We're so excited to share our experiences over the next two months in eastern Africa. Lindsay will be working at Moi University Hospital, and Erik will be volunteering at an orphanage while continuing his work from afar. Follow us on our two-month journey through Kenya.
Friday, August 6, 2010
we made it!
After a day and a half of travel, we've finally arrived in Eldoret, Kenya. For the most part, our travels were uneventful (besides the screaming boy next to us on our way to London). We arrived in Nairobi at 9 pm Thursday evening and after navigating the long passport lines and rushing through customs, we were greeted by our cab driver. Needless to say, driving through Nairobi at night was an experience of its own. To start, our cab was inspected via flashlight by armed police officers as our driver turned up the radio and knowingly kept his foot on the gas pedal. We passed through the industrial sector of town, which was packed-full of homeless, barefoot people who occasionally darted in front of our cab. There are no speed limits in Nairobi, and passing other vehicles occurs whether your blind spot is clear or not. When we reached the Heron Inn Hotel, we were pleasantly surprised by the open-air appearance, despite another armed guard at the front gate. Our room was simple – it took us both working together without success for 10 minutes to turn the light on (turns out, we had to insert our room key into the light switch…who knew).
Friday morning started early at 4:30 am to ensure we had plane tickets to Eldoret. We did indeed get seats, and we made it safely to Eldoret, which welcomed us with children lining the gates of the airport runway. We proceeded to the IU House, which is a 15-minute drive from the local airport. On the way, we barely dodged cows, goats, sheep, and people competing for pavement space. When we arrived, we were given a tour of the compound and the hospital – more on that later. We’ve also already taken our first Swahili class – turns out “pole” means “sorry,” but “pole pole” means “slow down.”
That’s it for the day; we’re going to bed early to try to overcome the jet lag. Let’s hope we can sleep through the chorus of wild dogs outside our window.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey Guys - glad you made it safley to Eldoret. Great pictures. Can't wait to hear more about your adventures.
ReplyDeleteI am laughing! What an adventure - keep the posts coming XO Mom
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you guys made the trip safely. I am looking forward to hearing more about your adventure!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for you guys! Sounds like you're having the adventure of a life time. Love you both and miss you tons!
ReplyDelete