Our encounter with the Maasai...

We had the privilege of visiting a remote Maasai village while at Amboseli, and we spent the better part of a full afternoon walking through the village, visiting the school, talking about the community and getting to know some people. We learned a few words in Maasai (Sopa! Ashayolang...) and we spent a full hour working out a price for a Maasai spear, a beaded wedding necklace and some beaded bracelets. It was a community affair, with all of the men seated and standing in a semi-circle. Daniel, one of the schoolteachers, was appointed as the businessman and he engaged in bargaining with enthusiasm. We had read about how long bargaining takes with the Maasai and, indeed, our experience was a lengthy but very enjoyable one. Lots of laughter, stories and pauses made the experience positive and good. In another post called "Car Trouble" you can read about some additional adventures with Chief Supak and his brother, John. John gave us a call the night after we returned to Nairobi (he is in charge of the village cell phone) and we think we'll be chatting with him again soon about ways Freedom Through Learning can support the village school. What a blessing.

Views from the tow truck... (see story below)

Car trouble...

This past week, on our trip to Amboseli National Park, our poor Subaru Forrester broke down three times. The poor 11-year-old hoses in the car just couldn't take the crazy washboard roads we used for days on end, and the transmission hose gave up the ghost. On the way down it broke the first time, thankfully right next to where a road construction crew was doing some road work. Some of the road guys were helpful and ascertained what the problem was. Brian worked with the guys to cut the hose and re-attach it, and then he rode into town to get multiple litres of transmission fluid. The whole process took about four hours but then we were rolling again! Everyone assured us the park wasn't too far but what they all failed to mention was that the road from the last village (Namanga) into the park gate was completely rutted with washboard for 67 kilometres! As we drove along, we realized it was getting dark and we still had hours to go (with a dubious repair job to boot). Brian and I envisioned spending the night by the side of the road, camped out in our car, fighting off lions or bandits. We were so relieved to arrive at the park gate in one piece! Two days later, after a wonderful afternoon at the Maasai village outside the park, we drove the chief and his brother, John, over to the Amboseli Serena Lodge (a very expensive lodge in the southern part of the park). As we coasted in to the gas pumps there, Brian commented that the steering felt funny in the car. Lo and behold, we had lost all of our power steering fluid and also cracked the transmission hose again, bleeding the transmission dry. It was another lucky break, though, because there couldn't have been a better place to break down - a ritzy bar with cold Tuskers was waiting. While Brian sorted out the repair (with the help of Chief Supak and John - and Supak's very large knife that was used to cut the hose again), the girls and I ventured into the lounge and reflected on our good fortune. After the repair was complete, Supak and John joined us at the bar for a drink and further conversation about their community school (and possible Freedom Through Learning partnerships there). We also talked at great length about the drought that has resulted in the death of all but two of the community's 400 cows. The situation is dire and the community has been ravaged. Supak believes education is the key to moving forward, and he is passionate about providing education for the community's children. We came home with a lot to think about, and with the beginnings of a relationship with a unique community. The following day, after driving on many more miles of washboard road before we hit the glorious tarmack, our poor car (which we have nicknamed Joey Africar) simply couldn't keep going. The transmission hose broke for the third and final time 75 kilometres south of Nairobi. Thank goodness an AA tow truck was able to come and get us (two hours later) and we rode back into town in high style, seated in our humbled Forrester on the back of the tow truck. It was quite an experience!

Braving a Nairobi mutatu...

Last weekend we had to take our car to get the brakes done. There is a garage just down the road and Brian decided it was time to muster up some courage and take a mutatu back to the apartment from the garage. To explain, a mutatu is a van that serves as public transportation here in Nairobi. There are hundreds of these vans in the city and they follow bus routes, picking up passengers along the way whenever someone flags one down. Apparently, up until a few years ago, the rules about mutatus were a lot looser and dozens of people would pile into one van. The laws are a lot tighter now and the vans are supposed to only take about 11 passengers each (although we have seen a lot of infractions in this regard). When it came time to go back to the garage, Brian convinced me (LeeAnne) to come along for a return mutatu ride. I was a bit dubious, as the mutatu drivers are quite erratic and aggressive, driving at fast speeds and in creative ways, veering onto the shoulder and cutting other drivers off at will (in fact, they strike fear in my heart whenever we drive in the city). This mutatu ride didn't let us down in terms of the fear factor. It was packed with passengers to the point that Brian and I shared a seat by the sliding door (I was perched on the edge, hoping I wouldn't get caught in the door when it was opened or opened - while the vehicle was in motion, I might add). The video is a bit chaotic because as soon as I turned the camera on, the mutatu stopped and we needed to get out of the mutatu to allow a gentleman in the back to exit the vehicle. The video doesn't fully capture the intensity and risk associated with a mutatu ride, but it does give a little taste of the experience. And we survived! :)

Literary Festival fun...

On October 3rd, we took advantage of a wonderful 3-day literary festival in Nairobi and attended a session that featured two Kenyan poets (Tony Mochama and Njeri Wangari) and a British poet (Benjamin Zephaniah). It was so delightful to be engaged in a discussion about the power and purpose of poetry, with poets who are passionate about their craft, dialoguing and reading from their work. After being away from access to such events (in English) for awhile, it is a treat to be able to participate in such events and to be exposed to a whole new group of artists. We came away from the day with three fabulous books of poetry by Kenyan poets (along with several other books as well!). In the video you see Zephaniah performing one of his poems about his brother scoring a goal in a soccer game.

Meeting some folks on a Habitat site

This past weekend, Cora & Brian were part of a 21-person team that started the first Habitat for Humanity home in Eldama Ravine, north of Nakuru in rural Kenya. The village "watoto" (kids... plural!) came out to encourage our mostly-female Habitat team that worked under the supervision of a local construction expert. The Habitat client is a woman who earns a living selling honey at the side of the road. Her current home is a basic mud structure that is under attack by local insects. The H4H home, when finished, will be made of bug-proof stone! The honey-lady, as we called her, has become a H4H homeowner with "sweat-equity" and a long-term affordable mortgage. What a great opportunity to meet some great people and build some muscle!

Riding, English style...

After her birthday trail ride this summer, Hannah fell in love with horses, and we've been lucky enough to find a horse farm not far from our apartment. Hannah and I went on Sunday for the first time and I took a lesson, too. Thank goodness my horse, Tornado, didn't live up to his name because I couldn't even canter without thinking I was going to plunge to my death. I spent most of the hour just walking along the track. Hannah, on the other hand, had a great time and learned how to trot easily. She'll be back again next weekend learning how to handle her horse, Janet, and she's very excited.

Our newest family members!

For just over one week we have been enjoying a lot of cuddling with two little kittens who have joined our family. They are about 5 weeks old and they are currently named Ginger and Pepper (although there is an ongoing debate about whether or not those names will stick). Little Pepper only has one ear (a birth defect) and this makes her even cuter. The cats are adorable and very playful and entertain us all constantly. It's really nice to have some feline friends around again.

Flamingos and Wildlife at Lake Nakuru National Park...

This past weekend we ventured to Lake Nakuru National Park to see more animals and were treated to up-close encounters with white rhino, a few lions, tonnes of baboons and vervet monkeys, water buffalo and lots of birds. Several monkeys really wanted into our car to get at our snacks and, right at the end of the day, one was successful. Brian turned his back for a minute while the front passenger door was open - that was all the opportunity this monkey needed. It leapt into the front seat, looked into the backseat where Hannah and Cora were shrieking, and grabbed a bag of dried apricots. It then climbed a nearby tree and opened up the bag to thoroughly enjoy our food. Very funny. It was a spectacular day!