Never knowingly taking the shorter route

How do. I’m writing this from possibly the slowest internet connection in the world, in Arusha in Tanzania. Its New years day and most places are shut, presumably all the places with fast internet too.

So, its been an interesting time since I last wrote. So let me take you through it day by day.

On Sunday (23rd) I went to Church with the family I’m staying with in Kajiado, their family home (they have a house there on a farm owned by the family). It was interesting, all in Swahilli, and with lots of gospel singing. Very fun. As this was a fair way away, we stopped on the way back for some food. This was meat. A lot of meat. A massive goat’s ribcage and leg. They cut it into small pieces on the table and you eat it with ugali (a stodgy millet thing). Certainly a protene based meal.

On Monday we went shopping to a supermarket, which appeared to have absoutly everything in English.

On Tuesday (Christmas day) we went to the cathedral in Nairobi, and heard the Archbishop of Kenya talk about the upcoming election and how it should be peaceful. The main opposition candidate was in the congrigation.

In the afternoon we also went to a family Christmas thing for Salome’s (the mother) family Christmas. THis was about 50 Kenyans and me. Most people who know me know I’ve a really small family - so it was a bit mental having so many people around. The order of things was:

• food (lots of meat)
• evey family head introducting their family
• a sermon; a sing song of hymns
• talking to my family on my mobile
• then a BBQ for more meat and some Moritanu (honey based local beer equivilent)
• Soup made from Aloe vera that tasted like soap
• Drunk family membes trying to teach me a massai chant (the family are Massai, but don’t wear the clothes and arn’t nomadic anymore)

Then we went home. Apparently the meat all came froma cow that was slaughtered for the event.

Then on the Thursday there was the election. There had been some expectations of trouble, but it went peasfully. On Friday the votes started comeing in, very slowly, then on Saturday things still seemed OK, until someone noticed irregularities in the incumbent president’s main supporting contingencies. This sparked some minor rioting. On Sunday, though, they declaired the current guy the president, despite international observers, members of the election comittee and the opposition calling for recaounts and investigations. Sunday night neant riots everywhere.

The family I was with left pretty sharpish (though with a well practiced air) back to Kajiado and holed up there (in a house that has no running water or electricity).

We decided, after speaking to the bishop of Kitale (who I was supposed to be going to stay with) that it would be best for me to leave to Tanzania. The bishop was effectively under siege and could hear gunshots from his house. The main busses wern’t running, so I had to take a short one to Arusha, so I’m to Dar tomorrow, then I’m going to have a couple of days on Zanzibar diving instead.

Hujambo!

I’m in Kenya - just one border away from Tanzania, where I’ll be spending most of next year. I am also over the equator for the first time, so I guess I’m upside down now.
My last couple of days in Cairo were interesting, it was the end of the Muslim Hajj and everyone was in party mood. It was even busier and noisier than before. I did, however, get to go and see a big bunch of coptic churches that had a fair few flions in them, which was good.

So I flew out on Kenya Airlines. They were pretty good, the food was reasonable and I would definatly recommend them for anyone wanting to come to Kenya or Tanzani (ie to see me, because I’m great). The flight did, however, stop off in Sudan (though I didn’t have to change) so I have now visited Sudan too. Though I only was it out of a window.

In Kenya I am staying with a friend of my mum’s that she knows through the Monthers’ Union. They are a very nice family and have treated me really well. They rent a house just outside Nairobi and have their family house further into the countryside. They are opposite anetional park and apparently I might be woken up at night my lions roaring. We saw a monkey coming out of it today.

So my first impression of Kenya is that its a lot greener than I thought, and it certainly does not seem any poorer than some parts of Cambodia.

Yesterday I went out on an errand with Job and we had to wait in a fairly poor part for a while and a big bunch of children cane up to me facinated, and slightly scared, by me. The all enjoyed touching my hair and wanted me to tell them a story, even though they could not really understand it. That was fun. And unlike Cambodia, they didn’t want money off me.

So, I’m having fun. Its going to be a very different Christmas, but it should be fun.

I have also managed to upload all my photos. Sorry about the lag. Might even get round to titling and tagging them at some point.