 Swahili word of the week: mzungu. Mzungu literally means "rich man" but the common meaning is "white person" in Kenya. Kenyans are very friendly and chatty, and whether I was walking or riding in a car down the street this week, every few minutes I'd hear people shouting "Hi Mzungu!" and smiling. Please click "Read More." I was very nervous getting off of the plane in Nairobi, and was filled with questions, fears, and excitement as I crossed south of the equator for the first time. All of my worries washed away the moment I arrived at International Guest House, in Nairobi. The owner, Thomas, immediately put me at ease. He was a student in the U.S. and started a hotel to help make travel to Kenya affordable for middle class westerners. My room, that included a private toilet and shower was only $25/night. Thomas has a positive outlook on life, and is optimistic for Kenya's future - he believes it is on the brink of taking off and becoming a fully developed country in the next 10 years. My time in Nairobi was fast and filled to the top with activity. My first day was spent visiting the Nairobi National Museum, where I was able to learn more about the 47 Kenyan tribes, wildlife, as well as an exhibit that included Lucy's bones and many human skulls that have been used to develop the theory of human evolution. As an anthropology undergraduate, this was a dream come true! The museum also has a snake park, where my guide Ann, and I had a great time holding a nonpoisonous small boa. After the National Museum, we visited the Giraffe Center, a nonprofit whose mission is the preserve the endangered species. It was great fun - we were able to feed the giraffe's - one even licked my hand! In Nairobi, Kenya has a cultural center very similar to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, called Bomas of Kenya. Ann, Logan (another guide), the driver Steve, and I spent a few hours visiting the traditional huts and then watching the dances and fantastic costumes of the different Kenyan tribes. The best dance was a mating dance, performed by a group of men- Kenyan school children fell out of their chairs dying of laughter during the performance. From there, we headed over to Nairobi National Park to visit the Animal Orphanage. Nairobi National Park is just 5 miles from the center of Nairobi, and is full of wildlife. It's possible to do safari's right out of town! The Animal Orphanage contains injured and abandoned animals, that are not able to survive in the wild. It was fantastic to see so many lazy lions, albino zebras, barking hyenas, specked cheetahs, and chatty monkeys up close! The following day I visited Nairobi National Park again to do the Canopy Tour. The Canopy Tour is a walking tour on a boardwalk built into the trees of the park, you watch the water buffalo, turtles and rhinos below you, and the monkeys, leopards, and birds above you. The park is right on the edge of where the Wild Animal Park begins (where people go on safari), and there is a place to view of a watering hole, where the truely wild animals roam - I hear some visitors have witnessed crocodiles attacking water buffalo. From the National Park, Wilson, my driver, and I traveled to Mamba Village. Mamba means crocodile, and it did not disappoint! The village is a family-friendly tourist site to visit crocodiles, go paddle-boating and pet ostriches. I was able to leave with a new crocodile necklace and a bruised finger from getting nipped by an ostrich. From Mamba village, we visited my favorite spot, Kazuri. Kazuri means small and beautiful in Swahili, and is a bead-making business with a double-bottom-line: Kazuri's mission is to gainfully employ single-mothers while making a profit. Women are taught a trade: to make clay, shape bead and dinnerware, fire and glaze the ceramics, string necklaces, bracelets, earring, and make handbags. They then sell them for a profit at a shop on-site and at boutique shops around the world. They are very successful in making profits, paying the women a good wage, providing them with healthcare, and affording them the opportunity to educate their children - it's a fantastic business model! A trip to Nairobi is not complete without a visit to The Karen Blixen House, the author of Out of Africa. Prior to my visit, I had no idea that the book was an autobiography. We visited her farm in Africa, that was on the foot of the Ngong Hills, and stopped for some coffee at her plantation. Tuesday, Thomas, International Guest House's owner, took me on a very special tour. Nairobi has one of the largest slums in the world. The slum neighborhood, Kiebera, contains over 700,000 residents (statistic from Carolina Clinic.) Because of the HIV/AIDs epidemic, a majority of Kiebera's population are children, with the eldest sister in the household raising her siblings. I had the opportunity to be shown the neighborhood by an NGO making a significant difference in their community, Carolina. (I was told to not take pictures while in Kiebera, but to hold the camera in my hand and push the button.) Carolina touches 500,000 lives, and treats over 150,000 patients a year. They began as a basic health care clinic, that has grown into a 3-fold mission: physical, social and economic health. The health clinic cares for physical needs, the sports programs care for social needs, and the recycling programs care for economic needs through producing income by making art from scrap (bone necklaces, wooden combs, plastic bracelets) as well as selling human waste (for soil nutrients in the agriculture sector including nitrogen and ammonia.) They have very innovative programs, and in some ways, are more advanced than the U.S. with how they use technology to gather data and maintain patient records. Carolina does amazing work, and is a ray of hope in a community that faces many challenges. My final evening in Nairobi was spent at Carnivore, a meat-eater's paradise (with vegetarian selections for those who want to visit for the atmosphere.) You can try every animal you have ever dreamed of eating: lion, gazelle, giraffe, snake, monkey. Ann, Steve, and I visited the restaurant for a drink and to take in the atmosphere. I will definitely be stopping-by here for a bite the next time I am in Nairobi! I am now in Kisumu, and have begun my internship with OGRA Foundation. I'll give you the details of my latest adventures next week! Kenya is a wonderful place! |  International Guest House  First meal in Nairobi  At Uru Park, in front of the Nairobi skyline  Lucy!!!! The missing link.  A gecko, at the snake park  Feeding giraffes at the sanctuary  Ostrich Farm  A traditional dance (note school-girl laughing in the background)  Zebrule (Zebra & Mule)  Albino Zebra  Lazy Leopard  Nairobi National Park Canopy Walk  Kazuri bead artisan  Kazuri bead glazing  Kazuri bead stringing  Karen Blixen's House  Kiebera poverty (Senator Street, named after Barak Obama, when he visited as a U.S. Senator)  Carolina in Kiebera  Shops in Kiebera  Ann, Steve and Serena at Carnivore |
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