Cross That Off the List

This weekend two PC friends from the coast came to visit and we went on a game drive in Aberdare National Park, which is about a 45 minute trip from me. The animals we saw included a leopard and a black rhino. That plus the drive through Amboseli National Park on our way to Loitokitok—where I saw lions, elephants, and water buffalo—completes the “Big 5” safari animals to see in Africa. If I had a bucket list, seeing the Big 5 would be on it, and now I could cross it off. This weekend we also saw elephants, bushbuck, waterbuck, a monkey, a hyena, and about a million warthogs. The first animal we saw on our drive: a monkey.

Me in the safari car. It was a rough ride, so I spent most of it hanging onto the side rails and bracing myself. We took this picture when we were stopped.
Me, Jonathan, and Krystle on safari.
Me, Jonathan, and Krystle on safari. Me on safari again.
Looking out over the Aberdare Ranges. The whole sky filled up with huge storm clouds about halfway through the drive. I loved the way this sunbeam was still shining through.

We also ate really good food and I had more coffee in the two day weekend than I had in the entire first two months I was in Kenya. Of all the things I miss about the US, food is at the top of the list. I miss specific things like Sorrenti’s pizza and buffalo wings, bagels, and cheese, but I also miss the variety and availability of food. I miss being able to say “I’m in the mood for…” and being able to make it or buy it. Not that I have any right to complain; I have a comparatively good food situation at my site. While much of the country is experiencing famine or at least reduced food supply, my town market is always well stocked. With the same dozen vegetables, handful of fruits, and few starch staples. Even when I can get more exotic ingredients, either from the grocery store in the next town or Nairobi, I’m still pretty limited in how I can prepare them. Not having a real oven hinders the menu, as does only have one burner so that if I make spaghetti, I have to decide if I’d rather have cold pasta and hot sauce or hot pasta and cold sauce to determine which I cook first. This means I’m making a lot of stir fries and one dish creations with chopped up vegetables and a rotation of the herbs and spices I’ve acquired with either rice, pasta, or potatoes. I realize I talk about food kind of a lot in my blog, but it’s a big part of my life. (I even dream about it, but that could be the malaria meds!) It’s both a necessity and a time-consuming activity. I spend a significant amount of time planning what I’ll eat, budgeting for what I’ll eat, prepping and preparing what I’ll eat, and cleaning up after I eat. The eating itself is really a small part of my thinking about food.

Ok, back to the weekend. For my friends to get back to the coast they had to stay over one night in Nairobi, and since I had things to do for work in the city, I went with them. It was my first time being there without someone else who knew how to get around and I’m very proud of how well I managed. Without a map or bus schedule, I managed to get from the matatu stage to the hostel where we stayed, then to Sarit Center (an American-style mall) for pizza, then back to the hostel, then to the bank, PC office, and finally the matatu stage to go back to site without any snafus. You really have to experience Nairobi to understand why this feels like such an accomplishment. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s kind of a big deal!

This coming weekend will be our long-awaited language immersion weekend. I’m hoping that if I study and prepare this week, then by the time Friday rolls around I can take the test and pass it and then spend the rest of the weekend learning without the pressure of having to pass a test. Enough for now.

Miss you all! Love me.