#39 My family and stay in Kenya, an experience you can't book through any tour

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After finishing the tour trip in Nairobi we spent the day at the police station and around because EGG got her passport stolen. She is home safe now so life goes on. If you are traveling in a big city that you aren't familiar safe be careful with your stuff, people are trained to steal. Oh yeah, the police station didn't have a fax machine to have a copy sent to and when we asked if the embassy was open they said they didn't know. When we asked if we could use a phone to call and find out they pointed us to the pay phone: thanks boys, keep up the good work.

I was picked up by family of my friend from South Africa, Miyere. After not long it was established that I call her mom and the girls with her my sisters. It turned out not just to be names they truly did treat me like family. We went back to the house and had dinner while we got to know each other. They gave me my own room while 4 of them shared another. I was then picked up after dinner by another sister who lived on the other side of town and shown around to different bars and clubs. The busy bars besides having all people with darker skin than I were the same as anywhere in the world; lots of people drinking, talking loud and listening to music or watching sports on tv, I want africa not a bar.

The next day I was taken to Auntie's where I met my aunt, uncle and cousin's. They run about 5 different groups there beside taking care of the farm and family. A youth group, a group to raise money to get water to people who live in the country and can't get fresh water, a group for awareness of the maasai people and a group to help runaway girls who leave home because they don't want to be circumcised and married off anywhere between 12 and 17 years old. A girls circumcision consists of having their clitoris cut off; I know it hurts just thinking about it. There is a lot of interesting stories and things happening in this part of the world. I also heard about the Koreans in Kenya who cook and eat cats. Not only that but they don't kill the cat before putting it in the oven. The family I was staying with is friends with a girl from Rwanda who saw her dad executed, her mom gang raped before she was beaten to death and she herself was buried alive only to be dug up and rushed to the hospital in time to save her life; you'll think twice again when you think you've got it bad huh?
I will get back later on the girls in the maasai life and what they are trying to do to help them get educated and to end the bad customs, it is bad because circumcision for girls is very dangerous and can lead to diseases and big problems.
On the other hand the night I arrived there was a celebration for the boys of the village who had been circumsized. It was ironic that while they lie in bed in pain we all eat a great meal and celebrate the night. When it was mixed company in the room talk was of travels, cultural differences and family. When the women left the room talk turned to how many different animals the different men have killed during their life and none could believe I've never slaughtered a goat before: oh forgive me. One guy had killed five lions, 2 elephants and a rhino; I had nothing to say but that I was beaten. After dinner everyone here uses toothpicks, they are quite skilled with them. In their custom when they get the food out of their teeth they just spit it out anywhere in the room (some people I know would fit it this culture with these habits).

The next morning I woke up early and milked my first cow. It was weird but quite enjoyable; is that wrong?. They said I wasn't bad for my first time, that doesn't mean in anyway that I was good at it. They couldn't believe I've never milked a cow. This day it was the independence day so we went to a neighboring village and watched singing, dancing, and skits which taught us about being smart about HIV. After we went to a restaurant and had a lunch paid by the government. I then went to learn how to make a pair of sandals from tires. I had a great teacher and after a couple of hours with a huge crowd watching the mazungu make the sandals I completed it. (After wearing them for a day I had cuts on parts of my feet where the tire dug in which later led to my food swelling, I need to fix them).

Bungee jumping, white water rafting, sky diving; these are nothing. Deworming cattle!!! This is what we did the following morning. It consists of grabbing these massive animals by the horns, ears, legs or tail; usually taking 4-5 people and holding long enough to put the seringe of medicine in the back of its mouth. It was very difficult even to watch which is what I did: someone had to take pictures.
I spent a fair part of this day herding the cattle which is probably the most important thing in the maasai life; cattle=life. I asked uncle if he had 30 cattle and had a choice of losing the cattle of his wife he replied "I can get another wife". After herding I met the people from the different groups in town before heading back to Nairobi to have dinner with mom and sisters.

The next morning mom and I headed out on a 12 hour journey to "Boma"=home, in another part of the country where Miyere and the family are from. We started off waiting on a bus for 2 and 1/2 hours before we left because they don't leave until the bus is full; and I mean full. I sat with a baby's head on my chest, a woman's arm restingon my knee and a baby's hand on my other leg while sitting in a seat that only had room for half of my back with luggage crammed all around me. These are the times that I wish I had stuck with the good old whitey tighties that hold me snug so I don't have to keep adjusting to get comfortable in my crammed space. They there is a moment of room and I remember why I switched to boxers and boxer-briefs, so that my boys down low can swing with the movement of the bus as it hits crater size potholes. I told you before I visited Ngorgoro crater which is the largest crater in the world; well I am convinced that the next 10 biggest are in the roads throughout Africa. When we reached the end of the road with the bus we had to switch to a Matatu (=dala dala). In this big van with 14 seats they fit 21 in so I was even more scrunched than on the bus. I was relieved when two people got off until they decided that since two got off we would put 4 more on making it a grand total of 23; holy shit!!!

After we survived the ride we arrived home to Kilgores with open arms and met my other aunt and cousins. Much of the time during the couple of days here was spent relaxing drinking tea (made from real tea leaves, real milk, real sugar, so it tasted different than any tea I've ever drank) and talking. During the talks the little kids would spend their time petting me. They would have their hands in my hair, on my arms, legs, hands and feet since many of them have never seen a white man before and if they have they haven't seen one as hairy as me. I really didn't mind at all, at least someone was paying attention to me right? When it was time to sleep I was taken to the room of the two boys that were close to my age and I spent most of my time with, Licky and Antoni. Their culture when they have guests is to never leave them alone because they think it is rude, but when I told them they didn't have to sleep in the bed with me and I'd be alright they left only to be yeld at by their mom. So they dragged a mattress into the room so I wouldn't be alone in the room.
I met lots of grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors and most of the community since we also went to a wedding. It was quite fun and I was the main attraction for the little kids, many who were scared of me and would cry just from seeing a white man.
A couple of the cattle were sick and had to be injected with medicine so I grabbed the ears and legs and wrestled it to the ground while they stuck it with the needle.

I ate sugar cane for the first time which was quite delicious. While they ate it with their teeth; everyone from gramps to the 2 yr old, they wanted to cut mine for me so it would be easier. This like many things I had to refused getting babied beyond belief; how soft do they think I am?

There was no electricity or plumbing.
I crapped for the first time in the bush. On my way to this mission I had envisioned how it would be. It's a lot more work than what I'm used to. Unlike my normal style where it's my time to relax maybe with my feet up, a book in hand, possibly even a short nap, this going in the bush is what I would imagine the CIA's work to be like. Get in quick, check around for danger (plants, wild animals, someone with a spear) take care of business and get out. I was however quite proud of myself when I finished, more than anything because I was worried about my body at this point (it had been almost a week before I pushed some brown out). When I went back they were all curious how it went and I told them I was happy the stump was there for me to hold onto. They wanted me to show them my stance which by the laughs I took to be the wrong one. I then learned how to squat the right way which made me want to try again.
They taught me maasai dances and songs which was good fun, it involves lots of jumping which I'm always up for. It was really great just to be immersed in their way of life and for them to accept me as one of the family. They really didn't want me to go and told me to tell my family at home that they love them too since now they are part of the family through me.
I got to know much more about their culture and how life is in that part of the world which I will explain in the next blog.

They LOVED the cameras, mainly for the reason that no one has one and they have never used it. It was a fight every time I took them out for who got to use it. When there was something to tape and I asked them to tape about 5 minutes to see a little of it I always had to go intervene after 15 or 20 minutes or else it would go until the tape ended. With the still camera after every shot, everyone wanted to see how it looked which would take much more time than the actual setup and picture taking.

We all had lots of laughs and good discussion and when I left after such a short time I really did feel like I've been there for a long time and have known these people for ever. The visit will always be with me and they will always be my Kenyan family.

(Kenyan) Mom and I headed back home the following morning on an express matatu and got the front seat so we had some leg room; it was a much better experience than on the way there. We were met at home by sisters who had big hugs for me. We looked at the pictures, listened to music and had dinner before my last night in Kenya.

I leave tonight to Cairo and then after a few days head to Kuwait.

It has been one hell of a journey so far and it amazes me to think it's only half over. Thanks to all of you who have been part of my journey and experience and making it what it is.


Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. -- Gandhi