Another trip begins...

Hello friends and family!

I thought I'd keep up with my blog on this trip since I haven't done a single thing with it in almost two years! I can't believe it has been that long since I have done a solo volunteer trip... I'm so happy to be back :)

Well, I am here in Ekero, Kenya, just outside Mumias, which is about an hour and a half north west of Kisumu, on Lake Victoria (the source of the Nile, I can't wait to see it!) I'm sitting in Alicia' cute house, which is located within a school/boarding house for three hundred deaf children. It's a very safe place to be living, as it is all teacher housing, and it is well guarded and set back from the roads. It's quiet, too, as long as the children aren't too crazy :) She has an internet modem on her computer that we can buy megabytes for which is really handy!  As long as there is electricity, anyway, which comes and goes quite frequently. Yesterday when we arrived it was pouring rain, we were soaked through to the bone after walking in it for ten minutes... or rather trying and failing to run with my huge backpack and small roller bag and her small backpack and huge roller bag whilst dodging puddles, pot holes, and cow poo. So needless to say it was rather a bummer when we finally got inside drpping wet and cold and there was no electricity! We had flashlights and headlamps though and managed just fine. I was ready to sleep anyway after my four days of continuous travel :)  After leaving Minnesota I had a 10 hour layover in New York during which I had to switch airports, but after I got into the Delta Skyclub  at JFK it was quite nice! Even nicer, as a standby passenger I was extremely lucky and got to fly first class all the way to Belgium!  It was phenomenal.  In Beligum I took a train to Lueven, spent the day and night with two awesome friends that I met in Peru (Thanks Elise and Leen!), too the train back to Brussels at 5:20am, took another train at 6:15 to Amsterdam, then got on my flight to Nairobi at 11 am.  That was 8 hours, I arrived in Nairobi and Alicia picked me up and we went to a hotel for the night.

The next morning at 8am we boarded a bus for Mumias scheduled to take 10-12 hours depending on road conditions. Despite the heat and crowded bus situation, it was really a beautiful journey. The scenery here is just phenomenal, it was so beautiful... Nairobi is situated up on a plateau, and as you go down to the start of the rift valley it is just breathtaking... the trees that had huge bright red flowers just perched on top, mixed with the funky fingerlike cactus plants that look like electrified hairdos, then the trees who's roots entwine with the rocks on the ridges, just clinging to the edge of the copper colored earth.  As we crossed the rift valley we were looked out at the arid desert mixed with grasslands, admiring the craters and mountains in the distance, and I was particularly loving the flat -topped trees that looked somewhat like acacia trees, when suddenly I shouted--Oh my gosh a giraffe!! Two giraffes, no three!!! And Alicia shouted, Where, WHAT WHERE??! And I pointed them out and we both just squealed for joy while zooming past these three gorgeously long-legged creatures, stretching nimbly up to the tops of the tall trees for a mid morning snack, just alongside the busy road.  We were very lucky to have seen them as Alicia had not yet seen even one her whole time here!

The journey was long, but we arrived gratefully before the sun went down, had a quick and delicious meal in a local hotel (restaurant) of chapatti (a flatbread), ugali (a mashed corn paste) and skuma (a green kale-like vegetable sautéed with tomato, garlic and onion).  Very traditional Kenyan food, it was quite satisfying.  We then started the ten minute walk to Alicias, moving quickly in the hopes to avoided the impending rain... the thunder and lightening started though so we knew we wouldn't make it but we had no choice but to hurry on. Once it started there was no point in doing anything else we were instantly soaked through to the bone!! I luckily had my cover on my backpack to keep it dry but my roller suit case was questionable as to its imperviousness to water, and I had to lean way over to protect my bag and camera bag. But with the wind there was really no hope.  It was A DOWNPOUR.  I have never been in rain that hard! I couldn't even hardly see and we were dodging muddy potholes and slipping on the slick dirt road, with thunder and lightening all around and a few minutes of hail, it was really incredible!  Hmmm.... welcome to Kenya! But I have since been told it was good luck to arrive to a new destination in the rain. A true sign or just being nice... who knows?  Anyway I believe I wrote about this above as well, so I'll move on :)

Today was an amazing day, just incredible. I don't even know how to describe it all!  Alicia and I got up around 8, and had a quick warm breakfast of mash and bananas and then got on a motor-taxi to head to the Amani center, which is 15 minutes away. We were under the impression that they were making bricks today to build the new center, but when we arrived the flagged us down to come inside to the center instead of going ahead to the new site.  So we got off and there were hugs and kisses and a big beautiful sign that said "Welcome Maia", it was so sweet.  The gave us each a "flower" (a sparkly lei) to wear and immediately started the singing and dancing ceremony!  They sang "Welcome Maia" and "Very nice to meet you Maia" and many other such similar phrases in English and in their local language luhuya (sp?) which is similar Swahili. there was a lot of clapping and dancing and so much smiling and hugging and handshakes... it was very nice! I was so excited to meet them, and what a beautiful welcome.  We went into the classroom then and I introduced myself and Josef translated for the people who don't not know much English, and Alicia talked a bit and they all clapped and sang some more.  We then went to visit the construction site, just 5 minutes walk down the road to see where they were building the new center and how the brick making was going. They are so proud of the work they are doing as a community, it is just wonderful to see their dedication and commitment. We then walked back and had some delicious tea and chapatti prepared for us, and meanwhile another lady had come a little late and wanted to sing and dance for me as well so it all started again! This round, they all brought out their gifts they brought for me.... many people came up and handed me bunches of bananas, loaves of chapati, a few huge avocados, a pineapple, some eggs... oh I was just in tears at this point because these people have so little and for them to give me such a generous gift, as small as it may seem, and all in bags too which are a precious commodity here.. I was just full of emotions. It may have been lack of sleep as well, but wow I was still so touched by their generosity.  I am so looking forward to working with them and hopefully able to give them back a few small gifts in return.  I start my work tomorrow actually with a class for the children of the members.  They are very excited to have some events for the children because so far everything has been for the adults, which is a good focus, but they are ready to expand. So this is very good timing! We have one class tomorrow, one on Monday and Wednesday and Thursday, and then a regular adults class on Tuesday and Thursday. I will be staying busy! 

After staying and chatting a while we came back home, I was so tired, and I took a nice two hour nap, and by then there was running water and electricity (miracle!) so I showered (finally!!) and we just made a delicious dinner of rice, carrots, cabbage, onions and tomatoes with chapati and avocados on the side. Yum!  Okay, time to call it a night. I will try to add pictures at some point but that takes a lot of internet time and money... I have a few already though and Alicia took video of my welcome party :)  Lots of love to you all, please send me email updates from home I love receiving mail!

Love love love,
Maia