Up Country

We got home from Mombasa early Saturday morning. Then on Monday mid afternoon Alfred called us and said "we are going to Kisuum on Wednesday or Thursday. What day works better for you?" No really choice at all and no advanced notice. We picked Wednesday because on Saturday we already had plans that could not be canceled. The rest of Monday and Tuesday were spent washing did
-ty clothes from Mombasa and repacking everything. Right after class on Tuesday we headed off to Nairobi to send the night to catch the bus early in the morning on Wednesday. The Otieno's decided to take a day bus so that Megan and I could see the Country side. It was wonderful. Not like the drive from California to Utah. It was green, all green and lush. I was expecting not to see anyone for a while but that was not the cause. you would not drive for more then 5 minutes with out seeing someone herding there cattle or farming. 

Legit in the middle of NOWHERE Kenya people live. It was crazy. They had no cars, no running water, no electricity. I do not know how they do it. Once we go to the city we were staying in we caught 5 boda bodas to the Otieno's house. Those boda boda men were so nice and funny the second we got off the bus they drove up and were like MUZUNGU!! (white person) TAKE ME!!! hahahaa

The Otieno's house is still being built, shoot it has not even begun to be built so for right now they just have a temporary house.

This house was just one whole room with a sheet in the middle to divide the bedroom from the sitting/cooking/dining room. It hosted 8 children, 6 adults 5 chickens, 2 rosters and 5 chicks. Yes we slept with the animals inside the house, if not they would get stolen. we also slept with all the construction tools and cement they would get stolen as well.

When we got there they were just finishing up the bathroom. It was so nice. The boys working on it did such a good job!
We were living the real Kenyan dream with no electricity, or running water. It felt just like camping. We walked miles everyday.
Once we got to the house put our things where they belonged we walked to the shop to buy things for dinner that night. The neighbor girls, Millie and her sister heard that the Otieno's were home so they rushed right over. 

Little did we know they would become our bffs while we were there. The next day started off with 5:30 am wake up call for family prayers and the roster waking everyone up and the kids heading off to school. Megan and I were more then exhausted with not being able to sleep very well that night. Her ring worm was driving her crazy and I got 5 mosquito bites with in 15 minutes of trying to fall asleep. (how i missed my net) We just laid in bed half asleep until 7:30 then we took a shower ate and went to Millie's house to see what they were doing for the day. They invited us to go to the salon with them and of course we went!

Getting hair washed

Megan decided to get lines on one side of her head

The ladies in the salon wanted a picture, please excuse the lady to the left she is feeding her children. Once we got back to there house Alfred said where have you been? Ester is waiting for you. So we headed back home to see what was up and that is when we headed to the Abilas grandmothers house. We were told it was just up the hill to jump on a boda boda and we would basically be there. Little did we know that once we were up the hill we would walk another mile all down hill to grandmas house (remember what goes down must come back up)

 

one of the most beautiful black women I have ever meet

We stopped off at Grandma's granddaughter's house to see if Grandma was there. She was not but she took us down to Grandmas. 

Grandma's house. It was so lush reminded me of New Zealand. There were cows, sheep, chickens and goats just grazing on the lawn. Once we get there grandma was SO excited to see us. (white visitors) She came over said hello in the only English that she knew. 

Then she sat down to talk to Easter. That is when Easter told her that Megan was dating her grandson Oscar. (witch is a lie. they are not dating at this time but we could not tell her that.) She was SO excited and greeted Megan again and again and hugged her and shook her hand a brillion times. It was so great. Then she said I am going to cook you one of my chickens and beans. Which I was totally fine with because I was hungry. Little did I know. This would turn into a 3 course meal in one hour. She called in the chickens by clicking her tongue and then killed it for us. While it was cooking we went out side to eat our beans and maze. We also played jump rope with the kids and watched as they climbed the trees.

Megan always tells me that I need to eat EVERYTHING when ever we go over to someone else house. Which is common sense especially when they are sacrificing there food for you. (guess who did NOT eat all of there maze and means-that would be Megan) You know I finish my plate chocking down the last couple of bites cause I was so full. Then comes the bread and hot coco. Eat all of that and a 2nd cup of coco. I have no idea where that went. Then, we are called inside to eat the chicken soup and ugali. OH my.

  More food. Mind you we walked down a HUGE hill that means we have to walk back up it full. This is when I about died. I finished my food and almost fell asleep just sitting there. For reals food a coma. Never have I been so over full in my life. We then said our goodbyes and went back home. 

Once we got home we went right to the high school to ask if we could come and visit the students the next day. They said of course the students would LOVE that! So we set up a time for the next day at ll. Then we just walk around town. It was so fun and nice. Megan and I were some of the first white people these people have ever seen in real life. While we walked by everyone would stop and stare with there mouths WIDE open in shock everyone had to greet us and say hello. If we walked to close to some children they would run off screaming and crying. But none the less everyone was so kind and welcoming. 

The school kids especially LOVED us.

On the way home we ran into Millies friend who walked us home. 

The next day we get up get ready take a shower and head over to Milie's house to see if she was ready for the day to go to the high school with us. Once she got ready we walked down to the high school to 'teach'.

(sighing in) 

(the students) 

It was wonderful. The students just asked us about America and our schooling and what we like to do and how college is and what they do for the talented students. I loved it!! 

Then when we were leaving we stopped by the elementary school basically just to take pictures with the children.

When we were leaving the school is the same exact time that the children were going home for lunch. You know they were all more then excited to walk home with the 2 muzungus that just visited them in class. 

One of the boys was running down the hill and cut open his arm pretty good. Megan was more then excited to help him out with her handy first aid kit!!

After walking with the school kids we walked to the shop to get some water. There we meet up with one of Millie's friends..I swear to you she knows EVERYONE. (maybe cause it is a tiny town and everyone does know everyone) But he had on these shoes that I had been looking for so I asked him where he got them and he said town in the market, and guess what...just our luck it was MARKET day. So I looked at Megan and said LETS GO! Millie asked us over and over if we were sure. YES we were! We were more then sure! It is so weird for Kenyans to just pick up and go they are always like pole pole which means slowly. We hoped on 3 motorbikes and off we went! While we were there we got shoes for the family we were staying with. None of the children had shoes except for there school shoes and I noticed that the fathers shoes had broken while we were there. 

They were MORE then happy. They told us thank you over and over and over. Some times I think we take shoes for granted. Shoot sense we have been here Megan has gotten at least 2 pairs of shoes. Shoes is such a little things but for someone who does not have any it makes all the difference. 

After we gave out all our shoes to the family we packed up and headed home. 

It was a good trip all in all. I learned that I am a terrible Kenyan because I will not kill a chicken, I do not like 5am family prayers, I do not eat enough, I walk too fast, I like running water and electricity (at least at night) and I do things the wrong way always. Other then that it was a good trip and I meet a lot of people I will never forget. 

Coast

Walking home from church one Sunday afternoon Megan says, 

"Kaleigh, lets go to Mombasa this week" 

That is where it all began. The next day I walked to Babus house and asked him how we even get to Mombasa, its like 7 hours away. He said 'let me come and I will book a bus.' The next day we were off. We took a night bus not wanting to waste time. We got to Mombasa at 7 am on the dot. We took a boda boda (motorbike) to our hotel and checked in. The bus ride was well..it was really hard to sleep on so once we got to the hotel I slept for about an hour and a half. Then got up and walked to the beach with Megan. You know we walked out our gate took a right and it was about a 3 minute walk down the road. 

The beach looked like a dream. The sand was so white and the water was so clear. Everyone would stop and talk to you, okay maybe I would have been okay with out that, it made a 30 minute walk into 3 hours. Everyone was trying to convince you to buy their thing or go on a snorkeling trip with them.  Beach boys is what we would call them. 

(a beach boys that walked with us)

After a good walk down the beach we headed back to the hotel to see what else we wanted to do while we were in Mombasa. That is when we meet Jochen from Germany. What a blessed soul. He lived in Eldoret 2 years ago for 2 years teaching German and he was just back for a holiday and to visit his old students. We asked him what we should do while we were there. He said Old town and Fort Jesus. So off we went. Fort Jesus..I still do not really understand what it is but it has to do something with the Portuguese coming to Kenya and the Kenyans did not like it so they build the building or fort or base what ever it is called as a shape of a person to keep the Portuguese out. 

Then Old Town is just an Old Town, nothing really to special. We walked around and looked in all of the little over priced shops. It was a very cute old town.

(all the posters are for the elections that are happening right now)

After that we headed back to our hotel took a shower and watched a movie for the rest of the night. 

The next day we headed to the beach again to ask and figure out prices for snorkeling. Then headed back to the hotel and jumped into the swimming pool. Oh my how I LOVE the water. Then we went back to Old Town to get some Hena done from this proper Hindu lady. It was so relaxing and peaceful.

That night we went to Nairobi's Java House and had dinner. Megan had a salad and I got fajitas. YES American food in Kenya..or Mexican food, it was so so good! (It is a good thing that the closest one to us is over an hour away because you know we might frequent that place often.) Then we went back to the hotel showered and watched The Life of PI.

The next morning we woke up and walked to the beach to solidity our snorkeling trip plans. Then we headed back to the hotel to find Jochen. We had breakfast plans with him but we could not find him anywhere. So we ordered breakfast at the hotel got dressed and ate while walking back to go snorkeling for the day. Jochen finally found us on the beach and decided he wanted to go snorkeling with us. Megs and I were so excited. He is so much fun to hang out with! So after the sail was patched up we were on our way to the reef. (we only waited like 45 minutes..good ol' Kenyan time)

while waiting a camel walked by, no worries its totally normal, not

our boat, our beach boy (the one in white shorts) and the captain in the speedo.

Jochen

a spider fish, this was NASTY and like a spider that just lived in the ocean

this picture was taken 30 seconds before I fell and got sea urchin in my toes

an eel

A puffer fish, my first time in real life ever seeing one of these things. It was so amazing! 

We just swam around for about 2 hours looking at fish and TONS of sea urchins while getting nice and burnt. Making it a pleasant night. hhaha that's a joke. As soon as we got back to the hotel we got dressed and headed over to Nairob's Java House where we were suppose to eat breakfast with Jochen so he was starving!!

I got a Beef  burrito and Megan and Jochen got fajitas. MM it was so good! Then we went back to the hotel where Megan and I repacked our bags took a shower and then took the bus home. We had a pit stop in a little tiny town in the middle of no where. It reminded us of our baby sister Taleah.

I loved Mombasa. I would go there again in a heart beat! 

Accident prone

Last week I was walking to the store. Walking the normal way I always do. Sure enough I found myself in a hole on the ground.  

A couple days later I was walking through town and I slipped on a rotten mango trying to cross the street. (only in kenya) 

That night while walking to the boys dorm to give one of the boys his medication I trip over the only log (of course) in my walking path. 

The next night while making dinner I burnt my wrist with oil. 

Then a couple days ago I was play with the boys on the marry-go-round. (I do not know what we call it in the US but it is this thing where the kids sit in it then you push it around. haha go figure) To get it going EXTRA super duper fast you run around in the middle holding the sides, well little known science fact if you get something going fast enough you get pulled to the edge of it. hens the nice little bruise on my leg. 

All of this in a week and a half. Oh how excited I am to see what the rest of the trip brings. 

This is Africa

I forgot my carry on in the airport. I put it down to grab the other bags and put them on the trolley as Megan exchanged our money. That night once we got to our house I realized it was not around. I called our taxi driver and asked him if we left it in the car. He stopped and looked...it was not there. The next day I called the airport asking them if they had found it. No they did not and really did not understand what I was talking about. Only thing left to do was go and look for it myself. So we call up our taxi driver John and we go back to the airport to find it. I go into the security office, they check me in and then go to baggage claim to ask for help. After talking to the guy and looking at all of the KSL 'yet to be picked up bags' it was no where to be found. The man helping me said I could look around so you know how your mom teaches you, look first where you last had it. So that I did and it was RIGHT THERE! Right under the stair case...2 days later right where I left it. The worker asked me do you believe in luck? because you sure a lucky one! It was a blessing that is for sure! Only in Africa.

As we were leaving the airport which is kind of in the middle of no where. Down this log road with a ton of pot holes in it, Juhn (john) our diver stopped the car right in an area that says "NO STOPPING ALLOWED" and opened his door and said look there is a giraffe. No freaking way. There is NO way there can be a giraffe just chilling right there (as in right there it was out in the distance). And yes there were. Not only one but three. Oh my. I died. A giraffe in the wild. Just chilling in the field by the airport, shoot we were not even out of the check point for the airport. Best thing ever. Only in Africa would this ever happen.

Blessings

Let me tell you a story, FOR reals a BLESSING in my life! So today we went to visit the mormon orphanage. its like a good I don't know hour and a half away to 3 hours away depending on traffic, how many stops you make, how fast you walk, and if you can find where you need to be going...but they just moved from where they were to this new place (duh what else do you do when you move...anyways) and it is not easy to get to. we had to go all the way into Nairobi to find station OTC to get onto 1960 matatu (taxi) then to ask them to drop us off at Bee Center where the boys would pick us up for a 15-20 minute walk to the new center easy right? #1 Nairobi is bleeping HUGE #2 Nobody has time to stop and help...okay not really we are white and lets be honest everyone(males) LOVE to help the white girls. #3 we asked 2 people where OTC is...and we get way way different answers. This is where the blessing comes in. After we turn around from asking the second person where this station is BAM there is my friend Dan, just waiting for us to notice him and more then willing to go WAY WAY WAY out of his way to help us! For reals!(where we needed to go was WICKED far from where we were...there is NO way we would have ever found it with out him.) For sure the lord is watching out for Megan and I! The last 2 times we have been lost in Nairobi someone from church that we know has randomly bumped into us and helped us. Random? i think not. Needless to say we got to the orphanage safely thanks to Dan, Oscar and Gabby.

Bergh Family

I was asked to do a photo shoot for a family in my home ward. This was my first family photo shoot ever. It finally decided to stop raining so we could schedule a shoot that worked for both of us. Here is a few of my favorites.