Karibu – Welcome

My eyes are stinging as I wrote this post. I am still adjusting to the different time zone and as I head to bed, I know a lot of you back home will be getting up in only a few hours. I wanted this post to be about what I noticed and observed about a country, which seems to be stuck between two worlds.

So far I have seen:

• Hundreds of people walking to work, walking on the highway, walking to the next town, just walking. Imagine a freeway back home with people walking on either side, on the middle strip, coming out from little huts, mountains and bushes.
• People sitting or sleeping on the side of the road…just relaxing or hanging out.
• Lots of huts built with scrap materials as shops or homes.
• Advertisements in English for Coca Cola, Panadol Extra, pizza and chewing gum.
• A funeral home promising best refrigeration.
• Two donkeys pulling a cart on the highway.
• Many police stops with spikes across the road, who I am told, are easily bribed.
• Many officers with large rifles.
• Buses with sky-high piles of furniture – then one of them going under a bridge and damaging the mattress.
• Lots of donkeys, ducks, turkeys, sheep, cows and goats just hanging out everywhere.
• Zebras grazing.
• A giant crater.
• A lake full of hippos (note did not see any hippos).
• Lots and lots of smiling, happy, excited children.

I also experienced the use of the public washrooms (toilets). After walking out of one because there was no toilet paper, and at first thinking I may have to squat in the low, ground bowl, (which didn’t bother me, but the lack of toilet paper did), I learned that I must always keep 10 shillings with me to purchase my toilet paper as I enter. That’s why the woman was sitting out the front selling ‘napkins.’ Very funny moment.

And a final note, I loved being told by a bright young lad who I will call J, that spending $30 for a Lorna Jane water bottle is ridiculous!

Short and sweet for today, but I will let the photos do the talking.

Gave me the biggest cuddle when we met

Denzel Washington aka Hezron my fabulous driver

Opening letters from their sponsers