Out of Africa
Over the last couple years, I’ve definitely had some of wild situations and plenty of discomfort. But generally, it’s been pretty mild. My next destination promised to smash all previous ideas of discomfort and challenge me in ways I never imagined.
Kenya has been my most challenging country yet. From infrastructure to transportation, I’ve spent a good portion of my time here in some level of discomfort. But that’s a good thing, that’s what I’m seeking.
As always, it was also an opportunity to open yourself, surrender to the flow and let the universe take control. In many ways you have no choice. Because, as they say, TIA … This is Africa.
The main motivating factor in deciding to go to Kenya was to visit my dear friend Caroline. We haven’t seen each other in a couple years now, since we both ventured out from Minneapolis. She’s been on her own journey, making her way around Central America before joining the Peace Corps and getting assigned to Kenya.
She’s stationed in the tiny village of Kamser Seka in western Kenya, near the shores of Lake Victoria. Such an impressive lake too! It’s Africa’s largest lake, the world’s largest tropical lake and the world’s second largest freshwater lake after Lake Superior. It's also the origin of the Nile River.
I arrived in Nairobi first thing in the morning and used my layover time to get my Yellow Fever vaccine. The vaccine would cost approximately $230 in the US, but here in Kenya it’s $20! After getting the jab, I hoped onto my next flight to the city of Kisumu, Kenyan’s largest city on Lake Victoria.
Caroline met me in Kisumu, where we spent a few days catching up and getting me acclimated to life in Kenya. In this moment, Kenya was experiencing severe flooding. The Peace Corps plays these situations pretty safe, and was recalling all their volunteers in the area back to their offices in Kisumu. At first this seemed great, as Caroline would be in town and we could pal around. However, the corps decided to put all the volunteers into training for the week, so we wouldn’t get to hang out.
Kakamega
On suggestion, I headed north to the town of Kakamega for the week. The last remaining Kenyan portion of the great Congo Rainforest is just outside town. The rainforest used to stretch from Cameroon, in west Africa, all the way to Kenya, crossing Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. Over the centuries, man’s incursions have cut off the Kenyan part and now just Kakamega remains.
My Airbnb host put me in touch with a friend of her’s who was happy to take me to the rainforest. The night before she had to cancel and she said she was sending a friend of hers. I was a little dubious and nervous about this. A friend of a friend of a person I had never met. Victor arrived at the agreed time in the morning to pick me up. He has lived in Kakamega his entire life, yet had never been to the rainforest. Needless to say, he was beyond excited.
We decided to pay for a guide for the day, which was a great idea. The guide was a botanist and knew everything about the flora and fauna in the forest. He took us to see some amazing Banyan trees, some that were over 900 years old! We encountered several species of monkeys including Colobus and Baboons.
Victor was an amazing character and fun to be around. After we finished in the forest, I was asking for dining recommendations and he volunteered to take me to the best Nyama Choma spots in town. Nyama Choma is grilled meat, typically goat, coated in spices and a Kenyan specialty. It is also typically served with Ugali which is a type of corn meal and Kachumbari, a fresh tomato and onion salad.
Over the meal, we discussed many things including US politics, soccer and our families. As he was driving me back to my apartment, I happened to ask about his wife’s clothing shop. He said we were very close to it and asked if I wanted to stop and meet his wife. I accepted immediately. We dropped in to see her, and had some great conversations as we waited out the daily rainstorm.
This was, by far, one of the best days I would spend in Kenya. It was so great to meet a friendly local, see the rainforest through his eyes and meet his wife. I will cherish the day forever.
Kamser Seka
With the flood levels receding, I headed back to Kisumu, where I would switch matatu's for the drive down to Seka to spend some with Caroline in her village. The transportation system in Kenya is very “interesting.” There’s no such public transport to speak of. Instead it’s a network of individuals and small companies that operate from village to village.
You have Matatus, which are like glorified minivans. They have seats for about 12 people, but typically are stuffed with up to 20ish people. Sometimes there are animals or other packages being delivered as well. Then there are tuktuks, that classic three-wheeled vehicle that most of us associate with India. And lastly there are Piki piki (or Bodas) which are motor bikes for hire. I’ve seen as many as 5 people on one boda!
After switching matatus in Kisumu, my ride to Seka was a classic Kenyan experience. I was stuffed in the very back with 5 others. I had my pack crammed on my lap. The person on my left had five bags of groceries, and a woman with a cage of 4 chickens was on my right. It was about 87 degrees and the ride was nearly two hours long. There may or may not have been dead fish in the matatu as well. As I said, a unique experience to be sure.
I spent just over a week in Kamser Seka with Caroline and it was some of the most amazing and relaxing days ever. So amazing to see her and the impact her work is having in the village. It was also very eye opening to the pros, cons and bureaucracy of Peace Corps and NGOs. If you donate money to these organizations, it can sometimes be hard to know where your money is going and what impact it’s actually making in the communities where they operate.
Walking around the village, it was so cool to see how Caroline has integrated and how the villagers interact with her. Each evening we would go for a “quick walk,” only for that to turn into at least an hour. Everyone wants to stop and say hello, to ask what’s going on, and of course, to invite you to their place for a snack. The friendliness and hospitality of Kenyans is next level.
Because of the flooding the village didn’t have power, which meant we couldn’t pump water. So bucket showers it was! At night we sat around the single flashlight Caroline has to catch up on the last few years. And since the sun sets at 6:30 all year round, we were in the dark quite a bit.
Getting to experience life in rural Kenya was an amazing and eye opening experience. It can put so much into perspective. You realize how blessed so many of us are, and that our worries and stresses are pretty insignificant in comparison. Yet Kenyan’s always have a smile on their faces, are quick with a hello and seem to be always laughing. Incredibly inspiring.
Yet beyond these experiences, it was the chance to catch up with Caroline that made it so special. Back in the US, before either of us began our adventures, we had hypothesized about this exact scenario. One of those, “how cool would it be” situations. And it lived up to the hype! To be together again, in such a unique place was beyond special. From our first days together at Yamamoto, I think we both knew we were kindreds. We’ve always stayed in touch as we both found our way out of the US and into the wider world. Always excited to hear about each other’s adventures, always willing to hear the other’s struggles. And to finally do it in person, will forever be one of my favorite experiences on this insane adventure I’m on.
So thanks Caroline! Can’t wait for our next adventure together.
Nairobi
Coming from the tranquility of rural life, arriving in Nairobi was a shock to the system. Big, loud, chaotic. The city seems so immense. In every direction, skyscrapers abound and from their high rise perches, the city seems serene. But at street level it’s a mass of people. A place that feels overwhelmingly alive. I felt like an ant on the forest floor, everything towering massively above me.
Thankfully, my place in the Spring Valley neighborhood was quieter, close to a lot and I adapted quickly. Sidewalks are nearly nonexistent, but I became comfortable walking on the side of the road as the cars wizzed by. You make your own rules when it comes to crossing the street and I soon found myself loving the game of human Frogger.
On my last full day in the city, I took refuge from the city in the languid grasslands of Nairobi National Park. Getting to go on safari a few miles from the city center was insanely surreal. And yet, here I was … in the wild lands amongst an abundance of wildlife.
In my single day in the park I saw rhinos, gazelles, crocodiles, hippopotamus, lions, ostrich and more giraffe than I ever thought possible. The park itself is massive, seeming to stretch on forever. Which made it feel much more like a safari that it probably was. The parks entire southern border is open allowing the animals freedom of movement in and out of the park. From the far edge of the park, you could look back toward Nairobi and its towering skyline. This created quite the juxtaposition against the grasslands and wildlife.
This would turn out to be the half way mark of my time in Kenya. I originally planned to be in Kenya only a few weeks to see Caroline. But my time in the country would rapidly expand to fill the entirety of my three month visa.
The second half of my Kenyan adventure would reveal another side of Kenya, another set of social norms and another part of myself. Stay tuned!