I have been meaning to do for a while: THE REAL KENYA!
As I may have mentioned before Kenya is probably what you thought Africa would be like, but nothing like you expect it to be. I know in all the movies it shows the open plains with golden grass, and those flat trees you see in the Lion King with elephants bathing in a nearby lake and some man running around with a piece of cloth for clothing. Or maybe you are picturing those commercials with the malnourished child. Well I am sorry to say that according to my experience that isn't the whole story.
First off, Kenya really is beautiful. Now, I have been living in NYC for a while and have since gained a great appreciation for greenery and being able to see past 20 miles in every direction. But the mountains, the lake and the views in general are breathtaking. The villages themselves are a little bit of a different story. As I have said before the villages are primarily made up of that wavy sheet metal that resemble shacks and there are goats, cows, chickens, ducks, donkeys and children EVERYWHERE. There is also no real trash removal system so people burn it in large piles or in a pit alongside of the road which would cause a true germaphobe to have a heart attack, but really you just learn to watch where you step. Besides, there are some places in NYC that are not much cleaner.
Where I live there is no running water. Every morning we go to the well and fill up the water tanks. Our drinking water is delievered by donkey and is then boiled. There seems to a be the most bizarre situation with water. Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya, sits right on Lake Victoria which is the second largest fresh water lake in the world and there is a shortage of clean water throughout the city. This is obviously an area the Kenyan government has failed in because there is really just no excuse. They also get a big fat "F" for road maintenance. The reasons given for these areas of neglect is that Kisumu was originally only planned for 100,000 people. The population is now over 1,000,000.
There are quite a few businesses and industries here that I guess you don't really find in other African countries, which is why it is getting an applause for its rate of development. You can pretty much get anything you need here without have to search too hard, however some of the things you want are not as readily available. Most of the high end restaurants and stores and own by Indians who have a fairly large presence here. They own 70% of the businesses.
So here in Kisumu, the people here are primarily from the Lou tribe, they dress just like you and I and sometimes where the traditional African attire. They have one English name and one Lou name which usually corresponds with the time of day they were born. Next is the Indian population who pretty much rule this place economically. After that is the Masai Warriors. They are the ones with the stretch out ears. They do not speak much English, but Samuel, who is are security guard is sooo funny. I have lots of stories about him. I also have lots of stories about they kids. They are beyond adorable and even a month later get excited when we walk by their homes and follow us back to the center. They yell “Mazungu! How are you! How are you!” (you have to hear it). Next is the Kikuyu tribe and a few others, but I haven't had much interaction with them. In general everyone has been so kind and welcoming of us. We have made lots of friends including a gorgeous doctor who works at the Aids Clinic just up the road and have been extremely welcomed by a group who are friends of Sara, the woman put on this internship. They own this absolutely gorgeous piece of property one top of the hill. You can see everything. They have has us over for dinner a couple times. Oh I should also mention that one of the men was the deputy director of the WTO and now a professor in Nairobi and one was a Japanese ambassador, the other has some other really cool job at the U.N. All very interesting people with some amazing life experiences.
When we first got here, we always had a Kenyan with us but now we know our way around and feel safe enough to travel on our own. We found are favorite eating spots which range from the shack-like "hotels" to your average restaurant. Most of the food is drenched in oil and fried so I need to be careful about that. Getting around is and adventure. We mainly travel by Matatu, which is a bus aka a 14 passenger van. We also travel by Tuk Tuk, which a 3 wheeled motor car and by Bota Bota which is a bicycle taxi. If we are out late we usually take a taxi.
And you know I have discovered Kenyan nightlife. It is just like the states. People everywhere like to party. Kenyans love 80's and techno music, which I didn’t expect, and they also have some weird obsession with Celien Dion that I just don't get. Other than that it is the usual Hip-Hop you hear in the states and Kenyan music. There are a lot of places that have live bands and dancing which is always fun.
Africa by far has to be the most amazing and random place I every been. No day or meal is ever the same (even if you order the same thing at the same time of day). I could go on forever and have so much more to tell but I will have to save some stories for when I get back.
If you have any questions just let me know. E-mail me at sryounge@gmail.com I would LOVE to hear from you. You can also call or text me at : +2540726398936 if you call from a house phone you have to call 011 instead of the + sign. Hope to hear from you!!!
-Stacey
