Adventures are beginning... I think

The past week or so has been rather eventful. Unfortunately it’s still one step forward and two steps back but being busy is better than sitting around all day, even if you’re not getting all that much done. So the things I have learned this week are...

1. A matatu journey from Bombolulu to Kilifi is not 1 hr

2. Where I live is safe and fine, just not that safe?!

3. The British Government isn’t much more helpful than the Kenyan Government

4. It is easy to find people who want to help, it is not easy to find people who CAN help.

5. Just because something is made in England doesn’t mean it works

6. I will never understand the Kenyan weather

7. Free pegs are a major selling point

8. Kenyan shops don’t do small scale...

9. Bleaching whites – not as easy as it sounds

10. Don’t try and get work done in a month where there are 3 national holidays!

So first things first, work – and to be honest I’m no further forward. Still no news on my research permit, and joyfully the people meant to be sorting it have gone on a 2 week holiday without telling me and no one else at NMK seems to have any idea about what’s going on with my application. Grrr... I nearly hit the roof when I found out. However, there isn’t much I can do. On the bright side, there is a possibility that I might actually manage to meet up with someone from the Coastal Forest Conservation Unit next week – woohoo. I am very excited about that, as it means that not only is there a possibility that I might be able to get some work done, but they might be able to hurry NMK up a bit and help speed up the application for both my Research Permit, and my Pupils Pass. Watch this space...

So onto the more exciting stuff. I have had quite a packed week. I have been to Kilifi, Watamu, and Malindi. I visited the British Consulate in Mombasa. I have been experimenting with domestic chores, I finished another book (shame it wasn't one related to work), and watched the royal wedding (yes I did honestly enjoy it)! To top it all off tomorrow I am going to a black tie dinner with actual people!

Last weekend I was mooching round with nothing much to do, when the lovely lady I met on the plane invited me to Kilifi for the weekend. Admittedly the excitement of getting out the house, as well as the mention of a pool and beaches to go swimming were a major pull, but I figured it would also be nice to see her again, and to meet her family. The original plan was that she would pick me up on Saturday after a day in Mombasa... However on Saturday morning she rang to say there had been a change in plan and I should just pack my things and make my way to Kilifi by Matatu. It took a lot longer than either of us expected for me to get to Kilifi, but when I did I got a wonderfully warm welcome and a great lunch. There was no pool at the house (which was a surprise), however we didn’t stay long, and made our way to Watamu to go to the beach.

Oh wow! I cannot tell you how great it was to finally get to a nice quiet beach, with no beach-boys and go for a swim. Watamu beach was stunning and the water felt amazing. I swam for a couple of hours only getting out once the sun started to go down (I had become a major prune!).

The place we were staying was interesting... You can tell that in high season when everything is sorted and the place is running properly it would be very popular and the typical ‘villa’ type place that you get on the North Coast of Kenya. However off season is a different story. The choice of room was dry with no lock and no mosquito net, or room with a lock, a rather whole-strewed mosquito net and a ‘damp problem’ that was more of a flood! I went for the wet room, hoping that even with the holes the mosquito net might save me, and the lock on the door was a must. The shower in the room was exceptionally cold, and I realised that although my shower in Bombolulu is cool, it’s not that cold. I do not like properly cold showers, no matter how hot I am.

Flood on the floor of my room - which spread over night!

That evening we went to the Malindi Cultural festival, where there was a bangra band playing. Turns out they have quite the following in Malindi – the crowd were loving it. The following day we went to White Sands beach at the Marine Park – it was stunning! Quite a lovely way to spend an Easter Sunday. 

 

 

Whilst Mona decided to stay on another day I decided to head back to Bombolulu (couldn’t afford to pay for myself, and wasn’t about to let Mona pay). So after being assured that I would make it back before dark I set out on the journey, first to Kilifi, to pick up the rest of my stuff, and then onto Bombolulu. Long story short – I didn’t make it back before dark. The journey takes at least 3 hours, not helped by the stop needed in Kilifi and the major road block that required the Matatu take a detour almost into Mombasa, therefore requiring a number of us to get another Matatu back in the other direction. Luckily the sky was pretty bright that night, and as it was Easter there were a lot of people around so a dash down the little road to the workshops and I made it back home safe and sound.

 

This week has been spent trying to sort out logistics and settle in a bit more. I visited the British Consulate on Tuesday. Whilst the woman was an incredibly nice person, and invited me to the St George’s Society annual dinner on Saturday with everything else, there wasn’t much she could do to help. I did find out that although ‘Bombolulu is much better, and fine in the day’ it is not considered to be that great a place to be, and I should definitely not be out and about at night without company or in a Taxi/Car! Unfortunately the car situation has been put on hold. I was hoping to get one soon. But I am not able to get the necessary paperwork to have the car in my name until I apply for my Pupils Pass (the visa). So for now, no car.

I tried to get myself a personal PO Box. However turns out if you pay for one in April, you only get it to April 1^st the next year (even if it’s the end of April). So I am waiting 3 days so that I can buy it in May, and therefore get value for money and get it for the full year that I am paying for. I have managed to sort out a few things in the house. The oven is now working, I have a broom, and I have bought flour. Unfortunately the supermarkets here only sell flour in 2Kg packets, so not only did I nearly die getting 4kg of flour (plain and self raising) back to my house, but how I’m going to get through that much is beyond me. One thing is for sure though – next week I am making cup-cakes!

I have also discovered that whilst I am perfectly capable of being all domestic in the UK with all the gadgets and products to help, out here I suck at it. I HATE hand washing all my clothes, and I don’t remember to do it regularly. So inevitably I end up with a mound of washing to do and have to spend hours (literally) scrubbing by hand, giving myself blisters and the clothes don’t even seem that clean. I thought I would solve the issue (at least in part) by bleaching my whites. I was surprised at the range of bleaches on offer in the supermarket. I figured bleach is bleach, so went for the cheap option that came with free clothes pegs – I needed new pegs too! I have to admit I did not know that the bleach you use to whiten clothes is the same one you use for toilets and disinfectant, just in different bottles – good to know. I went home, and the next day when doing the mound of washing I had to do I set about bleaching all my whites. Turns out it’s not as easy as it seems. Somehow, although some stuff is whiter than before, and a bunch of stains have come out, a lot of it has gone a funny yellow colour. Did I do something wrong? – I followed the instructions... Is it because I used a cheap bleach? If anyone knows why bleaching my whites turned them slightly yellow that would be great. However for now I am left in the knowledge that I am still far from a Kenyan domestic goddess. How I long for Vanish, my washing machine and a hoover!

The weather has also been crazy. It flips from hot to incredible down-poors. The thunder seems to roll around above us all day, but there is a big difference between the rolling thunder that almost ripples around and the thunder during the storms that sounds like it is about to rip the very skies apart – now that is an impressive sound. It makes you feel very small. I have also come to the conclusion that the changeable weather is also what is causing my body – more specifically my sinuses to be playing up. It feels like there is huge pressure in my head, and I seem to spend most of the day bouncing between being unable to breath, to a mild case of the sniffles and full on sneezing fits. I think it is going to take a long time for my body and me to get used to this, or until the seasons change.

I have been doing some exploring and discovering this week too. The British cosmetics brand Enliven is cheap out here, but probably for a reason. I bought their conditioner as it was cheap and smelt amazing, but it doesn’t seem to be that great. My hair doesn’t feel quite like straw anymore, but I did use almost half the bottle... I found out from a lovely Old Italian guy who I  met on the bus that there is a wonderful Pizzeria not far from where I am – so I will definitely be trying that sometime next week. I also found the cinema complex and a shop that sells some decent looking books. I found the meat counter at Nakumat – although I will need to save up before I get anything from there. There is apparently a Japanese/Italian restaurant which is also not far from here which according to my nice Italian friend is lovely – but I will need to save up for that one as it is expensive. And... I have also discovered (via some internet searching) that there is a place by the beach not too far away (near the posh restaurant) where apparently I can get an hour’s full body massage for KSH500! So I think I at some point soon I will be treating myself to a massage and sashimi lunch.

I have decided that each week I will give myself a list of goals... So this week my tasks are:

1. Meet with the CFCU guy

2. Find out what is going on with my application whilst people are away

3. Finish one of my books on the Mijikenda and get at least ¾ the way through the other

4. Set up my PO Box

5. Try the Pizzeria

6. Make cake

Karibu Mombasa

There are many ways in which I could have imagined my flight to Mombasa would have gone, but I never in a million years would I have thought that I would be descending into my new home whilst sitting in the Jump Seat of the cock-pit. Kenya’s answer to easyjet has found an interesting way round the problem of overbooking flight, and as I sat there I wondered if this would ever be considered legal in Europe.

As I landed in Mombasa I was hit by the heat. It turns out that in Kenya at least, the cost is by no means cooler than the cities. I was so grateful to find that as promised Mona and her sister were there to pick me up from the airport. They drove me to Bombolulu, picking up water and Mona’s son in law on the way. We got to Bombolulu, and had a little trouble finding the workshops. After driving round and calling Stephen (the guy who sorted out my accommodation) a couple of times, we finally managed to find where we were going. Mona and company dropped me off, and after waiting for one of the women at the centre I was finally taken to where I would be staying.

My new home is the Zimmerman Guesthouse at the Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural centre. It is a cute little bungalow with an open-planned kitchen living room, a double bed, shower and toilet. I have been here about 5 days and am getting settled in. The weather in Mombasa is unbelievably hot, and it is not even their hottest time of year. It has been a long time since I was somewhere o hot without easy access to a pool or the sea, so it is a not entirely pleasant novelty. I am sure I will get used to it soon, but for now I spend my days, and most of the nights convinced that I am about to melt right into the chair I am sitting on/bed I am lying in... And unlike anything I have felt before, after the rain comes, instead of leaving a cool wind in the air, the rain seems to strip all the moisture from the air, and leaves it even hotter than before. So it swings from hot and humid, to brief bursts of rain, to then becoming even hotter than before! How I would love a pool at this stage. The one benefit being that I don’t mind my cold shower. I had forgotten what it was like to be happy to get into a cold shower, but here I am 5 days in and it is one of the few things I think I am actually used to.

My new house

 

Kitchen and dining area

My bedroom

I have to admit one of the things I am finding more and more irritating are my uninvited guests... I appear to be playing host to a veritable schmorgasboard of creatures in my little place. There are tiney little ants that get everywhere (including in my computer keyboard), there are bigger ants which look like they could take off half your toe. I have found millipedes in my sink, on my chairs and making their way across my shower mat. There is quite an impressive spread of geko poo all along my walls – I have not had the chance to get a photo of one as they move very quickly, but the poo is there to prove their existence. There are cockroaches the size of small mice, and on Monday morning to make things complete I was visited by a snake. As I sat on my sofa eating breakfast it cruised its way under my front door, had a good look around. I sat there trying to work out if I would be able to make it up over the coffee table, onto the dining table and over the kitchen work-surface quick enough were it to head my way. However, after a while it seemed to have gotten bored and proceeded to make its way back out under the front door. I have to admit, although I think snakes are very cool, I am also  very aware of what they are capable of, so ever since I have been very careful when making my way out the front door and across the grass.

Millipede on the showermat...

Yeup - that's geko poo!

These tiney things get everywhere.

The people here are lovely, but I am definitely suffering from a case of culture shock. Being a single white woman abroad isn’t very easy, and I have found that along with writing, I am spending my time trawling the internet trying to make connections with the outside world, and watching hours of cheap DVDs. I am not within distance of many ex-pats or people I would be able to hang out with on my own, and with no car I am not able to make my way around as I would like. I normally hate having technology with me when I am away, but that is when I have people to talk to and things to be doing. As I find myself sitting in a house, miles away from people I understand with very little to do, I have never been so happy to have the internet and with it the contact all of my loved ones.

But this paints a very dreary picture which is unfair. I have a fantastic place that is my own and the workshop and cultural centre is a fantastic place. It is a massive compound which houses a number of homes, a primary school, a cultural centre and a group of workshops. It is part of the Association for the Physically Disabled if Kenya (APDK) was set up to help the physically disabled people of Kenya. It provides them with skills and opportunities to become active members of their community. The cultural centre has a range of replica houses (including Kayas!) which show different cultures from Kenya and other African countries. There are also people who will play visitors traditional music and conduct traditional dances.

Kaya medicine hut

Giriama ancestral carvings

There is also plant nursery which grows plants for local hotels and sells seeds for people to take abroad. They have found plants which grow successfully in other climates. They have a set of photos from people across the world who have successfully grown the plants bought from Bombolulu.

This plant grows from the leaves (not from seeds)

The centre also has a range of workshops. They have woodcarving, which is supplied by FSC (sustainable) wood and is associated with WWF’s Good Wood programme. They make jewellery, have a textiles workshop, a leather workshop, and they make mobility vehicles for the physically disabled.

Wood workshop

Textile workshop

Possibly the coolest Giraffe ever!

Making mobility vehicles

It is a fantastic place, and the people here are very passionate about what they do. For now it is home, and once I have a car and can start making headway with work I will find I am happy and much more settled.

Some of animals I don't mind - very cool lizards around the place

Emma xxx

Jambo Nairobi

A few things I learnt on my first few days in Kenya:

1) Cities are not always warmer than the coast
2) Africa can charge a fortune for things we can buy for pocket change at home
3) It is going to take me quite a while to get used to Kenyan time again
4) Just because people say they will do something, doesn’t necessarily mean they will do it to your time-frame or in fact at all
5) For every few people who get in your way, or make life hard, there is normally at least one person willing to help out
6) Baby elephants are very cute!

Waking up in Nairobi I was surprised to find, that although warm, I did not feel I was going to melt... After waiting over half an hour for a very overcooked breakfast, I was in fact a little cool (and hungry), and had even gone as far as digging out a cardy. After eating I got my things together and made my way to the National Council for Science and Technology to pick up my research visa. Or so I thought...

One thing I have noticed, is that wherever there is governmental business going on in Kenya, there are soldiers with very big guns. Even though I have not done anything wrong, whenever I walk past a soldier with a gun (or in fact any type of policeman/soldier/guard) I always get very nervous. However it appears that in Kenya, although they come with heavy weaponry, the guards are often very nice and helpful people. Following simple instructions, I found my way up to the relevant office and sitting in a chair waiting to be seen. After a rummage through the quite staggering number of files that the department had on research being done in Kenya, and trolling through the books (with only one computer and everything being done via paper, I now see why I couldn’t just email things across), it was discovered, that not only was my permit not ready to collect, but they had not yet received my application or the research permit fee from the National Museums of Kenya, and as such there was no permit for me to collect. Apparently all I could do was go to NMK and try to find out what the hold-up at their end was. I was escorted to NMK by a lovely gentleman from the fisheries department, who assured me that it was not unusual for this sort of thing to happen, and that I shouldn’t worry. 

Sitting in the reception area of the office of the gentleman who had been dealing with my permit application, I hoped that finally progress would be made. However after the briefest possible conversation (he clearly was not pleased to see me), which was conducted with him in his doorway and me stuck outside his office, I was told that the cheque had not been processed by the finance department yet, and that there was nothing that could be done. I should go to Mombasa, not worry about it and they would sort it. I did not need to be here. I could maybe go to immigrations to find out about my student visa, but otherwise there was nothing for me to do but wait.

Not surprisingly this was not the news I had hoped for, but there seemed nothing more I could do. I went home, and tried to get in touch with the immigrations office. After ringing 6 different numbers, being hung up on numerous times, I finally found out where I should go the next day to find the information I needed. For the rest of the day all I could do was sit and wait.

The next day I was called for breakfast. This time I was late. I ate, packed my things, and again, headed back into town. This time to immigrations, yet again hoping things here would be a little simpler. After finally finding where Aliens were meant to go, I was standing in a queue waiting to find out about a Pupils Pass. The woman at the desk was even less pleased to see me than the gentleman the day before. I got the feeling that international students and researchers were not these peoples favourite groups. I was told quite simply, that once I received my research permit I was to send in my application for my Pupils Pass. This would then take around one month to process, at which point I was to return to Nairobi and collect my pass. I would not be allowed to do any research during this time. I asked if I was still able to attend my language course that I had planned to start the following week. I was assured that if I undertook any classes or training before my Pupils Pass was issued, I would be in violation of my tourist visa and I would be sent home. I was not allowed to do any work or training until my pass had been issued. In short, for the next month and a half (at least) I was stuck in Kenya unable to do any of the things I had come out to do, and my research was to be put on hold.

I was devastated. I got back to the B&B and after having a little cry, I emailed my supervisors to tell them what was happening. For now I was stuck in Nairobi with nothing to do, heading for Mombasa in two days time where I would be unable to do anything, and without the funds, I was not able to go back to the UK whilst I waited. The replies were kind, but obviously they were not pleased. I sent out a message on facebook, and the replies there were much more positive. A number of people asked me why exactly I was not happy that I was being forced to take a break whilst staying on the coast and more still were coming in with ideas what to do, including ideas as to how to fill my time. Following one such message, I decided that on my last day, instead of fretting about things I could not change, I would go to the Sheldrick Elephant orphanage.

 

The orphanage was interesting. They have elephants from all over Kenya, which they raise at the orphanage, each elephant having its own keeper to raise it. They stay at the orphanage until they are 2 years old, and then are moved to Tsavo, where they are then slowly re-introduced back into the wild.

 

After leaving the orphanage we went to Kazuri workshops. Here they make ceramic beads and crafts. It was set up to provide income for single women in Nairobi, and now exports its goods around the world. It is known mainly for the beautiful jewellery that they make. I spent hours wandering round the factory, and then spent way too much money in the shop! It was a wonderful way to spend my last day in Nairobi.

 

 

Emma xxx

Journey to Kenya

After a slight panic at finding out how much Kenya airways charges for extra baggage, my last day in the UK was spent, not as I had planned with a lovely day with my family, but unpacking and re-packing all of my stuff so that yet again I  could try and strip out what I didn’t need. Such as clothes and shoes. That’s the problem with going away on fieldwork. Books, computers and equipment are suddenly more important than having things to wear.

With much help from my parents, who are a lot more ruthless than myself I had finally gotten down to what should just about be passable at check-in. At the airport there was a minor face-off between myself and the lady at the check in. On Kenya Airways’ website it said one hand-luggage, and one accessory (such as laptop or camera bag). The problem is they didn’t specify the details of the camera bag. So there I was with my 11kg of hand-luggage and a camera bag filled with my new toy, 2 lenses, all my electrical equipment and hidden away was my netbook.

“But it doesn’t look like a camera bag, it looks like a rucksack”. At this stage I pointed out that there wasn’t anything on the website that said what shape the bag had to be. Seeing things weren’t going too smoothly, my parents came over for moral support, and I was hoping that if I couldn’t persuade the woman now coming over to make the final decision, that my mother, who has the ability to control hoards of children and bend them to her every will with a single look, might be able to do the trick. Luckily, with a simple not from the rather intimidating woman I was free to go. Deep down wondering if my mother does actually have the power of mind control...

After saying goodbye to my parents, and a rather treacherous pass through security (taking about 20minutes to unpack  and re-pack laptops, as well as having to undress and re-dress as is now the custom) I had just enough time for a couple of quick phone calls before jumping on the plane and being on my way.

The flight was ok, once I had been moved twice (once due to a faulty screen and once for a family who wanted to sit together), and following a minor choking incident when forgetting to check if the food contained chilli... Due to the latter occurrence, I was introduced to my friendly neighbour on the plane who took pity on me and insisted on making sure I was OK and wasn’t about to die on her.  We chatted for a while, and I found out that she was on her way back to Kenya to meet her son, who she had been estranged from for 20 years after fleeing Somalia during the war. She was a lovely lady, and after exchanging numbers, she said she would look after me once I got to Mombasa, and make sure I was OK.

I often think that life has a way of forming itself into neat patterns. As following the rather interesting flight, we then went into what was a very bumpy landing. Then I found myself in what has to be one of the hottest foyers ever (one young girl collapsed whilst waiting), in a hugely long visa queue, and watching every other line move at least twice as fast as my own. After nearly two hours, with tourist visa in hand, I wondered if this was how my life in Kenya was going to be... Hot, slow, difficult and bumpy at times, with potential poisoning, and everything being slightly harder than it necessarily needs to be???

To complete the chain of events, after finally getting a decent price for my taxi journey (not out the door of the airport and the haggling has begun), we drove to where my B&B should have been and found nothing there. After 3 loops of the street, finally I spotted a small set of stairs, above which was a very dingy sign. Normally this might have raised some concerns, but by this point I was so tired, I would have slept almost anywhere. Much to my relief however, once inside the place was lovely. I checked in, selected my breakfast for the following morning and promptly headed for bed. Hoping that the next day would be a lot simpler, and that finally I could get my visas and permits sorted and be on my way.

Emma xxx