Into Kenya

Kenya is something else: poor, beautiful, wild, and about a million other adjectives. One I would not use is developed. The roads here are crazy. What we would consider to be a two lane road turns into a six land highway in a matter of seconds. It is nearly as exciting as a NASCAR race that goes three wide into turn four (I can't believe I referenced NASCAR). Cars swerve, honk, and edge there way down the main highway, which connects Mombasa on the coast, to Nairobi (the capital), to Uganda, and even on into the Congo. Driving down the road you take in a breath full of dust and diesel fumes and struggle to clear it from your throat before inhaling another mixture. We ride along in Range Rovers just inches away from people walking, bicycling, and 5+ ton trucks. Dust swirls the entire way. Even when you are on a paved road it seems like dust is as common as the air you breath.

Along the side of the roads are people lingering next to Coca-Cola stands or just walking around for reasons related to unemployment. People wait in long lines outside of the factories on a daily basis for the chance at making a single day's wages. Yesterday we planted a forest of Acacia trees on the ranch we are staying at. There we were told that Kenyans who plant trees for the entire day would make 200 shillings. That is less than $3 for eight hours of work. We worked for 2 and 1/2 hours and I was spent. Kenya is definitely not a place for the weak willed.

In the national parks we've seen two cheetahs and a lion along with many other animals. Two days ago we went into the Great Rift Valley where some anthropologists believe mankind came from. The Rift Valley is the supposed site of the Garden of Eden, but today it is far from lush and home to only the Maasai and their cattle. It is now nearly completely arid and a very hot place. It is really amazing to see the Maasai. They wear the most beautiful colors and somehow always seem to look clean. After one day all of my clothes were covered in dust.

Overall, I find the Kenyan people to be friendly and easy to talk with. At first my Swahili was enough to get by with basic greetings, but now I can have brief conversations without much effort. They get such a kick out of people that are learning the language. Most are willing to teach you a new word or phrase. However, you must be willing to take some laughing at in return.

Anyway, I must be going. We need to leave Nairobi soon or it will take hours to get out of the city.

Kwa Heri (goodbye),

Jordan

This Is Going To Last Me For Three Months?

The title of this post is basically the question that keeps going through my head the last few days.  How do I know what I will and will not need while I'm gone. The answer I came up with, a very obvious answer, is - I won't.  I can only try to prepare, but I did make a list of three things that I MUST take in order to have a successful trip.  1) A pen and paper to write down what I see, think, and most importantly to catalog the little things that I otherwise would forget.  2) A camera to capture those moments in time and place.  3) A clean haircut, because as you all know, I'm known for my aerodynamics.  Not really but I can dream.  The third important thing that I'm taking is a poncho incase a monkey throws poop on me.  I would hate to be the guy that gets hit with poo and then brings back some wicked disease to the US that makes everyone freak out.  A disease like ape flu, the deadlier cousin to swine flu.

Anyway, I leave at 7:30PM on Saturday and its hard to imagine that I went to Africa nearly one year ago and when I got home all I wanted to do was return.  Now I'm going back.  Pretty amazing, but I still have no idea what to expect.  I've heard that East Africa is like night and day from Souther Africa.  Different histories, cultures, landscape, and so on.  It should be an interesting trip in which I'll learn so much that my head will probably swell to even more enormous proportions then what it is now, but that's a small price to pay for all that I am about to learn.  

I need to go and make final preparations for my date with destiny.  As I've said before, I will update this blog as frequently and consistently as I can.  It is my hope that this blog will serve as a sort of portal into not only what I'm doing but to the region of East Africa as a whole.  Take care and be safe.  

Saying Goodbye

Today was one of those really surreal moments that happen when you stop and think, "Wow, this is really happening" or "I can't believe I'm going to do this."  I think they often happen before big purchases and weddings.  It happened as I was leaving my neighbor's house and Geoff (my neighbor) looked at me and said, "Well I probably won't see you again, so have fun in Africa and enjoy your trip."  He is getting his wisdom teeth pulled and is leaving East Lansing tomorrow.  I have other friends from back home that I go extended periods of time without seeing, but this instance was the first time that I really thought about how I'm going to another hemisphere, another continent, and an entirely different way of life.  I truly am leaving it all behind.  Crazy.  

I should be somewhat used to this sort of thing.  I've already said goodbye to my best friend Brandon and when all is said and done over four months will have passed between saying goodbye and seeing him again.  When I return in August it'll be something like eight months since I've seen my roommate Jeanne (she took an internship in LA).  Yet saying goodbye today was the first time that my leave away from home really hit me.  Luckily, this thing called the internet was created and I'm sure that it will allow me some sense of normalcy and a way of keeping in touch with everyone back home.  

That brings me to my next and final point.  I would really encourage and appreciate any comments on either my facebook page or this blog.  Not that I really care what you all are doing (haha I'm only kidding) but in case of a homesickness attack, I'm sure reading any comments and message would offer me some sort of a remedy.  Not to mention I won't feel completely out of my element when I return and at least know a bit of what has been going on. Just remember my mother may read them, so any inappropriate jokes should be made so that she can laugh at them as well.