Kenya Wednesday - Thursday 6/23-24/10

Father Steve continued to worry that we had not seen a giraffe and suggested to Sister Pauline and Sister Margaret that the Giraffe Center would be a good place to take the wazungu (white guys, we hear that a lot). So we were up on Wednesday morning on a Safari in Nairobi. First we went to Mamba Village (Crocodile Village) to see the Nile Crocodiles, ostriches, and one lonely giraffe (Reticulated Giraffe). It was a little disquieting to have the young guide jump into the crocodile enclosure to tap them with a stick so that they would open their mouths for us. We were able to touch a one year old crocodile and watch as they played in the pond. Next we were introduced to the ostrich dance where the male ostrich came up to the fence and did this wonderful dance just for me.

We visited where Sister Margaret taught last year before she became Superior General. We were introduced to Dennis Ongeri who is the Scholarship Director who knew Pauline and Margaret. Our conversation included an in-depth critique of the proposed Constitution (this happens often as the vote is coming up August 4 and many people are worried about the outcome). Sister Pauline took us up to the chapel which was designed using images of a African traditional religion (which combines spirituality and every day life). It is a very vibrant and spiritual space.

Then off to the Giraffe Center. What an experience. The center houses 9 Rothschild giraffes whose environment in Eldoret region was destroyed by the development by people. This center was developed to save the Rothschild giraffes and has increased the population 300 and has become an education and research center which brings in the orphans and school children to see and touch the giraffes. When we entered the center, I thought that Yvonne was going to jump out of her skin. Here were the giraffes standing in a meadow overlooking Nairobi. The contrast in color made the giraffes pop out of the landscape. You walk up to a wall and the trainer gave you some kibble and the huge head of the giraffe lowers to your hand and a 18 inch tongue gently removes the kibble and the head elevates in a gentle fashion back up to 15 feet in the air. You could put the kibble between your lips and get a kiss from a giraffe but I could not convince Yvonne to do this (and I really did not want to kiss Yvonne after she had kissed a giraffe) (This is Yvonne: I did not want to make Stanley jealous so …..). The center was constructed so that you could go upstairs and look directly into the eye of a giraffe which was very interesting. Around the feet of the giraffe were a group of warthogs who live symbiotic relationship with them in the wild. They were really funny because they would startle and head off in a direction only to stop and look around as if they had forgotten what they were doing. We spent some time in the center listening to a lecture which was well done about the Rothschild giraffe and then back on the road.

We went back to the Mamba Village for a great lunch on the lawn and then off to visit the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. We were introduced to the Sisters that are working at the university in registration, housing, and catering. Sister Pauline introduced us to the new building and once more it was clear to me the issue of water. Every building collects rain water to use on the grounds and huge tanks were in the ground to store water to keep the university working even if the city did not supply water. The grounds keepers use interesting lawn equipment, sheep, to mow the lawn. I suppose that this lawn equipment is eaten later for lunch.

We returned to the Bomas House to have dinner. It was nice to see the house and this group of Sisters as this was the first house we visited on our first full day and all was a blur. Then back to Savelberg and bed.

We were up Thursday morning for new adventures. Sister Pauline and Sister Albina took Yvonne and me down to the garment district. One store after another selling fabric with tailors next door. Now your vision of a fabric store is nothing like what we saw. Upstairs, in what used to be an apartment living room, were eight ladies who had stacks of cloth. Each was shouting “customer, customer” and showing cloth. Thank God we had Sister Albina who was used to the environment. She talked to each of the women and had them show the material. She was able; by feel and look to identify good and bad material. We worked our way through several piles of material and then went to the next shop which was a little more open. Yvonne and Albina found cloth for a dress and shirt for Yvonne and I and cloth for a table cloth. We next were measured at one of the tailor shops and Sister Albina left us to go to her work.

We stopped by a Tuskys (their version of a Wal-Mart) to get a snack and then off to the Nairobi National Museum. This museum was recently renovated to increase the size of the museum and add the Hall of Kenya. Remember this is the country where Louis and Richard Leakey found some of the oldest skeletons in the world. Sister Pauline found a guide to take us around the museum. We started in the Hall of Kenya where there was a sculpture that represented the tribes of Kenya (42 distinct tribes) using gourds that are used in each tribe to represent it. It was a great representation. For over 2 hours the guide took us from room to room. There was a room of skulls and bones of the early findings by Leakey and his son and there were rooms that represented the different animals and their mode of transportation (walk, soar, swim) demonstrating how the animals evolved in Kenya. There were rooms that showed the different clothing and tools that the different tribes used and then several rooms of just birds. It was a great museum and when we finished we had a cup of chi (Kenyan Tea with lots of sugar).

We then drove back to Assisi House to check on the process of the plumbing. The small tank was in the ground and the pump hooked up. It was a joy to see the water pumped into the city water tank. They had knocked out some of the wall in the ceiling to be able to get the old tanks out and the new tanks in. They had taken out the old tanks and looking at them it was clear that that was a good choice to replace them. They were rusted through.

We walked back to Savelberg to get packed and ready for tomorrow’s adventure.