I was scheduled to leave Kenya this morning for Malawi, but the
airline industry being what it is didn't have the same plans for me.
Although my reservation was for today, apparently my flight isn't
until tomorrow. Of course this is a bummer, but when Kenya Airways
puts you up in about the best hotel in Nairobi with free unlimited
buffets for every meal, things could obviously be a lot worse. And
lucky for you, I've decided to swap my three minute phone call to
anywhere in the world for two hours of internet access, so I now have
the chance to share a little bit about my last few weeks.
I last updated from Dar es Salaam, prior to heading off to Zanzibar.
I will report that Zanzibar does indeed have cars and paved roads and
whatever else the song said it didn't. It also has gorgeous beaches
and delicious banana and nutella crepes. But don't look for a
plastic grocery bag on the island as they've been made illegal as of
last year. Regardless of the haves and have nots of Zanzibar, we had
an excellent few week. A few days in town offered the chance to get
lost a few too many times within the narrow alleyways of Stone Town,
the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the island's
history, and of course to do some shopping. The second half of our
trip took us to the opposite side of the island to the middle of
nowhere to be beach bums for a bit. The internet is certainly an
amazing thing, as it seemed pretty incredible that we were able to
find such a great little place to stay in the absolute middle of
nowhere. Our little beach bungalows were a bit like the luxury
version of our homes back in Shirazi, complete with electricity,
fans, and outdoor bathroom. It was great to go to the bathroom under
the stars, but not so much in the rain... There's not so much to say
about our time at the beach. There was lots of relaxing, staring at
the ocean, and attempting to dodge beach boys. But things did get
exciting when we decided to plan a snorkeling adventure at the reef a
ways off the beach. We decided to listen to one of the men
constantly soliciting us along the water. He gave us the cheapest
offer for a snorkeling trip we had heard all week, and being the
college students that we are, we decided to jump on it. He told us
we'd take a sailboat, and although we were somewhat sketched out by
this, we figured it'd be an adventure. And boy it was... The next
morning, he and his buddies showed up with an outrigger which had
certainly had its fair share of fishing voyages. Although a
trimaran, the boat itself was only about two feet wide, and we all
stood on the beach thinking how on earth were six of us going to fit
in this boat? We also strongly questioned the seaworthiness of
skiff, but decided to go for it anyways. Of course it was somewhat
disconcerting to watch a large spray of water seep in through a leak
between two of the boat's wooden planks as we hit every wave, but it
was nothing a little bailing couldn't fix. Despite our worries, the
boat managed to stay afloat, plus we enjoyed some good snorkeling.
We were all sad to leave the beach, knowing we were heading back to
Nairobi, but we could feel a bit better knowing that this time we
would be traveling for less than two hours by air, as opposed to the
day long epic journey we endured before. Of the six of us who
traveled to Zanzibar, four were soon saying goodbye to Kenya, while
my friend Anna and I were preparing for our grand finale adventure to
Mt. Kenya.
Prior to this semester, my mountain climbing experience really only
consisted of hiking Mt. Monadnock on a sixth grade field trip. So
why not start off strong with the second highest mountain in Africa?!
I had planned to really start getting back in shape during ISP in
preparation for the trip, but neither Anna nor myself really
committed much time to our fitness level. This led us simply to
laugh at ourselves when discussing our trip. Fortunately, our guide
set us a great “pole pole” (slowly slowly) pace so we never
really had to worry about keeping up. As it turns out, we had way
more important things to worry about during our four days on the
mountain.
At times I felt I was becoming borderline hypothermic and at others I
felt frostbitten toes were inevitable. I had what I can confidently
call the worst headache of my life due to altitude sickness and I can
also add a tally to my sparse vomiting history, also as a result of
the altitude. And waking up at two in the morning in attempts to
reach the summit in time for sunrise really didn't help my cause. (I
know this sounds pretty bad, and a few times I did think what on
earth am I doing and why did I freely choose to do this to myself?)
But finally peaking my head out from the back side of the mountain to
see the sun do the same over the horizon made everything worth it.
Even though it can't possibly do the moment justice, I'll let the
photo speak for itself.
In total we walked about 60 km, peed about six times along the trail
everyday do to our diligent increased water intake, and for me, wore
seven layers to bed each night, including a soft shell and a winter
jacket all inside my sleeping bag. But neither Anna nor myself could
have imagined a better way to end our Kenyan experience. And
although at times I was sick and cold, having the opportunity to say
goodbye to Kenya from its roof is something I won't forget.
And so it is so long to Kenya. It's been a sad few days as I've come
to call my neighborhood in Nairobi home, and the relationships I've
made are just as strong as those of friends and family.
Relationships are highly valued in Kenyan culture, making every
farewell a struggle, even to the woman at the cyber cafe or man who
fixed my glasses. Maybe one day I'll return, but for now, the south
is waiting. Hopefully I'll be off to Malawi in the morning, but then
again, another day in this hotel wouldn't be so bad! I'll try my
best to post a few updates while I'm there, but I make no promises on
my internet connection. So for now, kwaheri (goodbye)!
Ali
Our sketchy sailboat rows away
The bungalow
Freezing cold, but at the summit!
This one speaks for itself...
Trekkin'! (Our porters are enthusiastic...)
We made it back! Our entire team, including porter, guide, and cook.
