Three "R's": Part III - "Returning to a Riot in Nairobi"

As the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end."  Our "thing" was no exception.  Sunday had arrived;  the day of departure.  We had all packed Saturday night.  The Dubbers were staying on in the area for a couple more days although at a different location.  We, however, had to leave.  So we were up at 4:30 a.m. for a 5:15 departure.

As we were gathering all the luggage together for loading, one couldn't help but think back upon all the fun times that were had by all.  Well, maybe not everyone.  Pictured at right is Ian and his rather red sunburn*.  Despite lathering on the sun screen, the tropical, African sun did a number on his back.  Ian enjoyed being outside and in the water be it ocean or pool.  Fortunately, there is a naturally occurring chemical that can be applied to areas of the skin where sun screen has failed.  Copious amounts of Aloe were applied and Ian didn't miss a beat of the action.

Over the 13 years we have visited Kenya, we have been to the coast 5 times including this trip.  However, a "first" occurred on this visit as we were leaving.  Alex, the head of the house staff, and the night guard had finished assisting us in the loading of our luggage onto the Land Rover.  As we were saying our "good-bye's", Alex asked if we would please join him in forming a circle and holding hands.  He then prayed for us and asked God to provide us with a safe journey home.  Some how I don't see this happening in our "politically correct" culture back home.  I reference the Phil Robertson,  "Duck Dynasty" dust-up occurring now in the U.S. news.

As we were traveling along the Malindi/Kilifi road, once again an example of Kenyan road maintenance was experienced.  We approached a three-man work crew applying yellow lane markings ... by hand.  Two parallel strings were strung a selected distance, each end held by a rock.  Two men then at intervals painted yellow lines of fixed length between the two strings.  Compare this technique with the use of paint trucks in the U.S.  Notice the lack of any protective barriers or warning signs concerning this maintenance project.

As we approached Nairobi, Louise mentioned that she needed to find a choo (pronounced "cho" with a long "o").  This is Swahili for toilet.  Jeff then made a "deviation", Kenyan for detour, in order to drive to a Nakumatt store which would have clean restrooms.  While we waited in the parking lot, Jeff received a text on his phone warning of a riot occurring in downtown Nairobi.  The Uhuru Highway was blocked (our intended route) and stones were being thrown at passing vehicles.  Seems a University of Nairobi student was caught cheating on exams.  He was arrested and placed in jail.  (Cheating is taken seriously in Kenya).  Allegedly, while in police custody, the student committed suicide.  University students took umbrage at this news and flowed into the streets in a cranky mood Sunday afternoon.  The rioting lasted into the evening.  As a result, the police shot and killed a student rioter.  More disturbances occurred Monday morning with the final result being that the University was closed and all students ordered to return to their homes.  In the meantime, we had to take an alternate route around city central which put us on a really nice portion of highway pictured above.  Taken out of context, this would look like a section of highway around any American city.

Our route had been altered and the time was getting late.  So we decided to go to a restaurant near a mall complex.  Pictured at right is the name of the eatery.  The Java House has numerous locations throughout the Nairobi area.  The ambiance draws many affluent Kenyans, ex-patriots, and Western tourists.  The menu would be the envy of many an American restaurant.  We make sure we have many opportunities to dine at a Java House location whenever we come to visit family in Kenya.

This is a picture of a Malindi Macciato which one can order at the Java House.  This particular example of delicious cuisine was made with decaf coffee and non-fat milk.  Having satisfied our hunger with tasty items from the menu, we resumed our trip home arriving safely in Kijabe some 13 hours after our departure.  We unloaded the Land Rover and all proceeded to bed.  Our vacation to the coast had been successful and safe.  While we all enjoyed Malindi and the ocean, being home is best.  We praised God for a wonderful 6 days of adventure.


Tomorrow, Saturday, the 21st (which happens to be our 45th Anniversary) we are traveling to see Joyellen's brother, Jason, and his family: wife, Lisa and children, Laura, Andrew, and Aaron.  They live about an hour away in Malewa.  We will spend 3 days with them, returning Christmas Eve.  I shall resume blog postings then as ... there is more to come.

*In all fairness, I took artistic liberty and tweaked the picture a bit to emphasize the sunburn.

Three "R's": Part II - "Roamin' 'round Malindi"

Malindi is a popular coastal resort area north of the Kenyan port of Mombasa.   We have been to this area before and have enjoyed the beaches, the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and the many sights and sounds of a large, resort community.  Admittedly, the most popular attractions are the beaches and the ocean.  But there are other activities to help pass the time as well.  Allow me to share a few with you.

When one goes to a tropical beach, one is not alone.  Obviously, there are the other beach goers and swimmers.  But there are also denizens of the beach.  Those creatures that call the sand home and were there long before we ever arrived.  Pictured at right is one such beach dweller:  a crab.  They burrow into the sand and the only evidence of their presence are holes scattered around the beach.  When disturbed they skitter across the ground and scurry down another hole.

The day the adult Hazards and Dubbers were engaged in a sand castle competition, younger members of these families observed the labor involved and quickly determined that chasing and capturing crabs would be far less work and much, much more fun.  Pictured at left are Lyndsey, Ian, Titus Dubber, and Megan demonstrating the strategy necessary to trap crabs:  sheer numbers to harass the poor creatures into coming out of their holes; herding them toward the "trapper";  and then ruining their day by plopping a bucket over them.

 Pictured at right is the largest specimen trapped that morning.  The kids put sand in the bottom of the bucket in a humane effort to help the crab feel at home.  I'm sure he appreciated the gesture.  As I looked at this picture, I couldn't help notice the "face" of the crab.  Two eyes, a nose, two cheek areas, mouth, and a chin.   Creepy!   Looks more like a Transformer.  Now, my only concern is whether this "crab" is a friendly AUTOBOT or an advance scout for the evil DECEPTICONS.

Well, there are other activities with which to be engaged at the beach besides capturing Transformers disguised as crabs.  One can look for shells, loose change, or, pictured at left, coconuts.  Lyndsey proudly displays her prized beach find.  She claimed that when she shook the "nut", she could hear liquid sloshing inside. I didn't test this theory because as I was staring at the coconut, I couldn't help but think:  "does that thing have hair?"

During one of our days at the coast, we divided into two groups;  one was traveling to the ocean again to go snorkeling and the other would be visiting a nearby Crocodile/Snake Park.  As our swim with the fishes was relatively mundane due to poor visibility, I'll feature the trip to the place of prehistoric creatures and slithering tempters of Eve.  Pictured at right are several of the park residents hanging out together doing whatever crocodiles do when they hang out on a sunny day.  Crocodiles are not alligators.  Notice the "V"-shaped nose typical of the crocodile.  That of the alligator is a wide "U"-shaped, rounded nose.  This picture clearly shows that crocodiles do not have webbed feet whereas the alligator does.  The crocodile is regarded as the more aggressive of the the two species.  Alligators prefer freshwater whereas crocodiles like brackish or salt water.  Crocodiles can tolerate salt water because they possess salt glands on their tongues.  These glands filter out the salt present in the water.  The American alligator can grow to the length of 19 ft.  The Nile crocodile can reach a length of 20 ft. and weigh up to 2,200 lbs.

Now, when you are surrounded by reptiles who survived the extinction of the dinosaurs and have a reputation of being extremely skillful killers, what is the logical thing to do?  Why, hold one in your hands, of course.  Especially, if you are a kid.  Here, our granddaughter, Megan, is holding a young crocodile.  You probably couldn't do this in the U.S. You know, OSHA, liability, cleanliness issues, SPCA concerns (PETA fanatics:  no crocodile was harmed in the taking of this picture.)  But, hey, TIA*!  Come on, what kid wouldn't get a thrill out of holding a real, live crocodile in his/her hands?  This will be a memory which will last a lifetime.  And consider the crocodile.  He can tell all his buddies that he was held by a human being.  That will be a memory to last a lifetime.  Other kids in the group had an opportunity to hold this little guy as well as the adults.  By the time everyone had had her turn, the croc probably felt as if he had experienced a thorough TSA check ... and he isn't even luggage yet.

 I did mention that this park housed crocodiles and ...snakes!  I also mentioned that this park was into  "hands on" experiences.  So, naturally, the group had the opportunity to hold a snake.  Pictured here is Grandma holding a python.  Pythons are non-venomous snakes that kill by constriction.  You know, squeeze until you stop breathing.  Then they eat you whole.  Depending upon the size of the prey, a python could be satiated for weeks or months after eating.  Therefore, these reptiles eat only 4-5 times a year.  Snakes tend to give me the "willies".  But I've noticed that a lot of women don't mind snakes.  They wear fashions made from snake skins;  they hold them;  perform with them in the circus.  I suspect this whole relationship goes back to the Garden of Eden.  Not to be outdone, Cassidy Dubber and Megan, together, held the python as well.  Come on, what kid wouldn't get a thrill out of holding a real, live python in his/her hands?  That will be a memory to last a lifetime.  And consider the python ... well, you know the rest.

Every zoo and wildlife park has its featured animal.  Some are old;  some are really young; some are extremely rare; some are unique;  some are just plain unbelievable, like the "Jackolope".  Well, this crocodile/snake park was no exception.  It had its star attraction.  This crocodile was unique in that under certain lighting conditions he appeared black.  Crocs usually are an olive green/brown color.

The park staff named their star:  Obama.

No further comment.

The crocodile/snake park was within walking distance of the Elena house where we were staying while visiting the coast.  However, after a long time spent in the heat at the park, Grandma decided to treat everyone to a ride home .. in a Tuk-Tuk.  This is a three wheeled conveyance also known as an auto ricksaw.  This particular form of transportation is very popular at the coastal region of Kenya especially Malindi.  Pictured at right are Joyellen, Megan, and Cassidy in a typical Tuk-Tuk.  The ride home was enjoyed by all.  The cost:  100 Ksh. - $1.16.

After toiling in the hot African sun building sand castles;  after running along the beach chasing inter-galactic Transformers disguised as crabs;  after wondering if coconut oil could promote hair growth;  and after holding crocodiles and being hugged by pythons, nothing hits the spot like ice cream.  So the Dubber and Hazard families drove into Malindi and went to the Gelateria Oasis owned by an Italian/Kenyan couple which offered Gelato:  Italian ice cream.  A great way to cool off and relax after experiencing a variety of activities.

Our time at the coast was drawing to a close.  Soon we would depart for home.  There is ...more to come.

*This is Africa

,

Three "R's": Part Ia - "Challenge at the Coast"

This is a special edition post for the blog.  Hence, the title is "Part Ia" and doesn't relate to the second or third "R".  This posting concerns a challenge;  the throwing down of the gauntlet, if you will.  This call or summons dates back to the oldest of times.  Ever since man first came to the beach and viewed the vastness of the great waters crashing upon the shore, he has answered the obviously genetic urge to build ... SAND CASTLES!

LOCATION:  The coast of Malindi.

           TIME:   Low tide-morning.

      WHERE:   A stretch of beach not

                         far from Elena house.

WEATHER:   Ideal.  Partly cloudy.

We had hardly settled into our new accommodations then Todd, renowned for his family's sand castles, issued a challenge to Jeff and his family to the construction of castles using as building material "the   more or less fine debris of rocks, consisting of small, loose grains, often of quartz."

The Dubber family strategy quickly manifested itself.  Outline a substantially large castle with the intent of digging down into the sand. This has been a proven formula in the past with many opponents having succumbed to this deft design.  This ground plan requires strength and endurance for digging and removing copious amounts of sand.  Watching Todd and his helpers engage in this endeavor caused this chronicler to begin to sweat in empathy.

Jeff and his family opted for the more traditional sand castle design and construction process.  Outline the wall placement in the sand and begin construction upward.  This plan had centuries of proven architecture behind it.  Castles since medieval times have been fortress bastions consisting of stout walls and corner turrets and towers.  These feudal residences were often surrounded by a moat with drawbridge providing ingress and egress.  The Hazard castle would be of classic design and appeal.

As the morning progressed, the sand castles of both teams began to take shape.  The Dubbers working with buckets (and with buckets of perspiration, I might add) dug deeper and deeper using the excavated sand to form walls and a pool.  The size of their castle was impressive as can be seen pictured at right.  Cassidy, Todd, and Kylie are working hard on their time honored design.  Passersby stopped to watch the competition as the two teams toiled on their respective creations in the hot, tropical sun.

Meanwhile, the Hazard castle also was taking recognizable shape.  The fortress walls were forming and corner towers were being formed using buckets filled with damp sand. As we were on the east coast of Kenya rich with an Arab history, I couldn't help looking at Jeff's castle and being reminded of Moorish castles constructed in the past.  The Moors were a people of mixed Berber and Arab lineage living in NW Africa.  They invaded Spain in the 8th century and remained there until 1492.

As the competition drew to a close, both teams put their attention to details which could mean the difference between victory and defeat.  Here Todd inspects the outer wall of towers while Kylie puts the finishing touches to their castle's inner wall.  The pool with shelled shallow end is to Todd's left.  A protective sloping sea wall is topped with several short towers.  The arduous castle construction project is drawing to a close.  Much time and effort has been expended in bringing this sand castle into existence.

Lyndsey, Megan, and Joyellen observe as Jeff puts the finishing details on their castle.  He has just completed a drawbridge over the protective moat and is now creating a door leading into the castle's interior. Guard towers are in place;  the outer protective walls have been built;  the drawbridge is in place.  The traditional looking sand castle is almost finished.  Much attention to detail has taken place during the construction process.  Will the effort pay off?  Judging will soon take place.  But who will judge?

The Dubber's final entry.  Decorative and protective turrets and towers; a swimming pool with shallow and deep ends; and "carpeting" in the inner, sunken courtyard.  The fruits of a major endeavor involving much manual labor in the tropical sun.  Will Todd's time-tested strategy of digging down result in hands held up in victory?   Only time will tell.  As soon as the teams can find some judges, a winner can be declared.  But who to judge?  Can't be any uninvolved family members.  Has to be someone neutral.

The Hazard's traditionally designed sand castle ready for inspection.  Constructed of all naturally occurring material found on the beach.  Two level fortress;  protective turrets and towers;  a moat between inner and outer walls;  a drawbridge with doored entry;  and the "piece de resistance" - a flag flying proudly in the tropical breeze.  Passersby stopped to observe both sand castles, but only took pictures of one:  the Hazard castle.  The judging dilemma was solved when two young Kenyan men walked by.  Both agreed to judge the castles.  They examined both sand castles carefully; deliberated earnestly with each other;  and came to a decision.

VICTORY!!!


After this special ... there is more to come.

Three "R's": Part I - "Road Trip!"

Most of the missionaries at RVA plan a once-a-year vacation which is taken at one of the three break times scheduled.  Rift Valley Academy is a year around school;  three terms of 13 weeks and 3 vacation times of approximately 4 weeks each.  People on staff tend to fall into categories as to what type of vacationers they are:  campers, coast visitors, wild animal safari lovers, etc.  Jeff and Joyellen fall into two of these categories - campers and coast visitors.  They only choose one to do each year. This year a trip to the east coast of Kenya was on the docket for the break between 1st and 2nd term. Voila!  Since that is the time we are here that means we are on a "Road Trip to Malindi".

We awoke at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, the 10th, and were on the road by 5:15 along with the Dubber family:  Todd, Kylie, Cassidy, Ella, and Titus.   By leaving this early we hoped to avoid the crippling traffic of Nairobi. I was quite surprised at the amount of vehicular activity we did encounter at such an early hour.  A lot of trucks (lorries) and buses were rolling along in addition to autos and SUVs.  We got through Nairobi and soon were on the Mombasa Road.  This road is the main supply line between the port of Mombasa and Nairobi.  Truck traffic is unbelievable.  At one point, forward progress came to a complete stop.  Trucks as far as the eye could see were stopped.  (Pictured above.)

Drivers exited their vehicles in an attempt to see what was the cause of the stoppage.  Unfortunately, we were involved in this snarl.  Where is a CB radio when you need one?  Aye, Good Buddy?  Drivers attempted to signal people in the opposing lane to stop and provide information as to the cause of the delay.  No luck.  The vehicles zipped along.  Some even honked in irritation that someone would even consider interrupting their journey.   Soon word spread down the line like a hot rumour that traffic was beginning to move.  Truckers sprang to their steel behemoths and fired up engines.  Soon we began to inch forward.

Tantalisingly,  our forward progress increased in momentum.  Just as we settled ourselves in for a good drive, we began to slow once more.  Slower, slower, ...stopped.  Oh, no, not again.  But this time the reason for the stoppage was all too obvious. We had reached the sight of the cause for the original delay.  A serious truck accident.  Not an infrequent occurrence on the Mombasa Road.  A truck was over on its side looking like a dead dinosaur.  Pictured above.  Notice the windscreen kicked out on the driver's side.

Since traffic drives on the left in Kenya, most vehicles are right hand drive.  The driver in this accident found his door against the ground and had no choice but to kick out his windscreen in order to exit the vehicle.  This was not the lone accident we witnessed.  We passed at least three others on the way to our destination.

Now, the Mombasa Road has vastly improved over the course of the 12 years we've been coming to Kenya.  The carriage way even is divided in a couple of places.  Yet, the main course of the road remains two lane which is at least tarmac.  This makes for relatively comfortable travel.  However, the trip to Malindi from Kijabe is a long one.  Therefore, one must take a "short cut" in an effort to bypass the congestion of Mombasa.  Short cut means:  "leave the relatively level tarmac and proceed along a bone jarring, metal rattling, vehicle bouncing test track for Land Rovers."   See picture above.  And this was a good part of the road!

Short cuts do have their advantages.  They can save time.  Jeff insists this Kilifi short cut does so.  The rest of us are not so sure.  They provide a change of scenery.  This short cut did just that.  We passed some beautiful trees and flowers;  saw quaint rural villages;  waved to many friendly people; and hardly saw another vehicle.  They can supply some interesting sights.  One example of this is pictured above.  At first glance this is a couple of guys riding down a dirt road on a motorcycle.  However,  more careful observation revealed that there were THREE people on this two wheeled conveyance!  Believe it or not.

After what seemed like a long time for a "short cut", we finally arrived at the road to Kilifi/Malindi.  We were off the dirt and back onto the tarmac. Although this tarmac was not quite as smooth as the majority of the Mombasa Road.   Now,  though most of the roads in Kenya are not as nice as those in the US (Michigan roads excepted) local authorities do attempt to make repairs, now and then.  Pictured above is a road repair crew making "improvements?" to  a section of the road on which we were traveling.  Notice the lack of any mechanized equipment.  I'm not really sure what they were doing here.
They may have been constructing speed bumps.  Those annoying lumps in the road that force one to slow down from a comfortable pace and creep over a road-wide bump with a lurching, bouncing motion which gives the term "whip lash" a whole new meaning.  These vexatious bumps in the road are usually placed in locations of heavy pedestrian traffic;  places where local businesses want to slow down traffic;  and neighborhoods where residents want to control traffic speeds.  However, sometimes they appear on the road for no apparent, logical reason.  One must drive observantly, especially at night to avoid hitting one of these potentially moon launching pavement protuberances.

Having successfully negotiated the dreaded speed bumps and the thick foot and wheeled traffic of Malindi, the Hazards and Dubbers arrived safely at our vacation destination, the Elena House, around dinner time.  The house is enclosed within a gated, walled compound.  Pictured at right is the gate which is chained and locked when closed.  This is normal housing arrangements in affluent Kenyan neighborhoods.  We were greeted by the head of the household staff, Alex, who in turn introduced us to his assistants, Jackson and Francis.  The young lady who did house cleaning and laundry, Faith, we would meet on the morrow.  Faith was the university aged daughter of Alex.

Alex and staff helped us unload our luggage.  We roamed the grounds and perused the various rooms available for our lodging.  After rooms were chosen, we unpacked and began to make ourselves at home.  One eye-catching feature (and there were many) of Elena house was the salt water pool.  Large and deep, this oasis from the heat of the day proved to be the most popular feature by both adults and kids alike.  Even though we were all quite tired after our 13 hour road trip, we jump into the pool to cool off.

After a relatively good night's sleep;  I say "relatively" because the true comfort of sleep was directly proportional to whether one slept in an air conditioned room or not.  Grandma and I did not.  We didn't take advantage of our status, but, rather, decided to take one for the team.  Pictured at right is the first of our several delicious breakfasts prepared for us by the staff.  We supplied the food and they followed our menu plans.  At this breakfast a challenge was issued between the Dubbers and Hazards.   The winner

would be determined at the beach later that morning.  The challenge was to ... well, you'll have to wait until the next post;  for there is definitely ... more to come.

Christmas Family Dinner for J & J's workers.

For the past several years beginning when Jeff and Joyellen were dorm parents at Duma (Cheetah) Dorm, they have invited their house and yard workers and their families for a Christmas Family dinner as a means of thanking them for all the work they had done over the year and as an opportunity to give them Christmas gifts.  The early years only involved Esther, their household worker and her family of twin boys, Benson and Joseph and daughter, Eunice.  Since those early dinners, the work force has increased to include Esther's cousin, Virginia and a yard worker, Stephen.  We have had the honor and pleasure of meeting and getting to know these wonderful Kenyans over the course of our many visits to RVA.  Esther early on has had us to her home at least 3 times for dinner.  She is a wonderful cook and prepares an excellent meal considering she prepares the food in a separate building which is her kitchen and uses an open fire.  She also draws all the water she uses from a hand dug 100 foot well.  Just imagine for a moment the contrasts in her life every work day.  At RVA she uses a gas stove for cooking;  electric mixers to prepare food;  draws hot and cold water from separate faucets;  heats water in either a kettle on the stove or in an electric hot pot.  When she returns home she toils over an open wood fire;  gets her water from a well; and prepares food using mostly hand utensils.

Today was the scheduled appreciation/Christmas dinner for J & J's three workers and their family members.  Jeff and I put the canvas back on the framework which was used for the family Thanksgiving dinner.  The same tables and chairs were placed in preparation for the guests.  We drove down into Kijabe to MaMa Chicu's, a small restaurant.  Joyce, the owner, was hired to prepare the food for our meal.  Unfortunately, yesterday Joyce's car broke down, so Jeff and I along with Megan had to drive to the restaurant to pick up the meal.  When we returned home and looked at the amount of food prepared, we determined we really didn't have enough of certain menu items to allow a family style of serving.  Joyellen and Louise decided to serve the stew, potatoes, and rice and allow people to help themselves to the chipatis, ugali (a pretty tasteless, yet filling paste made from ugali flour), and cabbage salad.   Everyone had plenty to eat with those wanting a second helping able to do so.  For dessert Joyellen had baked and frosted a delicious chocolate cake.  Jeff made chai:  a combination of tea, milk and sugar.  Everyone enjoyed a very satisfying meal.

As pictures are said to be worth a thousand words, I'll conclude this posting with a series of pictures and captions illustrating this afternoon's fun time.

Family members divided up to play the cornhole game.

Esther's twin sons,  Benson & Joseph with Ian.

Everyone getting ready do hear Jeff pray for the meal.

Joyellen and Louise serve a portion of the menu to the guests.

Louise getting 30 pieces of cake ready to serve.

Ian and Lyndsey waiting for the chai to be poured as part of dessert.

Shosho, Kikuyu for Grandmother, Esther's mother.

Brenda, Virginia's cousin.

Little Benson, Esther's nephew.

Maureen, Virginia's youngest daughter.

Stephen with his suitcase full of Christmas gifts.

Virginia with her sweatshirt and slippers.

Esther expresses thanks for her gifts.

21 guests begin boarding a Matatu designed to carry 15 passengers.  TIA!

Jeff bids farewell to 21 guests, 1 driver, and 3 suitcases.

The Matatu drives down the Hazard's driveway.  The end to a successful day.

Tomorrow, Monday, the 9th of December we begin packing for our trip to the coast of Kenya.  We leave Tuesday.  Upon our return I shall continue with posts on this blog because indeed ... there is more to come.