The first part of a trip can be the most arduous, leaving behind the familiar routines of home and taking on the vagaries of travel...jet lag, lost bags, unknown languages...it can all be very disconcerting. I'm always aware of the contrasts in the world when traveling, and nowhere are those contrasts more obvious than in Kenya. Our budget allows us to stay in a very nice hotel, yet there is abject poverty in the adjacent neighborhoods. We are far away from home in a very large city, but reconnecting with old friends from previous trips, and being welcomed back to a small bush community.
We have been here in Nairobi now for three days, taking care of last minute business before meeting the students tomorrow morning at the airport and leaving for Bungule in the Kasigau community about 6 hours to t
he south and west. We were met at the airport by our friend Gaturu, who put his guiding skills to use showing us the Kenya Wildlife Orphanage. We took him home to Limuru with Ken driving and had an exciting adventure being lost in Nairobi in the dark with a rental car. Neither of us could remember why we had a rental car in the first place, but after one day Ken was driving like a local, which is only impressive enough to anyone who has been in Nairobi. We spent yesterday with John Mwambuso Kapombe, the young man many of our friends and family helped to sponsor at Moi High School, and his brother in law Julius, who was our guide, navigator, and co-pilot.
We have been here in Nairobi now for three days, taking care of last minute business before meeting the students tomorrow morning at the airport and leaving for Bungule in the Kasigau community about 6 hours to t
he south and west. We were met at the airport by our friend Gaturu, who put his guiding skills to use showing us the Kenya Wildlife Orphanage. We took him home to Limuru with Ken driving and had an exciting adventure being lost in Nairobi in the dark with a rental car. Neither of us could remember why we had a rental car in the first place, but after one day Ken was driving like a local, which is only impressive enough to anyone who has been in Nairobi. We spent yesterday with John Mwambuso Kapombe, the young man many of our friends and family helped to sponsor at Moi High School, and his brother in law Julius, who was our guide, navigator, and co-pilot. 
Stay tuned for new people and places the next time we have a signal.
What a wild adventure! Such an opportunity to learn about other places and people and an opportunity to do some good in the world. Looking forward to the stories when you get back. Gail.
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