Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Yehaw!!!!  Marsabit's heavy emphasis on the cattle industry really made me feel like I was in an Old West town.  It was great.  It was a day of "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Me standing outside the Agrovet Store (right beside the restaurant)

After having been joustled around in the 4WD vehicle for the past week, to get back down to level land, warm air, sunny skies and a little buzzing town was just one of those aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh moments of life.  We were anticipating having our first hot bath since our trip started, only to arrive and find that our generous host, Stephen, had bad inlaws.  They were actually outlaws in this dusty cow-town who had stolen all of his stored water for our bath.  Ha!  So much for a warm bath.  We each got a little basin of water which was warmed for us to spritz ourselves off.  Hey it did the trick!

We decided to enjoy the day, shopping with all the vigor of ants eating a pile of sugar.  We shopped for and bought bananas to munch upon as we walked about.  When we asked where to put the banana peels, they said--oh just anywhere.  I suppose a goat would come along and eat it up anyway! 

Marsabit Goat

What I pondered as I walked the streets was how good it felt to walk the streets where people of all sorts of walks in life were busy.  Busy sewing, or selling food, or operating an internet cafe, or staffing a bus station.  This town is probably about 4 blocks long and wide.  But it felt like I was home, or nearly home.  For all my appearance of being a down-home girl in the U.S. (yes I work on an organic farm, I eat less carbohydrates than most everyone I know, and I think of myself as a simple liver of life.), I realized I like being in the city, or at least near enough a town where I can go get a pop if I want one.  So, I'm perhaps not quite the earth mother I pretend to be in the U.S. 

When all was said and done, I was glad to be heading back to Nairobi.  I was glad that this was my last day in the north of Kenya where scarcity is the norm.  I was also glad that I had done this northern circuit--for I've seen people struggle with joy and in pain through the scarcity.  Their life is not my life--I would fizzle and struggle up here just as they would in the cities of N. America should they find themselves suddenly transplanted.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, but it was good to be here in Marsabit in the transition between 2 very different worlds. 

Josie Posing with a Tailor

   I will never forget.  I will always remember what it means to be without water.  Not even a drop.  Please read more about Marsabit under that sidebar page of this blog.

At the Bus Station

My trip to Mombasa was mostly in the dark.  We arrived just before dusk disembarking the TSS Busline and the only picture I have of beautiful Mombasa is of the bus station with Sherri sleepily closing her eyes after the day-long trip! 

My only picture of Mombasa!!!! 

Mombasa was a stopping over point for Tom and I who were enroute to Lamu and surrounding areas.  Google Mombasa if you want to see the white sands of the beaches, and beauty of the Indian Ocean.  Sherri, Sam, and Josie went snorkeling on the reef, and had a grand time with ocean side entertainments.  Mombasa is healing after a long safari in Kenya!

Click on the Mombasa page for more fun about our journey to Mombasa! 

Spiders, Wind, Chilling Temps, Glorious Views

Gatab Accomodations - On Top of Mt. Korr

As you can see, we stayed at what is termed a Chameleon Paradise.  In fact, I would conclude after our stay that it is a chameleon paradise, but definintely not a human paradise.  Okay--yes we did have a bed upon which to sleep and it wasn't rock hard as the desert floor.  But, mmmm mmmmm good.  Take a look at our decor. 

Our manyattas -- they were cold -- but had a great view!

My nighttime and daytime companion!

A mattress on tightly tied sticks.

I could learn about men dying from Rabies.

And I could wonder about the poor animal whose jaw was next to my head.

We didn't have water for bathing here - we washed our face with alcohol based wet wipes.  We had carried water with us from Ngurunit for drinking.  I was so grateful to learn that Stephen had carried some crackers (they sort of tasted like animal crackers) with him, and we had those for lunch on our stay. 

It was cold here.  I parked my skirts and sandals and wore jeans and closed shoes with layers of jackets and socks!!!!  At night it got down to pretty near 42 is my guess--and we chilled like penguins.

A small tree growing beneath my bed.

Tom attempts to rest in the afternoon.  Thee was a spider the size of the palm of your hand above his head.

But this trip to Gatab wasn't about the acommodations.  Sherri said that when she lived here, she had a nice warm house, running water, and a cozy kitchen.  She recommended the razing of these manyattas and starting over!!!!  :)  This trip was about meeting old friends and relatives.  See what fun Josie and Sherri were having meeting everyone! 

Josie next to her brother and behind her sister.  Sherri in the embrace of their mother.

Click on the Gatab page for more of what we did and saw while there.  Gatab.  I'll never forget it.  And sometimes there are no more words than those.  I'll never forget it.

Ngurunit Innovation

I went home last night about 10:30 p.m. thinking about what I had said about the lack of water at Ngurunit. Quite honestly, I felt a bit dismayed that I forgot to talk about the innovation going on at Ngurunit.  Not only did we tour 3 schools, but at one school, we got to see that they were starting an agricultural project (though fairly humble) and they had dug a well and were pumping water from the depths of the desert upwards.  On specific days of the week, community residents would come to the well, collect water in their 5 to 10 gallon geri cans and carry it home for household needs. 

Look at the greenhouse being constructed.  They weren't quite sure what they were going to grow yet as the community would have to be the ones to decide on the crops. 

Here's the collard greens they were growing--it's a first for the Samburu as they traditionally eat animals and animal products, not vegetables. 

Ngurunit was our "tour of the schools".  Follows is the headmaster of the most established school.  You will see he was rightfully proud that his primary school (elementary school) was in the 1st 3 rankings in the entire area for the past 3 years. 

Take a look at what types of school volunteers they need.  If you parents think you are stretched with the task you do while volunteering at your local school, take a look under SUPPORT STAFF, Item #3. 

WANT TO HERD SOME CAMELS?

The Local Rotary Club of Maralal District had placed a 500 gallon water tank at one school - it was empty when we were at this school, but if it doesn't rain, there is nothing to collect from the mabate (steel corrigated) roofs. 

Ngurunit was nice.  In some ways it was better than Marsabit and in other ways Marsabit had it beat by a long shot.  More on Marsabit later.  But my next post will be about Gatab.  (pronounced Gaaaahhhhh-taaaahhhb).  ;)  Joy

Just Enough Water to Make you Sticky!

DRY RIVER BEDS ARE THE NORM.  NO RAIN FOR ONE YEAR.

At Ngurunit, I pondered on not having water.  Water was valued and RARELY used by the locals.  Dry river beds were used as highways by foot travelers.  During the time we were in Ngurunit, we saw the vehicle we drove and one other.  We walked by foot to the schools we toured.  Everything was really close--didn't take us more than 15-30 minutes for any of our "day-trips". 

Straw-haired Joy following Simon on our tour of schools in the area.

Termites had grand houses as big as the Manyattas in which people lived.

Mamas looked into our cameras and laughed with us.  The people were truly lovely and kind.  Genuinely hospitable, the peoploe made the trip of seeing schools, mountains and dry desert areas memorable.

Samburu mamas laughing at Josie's photos of themselves

Look under the Ngurunit section of my blog for more exploits that we encountered along the way.  Ngurunit truly was one of the best parts of our trip to the northern frontiers of Kenya.  I will always remember the cool nights sitting outside in the dark with the wind blowing across the silence of the earth.

One of the new schools we visited.