Happy to report that our exuberance about Kenyan BBQ didn't go unnoticed by our Mountain biking partner, John. Here is the article he contributed for NPR's food blog, The Salt.
"So anytime there's nyama choma everyone's happy, I guess it's like barbecue [but] you don't barbecue for yourself, you call some friends, family over. It's not something you do on your own. It's considered to be a communal thing," he says.Article
Looking back on our time and blog posts to date, we realize we're still in trip honeymoon phase and obviously enamored by CTC. But it hasn't been all puppies and rainbows - or more appropriately, sunshine and giraffes. So, here is the "dirt" on our trip so far. There will be plenty more to come as we get road-weary, homesick, stinky, etc. Thanks for the inspiration Steph!
One-Stop-Shop
Bathroom
The
toilet + shower + sink combo at the Transit Motel, Maai Mahiu's finest
accommodation option, made for some interesting - and efficient - mornings in
Kenya. In addition to being able to get a lot done at one time, it kept options
close at hand. For example, if the hot water ran out or if the water shut off
altogether - both of which happened often - you could turn the sink into a wash
basin and make your own bucket shower. We later found out from a pediatric
neurosurgeon that the in-unit heater on the shower head is known affectionately
in medical circles as the "widow maker" due to the large number of
shorts and electrocutions. Insider
tips for using the one-stop-shop bathroom: wear rubber flip flops and keep the
toilet seat up when taking a shower.
While we're on the subject of bathrooms, it's worth mentioning that latrines / squat toilets (basically a hole in the ground) take some getting used to. Guys have it pretty easy on this one as long as you can hold your breath, but ladies, get ready for some trial and error. I've found the best practice to be bending forward at the waist versus squatting. It keeps you farther away from the hole and helps with aim. Just sayin.
Dust
Storm
During
the dry season, at least in Maai Mahiu, dust is everywhere. You will get dirty
- no exceptions. Avoid wearing white - I am now the proud owner of a brownish button
up shirt after making that mistake. And, bring a bandana to use as a mask when
things get really bad. Plus, you can tie it around your neck for protection
against the sun, use it to wipe off sweat and dust, wet it to cool you off or
tie back / hide dirty hair. Neither Brendan or I brought one and we are both in
hot pursuit.
African
Massage
Not
surprisingly, the roads in Africa have been pretty terrible. They are
completely unmaintained, meaning you're in for a rough ride no matter where
you're heading. The crew at CTC calls the turbulence an "African
massage." Traffic is also a huge problem. Our 45 minute trip into the
airport last week turned into a 2.5 hour ride due to traffic jams in Nairobi.
And that's on a good day. We also were 2 hours late meeting John for our bike
ride our first weekend in Maai Mahiu because our taxi was an hour late and then
couldn't travel any faster than 45 kilometers (about 30 miles) per hour. Public
transport (Mutatus are the equivalent to local buses in Kenya) also run on
their own time. They wait until they are full - we waited about 45 minutes for
22 people to pile in to a 10-seater Mutatu in Maai Mahiu. No suggestions here
except to come in with realistic expectations. You will get jostled. It will
take you significantly longer to get places. You might be shoved in between
smelly people with a random child or goat on your lap. Get used to it. And, be
prepared to call an audible. On our way back to Maai Mahiu after a hike with no
Mutatu in sight, we hitched a ride with a truck driver heading through on his
way from DRC to Mombassa. Not something we'd do everyday - or suggest to anyone
not in a group - but it got us home and made for a good story.
White
Trash
Never in
a million years would Brendan or I have imagined collecting trash in Africa.
But, in an effort to better understand Maai Mahiu's challenges and CTC's
services, we joined their waste management team for a Friday pick up. Wow. CTC
started the first official waste management services in Maai Mahiu about one year
ago. They encourage the community to participate by paying a small fee for the
services and employ local youth to do the pick ups once a week. Surprisingly,
it's been an uphill battle. People in Maai Mahiu are used to living with the
mess - its all they've ever known - and are slow to come around to paying for
services they aren't convinced they need. But, CTC is working to educate the
community on the benefits of waste management. To date, over 70 households have
signed up.
So, clad in jumpers, rubber boots, gloves and masks, we shoveled our way through one of the many trash piles found around the city and then collected bagged trash from about 30 households. We're so glad we did it - Brendan and I both felt really good about the day and apparently having Mzungus (white people) out picking up trash caused quite the stir and generated some buzz around the program. I can honestly say it was the DIRTIEST work we've ever done. Hats off to the CTC youth for doing it - it's so needed, but so smelly!
Carrying
On
I'm sure
most of you know this, but Brendan and I decided not to check bags during our 7
month trip. So, everything we own for the next half-year fits into a carry on
bag. There is a huge upside to this strategy - we save money on checked bag
fees, avoid lost luggage, have less to schlep around, etc. But, it also
introduces a few new obstacles. For example, if you only have three outfits,
you have to wash clothes. A lot. And, depending on where you are an how much
money you have to spend, that means hand washing in buckets, sinks, showers,
hoses or whatever you can get your hands on. We lucked out in Maai Mahiu
because the hotel let us borrow a bucket and a fellow volunteer donated some
clothesline and pins (thanks, Elaine!). Hand washing is great and not too
difficult, but in Africa, where everything gets extra dirty (as referenced
above), it's easy to be skeptical over how clean things actually get. Now that
we're in Zanzibar, we'll be sending everything out for a good, professional
scrubbing. If you're traveling light or long-term, pack some clothesline, pins
and a good travel detergent.
The other, and obviously girly, issue with carrying on is that you have limited options on what do wear for varied occasions. We'll both do more in-depth packing lists with our thoughts on what we brought, but no matter how great you pack, a carry on requires a certain amount of sacrifice. And even three weeks in, I'm missing my closet. I'd say my current advice would be to take a few things you love enough to wear everyday... Because you will be wearing them everyday. Oh, and make sure you keep up with it all. I'm already a jacket, hat and earring down (shocking, I know). Brendan is, as always, the ultimate boy scout with everything still in tact, in good shape and at the ready. Damn him.
That's the "dirt" on three weeks in Africa. We've appreciated the highs and lows and wouldn't change a thing. We're in Zanzibar now, which is beautiful with a really great energy, so there will be more posts soon! We'll try to keep it real and start including more travel recs now that we're officially on the road!
Our first Saturday in Maai Mahiu, we received an unexpected invitation to go mountain biking with NPR's East Africa Correspondent, John Burnett, in Hell's Gate National Park. We had never met John, knew nothing about Hell's Gate and couldn't find the park on the map. So, of course we accepted. According to John, mountain biking is a relatively new sport in Kenya, but it's growing in popularity. The gear hasn't quite caught up to the trend, so the bikes we rented weren't exactly what we were used to riding in Crested Butte, but we were about to bike through an African National Park, so who the hell cared?!
The ride did not disappoint. Hell's Gate National Park sits on top of a geothermal hotspot created by a nearby volcano, Mount Longonot, and is full of interesting landmarks. Perhaps the most notable are two volcanic plugs, Fischer's Tower and Central Tower, that seem to grow from the earth out of nowhere. The tribe who first inhabited the land believed that the two towers were the petrified daughters of the village chief, who bucked tradition by looking back toward home on their way out to marry. History lesson aside, the landscape is straight out of Jurassic Park. Huge groves of old-growth trees, dramatic cliff faces, expansive meadows. And... Wildlife! Not dinosaurs, but almost as unexpected and exciting. We saw zebras, warthogs, cape buffalo, springbok, and a giraffe! From our bikes! It was such a surreal experience, made even better by the beautiful golden-hour light and tailwind on our ride home.
The other attraction at the park is Hell's Gate itself. Hell's Gate is a gorge named by the Maasai to describe the entry point to the center of the earth. Now, Maasai guides take Mzungus (visitors) into the gorge for tours. Our guide, also named John, showed us around and shared stories of Maasai tradition and change. Up until 10 years ago or so, the Maasai men would be sent out into the bush at 21 to learn the land, survival and courage. The final test of courage was to kill a lion, armed with only his spear and his wits. John was one of the last in his village to participate in the tradition, something for which he carries a scar to prove. It was interesting talking to him about change and progress. He has two sons, who will put education before more traditional Maasai rights of passage. His mindset is similar to many in Africa... Roll with the times.
We ended the day with sundowners on the lake and one more animal sighting... hippos!
Two days later, Brendan and I loaded up into the CTC van with the Health team to visit a group of Maasai grandmothers enrolled in the GAPA program (Grandmothers Against Poverty and HIV/AIDS). The meeting site was about an hour's drive off the main road at a Maasai community house that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Twenty four cu cus (grandmothers, pronounced sho sho) and over 100 of their kids had walked - some for several hours - to attend the meeting.
The day was emotional and wonderful. These women are some of the strongest, most beautiful women we've ever met. They've been left to care for young children after losing their own, with miles between them and any potential support systems, and still they smile and sing. Some of the cu cus are over 100 years old (one actually said she was 125, but we're guessing that may be a bit of a stretch), and are raising four or five kids under the age of six. It is truly amazing.
The purpose of the visit was to meet with the cu cus, learn more about their needs and deliver supplies for bracelet making, which will soon help generate income for the group. Just as we've seen in other groups, most of the women live in extreme poverty and having a way to support their families is the first step. If they can earn a living (which the bracelets will enable), they can focus on taking care of the kids and their own health and happiness. As we were leaving, one of the cu cus motioned us to join her at the front of the room. They offered us gifts of beautiful beadwork jewelry and a glass of fermented milk to thank us for coming. While we were trying to finish our drinks - it was like a warm milkshake with the occasional chunk - we looked around and were overwhelmed by the generosity of these cu cus who have so much on their plate and so little to give.
Even though we’re only a week into the trip with so much ahead, we have no doubt that our time with the cu cus will be an experience we’ll never forget.
We have to caveat this blog entry by admitting how hard it was write. We have done, seen and felt so much over the past week that articulating everything has proven challenging. So, we're going to start at the beginning and describe our general expectations and initial experiences in Africa, Maai Mahiu and CTC and go from there. Long story short, all three have blown us away.
Brendan and I landed in Nairobi, Kenya six days ago, after 24 hours of traveling through three continents and ten times zones on four different planes. One taxi, one van and one day later, we were getting settled in at the Transit Hotel in Maai Mahiu, our home for the next two weeks and CTC's Kenyan headquarters.
Maai Mahiu is a town of about 64,000 people located (depending on traffic or "jams") about 45 minutes northwest of Nairobi, in the Rift Valley. It's a highway town, situated on a major thoroughfare for both safari operators taking tourists out to the Maasai Mara and truck drivers shuttling goods from the Capitol to the rest of East Africa. It's rough around the edges to say the least and driving in was admittedly a bit intimidating. However, it didn't take us long to look beyond the problems and see the potential, thanks in large part to CTC.
The CTC building is the literal bright spot of the town. It's blue exterior, green grass and treed fence line are a stark comparison to the dust, litter and cinder block that make up the majority of Maai Mahiu. Apparently, as recent as twenty years ago, the town was rich with vegetation, trees and wildlife, but over the past two decades, the influx of people to the area and the lack of environmental education and care has stripped the land.
Just inside the entry way, there is a small courtyard with eight doors, each housing a different CTC program. We cannot say enough about the efforts of the people in those eight rooms. Our first day in Maai Mahiu, we had the privilege of spending time with each department to get a glimpse of the many initiatives that make up the whole of CTC. The list is not short... Special needs care and support for parents of special needs children (great article here)... HIV and AIDS education, prevention, screening and counseling... Adult literacy courses... Waste management... Environmental education and enrichment... Youth soccer (football) and dance clubs... Health clinics... Support for grandmothers left in charge of kids orphaned by HIV and AIDS... To name a few. Please check out CTC's website for more details - they say it better than we do.
The most admirable - and perhaps logical - thing of all is that each of the programs are striving for sustainability. Boiled down, that means each CTC initiative will eventually be able to run without financial support from CTC and their donors. Even now, nothing is a handout. It's about providing knowledge, skills and opportunity and empowering people to better their own situations. CTC taught the Malaika Mums (mothers of special needs children) to sew bags and coin purses that can be sold through international partners to generate income for the Mums and help fund Malaika Kids (special needs care at CTC). The Maasai grandmothers in the GAPA (Grandmothers Against Poverty HIV & AIDs) program learned to make liquid soap, goat cheese and beadwork bracelets to support their families. And the Waste Management program educates the community about proper trash disposal and then employs youth to do the pick up. Each program currently has, or is looking for, the right income generating partner project to close the loop. We could learn a thing or two from this model.
Over the past week, CTC has not just talked about their programs, they have encouraged us to participate. We learned Swahili numbers and tried to recall percents and cross multiplication at the Adult Literacy class. We quality controlled bags for the Malaika Mums who are working hard to fulfill a big order for Whole Foods (look for them this Fall!). We met with Maasai grandmothers to bring supplies for bracelets and hear more about their needs. And, in the process, we've been welcomed into the CTC family wholeheartedly.
In just one short week, these people have made such an impact on our lives. Coming into this experience, we could not have imagined how connected we would feel so far away from our friends and family and now we can't imagine having started the trip any other way. We are so thankful to everyone here at CTC... For making us feel at home in Maai Mahiu, for introducing us to the warm people of the Rift Valley, and most of all for allowing us to be a part of this incredible organization.
We're looking forward to week two.
To learn more about our efforts at CTC and to donate toward our fundraising goal, please click here.
Heads Up: We're trying to catch up, so the next post will be up soon! Highlights to include a mountain bike safari with giraffes and an NPR correspondent and more on our special day with the Maasai grandmothers.