First order of business for those who don't feel like reading a whole blog entry: my PO Box.
PO Box 5398
Malindi, Kenya 80200
Send anything that you wish!!
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I woke up to the sounds of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton this morning. Like taxes, there are just some things that you can't get away from.
Yesterday, my roommate and I were planning to drive down to Mombassa to run some errands for the school and to check out the town. I have been dying to play a musical instrument here, and there aren't any music stores in Malindi (with a culture so rich with musical history...I am surprised?) But, we got a late start. We were ready to leave and our landlord who lives upstairs offered us coffee. It is rude to refuse just about anything here, so we had to wait for it to be 'brewed.'
Although Kenyan coffee is some of the best in the world, all the Kenyans ever drink is instant NesCafe. The reason for this, explained by Ms. Abby Holland, it is all exported for profit. (The same is true of Latin American countries). I remember sugar is like this in Hawaii, too. There also may be refining that is done elsewhere.
Regardless, we were off to a late start. We decided to switch plans and take a matatu down the coast to the town of Kilifi, where many of Abu Bakar's friends live. We took a tuk-tuk to the unofficial 'bus station,' and got a matatu, which is a mini-bus that fits as many people as possible. They have jokes and t-shirts about these vehicles-- they are about the size of a VW Bus, they barely stop at the stops, and they are crowded and smelly. We probably had about 15 people inside at one point, people on top of each other... just a lot of fun. The ride took about an hour or so and we passed many small towns. As we rode, I wished desperately that I had the biological knowledge of Peter Sniffen or Ruth Poland-- there were so many interesting trees and ecosystems that we were driving through...just to conceptualize how everything fits together.
We arrive at Kilifi around 11 or so and proceeded to visit all sorts of people. It was a bit difficult, as it has been, to join in some of the conversations. Usually people speak Swahili when they are with friends, so I just listen and wait to be addressed. Let's face it, I was pretty bored. I could pick up on some of the things that they were saying, but the majority was spoken so quickly with words that I had no idea of. I'm sure I could have asked them to switch over to English, but I wanted Abu Bakar to enjoy his reunion.
The highlight of the trip, though, was the beautiful beaches of Kilifi. Aquamarine waters, calm waves... it was just beautiful. I walked along the shore for about an hour or so with my own thoughts. It was really nice.
I didn't realize that Abu Bakar, though, wanted to spend the entirety of the day there. He has many friends, so we didn't catch a bus back until about 10 in the evening. I was utterly exhausted.
Going to Kilifi made me miss home a bit-- seeing all of his friends made me realize how much reunions between friends and families are so special.
There is some other news, though, too: one of my colleagues knows of some Peace Corps Volunteers at Gede, right down the road. I hope that we can meet-- I haven't seen an American since I've been here (or if I have, I have mistaken them for an Italian).
Hope that the Giants win today... I see that the Pens are on a hot streak and my prayers go out to Joe Pa and his family. What a mess.
Signing off,
Adam
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