Yeah it's nice to reminise about the great time I had volunteering & travelling in Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania. I really enjoyed my time there and want to return to see those countries and other countries in Africa! The continent really grows on a person and there's so much to see and do there!
However it will have to wait until I finish travelling in South America. I've spent 5 months travelling Central America and 2 countries in South America. I've been blogging my travels in
http://whereisthefreespiritguy.blogspot.com/
I've enjoyed my time travelling in the countries of those parts of Central & South America! I beleive that seeing new countries , people & cultures give a person better outlook on lives!
Places of people who visit this blog
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday, February 15, 2008
Despite its social upheaval, breathtaking Kenya needs tourists
Ever since I was a child and watching the sun rise each morning in the East toward Africa ... ever since I read Edgar Rice Burroughs's "Tarzan, the Ape Man" for the first time ... and ever since I watched, spellbound and completely beguiled, the film version of "Out of Africa" ... I knew I had to journey to Africa.
Finally, I made my first trip there last year, flying for more than 2 days to Nairobi. My life changed inexplicably from the moment the Kenya Airways jet first touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, that mad, bustling city of millions that was so completely different from my hometown .
Nairobi, always a maelstrom of activity and humanity and the back yard of Karen Blixen's Bogani, the coffee plantation featured in "Out of Africa," smells of smoke and roasting corn and diesel from the matatus -- or minibuses -- spilling over with riders. The streets are crowded with roadside vendors selling everything from tomatoes to ebony. And, like many African cities like Johannesburg, Kampala and Cairo, it never sleeps.
Nairobi is the gateway to the extraordinarily beautiful Kenya, a country so inspiring that Hemingway wrote of it often. Kenya has touched my heart and soul as no place ever has, except for my home country. I could easily live there if I didn't love my own home so passionately and unequally. In my next life, though, if I'm given the choice, I will come back as a Kenyan.
Kenya, for years on the fast track from Third World to Second World -- and in some instances First World -- has recently fallen on difficult times because of accusations of corruption and fraud during December's presidential election. The resulting countrywide unrest has thrust this marvelous, wondrous country into a dangerous tailspin of instability that threatens to tear it apart at the seams.
Instead of safaris and big game, the images now coming out of Kenya are disturbing and heartrending: Morgues overflowing with bodies of those killed in the upheaval, machete-wielding gangs roaming the streets, starving children clinging to their tearful parents, churches in flames and burning to the ground. A growing sense of chaos now grips Kenya, seizing upon a country that was easily one of Africa's most evolving.
If you are contemplating a trip to Kenya, here's what you must know: This, too, shall pass, and for the sake of Kenya and its people, who very much depend on tourism dollars for their livelihoods, don't be hesitant about visiting. Despite what the country is going through now, Kenya -- deep down in its heart a land reveling in warmth, tremendous cultural diversity and, of course, that incredible wildlife -- is home to the friendliest people on earth.
Having met so many Kenyans, I know this to be true. Their loyalty to their homeland is fierce, and while politics -- sometimes very dirty politics -- has been a cornerstone of its history since it gained independence from British, I believe this merely adds to rather than detracts from its air of mysticism. But that is a part of all of Africa, really, and I'm sure that the unsettling pictures that you see on the evening news are only temporary setbacks that will soon fade away into the history books.
According to the Kenya Tourist Board, last week Kenyan tour operators were working on full schedules and reporting few cancellations, and each airline representative with whom I spoke said they were operating normally and on schedule.
What makes Kenya so special? I don't think it can be wholly explained. Instead, its splendor and uniqueness must be experienced in bits and pieces, but you must first know its history. Kenya has dozens of cultures, tribes, and sub-tribes that date back to the beginning of mankind. Two major languages distinguish more than 70 tribal groups: the Bantu, which includes the Meru and Kikuyu, and the Nilotic, which includes the Luo, Maasai and Samburu.
Kenya was colonized over the past couple of centuries by mainly the British, and the mishmash of its tribal societies with the Europeans helped the country evolve into one of distinct multiculturalism. To stoke the ethnic fires even more, the coastal region around Mombassa and Lamu is home to the Swahili people, whose language and customs are deeply rooted in Arabic. The country, known most widely as British East Africa, gained its independence in 1963 and became a republic in 1964. Jomo Kenyatta, its namesake, became its first president.
But the utter surprise of Kenya, through which the Equator meanders, is not entirely in its diverse culture, but also its wide range of topographical features. The land is of great contrasts: About one-third is covered by the grasslands of the savannah, another third is dusty and dry desert, and the remainder is cool highlands, deeply wooded forests and jagged snow-capped mountains, with its centerpiece of the 17,000-foot Mount Kenya.
Kenya is without comparison when it comes to natural beauty. Etched into the acacia-covered landscape are Eden-like plateaus and gardens of wildly growing, gemstone-hued bougainvillea and jacaranda so profuse that it seems as if a flowery mist has settled upon the land. Toward the Indian Ocean, Kenya's coastline, scalloped by warm winds and amazingly translucent emerald waters of the Indian Ocean, is set on coral reefs and pearl-soft beaches.
But as much for its beauty, Kenya is also perhaps most widely known for its incredible fusion of wildlife. The Swahili word for journey is safari, and no place conjures up images of safari more than the Maasai Mara. As your plane glides onto a dusty airstrip -- it's best to fly into the Mara since the roads are atrocious at best -- you quickly realize the land is not bare: it comes alive, slowly at first, and then forms a natural circus of the most exotic animals on the face of the earth. As a friend once said, the best thing about the Mara is that there's no telling what's going to come crashing through the bush.
This is the same Africa as thousands of years ago, and nothing you have read or seen prepares you for that close encounter with a herd of elephants or troop of giraffes bounding across the dusty savannah, a pride of lionesses motherly grooming their playful cubs, a bloat of hippos lazily sunning themselves on a river bank, or a crowd of monkeys or baboons chattering away in a stand of acacia.
And from July to October, there is always the spectacle of the great wildebeest migration when about two million of the critters and a convoy of untold thousands of zebra and gazelle storm into the Mara from Tanzania's Serengeti to graze the rich grass and water they need to survive.
Ever mindful of effective conservation efforts, the Kenyan government banned hunting in the 1970s, in part to preserve the animals for generations to come. Now Kenya is home to more than 80 major animal species, including the "Big Five" of lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard, any or all of which you're likely to see in the scattering of national parks, reserves and private sanctuaries.
In the chilly highlands near the Great Rift Valley, you'll find settings like Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island and Hell's Gate, where you'll learn firsthand that Kenya is the best country in Africa for bird watching, with hundreds of vivid species like cuckoos, bee-eaters and sunbirds flitting about. Toward the coast, you can visit the Gedi Ruins, a 15th century rock-and-stone village ruled by a sultan, explore the tropical forests of Arabuko Sokoke, or dine aboard an authentic Arab dhow as it sails the waters around Mombassa's Old Town and Fort Jesus. However my favorite spot in Kenya is still Lamu Island.
These are the things that Kenya is about, not the riots and mayhem of the moment. It is soul-stirring colors and senses and sounds, but most of all it is the people and their fervor for their homeland.
Finally, I made my first trip there last year, flying for more than 2 days to Nairobi. My life changed inexplicably from the moment the Kenya Airways jet first touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, that mad, bustling city of millions that was so completely different from my hometown .
Nairobi, always a maelstrom of activity and humanity and the back yard of Karen Blixen's Bogani, the coffee plantation featured in "Out of Africa," smells of smoke and roasting corn and diesel from the matatus -- or minibuses -- spilling over with riders. The streets are crowded with roadside vendors selling everything from tomatoes to ebony. And, like many African cities like Johannesburg, Kampala and Cairo, it never sleeps.
Nairobi is the gateway to the extraordinarily beautiful Kenya, a country so inspiring that Hemingway wrote of it often. Kenya has touched my heart and soul as no place ever has, except for my home country. I could easily live there if I didn't love my own home so passionately and unequally. In my next life, though, if I'm given the choice, I will come back as a Kenyan.
Kenya, for years on the fast track from Third World to Second World -- and in some instances First World -- has recently fallen on difficult times because of accusations of corruption and fraud during December's presidential election. The resulting countrywide unrest has thrust this marvelous, wondrous country into a dangerous tailspin of instability that threatens to tear it apart at the seams.
Instead of safaris and big game, the images now coming out of Kenya are disturbing and heartrending: Morgues overflowing with bodies of those killed in the upheaval, machete-wielding gangs roaming the streets, starving children clinging to their tearful parents, churches in flames and burning to the ground. A growing sense of chaos now grips Kenya, seizing upon a country that was easily one of Africa's most evolving.
If you are contemplating a trip to Kenya, here's what you must know: This, too, shall pass, and for the sake of Kenya and its people, who very much depend on tourism dollars for their livelihoods, don't be hesitant about visiting. Despite what the country is going through now, Kenya -- deep down in its heart a land reveling in warmth, tremendous cultural diversity and, of course, that incredible wildlife -- is home to the friendliest people on earth.
Having met so many Kenyans, I know this to be true. Their loyalty to their homeland is fierce, and while politics -- sometimes very dirty politics -- has been a cornerstone of its history since it gained independence from British, I believe this merely adds to rather than detracts from its air of mysticism. But that is a part of all of Africa, really, and I'm sure that the unsettling pictures that you see on the evening news are only temporary setbacks that will soon fade away into the history books.
According to the Kenya Tourist Board, last week Kenyan tour operators were working on full schedules and reporting few cancellations, and each airline representative with whom I spoke said they were operating normally and on schedule.
What makes Kenya so special? I don't think it can be wholly explained. Instead, its splendor and uniqueness must be experienced in bits and pieces, but you must first know its history. Kenya has dozens of cultures, tribes, and sub-tribes that date back to the beginning of mankind. Two major languages distinguish more than 70 tribal groups: the Bantu, which includes the Meru and Kikuyu, and the Nilotic, which includes the Luo, Maasai and Samburu.
Kenya was colonized over the past couple of centuries by mainly the British, and the mishmash of its tribal societies with the Europeans helped the country evolve into one of distinct multiculturalism. To stoke the ethnic fires even more, the coastal region around Mombassa and Lamu is home to the Swahili people, whose language and customs are deeply rooted in Arabic. The country, known most widely as British East Africa, gained its independence in 1963 and became a republic in 1964. Jomo Kenyatta, its namesake, became its first president.
But the utter surprise of Kenya, through which the Equator meanders, is not entirely in its diverse culture, but also its wide range of topographical features. The land is of great contrasts: About one-third is covered by the grasslands of the savannah, another third is dusty and dry desert, and the remainder is cool highlands, deeply wooded forests and jagged snow-capped mountains, with its centerpiece of the 17,000-foot Mount Kenya.
Kenya is without comparison when it comes to natural beauty. Etched into the acacia-covered landscape are Eden-like plateaus and gardens of wildly growing, gemstone-hued bougainvillea and jacaranda so profuse that it seems as if a flowery mist has settled upon the land. Toward the Indian Ocean, Kenya's coastline, scalloped by warm winds and amazingly translucent emerald waters of the Indian Ocean, is set on coral reefs and pearl-soft beaches.
But as much for its beauty, Kenya is also perhaps most widely known for its incredible fusion of wildlife. The Swahili word for journey is safari, and no place conjures up images of safari more than the Maasai Mara. As your plane glides onto a dusty airstrip -- it's best to fly into the Mara since the roads are atrocious at best -- you quickly realize the land is not bare: it comes alive, slowly at first, and then forms a natural circus of the most exotic animals on the face of the earth. As a friend once said, the best thing about the Mara is that there's no telling what's going to come crashing through the bush.
This is the same Africa as thousands of years ago, and nothing you have read or seen prepares you for that close encounter with a herd of elephants or troop of giraffes bounding across the dusty savannah, a pride of lionesses motherly grooming their playful cubs, a bloat of hippos lazily sunning themselves on a river bank, or a crowd of monkeys or baboons chattering away in a stand of acacia.
And from July to October, there is always the spectacle of the great wildebeest migration when about two million of the critters and a convoy of untold thousands of zebra and gazelle storm into the Mara from Tanzania's Serengeti to graze the rich grass and water they need to survive.
Ever mindful of effective conservation efforts, the Kenyan government banned hunting in the 1970s, in part to preserve the animals for generations to come. Now Kenya is home to more than 80 major animal species, including the "Big Five" of lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard, any or all of which you're likely to see in the scattering of national parks, reserves and private sanctuaries.
In the chilly highlands near the Great Rift Valley, you'll find settings like Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island and Hell's Gate, where you'll learn firsthand that Kenya is the best country in Africa for bird watching, with hundreds of vivid species like cuckoos, bee-eaters and sunbirds flitting about. Toward the coast, you can visit the Gedi Ruins, a 15th century rock-and-stone village ruled by a sultan, explore the tropical forests of Arabuko Sokoke, or dine aboard an authentic Arab dhow as it sails the waters around Mombassa's Old Town and Fort Jesus. However my favorite spot in Kenya is still Lamu Island.
These are the things that Kenya is about, not the riots and mayhem of the moment. It is soul-stirring colors and senses and sounds, but most of all it is the people and their fervor for their homeland.
Friday, January 11, 2008
You know you're from or long for Africa when
(Article I came across that kind of sums up how a person feels & how they can become attached to Africa)
You know you're from or long for Africa when
...it doesn't seem right to pay the asking price on anything in a store. If you can't barter for it, it's not worth having.
...you're appalled that American grocery stores only sell one or two different types of bananas.
...your parents yell at you for forgetting to use silverware in public.
...you're going to visit your Grandparents and take you passport ~ just in case you have to evacuate.
...you find all the non-white people on campus so you can be a minority again.
...you can lead a 20 minute conversation starting with "walleponaua!!" and keep it going by replying "ehh" in numerous different tone-levels for the next half an hour! (...and have the other person exactly understand what you are saying!!)
...you fear for you life while riding in a Matatu....anywhere!
...you call everyone older then you uncle or aunt.
...you'd rather be barefoot and you know that the bloody gooey mess they call beef jerky in the States would never pass for true biltong.
...every toothpaste is colgate.
...every soap is surf.
...every softdrink is coca cola or fanta.
...you have uncles and aunts who are younger than you.
...black outs are nothing new to you.
...no running water for a day is just another ordinary thing
...40 degrees is cold.
...You can do your monthly shopping on the pavement.
...four cars are driving parallel to each other on a one-lane road.
...The smell of freshly rained on mud paths/tarmac is comforting.
...being an hour late equals being "on time"
...you get car sick cuz the roads just can't have enough potholes!
... you pass by someones house and you know what they gonna have for dinner cuz u can pretty much see and/or smell what's cooking
...you can bribe a cop and get away with it!
...you have an over whelming urge to wash all your salad in milton (baby bottle bleach, supposedly kills cholera) and add a bit of charcoal to your milk just to get the taste your used to.
...You know that the police isn't always the safest place to go when you're in trouble.
...Cramming 7 passangers in a 4 passenger taxi is really not a big deal.
...you know never to question what you're eating (even if it does taste good), cuz sometimes you just don't want to know.
...you invite people for a get together at 7 and they all come at 9.
...football is played with some sort of ROUND ball and WITHOUT hands.
...everyone in your country plays soccer.
...you cram 24 people into a 14 passenger matuatu and have never felt closer to your African friends.
...you make friends with the local shepard and know the goats by name.
...carry purell like it's your life supply.
...you spent countless hours shining your shoes when u know very well that by the time you get to the taxi stop, they'll be covered in unbeleivable dirt!
...you keep converting the value of things in your home currency when u see the dollar value.
...a plane flies by and you just cant help but look up!
... you have another name in your home language.
... you hate American corn, because it's never hard enough.
... you've drunk real chai, not this coffeeshop stuff. (AMEN!)
...you remember being so confused about how you could pay for something with a visa.
...you know you are from Africa when you have put Vaseline in your hair to be like your African friends..and your Mom has to take it out with OMO and Kerosene!
...you expect people to tell you they're fine before you ask them
...you used to shower under the rain.
...someone is riding their bike down the road with corrugated iron strapped width wise across the back of the bike and its taking up more than half of the road.
...you miss rain on a corrugated iron roof; it's so loud you have to shout to be heard.
...you've been proposed to while walking down the street (if you're a girl, that is, lol)
...you know what true hospitality and generosity is...when those who have almost nothing still welcome you in with open arms and are willing to share everything they have with you - even though they barely know you!
...someone asks you how much your sister costs.
...your brother tries to sell you to his college roommate for 36 cows or goats...
...You unwrap all your gifts carefully, so that you can reuse the wrapper.
...You call a person you've never met before uncle or aunt.
...more than 90% of the music CD's and cassettes in your home are illegal copies.
...you have almost always carry overweight baggage when traveling by plane.
...Nobody in your family informs you that they are coming over for a visit.
...You only make telephone calls at a cheaper rate at night
...You never have less than 20 people to meet you at the airport or see you off even if it is a local flight.
...someone offers seven cows for your infant sisters future hand in marriage.
...you learn the native words for "white person" everywhere you go, because you hear it shouted everywhere you go.
...something that would normally take half an hour in the Western world takes a few days or weeks...and if it didn't it just wouldn't be fun.
...you find it completely natural to have burglar-bars outside your windows
...you know the DSTV channels by heart
...you known not to question the contents of your food when it tastes good
...you bought your cellphone through your car window
...chicken is a luxury
...you wonder why there aren't any herds of cows and goats walking down the street in North America
...you can smell the rain before it comes
...you can look up at the sky and see every star clearly
...the sunset is something to look forward to
...you miss the the sound of rain on your tin roof at night, the after-rain smell, and the spectacular lightning shows.
...the only thing you throw away is avacado stones, and even then you wonder if you should save them and plant a tree
...every white thing you own has permently turned a curious shade of orange
...everywhere you walk children run up to you shouting, 'how are you! how are you, how are you?' mzungu! mzungu!
...You spend as little time as possible in the toilet, and can hold your breath for amazing lengths of time.
...you always drink your drink straight away in front of the shop, and give them the bottle back.
...you spray 'Doom' in your tent before going to bed.
...when americans tell you that the "chai" you're drinking isn't real because it's not indian, and they think it's tea with milk. it's milk with tea.
you´re NOT in Africa and you miss everything everybody else mentioned so much it hurts.
...you dream about Africa - a lot.
....you think of giving up trying to convince people of what it´s really like - even though they really do try, they often just don´t understand.
... you expect to be able to buy roast corn, fried meat or fish, boiled yams or cassava etc whilst you are travelling on public transport.
...having mud-orange feet is normal.
...instead of being greeted with "good morning", you're greeted with "Are you awake?"
...the rain back "home" feels cold.
...you go away on holiday and come back, and the people ask you: "Are you back?"
...you get the songs from the celltel and pepsi baridi adverts stuck in your head
...you learn quickly that pedestrians DO NOT have the right-of-way
...you'd rather be barefoot
...you realize that after leaving africa you can never have another piece of fruit that will ever taste as good as it does there
...you can buy anything you like at traffic lights, from fruit to hangers to kitchen knifes.
...your 'guard dogs' were the most lovable pets ever
...you prefer music that's slightly out of tune
...b.o. is a comforting smell
...you reuse plastic throwaways
...$2 is too much for a t-shirt
...the smell of an old, smoky diesel engine makes you smile and long for 'home'
...pop comes in bottles
...you aren't surprised when you have to stop the car to let three giraffes finish crossing the highway in front of you
...you buy your milk in a triangular carboard container from a hut on the side of the road
...you know the profound and tangible silence of dawn on the Masai Mara
...you know that an umbrella is useless during the rainy season and simply accept the fact that you'll be wet for 3 months... and really don't mind either.
...you've seen a sky so blue you could cry, with thick, perfect white clouds you can almost taste
...people bump into the car in front, check out the damage, hand over some money (maybe!) and then drive off!
...you think nothing of driving down a road that has potholes bigger than anything!
...you get culture shock in a grocery store, when you see the shelves completely stocked with 15 different kinds of whatever!
...you're an expert at packing bags and people into cars . . . and making everything fit!!!
...When there's no electricity, you're in bed by dark and up at sunrise.
...When you go to the pictures to see a movie...and the place is like something out of the 1950s...and not only do they put the film on especially for the 4 of you because there's no-one else there but it's a dvd ....and a pirated one at that...
...you buy a movie on the street, get home and watch it, and realize that you can hear the person chomping on their popcorn in the theatre...only the best :)
...you're sure your going to die 9 times in a 5 minute minibus trip
...You remeber the smell of the first rain signaling the end of the dry season
...you hand in your glass bottle of fizzy soft drink back to the shop keeper for recycling just to get your deposit back
...tears well up in your eyes as you read this list, either wishing that you were back in Africa or glad that you are still there...
As for myself:
I think I will either be trying to help some of my Kenyan friends from my home country or I may head back there again in a year or so! I just can't ignore the need to help if I can and visit my friends again!
So unless a friend I met there persuades me and I get sidetracked back to Africa again sooner, I plan to head to Central and South America in Fall 2008. So I plan to post update my other blog in the future
Check out free-spirit-guy.blogspot.com or find me on facebook.
You know you're from or long for Africa when
...it doesn't seem right to pay the asking price on anything in a store. If you can't barter for it, it's not worth having.
...you're appalled that American grocery stores only sell one or two different types of bananas.
...your parents yell at you for forgetting to use silverware in public.
...you're going to visit your Grandparents and take you passport ~ just in case you have to evacuate.
...you find all the non-white people on campus so you can be a minority again.
...you can lead a 20 minute conversation starting with "walleponaua!!" and keep it going by replying "ehh" in numerous different tone-levels for the next half an hour! (...and have the other person exactly understand what you are saying!!)
...you fear for you life while riding in a Matatu....anywhere!
...you call everyone older then you uncle or aunt.
...you'd rather be barefoot and you know that the bloody gooey mess they call beef jerky in the States would never pass for true biltong.
...every toothpaste is colgate.
...every soap is surf.
...every softdrink is coca cola or fanta.
...you have uncles and aunts who are younger than you.
...black outs are nothing new to you.
...no running water for a day is just another ordinary thing
...40 degrees is cold.
...You can do your monthly shopping on the pavement.
...four cars are driving parallel to each other on a one-lane road.
...The smell of freshly rained on mud paths/tarmac is comforting.
...being an hour late equals being "on time"
...you get car sick cuz the roads just can't have enough potholes!
... you pass by someones house and you know what they gonna have for dinner cuz u can pretty much see and/or smell what's cooking
...you can bribe a cop and get away with it!
...you have an over whelming urge to wash all your salad in milton (baby bottle bleach, supposedly kills cholera) and add a bit of charcoal to your milk just to get the taste your used to.
...You know that the police isn't always the safest place to go when you're in trouble.
...Cramming 7 passangers in a 4 passenger taxi is really not a big deal.
...you know never to question what you're eating (even if it does taste good), cuz sometimes you just don't want to know.
...you invite people for a get together at 7 and they all come at 9.
...football is played with some sort of ROUND ball and WITHOUT hands.
...everyone in your country plays soccer.
...you cram 24 people into a 14 passenger matuatu and have never felt closer to your African friends.
...you make friends with the local shepard and know the goats by name.
...carry purell like it's your life supply.
...you spent countless hours shining your shoes when u know very well that by the time you get to the taxi stop, they'll be covered in unbeleivable dirt!
...you keep converting the value of things in your home currency when u see the dollar value.
...a plane flies by and you just cant help but look up!
... you have another name in your home language.
... you hate American corn, because it's never hard enough.
... you've drunk real chai, not this coffeeshop stuff. (AMEN!)
...you remember being so confused about how you could pay for something with a visa.
...you know you are from Africa when you have put Vaseline in your hair to be like your African friends..and your Mom has to take it out with OMO and Kerosene!
...you expect people to tell you they're fine before you ask them
...you used to shower under the rain.
...someone is riding their bike down the road with corrugated iron strapped width wise across the back of the bike and its taking up more than half of the road.
...you miss rain on a corrugated iron roof; it's so loud you have to shout to be heard.
...you've been proposed to while walking down the street (if you're a girl, that is, lol)
...you know what true hospitality and generosity is...when those who have almost nothing still welcome you in with open arms and are willing to share everything they have with you - even though they barely know you!
...someone asks you how much your sister costs.
...your brother tries to sell you to his college roommate for 36 cows or goats...
...You unwrap all your gifts carefully, so that you can reuse the wrapper.
...You call a person you've never met before uncle or aunt.
...more than 90% of the music CD's and cassettes in your home are illegal copies.
...you have almost always carry overweight baggage when traveling by plane.
...Nobody in your family informs you that they are coming over for a visit.
...You only make telephone calls at a cheaper rate at night
...You never have less than 20 people to meet you at the airport or see you off even if it is a local flight.
...someone offers seven cows for your infant sisters future hand in marriage.
...you learn the native words for "white person" everywhere you go, because you hear it shouted everywhere you go.
...something that would normally take half an hour in the Western world takes a few days or weeks...and if it didn't it just wouldn't be fun.
...you find it completely natural to have burglar-bars outside your windows
...you know the DSTV channels by heart
...you known not to question the contents of your food when it tastes good
...you bought your cellphone through your car window
...chicken is a luxury
...you wonder why there aren't any herds of cows and goats walking down the street in North America
...you can smell the rain before it comes
...you can look up at the sky and see every star clearly
...the sunset is something to look forward to
...you miss the the sound of rain on your tin roof at night, the after-rain smell, and the spectacular lightning shows.
...the only thing you throw away is avacado stones, and even then you wonder if you should save them and plant a tree
...every white thing you own has permently turned a curious shade of orange
...everywhere you walk children run up to you shouting, 'how are you! how are you, how are you?' mzungu! mzungu!
...You spend as little time as possible in the toilet, and can hold your breath for amazing lengths of time.
...you always drink your drink straight away in front of the shop, and give them the bottle back.
...you spray 'Doom' in your tent before going to bed.
...when americans tell you that the "chai" you're drinking isn't real because it's not indian, and they think it's tea with milk. it's milk with tea.
you´re NOT in Africa and you miss everything everybody else mentioned so much it hurts.
...you dream about Africa - a lot.
....you think of giving up trying to convince people of what it´s really like - even though they really do try, they often just don´t understand.
... you expect to be able to buy roast corn, fried meat or fish, boiled yams or cassava etc whilst you are travelling on public transport.
...having mud-orange feet is normal.
...instead of being greeted with "good morning", you're greeted with "Are you awake?"
...the rain back "home" feels cold.
...you go away on holiday and come back, and the people ask you: "Are you back?"
...you get the songs from the celltel and pepsi baridi adverts stuck in your head
...you learn quickly that pedestrians DO NOT have the right-of-way
...you'd rather be barefoot
...you realize that after leaving africa you can never have another piece of fruit that will ever taste as good as it does there
...you can buy anything you like at traffic lights, from fruit to hangers to kitchen knifes.
...your 'guard dogs' were the most lovable pets ever
...you prefer music that's slightly out of tune
...b.o. is a comforting smell
...you reuse plastic throwaways
...$2 is too much for a t-shirt
...the smell of an old, smoky diesel engine makes you smile and long for 'home'
...pop comes in bottles
...you aren't surprised when you have to stop the car to let three giraffes finish crossing the highway in front of you
...you buy your milk in a triangular carboard container from a hut on the side of the road
...you know the profound and tangible silence of dawn on the Masai Mara
...you know that an umbrella is useless during the rainy season and simply accept the fact that you'll be wet for 3 months... and really don't mind either.
...you've seen a sky so blue you could cry, with thick, perfect white clouds you can almost taste
...people bump into the car in front, check out the damage, hand over some money (maybe!) and then drive off!
...you think nothing of driving down a road that has potholes bigger than anything!
...you get culture shock in a grocery store, when you see the shelves completely stocked with 15 different kinds of whatever!
...you're an expert at packing bags and people into cars . . . and making everything fit!!!
...When there's no electricity, you're in bed by dark and up at sunrise.
...When you go to the pictures to see a movie...and the place is like something out of the 1950s...and not only do they put the film on especially for the 4 of you because there's no-one else there but it's a dvd ....and a pirated one at that...
...you buy a movie on the street, get home and watch it, and realize that you can hear the person chomping on their popcorn in the theatre...only the best :)
...you're sure your going to die 9 times in a 5 minute minibus trip
...You remeber the smell of the first rain signaling the end of the dry season
...you hand in your glass bottle of fizzy soft drink back to the shop keeper for recycling just to get your deposit back
...tears well up in your eyes as you read this list, either wishing that you were back in Africa or glad that you are still there...
As for myself:
I think I will either be trying to help some of my Kenyan friends from my home country or I may head back there again in a year or so! I just can't ignore the need to help if I can and visit my friends again!
So unless a friend I met there persuades me and I get sidetracked back to Africa again sooner, I plan to head to Central and South America in Fall 2008. So I plan to post update my other blog in the future
Check out free-spirit-guy.blogspot.com or find me on facebook.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
What's going to be the future of Kenya after what's happened there following their Elections?
How the hell could the results of the Kenyan election been any worse? It's the worse nightmare to have the results end so close or were they rigged? This has led to a lot of demonstrations and violence in Kenya.
This will set Kenya back a long way if there is political unrest and violence. They had enough problems before with the lack of faith in the government, corruption, rising prices of food, lack of jobs, social unrest, high fees, high taxes, dwindling tourism (which is a main source of Kenya's economy), etc. I feel really sad and worried about the future of Kenya and the people I've come to love as friends.
I've got a feeling that the Internet and phone service in Kenya are not functioning normally with all the rioting. So I feel that a lot of people in Kenya don't know what is really happening (I don't think the rest of the world does either) so they are dying to find out.
I'm not a Kenyan so the results won't affect me however I know many people and friends in Kenya who need jobs and a change to their very poor life style. Many Kenyans were hoping and expecting a change to help the country go forward in this new Millennium. They needed a change to help create jobs for the unemployed. I volunteered in Western Kenya which definitely supported Raila Odinga so that's also where my loyalties lay.
However what bothered me about what's happening in Kenya is that the people vote by the ethnic party the politician represents not the politician. So any electionthe soo protest and demonstrations will also be divided along ethnic lines. I also can't understand after the riots of recent days that so called losing politician Raila Odinga is still insisting they would go ahead with plans to lead a protest march in the capital Thursday. Most politicians would cancel such a march for the good of their country. They wouldn't want to see further bloodshed and violence happen in order to further their agenda. Yeah they may be disappointed in the results but would follow up with legal means to dispute the results. I question a person who ran for the leadership of the country who would lead a march that will probably lead to more bloodshed and violence.
I feel so bad for the Kenyan and their predicament that I have a strong urge to return to volunteer again. I would sacrifice and volunteer again but it would help if Kenyans could change some of their beliefs. Most Kenyans have a belief that all Mzungu's are rich and can buy things or help them. However it is expensive enough to volunteer as we pay for everything i.e. flights, lodging and food plus we don't have an income at the same time. However I not only volunteered in the village but also helped a few people I met who needed some assistance. What I don’t care about are people I hardly knew who would ask me for assistance.
Hey, I’m far from being rich as I didn’t have a home or job to return to when I left Kenya. But it’s hard to ignore people you know who need some assistance when I have a bit of money. It didn’t take much to help people as it made me feel good to help some people I met
1. Millie - from the village that I volunteered, who was engaged had completed college but couldn't find a job so I helped her and her finance.
2. Esther - from the village that I volunteered, who was married with a baby but couldn't find a job
3. Edwina - from the village that I volunteered, who was about to start college
4. Ben - from the village that I volunteered, who was married but didn't have a job
5. Parmella - from the village that I volunteered, who was married but needed some help
6. Maurice - from the village that I volunteered, who helped us so much but didn't have a job
7. Patrick - from the village that I volunteered, who was an orphan and needed some help
8. Stephannie - from Kisumu who had a job but wanted me to buy her things but had no interest in me.
9. Helen - from Nairobi who needed help for her son and wanted to finish English classes to go to college. Also helped her family with food and some other things.
10. Viona - from Zanzibar who wasn't married but had 4 children to raise and had a small business
11. Simba - from Lamu who had a small business but was always needing help
12. Khadija and Evangilina from Lamu who had no jobs but who were good friends who I felt strongly about so I helped them
13. Khadija's family who were very poor so helped the family with food and rent payment.
14. Pricilla - who I met on the bus to Lamu who lived in a village near Lamu. She told me she was taking Law at Nairobi university. She was engaged to another law student. However she kept calling or sms me and wanted phone cards (probably to call her fiance who lived in Nakuru). I don't care who she called but if she was engaged why call me as I hardly knew her (but was a mzungu so she must have thought I had money).
I liked all these people but had no true romantic relationship with the girls and the guys were friends. So I spent a bit of money on some people of Kenya and even more volunteering in Kanayewegi near Kisumu. There were also many others who wanted me to help them who I can’t recall but who all wanted to be friends. I suppose they thought since I was a mzungu (person with white skin so I guess I was a honorary mzungu) who could help them with money.
But you know with all the misconceptions by the Kenyans they still need help and I’d be willing to help them. But only time will tell if I make it back to Kenya and Africa.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Wow came crashing back home to find myself in the middle of the dash for Christmas - can't say I enjoy it!
Wow, after 2 nine hour plane rides (the last on Air Canada which sucks) I had to come home to be in the middle of the biggest commerical pain - Christmas shopping! This has never been my favorite time! Don't get me wrong I love Christmas but hate the rush to buy, buy, buy, etc.
My ex wife Irene was nice enough to pick me up at the airport! We're on different planets when it comes to life styles but we will always care for each other! In fact I'll be staying at her new condo for Christmas seeing as I don't have a home or anywhere else to stay. Actually we get along better now as friends as long as her dam boyfriend doesn't show up when I'm there. But I'm grateful for her hospitality but what the heck how else will she get to celebrate Christmas with me!
I have mixed emotions of coming back home! One part of me says yeah this is home. While the other says why didn't I wait till after Christmas? The commericalism at Christmas emphasizes the big differences between my home country and Africa so much! I saw so much need and poor people then come home to all this shopping and spending that it makes me feel me want to help the people in Africa some more!
I think I will either be trying to help some of them from here or I may head back there again in a couple years! I just can't ignore the need to help them again.
But unless a friend I met there persuades me and I get side tracked, I'll be heading to Central and South America in 2008. So I plan to post update my other blog in the future
Check out free-spirit-guy.blogspot.com which I already have going. So check it out or find me on facebook.
My ex wife Irene was nice enough to pick me up at the airport! We're on different planets when it comes to life styles but we will always care for each other! In fact I'll be staying at her new condo for Christmas seeing as I don't have a home or anywhere else to stay. Actually we get along better now as friends as long as her dam boyfriend doesn't show up when I'm there. But I'm grateful for her hospitality but what the heck how else will she get to celebrate Christmas with me!
I have mixed emotions of coming back home! One part of me says yeah this is home. While the other says why didn't I wait till after Christmas? The commericalism at Christmas emphasizes the big differences between my home country and Africa so much! I saw so much need and poor people then come home to all this shopping and spending that it makes me feel me want to help the people in Africa some more!
I think I will either be trying to help some of them from here or I may head back there again in a couple years! I just can't ignore the need to help them again.
But unless a friend I met there persuades me and I get side tracked, I'll be heading to Central and South America in 2008. So I plan to post update my other blog in the future
Check out free-spirit-guy.blogspot.com which I already have going. So check it out or find me on facebook.
Random pics of time spent at Lamu Beach and Tiwi Beach, Kenya also Zanzibar night eating stalls
Pics of Lamu Island - the beach and some crazy times with people
Pics of Tiwi Beach and some fun times bbq fish on beach
Pics of hanging out in Zanzibar at the evening night eating stalls and sunset
Pics of Tiwi Beach and some fun times bbq fish on beach
Pics of hanging out in Zanzibar at the evening night eating stalls and sunset
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Well getting Out of Africa because if I stayed longer I might not make it out or leave for a mighty long time!
My week or so in Lamu Island was one wild and fun time. Lamu is a safe and fun island and it's small enough that most of the people know each other.
I hooked up with a lot of the local Kenyans and they showed me a good time. I especially spent my time with 2 chicks - Khadija and Evanglina who were beautiful and crazy good time people! Through them I met a lot of the people I wouldn't have otherwise met! Because of the small size of the town comes gossip and stories of some people and their reputation. Unfortunately these 2 girls were given a bad rap of being trouble makers (matata's). However they weren't trouble makers or prostitutes as some called them. Because we never did anything as a group but dance, drink and party. Most of all there were no payment on my part or anyone for that matter!
Khadija is Muslim and comes from a poor family. I met her family who were friendly and nice. I felt sorry for them as the family of 8 lived in a 2 room with no bed or even mattress. So like a sucker that I am I couldn't help but get them a couple mattresses to sleep. I brought the kids a bag of candy and they were so excited. It costs maybe a few dollars but to me it was nice just helping a family. Heck so I had a couple less beers or whatever! I'd like to help them more in the future because that's how they affected me! Muslims, Christians or whatever nationality they are is of no importance. They were just a sweet kind family who needed some assistance! Yeah some may ask why pick them? Well I just met them and tried to help.
Hey I'm not rich, in fact I don't have a job or a home address. But I had a couple bucks so why not help someone before I piss the few dollars away! I know this sounds corney - seeing that it's Christmas and all but it makes me feel good to help people! I've always said I'm here for a good time and not a long time! Well part of this good time is not just partying but doing things my way and one is buying or doing things for people I like!
Anyway back to Lamu Island. Well the people are of course Kenyan of Swahilli background mainly of Muslim faith! I've lived in Saudi Arabia and Oman but while the people here are strong Muslims they are not fanatical but quite tolerant. Heck they allowed me there so they have to be tolerant.
The town of Lamu has narrow streets and reminds me of Arabic towns I saw in Saudi or Oman. I found it fun to walk down the streets in the evening eating snacks for dinner from the various carts or stalls. It was dark but a person always felt safe. I stumbled down them many nights finding my way back to my little 3rd class hotel. Heck it got to the point that for a few days I'd leave my bags with the guy running the local laundry. Then towards the evening I'd look for a place to stay. I guess I always felt I'd find a cheaper place to stay. But in reality if I had stayed at just 1 place for a few days I'd have probably received a better rate. But once a fool always a fool!
Heck after 3 nights of carousing and whatever I decided to head out to Seaha beach (can't remember the name) with Maria and Michelle (2 Irish chicks) who wanted to suntan. The beach is about 40 min walk from town or 10 mins by $1.50 dhow (boat). The beach is beautiful and long. We hung around the beach for awhile but since I'm not a sun worshipper I decided to check out the village. I came across a cheap place to stay among the expensive resorts so I decide to stay the night. I fell asleep till about 830 pm and found no one else in the house I was staying. It was so quiet in the village that night that I couldn't find a place to eat that night. So I took my mp3 player, joint and laid in a rubber dingy and watched the stars till about 3 am. That was so peaceful and isolated that it was great! However the next day I decided I had enough isolation and headed back to Lamu town.
I hooked up with Khadija and Evangilina and partied for the rest of the week. Unfortunately I didn't have time to bus it from Lamu back to Nairobbery. So I had to fork out the price of a plane from Lamu to Nairobbery to make my flight home! I don't know if I'll ever make it back to Lamu Island again but it was fun and I left some good friends there.
Well I made it out of Kenya and Africa after some crazy experiences. I can't say I'll ever forget my time there or if I'll ever remember some of my time there! Yeah it was that kind of time! It was all good fun but some times shit happens and quite often it happens to me!
I've done a lot of travelling around the world but I must say that the Africans are the friendliest people I've met! They are always smiling even if their life style isn't the best as they say "Hakuna Matata" (no problem). So I sort of hung on to that phrase as my motto while there and since. I saw a lot of poor people who still smiled and were happy. You have some one back home in that predicament and they would be soooo down! Someone asked me how I would compare say Africa and Asia. I'd have to say that I loved Asia but I found the Africans (East Africa) were much more hospitable and friendly!
I sort of felt sorry for some I met and ended up helping them when I could. Yeah I probably got lied to and suckered by their stories but no regrets as I did it because I wanted to help. I'd get invited to people's homes for meals and see that they bought meat for dinner. Then I'd notice that no one else was eating the food but me. So I'd think this is probably the only time they bought meat in months. So feeling guilty I'd leave them some money for food. At one home I also noticed that there was about an inch of water on the floor. They told me that their tap wouldn't stop dripping when they cooked. They couldn't afford to get it fixed so I offerred them money to get it fixed. The cost wasn't much but I left feeling better about helping the family. They were just awesome to me and the kids were so grateful for the candy I brought them. It's one of those times I felt guilty for being born in a rich country and they weren't.
I had a night layover in London on the way home and met up with this Aussie guy and his sister on their way to Denmark. So we headed to a pub for a meal and ended up having a few beers. They mentioned this liqueur called Ambience or something that was 73% liquor and could knock u for a loop. Well I tried it and yeah it does that. I was told to light the liquor and then immediately put my palm over the glass to cause a vacumn then you inhale the air and shoot the drink. I was told it isn't allowed in Canada (not sure if it's sold in the US) as it has a sort of hallucagen in it. I saw a bottle in Heathrow the next day but didn't buy it as it cost 24.95 pounds ($60) duty free.
I hooked up with a lot of the local Kenyans and they showed me a good time. I especially spent my time with 2 chicks - Khadija and Evanglina who were beautiful and crazy good time people! Through them I met a lot of the people I wouldn't have otherwise met! Because of the small size of the town comes gossip and stories of some people and their reputation. Unfortunately these 2 girls were given a bad rap of being trouble makers (matata's). However they weren't trouble makers or prostitutes as some called them. Because we never did anything as a group but dance, drink and party. Most of all there were no payment on my part or anyone for that matter!
Khadija is Muslim and comes from a poor family. I met her family who were friendly and nice. I felt sorry for them as the family of 8 lived in a 2 room with no bed or even mattress. So like a sucker that I am I couldn't help but get them a couple mattresses to sleep. I brought the kids a bag of candy and they were so excited. It costs maybe a few dollars but to me it was nice just helping a family. Heck so I had a couple less beers or whatever! I'd like to help them more in the future because that's how they affected me! Muslims, Christians or whatever nationality they are is of no importance. They were just a sweet kind family who needed some assistance! Yeah some may ask why pick them? Well I just met them and tried to help.
Hey I'm not rich, in fact I don't have a job or a home address. But I had a couple bucks so why not help someone before I piss the few dollars away! I know this sounds corney - seeing that it's Christmas and all but it makes me feel good to help people! I've always said I'm here for a good time and not a long time! Well part of this good time is not just partying but doing things my way and one is buying or doing things for people I like!
Anyway back to Lamu Island. Well the people are of course Kenyan of Swahilli background mainly of Muslim faith! I've lived in Saudi Arabia and Oman but while the people here are strong Muslims they are not fanatical but quite tolerant. Heck they allowed me there so they have to be tolerant.
The town of Lamu has narrow streets and reminds me of Arabic towns I saw in Saudi or Oman. I found it fun to walk down the streets in the evening eating snacks for dinner from the various carts or stalls. It was dark but a person always felt safe. I stumbled down them many nights finding my way back to my little 3rd class hotel. Heck it got to the point that for a few days I'd leave my bags with the guy running the local laundry. Then towards the evening I'd look for a place to stay. I guess I always felt I'd find a cheaper place to stay. But in reality if I had stayed at just 1 place for a few days I'd have probably received a better rate. But once a fool always a fool!
Heck after 3 nights of carousing and whatever I decided to head out to Seaha beach (can't remember the name) with Maria and Michelle (2 Irish chicks) who wanted to suntan. The beach is about 40 min walk from town or 10 mins by $1.50 dhow (boat). The beach is beautiful and long. We hung around the beach for awhile but since I'm not a sun worshipper I decided to check out the village. I came across a cheap place to stay among the expensive resorts so I decide to stay the night. I fell asleep till about 830 pm and found no one else in the house I was staying. It was so quiet in the village that night that I couldn't find a place to eat that night. So I took my mp3 player, joint and laid in a rubber dingy and watched the stars till about 3 am. That was so peaceful and isolated that it was great! However the next day I decided I had enough isolation and headed back to Lamu town.
I hooked up with Khadija and Evangilina and partied for the rest of the week. Unfortunately I didn't have time to bus it from Lamu back to Nairobbery. So I had to fork out the price of a plane from Lamu to Nairobbery to make my flight home! I don't know if I'll ever make it back to Lamu Island again but it was fun and I left some good friends there.
Well I made it out of Kenya and Africa after some crazy experiences. I can't say I'll ever forget my time there or if I'll ever remember some of my time there! Yeah it was that kind of time! It was all good fun but some times shit happens and quite often it happens to me!
I've done a lot of travelling around the world but I must say that the Africans are the friendliest people I've met! They are always smiling even if their life style isn't the best as they say "Hakuna Matata" (no problem). So I sort of hung on to that phrase as my motto while there and since. I saw a lot of poor people who still smiled and were happy. You have some one back home in that predicament and they would be soooo down! Someone asked me how I would compare say Africa and Asia. I'd have to say that I loved Asia but I found the Africans (East Africa) were much more hospitable and friendly!
I sort of felt sorry for some I met and ended up helping them when I could. Yeah I probably got lied to and suckered by their stories but no regrets as I did it because I wanted to help. I'd get invited to people's homes for meals and see that they bought meat for dinner. Then I'd notice that no one else was eating the food but me. So I'd think this is probably the only time they bought meat in months. So feeling guilty I'd leave them some money for food. At one home I also noticed that there was about an inch of water on the floor. They told me that their tap wouldn't stop dripping when they cooked. They couldn't afford to get it fixed so I offerred them money to get it fixed. The cost wasn't much but I left feeling better about helping the family. They were just awesome to me and the kids were so grateful for the candy I brought them. It's one of those times I felt guilty for being born in a rich country and they weren't.
I had a night layover in London on the way home and met up with this Aussie guy and his sister on their way to Denmark. So we headed to a pub for a meal and ended up having a few beers. They mentioned this liqueur called Ambience or something that was 73% liquor and could knock u for a loop. Well I tried it and yeah it does that. I was told to light the liquor and then immediately put my palm over the glass to cause a vacumn then you inhale the air and shoot the drink. I was told it isn't allowed in Canada (not sure if it's sold in the US) as it has a sort of hallucagen in it. I saw a bottle in Heathrow the next day but didn't buy it as it cost 24.95 pounds ($60) duty free.
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