WHAT!! Where have the past months gone?!?! I have such little time left and SO MUCH to do!!
I guess I'll see Rwanda another time...it began to cost a little too much, and is now taking up too much time in my plans!
Today is Friday, April 23rd and my flight is Saturday, May 8th – that's 2 weeks left. 2 WEEKS?!?
I'll spend this weekend in Nakuru with the family and friends here, Monday here, Tuesday here helping during the opening of the new school on camp, Wednesday maybe one more day, and then thursday back to Nairobi to Lucy!!!! Man I've missed her!
That leaves one more weekend when Grace and I can go to Uganda, but then there's still Tanzania! The more I read about the caves, the more I'm dying to see them!! So I can either go there by myself during the week for 2 days, or Grace could come but she'd have to miss some of her week on camp...maybe there are other volunteers who would like to come, too??
Then after the trips, I'd like to spend Thursday and Friday chilling around Nairobi buying souvenirs and saying goodbye to Nairobi friends and Lucy, maybe coming back to Nakuru for one day, and going for a day safari in Nairobi. I can't believe this is all coming to an end!! I still need to figure out my jewelery project on camp, and write a speech and make a slideshow for when I get home...I think I'm giving a presentation at school a day or so after I get back! I guess I should figure that out, too. NEED MORE TIME. AHHH!!
Hah, and can you believe that 3 and a half months ago I was ready to get on a plane to go home?! I would have been kicking myself the whole way back!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
change of plans.....MOMBASSA!!!
The plan was to go to Uganda for the rafting this past weekend, but another volunteer who wanted to come with us, Manal from the US, had forgotten her passport so we couldn't leave the country. SO instead we headed to Mombassa!!! Ahhh it was paradise...we took the long bus to get there, then a series of matatus, finally arriving at our resort/hotel late at night. The weather was beautiful, the beaches were soft, and the rooms were huge! Hey we also went wind surfing!!
It was the perfect weekend to follow that horrible Thursday and Friday—and no sunburn this time!!
When Manal and I got back to Nairobi (Grace stayed for an extra day at the beach) at 6am after taking the overnight 8 hour bus from Mombassa to Nairobi, we went straight to Ngong Town and climbed Ngong Hills to see the grave of the guy in Out of Africa. I've never seen the movie, but she promised that once I watch it I'll really appreciate having gone...and the scenery was fantastic!
We parted in Nairobi, Manal went to the airport for home, and I took a matatu home to Nakuru. It wasn't the weekend we had in mind, but it was fantastic!!
CAMP IS SO DISORGANIZED AND CORRUPT!!!
Before Grace and I took the 5 orphans to the orphanage in Nairobi, the camp officials assured us that all forms were completed and that taking the kids was approved—no problems! A lady from a local NGO came on Wednesday, though, and squawked at us about how irresponsible we were, we had no right to move those children, the Nakuru Children Department would come after us for taking the kids without informing them. Without informing them?? The camp officials told us that everything was arranged!!
Ugh, well this is certainly a problem, isn't it?
The next morning Grace and I went (yet again) back to Nairobi to pick up the kids, take them to the Nakuru office to finish whatever paperwork, and then take them back to Nairobi. When we arrived at the orphanage, though, the staff wouldn't release the kids. ...........
There're a million little details: people lying, phone calls silenced, screaming and cursing....bah!!! If only people here would trade shoes--the government on camp is stealing from people who literally have nothing to steal!! I mean, when people charge the mzungu double price because i'm a tourist SURE I get annoyed-- if they would simply charge me a fair price, i'd tip them or say "keep the change", but these are poor Kenyans stealing from poor Kenyans...I can't begin to understand. Grace and I were just puppets for some game....ugh corruption....SO anyway this weekend we are DEFINITELY getting out of here!! Uganda here we come!!
Before Grace and I took the 5 orphans to the orphanage in Nairobi, the camp officials assured us that all forms were completed and that taking the kids was approved—no problems! A lady from a local NGO came on Wednesday, though, and squawked at us about how irresponsible we were, we had no right to move those children, the Nakuru Children Department would come after us for taking the kids without informing them. Without informing them?? The camp officials told us that everything was arranged!!
Ugh, well this is certainly a problem, isn't it?
The next morning Grace and I went (yet again) back to Nairobi to pick up the kids, take them to the Nakuru office to finish whatever paperwork, and then take them back to Nairobi. When we arrived at the orphanage, though, the staff wouldn't release the kids. ...........
There're a million little details: people lying, phone calls silenced, screaming and cursing....bah!!! If only people here would trade shoes--the government on camp is stealing from people who literally have nothing to steal!! I mean, when people charge the mzungu double price because i'm a tourist SURE I get annoyed-- if they would simply charge me a fair price, i'd tip them or say "keep the change", but these are poor Kenyans stealing from poor Kenyans...I can't begin to understand. Grace and I were just puppets for some game....ugh corruption....SO anyway this weekend we are DEFINITELY getting out of here!! Uganda here we come!!
IM IN AFRICA!!!!!
In my last couple weeks in Africa I'm so excited to do some TRAVELING!
I would LOVE to go to Rwanda—it's one of the few French speaking countries in Africa, and I've been looking through my Lonely Planet and came up with an entire itinerary for what I would do there!!!!! The only problem really is money...I'd have to buy a plane ticket, all of my hotels, and then I'd REALLY love to go silverback gorilla trekking but it's nearly 400USD/day. But Everyone who's done it says that it was the most exciting experience ever!
Also on my list are Uganda for white water rafting on the Nile, and Tanzania for a 3 hour hike to a cave to see the oldest caveman carvings and paintings in Africa.
AHHHH!!!! I hope it all works out!!!
The travel bug bit me while I was in Cambodia, and I can't wait to add a couple more countries to the list!! And of course (this is especially to mom...and Hammad...) I'll let you guys know exactly what I'm doing when I do it—I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! :D
I would LOVE to go to Rwanda—it's one of the few French speaking countries in Africa, and I've been looking through my Lonely Planet and came up with an entire itinerary for what I would do there!!!!! The only problem really is money...I'd have to buy a plane ticket, all of my hotels, and then I'd REALLY love to go silverback gorilla trekking but it's nearly 400USD/day. But Everyone who's done it says that it was the most exciting experience ever!
Also on my list are Uganda for white water rafting on the Nile, and Tanzania for a 3 hour hike to a cave to see the oldest caveman carvings and paintings in Africa.
AHHHH!!!! I hope it all works out!!!
The travel bug bit me while I was in Cambodia, and I can't wait to add a couple more countries to the list!! And of course (this is especially to mom...and Hammad...) I'll let you guys know exactly what I'm doing when I do it—I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! :D
My first wedding!
Last weekend I went back to Nairobi (I've been back to Nairobi nearly every weekend since I came to Nakuru....I've just had things to do!) to be Lucy's date to the wedding!
The party that we had gone to a few weeks ago was the pre-wedding party, so this last weekend was the actual wedding! Both sides of the family are Kikuyu and Catholic, so the ceremony was held in a really huge, beautiful Catholic church...and it was entirely in Kikuyu so I couldn't understand any of it. Then we piled in personal cars and drove 20 minutes down the road to a field where there were tents and tables and chairs and cakes and traditional foods for the “after party”...which was entirely in Kikuyu. The whole day was really nice...but you can only sit in silent, ignorance for so long, ya know? People around me were laughing, though, so apparently it was fun! My first wedding ever was in Africa—cool!
When Lucy and I finally arrived back home, the Canadians were there! We stayed up most of the night playing one of my new favorite card games, Cadie. --mom and popo, we're having some serious tournaments this summer-- They needed a place to stay for their last 2 nights before heading back to Canada! I know that my last few weeks here will fly by...but a part of me envies them, of course!
The party that we had gone to a few weeks ago was the pre-wedding party, so this last weekend was the actual wedding! Both sides of the family are Kikuyu and Catholic, so the ceremony was held in a really huge, beautiful Catholic church...and it was entirely in Kikuyu so I couldn't understand any of it. Then we piled in personal cars and drove 20 minutes down the road to a field where there were tents and tables and chairs and cakes and traditional foods for the “after party”...which was entirely in Kikuyu. The whole day was really nice...but you can only sit in silent, ignorance for so long, ya know? People around me were laughing, though, so apparently it was fun! My first wedding ever was in Africa—cool!
When Lucy and I finally arrived back home, the Canadians were there! We stayed up most of the night playing one of my new favorite card games, Cadie. --mom and popo, we're having some serious tournaments this summer-- They needed a place to stay for their last 2 nights before heading back to Canada! I know that my last few weeks here will fly by...but a part of me envies them, of course!
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