It’s November and the weekend is here already. Time is whizzing by! Last weekend Kris and I were in Diani in South Coast which was lovely. Our cottage Friday night was spectacular with 2 bedrooms a full kitchen and, a real shower and huge living room, o yeah and monkeys! Scheming monkeys, one of which I caught trying to take off with my coffee. They were friendly, almost a little too friendly and quite photogenic. The beach was amazing. The second night we attended a Peace Corps party on a military base and camped out in tents. It was the first time in a month I had been surrounded by so many mzungus (I’ve gotten quite used to the word) in over a month and it was almost kind of strange. Tony did in fact escort us across the ferry in his taxi on our way there, which was nice but we braved it ourselves on the way back. I have never seen so many people on one water-fairing vessel in my life. It was a mob scene. But we made to the other side with no mishaps.
This week I spent a lot of time reading and organizing the curriculum for next year, and indulging in the juice mans fruit medley. He’s quite an interesting man. We chat over cold bowls of “fruit delight” (just one of the possible names we are trying to come up with) and he asks lots of questions about Americans. These questions include, but are not limited to: why do Americans drink more alcohol than they do eat? Is America In Europe? How do Americans celebrate Christmas? Then came the questions of how old are you? When I answered with 24, he said, “o yes, its time to get married”. Around here I suppose I am kind of an old maid already with no husband or kids. He proceeded to tell me all about how his car was stolen and found by the cops in Mombasa but they wouldn’t give it back to him without a 20,000 ksh bribe. He was adamant that he would not pay and if the cops insisted that they would be the ones who would be sorry. I didn’t pry too much but within 2 days he did in fact have his car back, and did not pay the bribe.
This morning Kris and I went into Kilifi and took a different route, through the creek. The Takaungu Creek is really more like a salt-water river that leads right into the ocean. We had heard about this boat that travels back and fourth across it for free and will take you to a piki on the other side but had yet to try it. Saadiya and her husband were setting out for Kilifi this morning also, by way of creek so we tagged along. When we got the creek we saw the large canoe approaching crammed with men and bicycles and one man standing up pushing the boat along with a huge long stick. We had to wade in the water to get in, with a new load of men and bikes and off we went. When we got to the other side there were in fact pikis waiting so I hopped on one and off we went. I’ve really grown to enjoy piki rides. I never rode a motorcycle at home and to be honest they kind of scare me, but there’s something different about it here. The scenery is always stunning and we’re traveling on dirt roads so the speed never really picks up too fast. This was a new route for me, we got trapped in the middle of a cow herd and went through a sisal plantation (sisal is a plant they use to make rope, they look like 10 foot tall pineapples sticking out of the ground). The sun was shining and the ocean was in the background. The piki took us to a matatu stage and we hopped onto our next mode of transportation.
QUICK MATATU CULTURE:
As hectic as matatus are I sometimes find them to be relaxing as well. When I first got to Kenya I listed all things dangerous and would have to admit, riding in a matatu was at the top of the list. But now, I can literally fall asleep while riding in one. There is a whole matatu culture, it’s like musical chairs with 18 people (and the occasional chicken) in a 15 person van while stopping and going and speeding and the “conductor” hanging out of the open sliding door the whole ride shouting at passersby. And did I mention the black lights lining the inside ceiling and fringe lining the black lights and stickers of American hip hop artists covering every square inch and the blasting music and thumping bass? O yes, that’s a matatu, sometimes they don't even come to a complete stop before people get off. They’re brilliant and hilarious and you can catch one day or night within minutes, they literally are the most widely used form of transportation in Kenya. The best advice you can get and give when it comes to matatus is to stay out of the “death seat” which is in the very front next to the driver. Matatu drivers pass the cars in front of them with zero regard for what may be coming in the other direction. They pass 3 and 4 cars or trucks at a time and much of the time it becomes a game of chicken with opposing matatus. It’s best to sit in the middle and keep your eyes on something other than the road in front of you, or just fall asleep, which for me took some time.
So after Kilifi, I went to adult education with Mohamed. He gave a detailed lecture on condoms and out came the wooden penis for the demonstration. There was lots of giggling and questions. The girl next to me couldn’t have been a day over 14 years old and had a 6 month-old baby in her arms, making it difficult for her to take notes. I gave her a little glance and scooped up the baby so she could write. Mohamed had met her at a previous home visit and after learning that she was a school drop out convinced her to come to adult ed, she hasn’t missed a day since. At the end of the last adult ed class 10 of the women came to Mohamed and told him they were ready to get tested for HIV. They were tested on the spot, all of them negative. It’s just awesome to see the adult education classes in action and in only 3 weeks such positive things are happening. Mohamed is such an excellent teacher, he is what every village, town, city, and community project needs. He is so passionate about his work and his village and the people in it. He’s eager to get every kind of certification he can be it VTC (voluntary testing and counseling) or drug and alcohol counseling, he’s totally open to new ideas and embraces them, which makes him a pleasure to work with.
At the end of the day I decided I had to take a dip in the ocean. I swung by Kris’ and said, “I’m going to the beach, are you in?” Off we went for an evening swim. On our way back we hit up the juice guy (shocking I know) and had a long convo with him about how our favorite fruit mixture needed a proper Swahili name. He said, “I just call is fruit salad”. “O no, it’s much more than that” Kris and I insisted. So that’s the mission we’re on, he told us he’d make a sign for it if we come up with something good.
This weekend I am hanging in Takaungu. I hope to get some work done and spend as much time at the beach as possible. I may attend a drug and alcohol counseling session on Sunday, we’ll see. For now, it’s time for dinner. Until next time, thanks for staying tuned!
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