Well I made it back from Uganda OK surviving that pothole highway! On the way back I didn't want to catch a mutatu (mini van that's overcrowded and stops every mile to pick up or drop off people) on that road! So I asked if there were any coaches going to Kenya. So this boda boda driver takes me out to the main highway that goes from Kampala to the Kenyan border and drops me off there! Heck I didn't know if a bus was coming or when. But luckily there was a truck there loading bags of maize/corn and what ever so they offered to drive me to the Kenyan border. So I negotiated a price which they didn't like but that was all the Ugandan shillings I had left so I just climbed aboard. It was odd because they kept getting jerked around and had to pay more for the petrol because a muzungo was on board. When they see one of us they immediately think the person you're with is rich so the price goes up. Surprising that anyone would want us around! This ride was almost as bad as the riding a mutatu but I made it to the border. Then the sky opened up and I had to cross the border in the rain. So I grabbed the first vehicle going east to Kisumu where I was going and guess what another overcrowded and steamy mutatu! Got back home in the dark after being on the road for 8 hrs. Glad to see that my stuff was still in the house! But actually the KASOW committee has been very good so no complaints. I met with one of the committee members to get a rebate of my Masa Mara trip and we talked and I apologized for my lack of diplomacy. He thought that my points were good but like most people who know me think - I should maybe re-phrase my wording but oh well my life is never without roadblocks! A friend laughing emailed to say "I can't believe u got fired from a non paying volunteering job". Yeah I guess it could only happen to me but the KASOW Committee and I kissed and made up. But I packed my stuff and moved out of the house as I probably could have stayed for a day or so but felt it's better for all if I got out asap! I definitely felt bad about leaving.
I made some real good friends among the villagers. I liked the youths that I help set up a Computer Club in the Secondary School. There's a real nice intelligent girl Edwina who is helping running it. Then there's Patrick who means well but is not too organized. I had to lay down the law with them but both are really nice kids and I will miss working with them but will keep in touch. The youths here are anxious to learn but don't have as much opportunity as kids back home. If I were staying I'd want to help develop the Computer club a little more but what happened happened! At least youths are flexible and understand when an idiot adult like me has verbally diaherra! Also made great friends with this teacher and her husband who is a retired economics instructor at a college. He is now enjoying farming so I learned a lot from them. Met a couple of young mothers with kids and visited their homes to see a family with kids which is a challenge!
But probably the people I'll miss the most are the 4 people that have helped us around our house. Millie my best friend and cook, Ben who did everything for us, Parmella who cleaned for us and John's aunt is really nice. Then there is Maurice who was our interpretor, took us around and even stuck to Muzungu (white man)time for meetings, etc. I built a real closeness with them and will stay in touch with them. I didn't think of them as people who cooked, cleaned or did things for us - but they were friends. I felt I could be myself and joke around with them where as some people don't appreciate my humor or the crazy stuff I do. But Kenyans have a good sense of humor and are always smiling - not that I'm always smiling!
So I left yesterday to hook up with this Uganda to South Africa Overland Truck group that I met in Uganda. They were coming through my town Kisumu and said I could go with them on the camping truck (they're headed for South Africa but too pricey for me) to Masa Mara (the biggest game reserve in Kenya and stretches into Tanzania but is called Serengeti there). I didn't have the guides' phone number but he had mine but he couldn't call me for some reason! But I was in this supermarket getting some stuff that this young Kenyan girl needed so I was helping her get them. So I luckily happened to run into the Overland group in the supermarket! They said they were loading up with groceries and heading out in 30 mins. So I went and got my pack and stuff and made it back on time!
Unfortunately the Overland Truck group has strict health insurance rules. I showed them my Blue Cross card (compilments of my loving wife who I'm kind of separated from but who I still seem to rely on as she considers me one of her kids probably why we're separated) but he needed an expiry date for the insurance. I told him this is a company health insurance so there is no expiry date unless you leave the company. I guess the people on the truck group buy health insurance specifically for the trip. Heck probably most of the travellers and volunteers don't put too much emphasis on health insurance but just head out. Anyway rules are rules so he couldn't let me go with them! It was disappointing but hey diplomatic me just accepted it - like what could I do have a hissy fit? It just wasn't meant to be and was just another curve in the road to me!
So grabbed a room at the local YMCA which was nice, fairly cheap and had electricity!
They had no dorm rooms left so I got a double room for $10 with breakfast! Most of the people staying there work in town but are from another place so I was the only Muzungu. One guy (also ladies there too) staying there has been there 4 years! I may stay there again tonight as I'm waiting to hear from a guy in Nairobi about maybe hooking up with another group heading to Masa Mara. But I'll just wing it and take it one day at a time. I can't be bothered with specific planning each day.
So read my next posting to see if I become a regular at the YMCA or may get going somewhere like the Rift Valley or whereever the first bus or mutatu goes! So catch u later!
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