It only took eight years but I finally got my parents to come to Kenya. For many people Africa is on their bucket list- not for my Dad... I think my Mom has been interested since I was in Peace Corps and I've known she would enjoy it here, but it took years for my Dad to come around and agree to being on an airplane that long.
As their first trip abroad, I was a bit nervous of how they would like it. I told Dad he needed to "pack a lot of patience" as there is no hurry in Africa. Well guess what- they loved it and are already talking about coming back!!! Dad even had more patience through the whole trip than I did!!
Before they landed in Nairobi my sisters and I were curious how they did on the long flights. Sharon commented "I bet Dad is about ready to jump out of the plane right about now!" My response was "well after 2 weeks here he's going to be looking forward to getting back on a plane!" But of course they did great! They said the flights really weren't bad.
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| Not in jail :) This is one of the general stores/shops in Endarasha. |
The first day and a half they had a bit of a difficult time understanding the Kenyan accent but after that they were just fine. The first full day we made our way up to the house where we stayed for almost a week. We took walks looking for elephants, visited St. Gerald and the kids, explored Endarsha town and put Dad to work fixing things around the house. We also had a lunch at the house for some of my friends from the area and the local mamas came and helped cook and mom helped them peel all of the potatoes. One of the visitors cars had a dead battery and Dad jumped it with our battery from our solar power for the house. All of the mamas were extremely impressed by how humble and hard working Mom and Dad are. In Kenya anyone with money hires house help so they don't have to cook, clean, wash or take care of the outside of the house. So they assume anyone coming from the US must have a lot of money and don't really do any house duties.... They have no idea how expensive it is in the US to hire anyone to come do all of your house work and repairs. They loved Mom and Dad!!
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| We put Dad to work! Here his is fixing a sink drain. |
One of the big concerns about the trip was what kind of food they would eat. But luckily at the house we had meat, mashed potatoes and veggies every night. I greeted them on their first night in Nairobi with Kentucky Fried Chicken. And even on safari there were meat and potatoes daily. They certainly didn't starve and said they ate more while they were here than they usually do at home.
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| Dad and I at the butcher in Endarasha- nope, no refrigeration! |
We had a very lively mass on Saturday evening at St. Gerald. It's great because all of the kids sing and dance. Also, the priest said the mass in English so we could understand:) Then we had a dinner and Brother Francis slaughtered one of their goats for the occasion, a sign of great respect for my parents. After the dinner the three small boys, Karanja, Martin and Ian came and stayed with us at the house until Sunday afternoon. It was a great way for Mom and Dad to get a small glimpse into what life at the house is like with the kids.
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Dad teaching the boys how to play Angry Birds on his iPad
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| Dad and Mom enjoying the evening. |
On the last morning at the house I asked Dad if he was ready to go and he said "no". I was quite surprised. I think he really enjoyed the slow pace of life, great views, perfect weather (in the high 70's) and the friendly and welcoming people. If we only had 4 wheeler to get around and a refrigerator with
cold drinks he might not have left! :) If Missouri keeps getting such harsh winters Kenya might be their new winter get away- who would have thought?!?!
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| Road to my house. We were walking to the main road to wait for a taxi. |
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| Waiting for a taxi by my house. |
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| Last day at the house. Bochi, Me, Mama Mwangi, Mom and Dad. |
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Of course a trip to Kenya isn't complete without going on safari. We spent one night at The Ark which is
close to my house. You watch the animals around the lake and salt licks
from the lodge. There are multiple viewing rooms and decks. They keep it
lit so that you can view all night. When you go to sleep you can set an
buzzer where they buzz you if a unique animal comes.
We also went to the Masai Mara National Park. It was about a 6 hour
drive from Nairobi with the last 2 hours being on gravel and dirt roads/paths.
During the drive you pass the everyday life of the nomadic Masai tribe
who still wear traditional attire (a blanket tied around them) and
carrying spears. They live in mud/elephant dung houses and spend their
time herding their sheep and cows. When we finally arrived at the lodge
Dad said "I can safely say we are absolutely in the middle of no where"
and Mom said "it sure makes me appreciate being born where I was". Apparently, Pacific, MO is suddenly a thriving metropolis:)
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Overnight safari at The Ark where you watch the animals from the lodge all night.
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| Elephant with baby in Masai Mara. |
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| Lion thinking about hunting in the Mara. |
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| Cheetas at Masai Mara |
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| Mom and Dad on safari with giraffes in background. |
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| Dinner with our university students. |
It was great to have Mom and Dad visit and get to understand a little bit about why I so enjoy living here. Thank you so much for coming and I hope to see you here again soon!!
