First Non-Program Day, Kenya.

So I completely forgot to blog about our first non-program day in Kenya. Last Saturday (4/7) we spent the day in Loitokitok. We started the morning with a hike around the edge of Loitokitok town. It was pretty easy, short 45-minute hike that brought us downhill to an amazing waterfall. Kind of like the hike we took in Israel but we couldn’t swim in the water, it was filled with diseases. Anyway we climbed rocks and hung around the waterfall taking pictures. It was weird because I didn’t feel like I was in Africa at all it was like a jungle filled with canopy trees and climbing above our heads were Colobus monkeys! They are pretty neat looking you should google it, because I had my little camera and the zoom wasn’t close enough to capture a good picture. But I enjoyed watching them swing from the trees                                above us. 

            After a few hours I was ready to head back but couldn’t find Ernest who was the leader during the hike. So Jessica & I started the climb uphill cause I knew it’d take me a while because the mud was pretty slippery. Soon enough everyone started following us. We then started walking back the way we thought it we came and behind us was another staff member Kioko. So we kept walking when we realized we lost the group. Well at the time we thought the group was lost, so we stopped and picked some leaves waiting for them to catch up. When in reality we were the ones who were split up from the group. So we just kept going Jessica, Kioko and I talking about life and Africa as we hiked the hills back. Sure enough we got to the top and the rest of the group is sitting by the cars eating lunch. I already ate my lunch by the waterfall so I relaxed put my skirt on and we were then heading to VCT.

         The VCT is all volunteer counseling and testing center for women who have AIDS. At the center we met 5 women who told their stories about what it was like to have HIV. It was very heartfelt as we all sat in a circle and they shared their life stories struggling to fit in Africa with HIV. The clinic was started to help women with HIV come together as a group and share their struggles and get provided with opportunities to get tested. They also have a small shop where the women were taught to make bead work to help support themselves financially. We got to visit the shop and I bought a few things because goes to a fund that gets distributed to women so they can feed their families and continue the free testing. The VCT was an unbelievable, real experience. Looking at these 5 women they fought a battle and are still here today to tell their story.

          After the VCT we walked into downtown Loitokitok because Saturday is market day. We shopped around the market I bought some wraps and mangos from the produce market and then I remember that Tara said there was ice cream nearby. Of course I went on a hunt, and sure enough I found ice cream and sat outside for the rest of the day eating my ice cream. After Loitokitok we drove back to Kimana to go to Club K. It’s like Happy Days in Tanzania except they don’t sell food and there’s no hard liquor. Okay so I guess it’s not like Happy Days but everyone sat down and enjoyed a few beers, or Smirnoff Ices. It’s the only chance we get to drink so I can just say that everyone enjoyed themselves. Being so tired I just hung out until it was time to drive back to KBC. 
      But that was basically our first non-program day in Kenya. As tired as I was after a day filled with activities it was really nice to finally have a day off. That week we had 3 papers due, traveling lectures (see pictures below) and exams on Friday, my last exam this semester!! Monday we had  traveling lectures for Wildlife Ecology where we walked around and tested the vegetation on Kimana group ranch. Tuesday for Economic Policy we went out to Imbilikanu group ranch and interviewed farmers about human-wildlife conflicts. And then Wednesday after being assigned groups and animals to observe we traveled out with Shem for Wildlife Management to Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary to observe our animals (mine was warthogs) and to develop a Habitat Management Plan. After all those traveling lectures we had to come home and write 3 papers and study for exams on Friday. So I say we deserved a day to not worry about academics. The next day we are preparing to start getting ready for Directed Research Projects starting Sunday!!

Traveling Lectures: (Top left) Wildebeest, (top right) WE measuring vegetation (bottom) Driving around Kimana Sanctuary