Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Dec. 29 Wed.

Over 100 elephants in this herd
Amanda learning Masai
I will continue on from our "safari" on Monday.  We got up early for our morning drive and saw quite a bit of game including Zebra's.....went back to have a great breakfast...and by 9 headed out to our next place we were staying.  The next place was called Kibo safari camp.  It was just outside Amboseli Game Park.  We arrived at the game park about 1:00 but there was quite a back up of cars for some reason.  We got out to stretch our legs while waiting and were mobbed by Masai (or at least they were dressed in a way to make us think they were really Masai) trying to sell various souvenir type things.  Amanda started to chat with them and before long had quite a group of new friends.  I got the impression he is one of those people that never meet a stranger.  It kept us entertained while we waited.
3 Elephants appearing to hold up the tree
When we got through the gate we kind of hurried to where we were staying to make sure we got there in time for lunch....which we did.  We saw some elephants and gazelle along the way... including 3 elephants that appeared to be holding up a tree.  The landscape was totally different then where we had come from.  It was mostly flat plains and you could see forever in some places.
After lunch we enjoyed relaxing till 4 when we headed out to look for more animals.  We saw a huge herd of elephants at a waterhole.  They were alot of fun to watch...and then they walked across the road kicking up dust and attracting small white tick birds (Egrets) that like to hitch a ride on their backs and eat the ticks off the elephants.  The sun was getting low so the light was so cool to see with the dust swirling...and then to top it off Mt. Kilimanjaro cleared and we had a beautiful view of it in the background.  It was so cool to just sit there and soak in the  beauty of it all.  We headed back about 6:30 to our camp.
Tent rooms at Kibo Camp
I say camp because it was not a hotel but a bunch of tents set up around the place.  there were alot of acacia trees that shaded them and monkeys running around...we could hear them on the top of our tent.  Then tents were quite nice really.  we had a king size bed in ours with mosquito net and in the back was a toilet and shower and sink....not roughing it really in my opinion....but fun to hear the night noises and feel the cool breezes of the evening.
Inside of tents at camp (bath in back)
After dinner we went to the pool area where there were not lights and laid on the chairs star gazing for awhile.  There is nothing like it.  More stars than you can imagine unless you have seen it in a dark place where there is not light pollution.  we were all so tired but waiting up for a Masai dance/show.  That was one thing Kim really wanted to see.  Well, we went to see it and it was extremely disappointing....well Roger and I knew it would be but did not want to ruin it for Kim but she agreed it was not all she imagined.  To put it bluntly it was pathetic ....half of the guys were not Masai and could not really do the jumping up and down they are well known for etc.  But oh well...Kim was able to see the dance and we all got a chuckle out of it.
Sunset over Amboseli
Elephants in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro
The next morning was another early one...heading out after a quick cup of chai to look for more animals.  The mornings are quite cool and felt so good as we drove with the top of our van popped up so we could stand up and see further.  We all had been a bit disappointed we had not seen any lions yet so when we came upon a long line of other vans we realized there must be something big going on.  Sure enough a lion had killed something, hyenas were circling them...the male chased them away.. and so we saw some lions tho they were not very close we could say we saw them.  We saw more animals and headed back to our camp for breakfast.
Cheetah we saw from a distance
Hippo with Egret taking a ride
Right before the gate we saw the van in front of us go off the road thru a field (which you can't do in the park so much).  Ahead of us was a group of Bushbuck which we thot was cool since we had not seen any close up...but then all of a sudden 2 Cheetahs darted in front of us and ran off...even going under the fence that was around our camping area.  It was so cool to see them up close and they turned around after they were through the fence to look at us as if they were upset with us for spoiling the hunt.  If we knew they were there it would have been cool to watch them for awhile but we were so excited we got to see them.
Rainbow over plains
We had breakfast, packed up and headed to Nairobi...about a 3 hour drive.  We had lunch and then took Eileen, Kim and Amanda to the Mayfield guest house and said goodbye.  It was hard as usual.  I am so thankful we are planning to see Eileen in April in China.  The girls spent the night at the guest house and then had a ride from there to the airport.  They were scheduled to fly out at 3 this afternoon (wed) and since we have not heard from them we assume they are on their way...and we are asking the Father that their trip home is uneventful and they never have to go thru all they went thru on the way here...ever again!!!
Hedgehog we found one night at Diani (Mombasa)
We are with Doug and Lisa till next Monday night.  We don't have much planned and it will be nice just hang out here with them for a few days.  Then..we will be off on another adventure and I won't think of that until later...enjoy the day today !!  It's so nice to be here....

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Dec 26 - 27 - On to the game parks


In many parts of the world, Sunday is celebrated as Boxing Day.  Search the Internet for details.  We were on the road to our game safari and were on dirt roads a lot of this time.  We were picked up at 6:30 this morning and are on our way.   We have a van for the five of us that gives us plenty of room to stretch out. 

Dirt road we took leaving Diana Beach
The first half of the road was dirt but was fairly good with an occasional slow down to a creep to avoid all of us bouncing out of our seats and hitting the ceiling.  Somehow when you are on dirt roads you have not been on before with very few signs there is the feeling of being lost and wondering where the driver is taking you.  The ladies were laughing at me for typing this blog while we are riding on these roads but interestingly if your hands are resting on the computer, most of the time everything else is relative and not that difficult to type.

There is a situation we forgot to blog on but it must be preserved as part of the memories.  Last Wednesday Amanda checked her email and received an email that their flight from Nairobi to Dubai had been cancelled.  Eileen and Kim found they had the same email.  We learned the cancellation was a result of them not arriving on the flight they were originally booked on.  Our evening entertainment ended up being everyone listening in to a call on magicJack to Expedia to resolve the issue.  After a total of 45 minutes on the call with 15 minutes of being on hold while the supervisor talked to the airline, the connection was lost and we had to call back.  As usual there was a need to start over.  During this call, there was a moment of silence and when we asked if he was still there, there was a moment of further silence and we asked again.  We than received the response “Sorry, I was spacing out” and everyone listening cracked up laughing.  He than spent some time reading the record of the account and commented, “my supervisor just wrote he tried to call you back but you didn’t answer”.  When I responded that we were on the call with him, he responded with “Ah … yes, you are talking to me so you can’t answer”.  There were a few other choice parts but glad to say Expedia did get the tickets reinstated and all now appears to be fine.
Sunrise over the water hole at Ngutuni
Back to the safari...  After a short drive in the Ngutuni Sanctuary and seeing only a few animals (it was the heat of the day), we checked into the lodge about noon and had the afternoon off.  We ate lunch and than took a needed nap.  We all needed it with an early start and a jarring ride on rough roads where every core muscle was exercised due to sharp turns, quick application of the breaks to minimize the impact of bumps or potholes, and the corrugated roads vibrations.  The result of these rides is not realized until the vehicle stops, you get out and are able to stretch your legs.  This is such a relief.  Even some of the paved roads have potholes and these are more severe.

Looking for animals in the van
We went on evening and morning game drives and were able to see a good number of animals.  We are in a van with a popup top and are able to stand and look across the savannah for game.  The drive includes driving on dirt trail much of the time looking for animals.  The perception is you see them all around you but 10 minutes may go by without seeing any.  It is easy to imagine …  and likely true …  how many animals are out there looking at you but due to their camouflage we can’t see them.  

We were able to see elephant, giraffe, zebra, warthog, impala, grants gazelle, jackal, kudu, waterbuck and various kinds of monkeys.  We were told where there was a couple of Cheetah laying the grass but when we got to the location indicated, we could not find them.  Cheetah’s blend into their surroundings so well it is difficult to see them.  After 15 minutes we went on with the drive.  The biggest challenge is being able to get near them as the van in not allowed going off the road.  Just standing and being able to look for animals from that perspective gives a true feeling of being in the bush on your own.

Jan’s PS…
Eileen looking at elephant pictures she just took
First I have to say…Roger is so impressive when talking to Expedia.!  Impressive and the guy on the other line was hysterical.  We all had a great laugh at his expense and of course have repeated the phrase…oh sorry I was just spacing out for a moment…many times over.  We did have a good drive to the game park…the back roads we took that were so bumpy and full of Africa’s red dirt were much more scenic than the 2 lane highway we could have gone on.  There were many small villages or mud huts along the way and so the girls were practicing their parade waves at all the kids waving at us and running along side holding out their hands for sweets.  As we drove into the park there was a rock cropping very similar to what is in the lion king movie and so the girls were commenting on it and looking at it and taking pics etc. and then someone said look at the Impala and Amanda said “oh I thought they were plastic statues “ because they were not moving at all.  That cracked me up as we are in a game park…not touring a neighborhood where you might see something like that in someone’s yard ..ha ha.

At Ngutuni Lodge
The lodge we stayed at was very nice…with a true African feel to it.  There was a water hole near by and we could see it from where we ate our meals, which by the way were delicious.  There were not a lot of animals that came during meal time but maybe at night when we were sleeping.  Some people stay up to see them but we were all wiped out and knew we would head out in the morning at 6:30 for another game drive.  When we got up in the morning it was cool enough to want a sweater on and the sky was so clear after a hard rain in the night.  We were fortunate to see quite a few animals.  As I write we are cruising on the “highway” to Amboseli national Park where our next stop will be and more drives looking for animals.  Its so nice having Eileen, Kim and Amanda with us here..such a treat…I will write more later..

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Day - a day of peace

A Heron 
It is Christmas Day and Hakuna Matata (there are not troubles).  After days of getting the ladies here (Eileen, Kim and Amanda), getting their luggage here, than resolving their exit flight being cancelled and Dan recovering from a flu over night, we start this day without there being any issues.  What a symbolic representation of the peace of Christmas.    One last trip to the airport last night allowed us to pick up the last piece of luggage that was to be delivered but knowing Kenya, it would have been delivered, it is just a matter of when.  Normally the round trip is about 2 1/2 hours but being a Friday evening and Christmas Eve, the trip took 5 1/2 hours with several hours waiting for the ferry.  It is so good to know this day will be free from travel issues (to insure this we have instructed everyone to not look at emails).

Amanda with a Sea Urchin in her hand
Yesterday, we hired a glass bottom boat and went on a tour of different areas to see the fish which are on the coral in this area.  There are a lot of fish but it is not the traditional glass bottom boat and most of the fish were attracted to the boat by throwing bread in the water.  It was about a 2 hour ride and we were able to snorkel off of the side of the boat as we went along.  Only about a 18 inch portion of the bottom was glass and it was disappointing that the whole bottom wasn't glass but it was fun.  The people on the boat also brought items to us to see and that was fun.  We also learned a lot of fun details such as what the sea life can tell you and cures for some of the poisonous sea creatures such as the Stone Fish and Sea Urchin pokes.

Jan and Eileen on the glass bottom boat
Kim's suitcase was to be delivered on Friday so I (Roger) stayed behind as we definitely did not want to miss the delivery of the suitcase and they would require someone to sign for it.  A couple of calls had confirmed that the suitcase was at the airport and they had agreed to deliver it to us.  Many calls had been made to confirm the suitcase was on its way throughout the day but the line was either busy or no one would pick up the phone.  At 3:30 we decided we would go ourselves so Kim, Amanda and I got in a taxi and headed for the airport as described above.  The lines for the ferry was long going both ways and at time we hardly moved.  There was a 20 minute time period where we went about 20 feet in 20 minutes.  Matatus' (vans used as taxis with a maximum of 14 passengers often loaded heavier) represented every other vehicle.  Fortunately they do not ride the ferry but rather drop the people off on one side, the people ride the ferry and catch another matatu on the other side.  We were thrilled when we could confirm the suitcase was there and head home.
Jan and Lisa with the beach in the background
A beach Christmas tree
This morning was a good time with opening the stockings and presents.  There weren't a lot of presents because of the limitation on luggage most of us had but after all, that is not the main purpose of Christmas.  It was great to just be with family (yes Kim and Amanda were family) and enjoy the time and focusing on the purpose of the day.  Simple Christmas with those who are with you.  We than had a relaxing day in the pool and walking on the beach.  Later in the day when America awoke, there was a time for phone calls and touching base with families.  Doug and Lisa had a plan on their mobile phones that permitted calls to the United States for only a few cents a minute so there were times when two phone calls and one VOIP call was being made to America.  Early we were able to Skpye with Lucas, Jamie and Sam.  We missed Sophie as she was taking a nap.  We will get to talk to Ben and Sarah later this evening.
The Mombasa Christmas gang
Girls in their Dubai tea shirts and Christmas jami's
Jan and I did take some time and just walked on the beach, soaked in the sun and thought how fast the last week went by.  The weather her in Mombasa has been perfect with sun every day, a breeze off of the ocean and the humidity not being too high.  Tomorrow morning at 6:30 we head to the game parks for a few days with the girls and Doug, Lisa and Dan head home.  It has been a very pleasant time but now we are off again.

We had planned to have shrimp for Christmas dinner.  We enquired later in the day as to when the local fisherman would deliver the shrimp and he indicated he was on the way to the store to get it for us.  Normally they supply shrimp right off the boats and when we heard this we told him to never mind.  We decided to go out to an Italian restaurant right across the street from our cottage and enjoyed a great dinner there.
Baobab Tree in front of cottage

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Dec 23 Thurs - Christmas Eve Eve

I don't know where to start to be honest but I feel like blogging so i will ramble away.
View from the left side of our porch
Tues evening Eileen arrived...all day wed the girls longed to have their luggage as they had to wear clothes loaned to them by Lisa and myself and Doug and Roger.  Lisa and I had extra suits so the 2 of the girls wore those and held skirts and shorts up with belts and safety pins etc.  They begged us not to take a picture of them :)

Red is Stone Fish Spraying Deadly Poison








After a leisurely breakfast we all went for a walk out to the coral reef since the tide was low.  There were several "helpful" Kenyans who wanted to guide us.  It was quite humorous really.   They want to know everything about us and they were full of information on the local sea life.  Amanda said she felt like she was on national geographic show.  We learned the best treatment for sea urchin and stone fish.  They were quick to show us pregnant star fish, crabs, shells, sea spiders etc.  We explored for over an hour and headed back about lunch time...2ish.

Enjoying Coconut milk in the Pool
Decorating the Charlie Brown Tre
We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around napping and reading.  The place we are at is so quiet and nice.  There are not many others here...at least not that we can see.  Oh...when we came back from the beach we were greeted with coconuts with straws to drink out the milk. That was a treat.  They said it was a "luau" for Christmas.   There is a small evergreen near the pool decorated for Christmas.  It makes you smile whenever you see it cause it is a charlie brown tree if I ever saw one...very cute.

About 6 when we were getting ready for dinner ( a lovely curry fish with rice and green beans and fruit salad) Roger talked to the people at the airport and was told the girls luggage had arrived.  Since they don't deliver it here it meant another trip to the airport.  It is an hour and half ride through the city of Mombasa which involves alot of traffic and crossing a canal on a ferry.  The girls were so excited they could hardly stand it.  Roger went with the 3 of them after wolfing down their dinner.
Our humble abode at the beach
Doug, Lisa, Dan and I went down to the beach to watch the full moon come up...what an awesome  sight.  When we got back to the house about 8:45 Roger called and said they were on their way home but only had 2 suitcases.  Kim's was nowhere to be found.  She was soooo discouraged and still is.  It is Thursday afternoon.  Roger has been calling every couple hours and still no sign of it.  So sad...fortunately the other girls brought enough clothes to share and she is coping.  We hope it will still come and is not totally gone for good (or bad).

KiKoi Clothes for sale
So today we went walking up the beach around a rocky area where there is a stretch of beach with alot of larger hotels and lodges.  It made us all the more appreciative of our quiet private feeling beach and house.  The girls bought souvenirs and we got back and all jumped in the pool ....with our coconuts in hand and cooled off before going in to have lunch.  I don't remember if I mentioned the monkeys we have around the house.  The first day we went grocery shopping we set bags down by the back door and while i went around to  unlock the house they had gotten in the bags and tore into the bread...grrr.... today at lunch they got brave and came onto our porch. ( We moved our table out on the veranda and have been eating our meals outside)  So today there were 3 or 4 sitting up in the thatched roof watching us eat...waiting for us to look away so they could snitch.  They are cute and fun but also a bit scary as they are unpredictable.  So we are careful not to leave any food sitting around...or it will most definitely disappear.

"Pregnant" Star Fish
  This afternoon was a repeat of yesterday...lounge in a chair...with the breeze...watching the tide come in over the reef...read a bit...sleep a bit...what a nice break.
Tonight we are going to put up our tree.  We have collected a couple palm branches...stuck them in a big water bottle with sand in it...and will decorate it.  Fun!!  I will also make some peanut butter balls (a family Christmas tradition).
Its time to shower and put after sun lotion on..

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

tues. dec 21 - What a Day

I have to start back at Sunday morning.  We were on the road to Mombasa at 5 AM , anxious to arrive at the beach...anxious to see Eileen and her 2 friends, Kim and Amanda...anxious to relax and listen to the surf.  The road has been improved quite a bit and it took us 8 hours.  It was cloudy most of the way which made it much more comfortable for riding in the Land Rover with natural air conditioning...as in open windows.


Our Cottage
The place we are staying at is a nice cottage on the beach front with a pool.  There is a large veranda on the front where we have been eating and reading and just hanging out because there is always a breeze and a gorgeous view.


There were a few things about the place that had been advertised on the web that were not ...as advertised. No biggies but one was that the bedrooms were air conditioned.  Well one of the rooms was not so we mentioned it hoping to get a discount on the price...yah right...no problem...they are installing one as i write !!  Overall its a very nice place we are calling home for the week...oh another nice feature...we have a cook...and he cleans up after meals...best part.


Waiting at Mombasa Airport
So..not everything so wonderful right now though.  as i am writing we are sitting in the Mombasa airport waiting for Kim and Amanda to arrive.  But as far as we know Eileen is still in Dubai trying to get on a flight.


I guess I need to back up.  The girls left China about an hour late and an hour later they had to return to the airport due to  a medical emergency on board.  All that caused them to miss the flight to Nairobi from Dubai.  That was Sunday...today is tues.  They have been trying to get on a flight out the whole time but all of them are overbooked...who would think in the mid east there would be a rush of travel this Christmas week.  But there is...


Kim and Amanda arrive in Mombasa
Last night a flight had 2 open seats and so Eileen stayed behind and Kim and Amanda are due to arrive soon.  We received the email indicating this at 11:30 PM Monday night. We are waiting to hear from Eileen and praying that she can get on a flight soon.  She was hoping for one 3 hrs after the girls left but did not get on.  We have peace and are reminded of the verse that says many are the plans of a man but it is His purpose that prevails.  We are so thankful for emails...phones...etc as they were key to communicating during this time.  They were in a large airport (Dubai) which is fairly safe place and there was a hotel in the airport paid for by the airlines.  But we miss our girl and know she is very anxious to be here with us.


Not a fun way to spend her Christmas break.


Jans view while reading on the lounger
(a little later)  Kim and Amanda arrived about 3 hours latter than we thought they would.  We were sure glad to see them.  Unfortunately their suitcases were or are still in Dubai.  We went and filled out the paperwork for the suitcases and went to find our taxi driver and taxi.  The taxi was there but the driver was nowhere to be found.  After asking around we heard that he was taken by the police for something....very strange situation.   Eventually we began to believe what people were telling us so we got another taxi to take us back to the apt.  We got back about 3:30 PM.  I was happy the girls were here but a bit discouraged and tired out and wishing we would hear something from Eileen.  We had not heard from here since a phone call at 8:00 AM.  We had no idea what the situation was with her.  We did call her hotel and found out she had checked out but were anxiously waiting to hear if she was able to get on a flight.


Ferry we road on to and from airport
45 min after arriving home, about 4:15 PM, she called to say she was in Nairobi and boarding the plane to Mombasa!!  I was so excited!!  We got a taxi and headed to the airport.  I must say i experienced a first...the driver pulled over to the side of the road part way to the airport and said he needed to stop and pee.  We said excuse me?  What was it you said.?  He  said it again and apologized for drinking so much water.  So he hopped out and went into the bushes...did his pee and came back.  As he got back in he pointed behind the bushes near the car and said You see the police station right there?  I stopped here so you are safe and nothing will happen to you while I am gone...  we cracked up!!  Especially after seeing the empty looking shack that was the police station.


We arrived at the airport just as Eileen was coming out...what a wonderful feeling to give her a hug.  Unfortunately she did not have her luggage either.  It will make for an interesting time until they get it.  Which we hope will be sooner than later.


There is more to the last several days but we need to get to bed after this long day.  Stay tuned.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Video - Posting Comments

If you recall Jan's post on the final road into Tiglio, Italy, you need to see the following video.  This is the best way to truly understand Jan's feelings as we ventured down this road. 

Several people have said they tried to post comments but were unable to.  As we appreciate seeing peoples comments, this is a blog to provide some input to help you post comments.  After you have typed your comment in the area provided (please add your name as we appreciate knowing who commented), click on the pull down next to "Comment as:" and select "Anonymous".  There are other options you can select if you have accounts, but this should prevent you from setting up an account if you don't have one.  There will be one more verification step where you type in what is shown but after that post the comment and you should have success.  I believe you will only need to do this verification step once per computer.  Hope this helps and we do enjoy seeing your comments.

On the road again..

Dec 17th (Friday)

...or should I say in the air again .  We left Wayne and Pams apt about 3:30.  Wayne took us to the bus station and made sure we got on the bus going to the airport.  it is about an hour ride so we did not want them to have to take that ride and then turn around and head back.  We made it in plenty of time and had a good flight.  It was like a date...we have airport dates and plane dates...dinner and a movie!!
View of Rift Valley in Kenya

We arrived in Doha airport .  (that is in the country of Qatar in case you wondered)  i bet you might even wonder where that is too...a small country in the Arabian peninsula.  How is that for a geography tip of the day.  I tell you that because I needed informing myself.

It was rather shocking to  go into the terminal because it was so busy!  There were people milling around going every which way and so many different nationalities and types of dress and languages.  It was sensory overload...especially at 11:30 PM.  We were not leaving till 7:30 AM so were trying to decide what to do or where to go for the next 8 hours.  The bottom line was the terminal was to small for the amount of traffic going thru.  There were signs of enlarging it which is kind of important since they will be hosting the soccer World Cup in 2018  or 2022(i can't remember).  So that gives them time I guess to expand.

Mt. Longonot in Rift Valley
Back to the wandering of the airport.  We saw signs  to "quiet rooms" so we found one and it was jammed pack full of sleeping people on "cots" and it was about 90 degrees in the room.  But it was quiet.  So we went looking around some more and found a lounge you could pay to go into...after considering the options we asked about it only to be told they were out of food and seats so were not allowing any more people in.  In the end we found some empty spots where people had pulled benches together to put their feet up on.  It was nice for those sitting there but made for less seating in a very crowded place.  We saw a man getting up to leave and grabbed his seats and sort of stretched out and tried to sleep.  Doze would be a better word for what we did... we were near the windows and it was chilly which did not help the comfort level.  As I sat there I listened to all the noises that were going on simultaneously...click click click of someones heels, plates being cleared and stacked in a nearby cafe...someone blowing their nose...someone else coughing...a baby crying...loud talking and laughter...phone ringing...announcement to not leave your luggage unattended...airplane taking off nearby...Roger snoring (not really).  All those sounds were going on around us and made it difficult to sleep...not to mention the bright lights.  At about 3am i went to the restroom and realized the airport had calmed down...everywhere i looked people were sleeping or trying to sleep .  The area I had gone to was nice and warm so I talked Roger into moving even tho we could not put our feet up.  We found a seat and it seemed much quieter than where we were.  So between that and the warmth we zonked out for a couple hours with our heads and arms sprawled over our back packs.  About 5:30 when i woke up it looked like a busy bee hive again.  I am not sure where all the people came from but again it buzzed with activity.

Wow!  Is the picture of the cute couple or Bougainvillea
We left on time and were able to nap a bit more on the 5 and half hour flight to Nairobi.  It was so nice to be greeted by Doug and Lisa.  It was about 1PM as we headed out to have lunch.  Africa..we both felt so at home with the sights and smells.  Its very much what you envision a third world country being like.
The traffic was horrific, the roads bumpy...the pollution pretty bad and dust everywhere...writing it out I can't put my finger on why we like it so much...if you were here you would see that once you come to Africa it gets under your skin and you want to come back.

Bougainvillea at Rift Valley Academy
Our nephew Dan was arriving later in the eve...about 9:30PM so we decided to stay in Nairobi and kill time.  We went to lunch in a shopping center...walked around looking at the shops and what is available and then went to a ceramic bead factory near by.  It was interesting to see how they make them and put them into jewelry.  It was beautiful work.  They export about 75% of what they make...most to the states where...you pay mega bucks for them ...ha ha..  We spent alot of time  in the shop there looking at all the different things they make...so much variety!  I am sad I did not have the camera to get some pics.  We ate  a leisurely dinner at a nice Italian restaurant catching up till it was time to go  get Dan.  We arrived home about midnight ready to crash.
Doug, Lisa and Dan with us on a hike around the perimeter fence - overlooking the Rift Valley

This morning we got up rested and anxious to look around.  We are at Kijabe, a large station where Rift Valley Academy is located.  There is also a hospital nearby (Roger says the best in Kenya) and a small town.  Doug and Lisa work at the school teaching and are dorm parents for jr. and sr. girls.
We walked around the campus which has changed alot since Roger went to school here.   The views of the rift valley are amazing.  Roger hiked to the mountain in the picture above when he was a jr. in high school.  Left school at 12:01am (because they asked the dorm parent is they could leave early in the morning and they said yes so he and his two friends figured that was as early as you could get) and got back about 4 in the afternoon...dead tired!  The mountain is a crater and they made it to the rim.  It's fun to hear stories of the good ol' days of his growing up years.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Last Days in Turkey

Monday Dec - 13
It has been a beautiful and sunny day today.  The sky and air are the clearest since we have been here.  There is still snow on the ground and it is cold but it is sunny too which always makes you feel warmer even if its not.
Wayne and Roger roasting Chestnuts
Pam and I left about 8:40 to go across town to another lady’s (Anita) home.  Anita’s husband works with the defense dept. providing security for the embassy.  They have been here for a couple years.  While Anita has been here she has been involved in a lot of different things (she was the one leading the women’s study) and cooked for the men’s breakfast etc.  Overall a fun and busy lady.  One of her projects has been to provide lunch for the refugees at the center where the refugees go for their interview to get accepted by another country.  Most are Iranians and Iraqis.  So Pam has been helping her fix the lunches and taking them to the center. We arrived a few min early and Anita called the center to see how many people we would need to do lunches for.  The usual would be between 35-50 people. 
At the museum last week
Today there would be 95!  So while Pam and I began assembling sandwiches, Anita ran to the little corner store for more supplies.  We made salami and cheese sandwiches and put that and a tangerine in each bag with a napkin.  It took us a couple hours to do it all.  Often they stop by a bakery that donates day old rolls, more like sweet stuff, but we did not do that because of time and there would not be enough to go around.  I had no idea what to expect.  We carried the lunches in big canvas bags.   
Ankara through closed gates
We had to check in at a gate where you had to go between two locked gates before moving on to another room…another double door locks and then to a small overly warmed room full of people.  About half were young children.  As we started just going around the room and handing out the lunch bags the children’s eyes lit up and the parents gave us relieved and thankful looks.  Some looked at us a bit suspiciously and others refused at first till they realized it was free food and we were not expecting money for it.  After everyone in the room had some we had 15 extra (as we had made extra) and so we went outside to where there were people waiting to get in to be processed.  Guess how many there were…15!! 
God knew how many we would need.  It was such a blessing to show His love in a practical way.
After that Anita, Pam and I went to lunch at the mall.  We had a quick meal of Popeye’s chicken and then Anita was kind enough to drive us back home.  As opposed to the 2 buses, hour long trip it took going. 
Jan talking to Pam from the Roman City walls
Pam and Wayne were scheduled to go in the afternoon to the place where you get your visa renewed.  We had prayed much for things to go smoothly and they did as their visas have been renewed for another year.  PTL for that.  Roger and I spent the afternoon reading and relaxing.
After dinner we played games which we have done a few times since we have been here.  It was girls night to win at Wizard and Pam and I were so proud of ourselves as normally we did terrible and bear our way thru the process of losing badly.  So it was a nice change even if Wayne did whine a bit :)  .
As we got ready for bed we looked out the window and could hardly see across the street because the wind and snow were blowing again!!
Tues Dec -14
Jan reading to K5
This morning it was overcast but not snowing.  In fact the snow has melted quite a bit making a mess of mush outside.  Since the roads are hilly there are little streams running down the roads that make it easy for cars to drive by and spray you with water as you walk by.
Roger got going early to be at school by 8:30 to help a student with some math.  I left about an hour later with Pam.  We went by the store and post office and then she pointed me in the direction of the school and I headed uphill.  I didn’t blame her for not wanting to go all the way with me since it is straight up the hill.  I got there in time to read to the kindergarten class.  They are all so sweet.  Since we have been there a few times they recognize us and get so excited to see us.
Kim reading to Rogers favorite K4 class
The 4 yr olds especially love Mr. Roger.  He finds it easy to get down on their level and be goofy!  We helped the 4’s do a project and then we went to the second grade class and helped with another art project.  It is the last week of school before break and the teachers are finding creative ways to reinforce learning and to fill time for excited and crazy kids and we got to help!
Tonight there is a meeting here and Pam has invited the couples to come to dinner before the meeting.  We have really enjoyed meeting the other workers here and getting to know them.  So it will be nice to spend even more time together.  It has been a great time in Turkey.
Ankara
It is hard to believe that tomorrow evening we head to Kenya.  In 5 days we will see Eileen for Christmas break.  I realized this morning when I woke up dragging my feet and feeling in a funk that I really do have trouble with transition times and change.  It has been a great time here in Turkey with the Elliot’s and they have really allowed this to be our home for 10 days.  The anticipation of just moving on kind of makes me feel unsettled.  I have acknowledged it more in hopes to overcome this.  After so many years of transition in my life…maybe all my life I will come to a place of embracing it rather than letting it unsettle me so much.  I have moved so much and said goodbye to so many friends all my life…. I guess it’s not a wonder that it stirs a lot of emotion in me without my even realizing it.  So I am renewing my mind and trying to rejoice in the change and looking forward to it.  
Overlooking Ankara
 Of course I am looking forward to going to Kenya, seeing Doug and Lisa and Eileen but I guess it’s the letting go of something that has now become familiar and comfortable that is the hard part.  Normally once I leave a place or say goodbyes I am fine…so I need to learn to let go a little more gracefully I guess.  Wow …this is only country no. 2…is it possible in 7 more times of transition I will figure it out?  I hope so… We will see.