The weekend was one big adventure…both because we got out and about, and because we did it with all the inefficiency of a good solid African experience! Our route to the nearest shopping center became a detour through the heart of Nairobi…which includes huge traffic jams, what feels like millions of people, iffy roads, crazy driving…constant near misses...really harder to believe that you aren’t crashing than it would be to be having multiple crashes! We finally arrived at Village Market, well secured by guards carrying AK47’s and Billy Clubs. This did make the inside quite relaxing. If anyone tries to do anything too crazy there they will pay…at least it appears that way! We hung out, did some grocery shopping and had great food in a food court type of place…Chinese for John and Indian for Warren and I. It seemed like every nationality in the world was represented in that mall…incredible assortment of people…very cool.
Today we decided we would take a drive down into the Rift Valley and try to find some wild animals. We got ourselves all ready, got some directions and ideas from our neighbors here, got in the car ready and excited…Car won’t start. After multiple attempts, jumper cables, additional gasoline...we gave up. We went for a walk , stopped in the hospital for a peek at the baby Warren helped rescue, and I got a blanket and a book and went out under a tree. About that time Warren gave the car one more try…and it starts! At this point we have about 2 ½ hours until dark…one of the major limiters here(does not feel safe to be on the road after dark, and darkness comes at 6:30), so we jumped in the idling car and took off. The first 5 km down to the valley took us nearly 40 minutes on an unbelievable road…(Nicaragua friends: think that river bed we went up to go ziplining!). Another 40 minutes and we were on the shore of Lake Naivasha. As soon as we got to the end of the dock there was a large hippo swimming by! And on our way out we saw zebra, giraffe, an antelope type of creature…and lots and lots of monkeys as we pulled into Kijabe.
No recognition of Labor Day here of course, so we are back to our daily activities tomorrow. I now have a functioning washing machine, John made the tennis team!, and we will be doing what we can to celebrate Warren's bd! I found bd candles on Sat, and will make my first attempt at baking a cake...at 7000 feet!, with a completely capricious oven...no idea what temperature is happening in there, or how to control it! Should make for another adventure!;)Having a birthday in Africa is probably treat enough!
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