It is lush and green, even now at the end of the dry season. It is one of the safest countries in Africa. It is known as “The Pearl of Africa”. The staple dish is ‘matoke’, a mash of cooked plantains. It tastes like very gluey potatoes, but lumpier and Continue Reading
Africa
The Bus Trip
Today we rode the bus in Uganda. It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last. We caught a shared minivan, known as a ‘matatu’, from our hotel on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, to the area of town where the buses park. There are Continue Reading
Roughing It In Africa
Our first two weeks in Kenya have been tough. Food is scarce, and we spend much of our time scavenging. Local food is barely palatable, and Western food is rare, even in the cities. Accomodations are basic, cramped, and noisy. We are keenly aware of the need to protect our Continue Reading
Observations about Kenya
Some of our observations about Kenya: The temperature and humidity varies greatly based on elevation and proximity to the ocean. Very few people smoke. Far fewer than in Canada. The ‘matatu’, a shared mini-bus holding 16 people, is the most common form of transport. Accidents are common despite safety improvements. Continue Reading
The Lost Boys
We went for lunch in Kisumu, the town where Norma and Wayne used to live, before they left Kenya temporarily to avoid the violence that followed the last national election. The guide book says that the fish restaurants at the foot of Kisumu’s main street, on the shores of Lake Continue Reading
Don’t Mess with the Mizungu
We stopped in the town of Nakuru the other day, on our drive to Lake Nakuru National Park. Norma and Wayne wanted to purchase some roadside reflectors, a first aid kit, and a flashlight, as these are required items in a private automobile in Kenya. The fine for not having Continue Reading
Head of the Class
Diane’s aunt arranged for us to visit a school yesterday in the nearby slum. The director of the school is a friend of hers, and the slum is called Soweto (no relation to the slum by the same name in South Africa). Soweto is home to about 25,000 people. The Continue Reading
Feeling the Spirit
We arrived in Nairobi twelve hours ago. Our flight from Amman, Jordan was uneventful, though the connection in Cairo was rushed. We were met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Diane’s Aunt Norma and her husband Wayne at 4:00 AM. Norma and Wayne have lived in Kenya on and off Continue Reading
Egyptian Hospitality
Today is Yom Al-gu-m’a, or Friday in English, the weekly Muslim holy day. The mosques peal five times each day, the first before sunrise, and the last well after sunset, but on Fridays at around noon they also broadcast their ‘sermons’ over the loudspeakers. We’re getting used to it, and Continue Reading
The Pilgrimage
Yesterday, we set out on a hike through the desert near the city of Aswan. After taking a ferry across the Nile, we started walking near the Tombs of the Nobles, ancient Egyptian tombs from 2000 BC. We hiked up to a citadel high on a hilltop, then headed cross-country Continue Reading