!

Tsavo, which translates to "place of slaughter," is so named for the
man-eating lions in this park. When the Indians were helping to build
the railway, apparently several of them were killed by the lions. We
did not see them, but apparently they come into the camp to the same
watering hole we were observing. They have even wandered into the
restaurant.

We get a wake-up knock from the Maasai in the morning, have breakfast
and head for Mombasa or Nairobi. Today is the last day we will have
our vans. We will miss Edwin, but we are happy to be heading to solid
ground for 8 days at the Severin in Mombasa.

Saturday (again)

We are settled in, unpacked, washed clothes, preparing for our next
meal -- we get breakfast, tea and dinner here. We can actually sleep
in tomorrow. We shall see if we can wind down after the whirlwind of
safari.

This trip was not for sissies. The survival rate was 100%. We have had
a few ailments, mostly tummy troubles, but generally we are hale and
hearty. We look forward to some R&R, but 8 days could pose a challenge!

My long entries are probably over. I will update with quick info or
memories that come back over the next few days. I hope to get all my
thoughts organized for my personal journal.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed the info.

Kathy O.

Friends in Africa

Blogs 4 & 5

Tuesday, June 17, 3 p.m.

We just finished a marvelous lunch and are preparing for our next
outing to spot animals in the Maasai Mara. We are anticipating big
cats, wildebeest, elephants, and many others. My head is so full of
info that I can't process it all. I will backtrack and try to be
brief(er).

A question regarding lost luggage. I can't tell you all the names, but
I can tell you that it has (at last) caught up to us and those
travelers are extremely happy to have clothing and other necessities.
They were amazingly good sports about it all, and they will have
special tales to tell when they return.

Just some quick info about recent stops:

June 14-16

After Lake Turkana and the windswept tents, we head on to Maralal and
a night at a camel club. It is a bit rustic, but the toilets flush and
there is a shower. The fire for the water heater is right outside of
our cabin, so we have a nice hot shower. This is just a one-night stand.

The next morning we head to Nakuru. The other roads in Kenya, while
superior to the road to Lake Turkana, are not the smoothest. It is too
hard to describe the road conditions -- one must just experience it to
believe it.

Nakuru is the 4th largest city in Kenya, and it bustles! The taxi cabs
I mentioned earlier start honking their warnings at 5:15 a.m.
Everywhere we look there are people walking and biking and in cabs.
There are bicycle cabs -- a padded seat over the rear tire. There are
no bike lanes and all the streets and highways are two lanes. Our
driver takes it all in stride. I am holding my breath every time we
pass a biker.

(Did I mention that Kenya is left-side drive? I should have realized
that from the British influence, but it still catches me off guard.)

Everyone walks in Kenya. In the countryside someone comes out of
nowhere, walking down the road to who-knows-where. Children in school
uniforms, women carrying water and wood, men with walking sticks --
they are everywhere.

We enjoy the park at Nakuru but we are disappointed that there are few
flamingos on the lake. There are, however, lots of pelicans -- and do
they ever stink! We get close up and personal with a young male lion
here. This makes our day.

Most of the group went to a disco in Nakuru. Darrel and I opted out.
The dancers were impressed with this outing.

We have two schools and an orphanage to visit here. One of the schools
is the post-secondary skills training center that Br. Chuck started.
It is an amazing institution with beautiful landscaping in the heart
of the city. The other is an agricultural and technical secondary
school where Br. Francis, our other great safari leader, runs the
show. It is a huge farming operation. Lots to tell here, but just
quickly, we saw two large pigs get into a fight!

The orphanage -- a heartbreaker! I guess for those who are there, it
is the best option for their lives, but they are street children with
no other hope for survival. At the Lasallian institutions we visit we
are given tours, usually by the students or residents, entertained by
them (you should hear their voices!) and fed a wonderful meal. Last
night, at Rongai Agricultural and Technical Secondary School, we had
some fresh pork and turkey, right out of the barnyard!

We also attend Mass here with the young men of Rongai. It is a new and
beautiful experience. We definitely recognize the ceremony and the
prayers, but they add wonderful touches, including dance. Some little
fellows from the community danced along outside the door of the church.

Another attraction in the Nakuru area is the crater which we went to
see yesterday. At first we were afraid we would not get to see it
because a very large truck was blocking the "road". This was more like
a single-track road so there was no way around this big truck.

Aha! A man sitting by the side of the road has an alternative route to
show us. After some questioning, we opt to trust him and he leads us,
walking up a path. We are still in the vans. Alas, when we get to
where the path intersects with the main road, there is a washout. We
think our visit to the crater might be a washout when the man comes up
with another idea. Oops. No go either.

Our drivers are not about to give up, so they make other attempts. And
we make it to the crater! It is an awesome view and well worth the
trip. A Rotary sign at the top of the crater points to various cities
and tells us how far (in kilometers) we are from each. We are a long
way from home!

By the time we make our descent, the truck is repaired and is
continuing its climb upward.

Just about everything we do, someone says, "That's one for the blog."
It has happened so often, I can't remember them all. Perhaps I will
gather them all later and include them in the blog.

Tuesday, June 17

We leave Nakuru early in the a.m. for the 6-6 1/2 hour trip to the
Maasai Mara, once again being warned that the road is long and bumpy.
However, after the first leg of the trip, Edwin tells us that the road
is much improved from what they expected and that we will arrive much
earlier than expected.

And then ... a flat! Normally, we are at the head of the pack because
Edwin is the senior driver on this crew. This trip, however, we are
bringing up the rear. Edwin notices the left front tire is flat, so we
radio the troops and tell them that we will be a bit late meeting up
with them at the gate.

As soon as the van stops, people start coming -- Maasai men in their
colorful garb, including hairpieces, necklaces and ear holes, show up
to help us. They are eager to see what we are doing and they seem to
know how to secure the tires and work the jack. It is interesting.

Pete and Liz strike up a conversation with a young man and they head
up to the village where they meet with a young woman and her baby. It
is amazing to us that all of the people have Christian names. The
Maasai woman was named Mary and her baby girl was Linda. All of the
young people we have met are the same. They have tribal first names,
Christian names, and tribal last names. Br. Chuck says the surnames
are not very reliable. In the schools alphabetizing is done by
Christian names.

Edwin tells us that we are staying at the best safari resort in
Africa, the Mara Serena Safari Lodge. We believe him. Our room
overlooks a magnificent valley. We are told to close our veranda doors
when we leave so that baboons cannot get in and destroy the place! I
TOLD you those critters are scary! But these are luxury accommodations
and we will greatly enjoy the next two days. We are heading out in a
few minutes for our 4 p.m. tour.

Looking through the binoculars we can see giraffe, elephant, zebra and
hippo nearby. I still can't believe that we are having this
experience. It is just surreal!

Wednesday, July 19, afternoon

Before we even arrived at our resort yesterday, we saw hippos. This is
one of our top animals to see so we are happy. The Maasai Mara is a
huge expanse of land. Mara means spotted, and this grassy prairie is
spotted with trees. Darrel got some good landscape photos.

Yesterday we saw cheetahs, a mom and one of her babies and a couple of
lazy male lions. I won't go into the list of other animals we see --
we are getting repetitive. However, the zebra migration from the
Serengeti (the continuation of this area into Tanzania) has begun and
there are thousands of them. The wildebeest will be joining the
migration in a few weeks. They are heading to greener pastures.

We continue to enjoy great food and the comforts of our rooms. Ten of
us have signed up for a hot-air balloon ride early today (5:45!) The
ride takes about an hour and culminates with a champagne breakfast. We
were all so excited about this activity that sleep was a bit difficult
last night.

Once again, it is almost impossible to describe what we experienced,
but if I had tons of money I would take this up as a hobby. It was so
quiet, except when our pilot, JP, turned on the burners to keep us
aloft. We could see our shadow on the ground and the trees, watch the
animals scurry around, see forever! Landing was a bit of an adventure,
but we all loved it.

JP is a young man from Montreal who assured us he was highly
experienced in balloon flight. He was excellent! After landing we
boarded the vans and headed to our breakfast in the field. There, in
the wilds of Africa, were our chef, Mercy, our waiter/host, Daniel,
and a feast of crepes, omelets, bacon, fruit, danish, coffee, tea, hot
chocolate, mimosas. Unbelievable! Oh, yes, there was also a gift table
so we could make purchases if we wanted.

The rest of our group went on the morning drive and had another
amazing experience. They sat for nearly an hour observing a gorgeous
male lion crossing a river to get to his family on the other side.
Swimming nearby in the river were crocodiles. We saw pictures of this
and they were great!

Some people are heading out to visit a Maasai village this afternoon,
but we feel like we already had this experience and are choosing to
rest this afternoon.

Forecast for tomorrow -- roadtrip. We have about 12 hours of driving
to our next stop. Ouch! The roads are so rough we can't even read and
sleep is almost impossible. This may be our last post for awhile.

I am trying to send pictures. Hope it works.

Kathy O.

Blog 3

Today is Tuesday, June 17, 1:30 p.m. I have had NO time to update this
info and we have had no internet service until now. I will send what I
have and update later.

Also, if it is confusing to some, there are 3 Kathy's, 1 Catherine and
1 Katie on this safari. This contributor is Kathy Ochs, but we have to
go through Br. Chuck's email address, so it looks like it comes from
him.

So much has happened since the entry at the end of this blog. I will
catch up later.

Friday, June 13, 9:30 p.m.

We are staying tonight in cabins, having just completed two hard days
of travel and amazing experiences in parts of Kenya where few white
people journey. Before explaining that, however, I will pick up from
the Samburu safari.

We saw our LION! She was a beauty and she posed for us for nearly 20
minutes before sauntering off. We followed her for a ways, thinking
she might lead us to more lions (namely her cubs), but no such luck.
We were fortunate to have such a long time for photo opportunities.

The guides from all the safari groups at Samburu this day were
frustrated that they did not spot lions on their own, so they worked
together to notify each other by CB radio where the lion was. There
were at least 10 vans of people gathered to see one lion. She seemed
oblivious to all the attention.

We also saw more crocodile, elephants, zebras and many other animals.

There are many checkpoints in Kenya -- police checkpoints along the
roadways, park police checkpoints to get into and out of the parks.
Gathered at some of the checkpoints are the street vendors who clamor
to our vans to peddle their trinkets. They are everywhere -- everyone
seems to be a businessman. "Please, mama, necklace (bracelet, carved
animal, spear, etc.)? We are just trying to make our living!"

A major reason for the checkpoints, we understand, is to regulate the
number of passengers in the taxi vans. People are crammed in there
like the proverbial sardines!

As we check out of the Samburu gate, we leave our vans and our driver,
and board trucks for the next leg of the journey. The trucks are huge
Mitsubishi, heavy-duty vehicles. We are comforted when we board and
find bus seats as our leaders have warned us we could be riding on
benches!

Sunday, June 15, 7 a.m.

It has been difficult to find the time and/or place to continue my
blogs and to get them on line. So this jumps again.

We have spent the first of three nights in Nakuru, a bustling city,
the 4th largest in Kenya. It will be good not to pack up and move for
a few days. We returned to our vans yesterday after a grueling 3 days
in the northland. It is a challenge to summarize our experiences there
for the blog. I will try to keep it short.

We have been places where few white people have been. In fact, one of
our leaders, Br. Francis, thinks that we are the only white folks ever
to stop in one village. Some young men of the village who are students
at the Brothers' school in Marsabit, joined us to give us a tour of
the village.

We divided into groups for visits to the homes of the locals. Picture
round houses made entirely of sticks. The door is quite narrow and
difficult for us well-fed Americans to maneuver through. The entire
house is not as big as a walk-in closet in many US homes. It has some
division for rooms -- sleeping area, kitchen. The entire family sleeps
on the floor on skins. This particular home I was in has mom, dad and
two babies. There are two wives for the husband, but the second wife
(a pregnant 13-year-old) has her own house, I believe. We meet her on
our way out of the compound. She is dressed in native garb and smiles
shyly as she sakes our hands. The men of this tribe, Rendille, can
have three wives.

Our guide is a young man named Joshua who is soft-spoken and shy but
very kind and proud to show us around. He answers our questions and
provides commentary. He is a first form student, a freshman, at the
school. The woman in the house is his aunt. Joshua is one of 7
children, the middle one and the only one who has or will go to school.

We ask Joshua how he was so fortunate to go to school and he tells us,
"You have to want it in your heart." It is a moving commentary on his
desire for education.

At this point in our journey we have found "where the sidewalk ends."
We have run out of pavement -- picture the ruttiest, roughest country
road you have ever traveled and you are not even close to road
conditions we encounter over the next few days.

We spend about an hour in Marsabit Town, roaming through the market
which are rough-hewn stalls where merchants sell their wares. It is
dusty and littered with castoff trash. Here and there a goat roams
freely. We have been warned by an irate local not to take photos here.
Actually, I think if we wanted to pay him, he would have arranged some
photo ops. We opt out of photos. Joshua is still our guide -- he
carries a bag containing a pair of tan shoes which he is taking to the
shoe shop for dying. The school requires black shoes. The dyer
requires the money up front. Joshua has none so we provide the 150
shillings, about $2.50, The shoes are black before we leave Marsabit.

St. Paul Secondary School is our next stop for a nice tour and the
evening meal. There are about 190 students there. A tour of the
facility shows a clean and inviting learning environment. That evening
we are treated to a fine meal, including goat and other native dishes,
and then the young men entertain us with examples of their tribal
dances. What a treat. They are so eager and so proud!

Br. Michael is joining our group and he tells us the next that that
the boys asked why we were leaving as we departed that night.

I have lost track of actual days, but the next day is primarily
travel, again over even rougher roads. The ruts are knee-deep, there
are washouts, huge rocks, it is indescribable. We are headed to Lake
Turkana where the oldest of human remains has been found. We will
visit a mission and the village there and stay the night.

Along the way we see exotic and domestic animals and their herders.
There are villages of huts out in the middle of no where. The people
subsist on ... I don't know how they can live here. They find water
somewhere, they eat eggs from their chickens, drink goat milk. It is
amazing. They wave to us. I don't think they see many people outside
of their tribes.

Our stay at the mission is interesting. A walk into the village
provides more of the same panhandling and business transactions. We
have dinner that evening and then pitch a tent in a windy tunnel for
the night. We do not have to fear mosquitos here because there is a
constant wind. It is not a restful night. (At this point I think -- It
is a good thing none of our friends agreed to join us for this trip!)

We are eager to depart this area the next day, but we are still on
bumpy roads. However, the end is in sight as our vans are picking us
up in another town and then staying with us. We will also meet the
pavement soon.

Will catch up later.

Kathy O.

Thanks for the posts

Good to hear that you folks are all having a good time and seeing wonderful people and things!

BTW - - -what happened to the luggage? Don't leave us with the mystery of whose was lost and/or when did it all arrive?? :-)

Hope you continue to have a great trip!

Ray Voss

Greetings from Africa 2

Tuesday, June 10, Samburu, 9:30 a.m.

I had to check my calendar to verify the date and time. As I look at
the computer info, it is 1:30 a.m. CDT. Hope you are having a good
sleep while we are living our dreams.

We just finished breakfast after our 6:30 a.m. adventure into the
animal kingdom.

Our guide is Edwin, a pleasant and knowledgeable gentlemen who
expertly drives our van over various terrain. As is generally expected
on group trips like these, we have grouped up with either family and
old or new friends and we stay in the same van for our trips and
excursions.

Edwin can drive the van, spot game, consult his map, contact other
vans and explain what we are seeing all at the same time. He is
amazing and we greatly appreciate all we are learning from him.

At Samburu so far we have seen monkeys, baboons, elephants,
crocodiles, gazelles, cape buffalo, oryx, dick-dicks, impalas, and so
many more creatures. I would have to consult our photos to remember
them all. The birds are colorful and plentiful. I am sitting on our
little patio now listening to their beautiful calls.

Housekeeping has just straightened up our little room and explains
that it is important to keep the door closed so that the monkeys do
not come in. One of the little critters grabbed a bag of peanuts from
one of our party this morning. A warning sign near our cottage warns
us not to "feed or encourage the monkeys" as they may bite. We are
happy to follow the warning.

My plan to perhaps lose weight in Africa was for naught. They are
feeding us like royalty. I won't even go into details.

My mantra for this trip is "Never pass up a flush toilet!" I say this
because tomorrow we begin a journey into the hinterlands -- through
the dessert over non-existent roads up to Marsabit where we will visit
with students and their families. Br. Chuck has warned us of the
primitive conditions we will experience while there.

Yesterday we attended a dance program featuring Samburu tribal dancers
doing some of their native dances. It was very entertaining.

We will have another outing at 4 this afternoon. It is too hot here
during the day for animals and people. Our goal for this preserve is
to see lions and cheetahs. So far no luck. This morning, however, we
were in the midst of a herd of elephants, not quite close enough to
touch, but amazingly close.

We are going to attempt to send pictures, but so far we are not having
the best of luck posting on the blog. We shall see.

K

Greetings from Africa 1

You may have noticed by blank blog yesterday. I thought I was so smart to type my long message in a word doc since we have limited time to send info. However, the blog would not allow us to attach the document. We are trying something new today. Hope it works!

"Okay, why are we doing this?" I ask myself as we approach 20 hours on an airplane that is still two hours from our destination.

Well, we made it, and now I know why!

We left Lenexa at 4:30 a.m., Friday, June 6, and arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, at 11 p.m., Saturday, June 7! Whew! Even though I was able to sleep most of the way, it was still a trying trip. Our hopes for upgrades to business class were dashed at the Chicago airport, so it was coach all the way. Fortunately, we were not in the middle section of the planes.

Arrival in Brussels was welcome accompanied by the dread of stepping onto another airplane for the longer leg of the journey. Expect delays when flying and never be disappointed. And we were delayed.

Our first "sighting" took place in the Brussels airport. However, it was a celebrity and not a wild animal. Anderson Cooper was in our gate, traveling to Rwanda to do a story on the gorillas. Anderson was not flying in coach with us! 

So, yes, our flight was stopping in Rwanda, about an hour and a half from Kenya by air. Refueling in Rwanda is much more reasonable than in Nairobi where a huge tax is levied on gasoline. 

The flight over Africa in the daytime was amazing. My window view showed sand, sand and more sand, accompanied by blowing sand which created a dusty cloud over the northern part of the continent. By the time we came to green country, it was pretty dark, so we did not get to enjoy that view from the air.

Africa IS the Dark Continent in so many ways. Looking down from the sky at night, we see no lights of a city any where. Eventually, when we get to Kilgali, we spot some signs of life, but even then lights are sparse.

Surprisingly there are many passengers departing the plane there and several getting on for the flight to Nairobi. An unwelcome message for eight of our party at the Nairobi airport -- bags were lost. 

(As of this posting on June 9, their bags are still missing. Our O'Hara friends will be happy to know that the T-shirts they sent did arrive, a fortunate thing for Br. Raymond and his brother Phil. Brother Raymond is now sporting a 2005 Celtics Seniors shirt!)

From the airport we are transported to our hotel in Nairobi. We are happy to find clean accommodations and a nice bar to calm our nerves. By this time, it is way after midnight, and by the time our heads hit the pillows, it is nearly 3. We are scheduled for an early rising and a journey to our first adventures.

As we are gathering to board our vans, a Kenyan news photographer is wanting to shoot a picture of our travel agent, Rachel, with TOURISTS. And there we were. A group picture was taken and we were off in our vans.

Our first stop was Nyeri, Kenya, at St. Mary's Boys Secondary School. Senior (4th term) boys escorted us in groups for a tour of the campus. Our guide was Eric, a fine young man who leads the Lasallian Youth organization here. He has traveled to Rome in this capacity.

What a gentleman and a scholar. He shows us his school with pride in his eyes and voice. We see a classroom PACKED with desks (50 per room), science labs with sinks and no other equipment, a kitchen where the cook is preparing huge pots of cabbage (the 500 boys who live at the school eat meat twice a week -- sausage on Wednesday and pork on Saturday.) In addition to the academic program, there is an agricultural and vocational aspect to the school. A recent purchase of  two cows provides milk and a slew of pigs and piglets provide the pork. 

At the end of our tour, Eric tells us that St. Mary's saved him. It made him responsible and he intends to live up to his responsibilities. During our visit we also met the street children the Brothers at St. Mary's tend to. These abandoned boys were so cute and so excited to pose for pictures and then see themselves in the camera. Someone explained that the boys are abandoned because their parents think they can survive. Their sisters stay with the parents and may eventually provide an income for them -- think the worst possible scenerio here.

From there we head to Sweetwaters, an amazing and quite luxurious tent camp. Lunch was first on our agenda, followed by our first excursion into the game parks. We saw giraffes, zebra, chimps, water buck and other animals I can't remember. One of the "cutest" was an aging stork that was hanging around the dining room, waiting for some tidbits. 

Foregoing a nighttime safari, we were treated to a gathering of zebras and giraffes as they grazed up near the resort. Once again, I know why we are here.

Monday, June 9, 7:47 Kenya time

We moved to Samburo Reserve, Buffalo Springs today. Our first stop was at Nanyuku to visit a weaving program for women. Interesting to watch and listen. Most of us bought a souvenir rug to support the organization. 

This town, a tourist town, was just as Chuck described it to us -- Hays, Kansas, (my hometown) around 1850, the wild west with unpaved rutted streets and people milling about everywhere. We see lots of people walking wherever we go and lots on bicycles -- no helmets in the country. We don't see tandems, but we see two or more people on single bikes. We see people carrying their heavy water jugs, walking and on bikes. Lots of children are running around. 

Also highly visible are small and large herds of cattle, sheep and goats grazing along the roads, some of them tethered with small ropes attached to their legs. Others are tended by men, women and/or small children. It is a sight to see. Amazingly, there is not much roadkill!

Similar situations exist along the highway from Nanyuki  to Samburo. People are walking and biking everywhere and animals graze the sides of the roads. Isiolo (I think) is a predominately Muslim town on the way and there we see another culture, mostly Somalian refugees who have settled there on the run from even WORSE conditions. 

One of the hazards of being American tourists (I imagine tourists of any nationality) is that the citizens here are trying everything possible to get us to buy their "stuff," mostly jewelry and wood carvings. When we stop at a checkpoint, a barrage of hands full of goodies besiege us. We were told by our fearless leader to say NO and we mostly do..

After rough rides over rocky, rutted roads, we arrive at our destination. A late afternoon safari provides us with lots of sightings. We are awaiting dinner now. I will fill you in later on this day's safari and tomorrow's. 

 We haven't tried this yet, but I am including the website for the newspaper in which we were pictured. It was in today's issue on page 27.

 www.nationamedia.com, June 9 edition. 

Pete and Liz say hi to Ned, Thomas, Mom & everybody else.

We all send our greetings and "wish you were here!"

Kathy