Traveling on 21 March

Dublin-Amsterdam-Nairobi in one day

Wednesday evening, 21 March

It might be nearly midnight but then who knows for sure? I’ve changed time zones again so I’m just confused. The flight was uneventful from Amsterdam to Nairobi. I must have slept most of the 8 hours. I did eat lunch and then after I awoke, it was time for ice cream, then 30 minutes til landing.  The row next to me had three toddlers so there were lots of rounds of crying but I slept through most of it.

I exchanged dollars into shillings, bought a SIM card and 1000 shillings (about $13) worth of time for the cell phone I use in Kenya, paid my $50 visa fee and collected my one checked bag. Outside a taxi driver named Margaret was holding my name. We went to the car and on to the Presbyterian Guesthouse.  I checked in, made arrangements for Margaret to return in the morning and went to my room. I couldn’t get the wifi to work there so back to the lobby to send a couple of messages. I also sent text messages to Kenyan friends.

I have swollen feet and a headache but have taken some Aleve and pulled out the fitflops! I also nicked a bit of shortbread from the kitchen at Murlough so I have a tasty snack! I could be hungry since I’ve only had one meal in the last 26 hours and airline food at that….ice cream doesn’t count!

 It’s been hot in Kenya…awaiting the rains. Even late at night, it is still 73. If it’s this warm in Nairobi, I can only imagine Kisumu tomorrow. Fortunately, I’ll just be passing through as I go upcountry…higher altitudes and hopefully, not so hot.

The doors were open in the lobby and the sweet aroma of the blossoming trees wafted in…maybe jasmine or oleander.  I have stayed here before…in this very room! It was 2010 with Mary Glenn Hadley.

Thursday

Up at 5:15 by the cell phone alarm and the front desk call. As I was getting in the shower, I heard the Muslim call to prayers. Truly I am in another culture today! I hurried to the dining room for a quick cup of tea. They were beginning to lay out breakfast of scones, samosas, beans, boiled eggs, potatoes, pancakes and omelets but I was there before 6 and not all was ready. I did have a scone and a samosa with some Tangawizi (ginger) tea which was quite enough.

Peter arrived promptly at 6 to take me to the airport. He dropped me at domestic departures and I queued for Jetlink.  A kind of rude fellow was in front of me. He left his cart in the way at the security scan, and then muscled ahead in the line only to find he did not have tickets and would have to go on standby. He again left his cart in the way so I had to move this second one also. Then he stood in the way making calls to his friends.  Now of course, he did get a ticket and of course, he sat next to me as we awaited our boarding time. Seems he is from Houston and has helped set up MANY Bible colleges in Kenya and Uganda for “the nationals”. I wasn’t so impressed with him. He went on and on and finally asked if this is my first trip to Kenya. Tee hee! He did crank it down a bit after that. Our 45 minute flight was even ahead of schedule and I didn’t have to sit by the man from Houston.

Then I arrived at the Kisumu airport….my oh my! A totally new facility! It is very nice and spacious and clean. I was very impressed…I just hope the Chinese haven’t financed it. I did read in the newspaper as we drove to my hostess’ home about all the Chinese money that is paying for roads, wells, etc. in this country.

Janet Agoi , treasurer of USFW-K, and a driver met me and we were off to Vihiga district. We stopped a couple of times for small errands so the trip to Vihiga was longer than the flight from Nairobi. Janet has a lovely home off the road perhaps a mile. She and her husband worked for years in Nairobi but retired here. He died several years ago. She has electricity…when it’s on but no running water. (Janet’s daughter died in a road accident about a week after we lost Darian so we comforted one another.) After meeting the three young women (Ann, Pam and  Robai) who help her, I had a cup of tea and she showed me where I could rest. I had a very nice 3 hour nap. As I was awaking, I heard a very loud “snoring” noise. I was afraid it was me! Then I decided it was someone else but so loud. As I became more awake, I recognized it was the cow outside the window who was bawling. I’m so glad my snoring isn’t that loud!!

I had not been able to find some things this morning so I went through all my bags. On the third time, I found the last misplaced items. I think I know where everything is now! Lunch will be soon (maybe 2:30) and then we are expecting some USFW visitors in the late afternoon. It has been good to have a rest this day as the schedule is packed for the rest of the trip.

Lunch of beef with carrots, potatoes with carrots, cabbage, rice, sucumawiki (collard greens) was very nice! We topped it off with mango juice-my favorite!  The lunch was sort of Irish Stew but everything separate. :  )

Local USFW PC, me and hostess Janet Agoi

A group of women from theWadange Friends Church (Kadundu Quarterly Meeting, Vihiga Yearly Meeting) did arrive. First there were seven, then eight. They sang and chatted as we sat outside under the tree. The breeze was nice and refreshing.  I told them about Daisy in Greentown, the child adopted from Liberia, and her ululating; Janet translated and they were all happy with the story.  A young man came on a motorcycle to take our photos. We all lined up properly and the photos were snapped. Later another two women came in. I shared about the work of USFW-I and gave them copies of The Advocate. After a short visit, there were prayers and more singing as they departed.

Janet's home in Vihiga District

Ann prepared me a cup of coffee. I did some reading and felt very sleepy again so another nap was in order! The afternoon was very warm and the second three hour nap was good.  Supper was served…shredded carrots, carrots and potatoes, carrots and cabbage, green grams and chapatti! It was good! The house is still very warm. The windows had to be closed because the mosquitoes come out at dark so the heat from the afternoon is captured in the house. We watched some tv with a Spanish soap opera from South America dubbed in English, a soap opera in Kiswahili and a news magazine type show about torture in Kenyan prisons in the 1980s until present time.  At 10:30 I excused myself. I need to get on a regular schedule here so it is bedtime…even with the two long naps today. I think I will be ready for the visitations which begin tomorrow. (This may be TMI-too much information-but I have gone from sleeping in flannel pajamas and two pairs of socks and snuggled under a thick duvet to a simple t-shirt with no sheet but under a mosquito net in Kenya!!)