Drive to Tumutumu

Leaving the gates of the CHAK complex we were formally introduced to Nairobi.  Having arrived in the dark and being confined within the cement walls of the conference center we finally learned the origin of all the sounds and smells of the street.  Vendors and pedestrians of all sorts and social classes crowded the streets.  This was more of what I expected.

CHAK is located in a Western district of Nairobi.  This particular Friday was also the last day of school before Easter break so the streets were especially crowded.  Daniel, our driver, first informed us that cowards have no place on the road in Kenya.  Agreed: I don't think I would last long on these streets.  Traffic, which includes pedestrians, buses, cars, rickshaws and manutus (11 passenger vans, part of the public transportation system), all move with fluidity and aggression that is so foreign to us tame US drivers.  It was an hour before we escaped the traffic of the city.

Everyone said it was only an hour and half, maybe 2 hrs. from Nairobi to Tumutumu but our journey took 3hrs.  I sat in the front and spoke with Daniel about everything we were seeing.  Matthew was in and out of sleep in the back.  Along the way we passed coffee and tea plantations, Kenya's main cash crops.  Interestingly enough, we've only found instant coffee served here.  Coffee, which is harvested when the beans turn red, should be ready to harvest in the next few weeks.  Pickers are paid 100 shillings a day and every bean is picked by hand.

Other crops we passed on our drive north to Tumutumu:  pineapple, mango, bananas, pawpaw, timber, catfish, avocados and taro.  Much of this reminded me of Hawaii.  Pineapple thrive in this red soil, rich in iron.  As large as Dole's Pineapple plantation was on Oahu, I think Del Monte's here in Kenya is larger... it went on and on for miles.  The taro crops were much smaller though and the plant is used mainly as bird feed (taro is a staple to Hawaiian diets)!  We also passed quite a few plant nurseries on the way.  Families that can afford cattle keep small numbers, 3-5, and they are kept on a rope and walked to find food.

This leads to a growing problem here:  drought.  Sitting almost on the equator the region has no warm and cool seasons, just wet and dry.  April should be wet and cool but not this year – the region is thirsty.

 Guest House

We passed through Karatina, a town of about 10,000 people, and drove another 5 km to the community of Tumutumu, much smaller town, which sits on a large hill.  The hospital is the heart of the town and we arrived around 5pm.  The guest house is lovely.  Perched higher than the hospital it affords a nice view of Mt. Kenya on the horizon.  We were warmly greeted by Helen, the innkeeper, and Margaret, who also helps with meals and upkeep.  Tony is the security guard who mans the gate to the guest house.  We settled in our room and then ate a delicious meal before surrendering to sleep once again.

View from our window West

View from our guest house of the top of Mt. Kenya

Charlotte-Chicago-London-Nairobi

Whew!  We made it.  Did we underestimate the toll of 2 back-to-back 8hr flights?  Perhaps.  Did we pack too much?  Probably so.  We're weary and jetlagged, but we're safe at our mission post in Karatina.  This is not without much assistance from friends here all along the way.  Here's the story.

Our journey began with a morning drive to Charlotte airport – a flight we were afraid we would miss due to the traffic!  Not the best way to begin our trip.  A quick flight to Chicago (comparatively), where  we had a 6 hr layover.  We then changed from American Airways to British Airways for our evening flight to London.  The plane was not full, the seats were roomy, the movies were on demand, and the meal was great.  We love BA! 

But things slowed town once we got to London.  The jetlag had us both dragging, walking around Heathrow like zombies at 7am (which felt like 1am).  The flight to Nairobi was another BA 8hr relay but less pleasant:  the flight was packed and it seemed that everyone had fussy kids!  Matthew slept, I did not.  I think we were both anxious about all that lay ahead.

Upon arrival Thursday around 9pm we quickly made it through customs.  We checked only one bag and were pleased to find it followed us to Kenya.  Before leaving the airport we converted our cash to shillings ($1=80 shillings).  All of our accommodations and food for our trip must be paid in cash... amounting to quite a stack of bills.  Both of us are so uneasy about such a stash! 

A driver from our guest house met us at the airport, identified by a sign reading “Dr. Carlisle”.  A 20 minute drive delivered us to CHAK (Christian Health Association of Kenya) guest house and conference center.  Everyone was very welcoming and well-spoken.  The room was very clean and efficient, complete with mosquito nets and warm water.  Now safely in our room we went about the first order of business:  filtering water to brush our teeth and take our malaria medication.  We brought with us our backpacking water pump for the job.

Our driver from Tumutumu was to pick us up from CHAK at noon.  After breakfast we took advantage of the extra hours by napping and exploring the CHAK complex.  The center trains medical professionals and hosts many international visitors and it is quite a nice facility.  The Tumutumu driver arrived about 1:15, he was delayed in Nairobi traffic.  Matthew and I enjoyed our first Kenyan meal while we waited – delicious!  More on food later.