Party Time

Friday, after my last post, I and the other 4 volunteers went to the bar to kill an hour before meeting some other Mazungus (literally British people but used to refer to all whites) for dinner. Eileen, one of the girls from Vancouver, got oggled and basically propositioned by a disgusting guy who already had 2 wives and bought us all a round of beer. Dave, the other MDP volunteer, actually ended up playing it up with him more than protecting Eileen in his role as surrogate boyfriend. But it was vastly entertaining, particularly since we'd basically only eaten a couple of slices of bread each for breakfast that morning. In the end though we managed to extract ourselves without incident, though we sadly had to leave some unfinished beer on the table. (I hope customs doesn't hear about that and not let us back into Canada!)

Dinner was roast goat and it was SO GOOD! We had been invited by some people who are working (i.e. paid) here as part of the One Acre Fund. We then went out and partied with them and ended up at a dance club. I must say, although it is taboo to show public displays of affection, guys often dance together here. I can't say I am comfortable (nor do I wish to become comfortable) with a guy intertwining fingers with me on the dance floor. But it was fun and we again made it safely home in one piece and in one group.

Saturday we got up early (and not too hungover amazingly enough) and took a Matatu (group taxi) down to Kisumu, Kenya's third largest city located on the shores of Lake Victoria. We then got rides to our hotel by Boda Boda, and then took a Tuk Tuk to the waterfront where we went Hippo watching by boat. It wasn't the best time of day for that but it was still fun, relaxing, and cool to see hippos.




Matatu is a van cammed with seats and each seat is crammed with people. They have set routes and you squish yourself in with as many people as can possibly find in such a confined space and then you try not to injure yourself as they bomb down the roads that are almost more potholes than pavement.

The Boda Boda are bikes with padding where the rat-traps typically would be. You sit on the back of them and the driver tries not to kill you as you weave through the traffic.

Tuk Tukare motor-vehicles that seat about 3 people (though we always cram all 5 of us in) that are essentially covered motor bikes. (Similar to those found elsewhere in the world, especially India and Bangkok - and like in the movie Amal.)