The day I fell into a river...

On Sunday the group went to a Masai Lodge and Kitengela Glass Factory. The Masai Lodge was a taste of luxury, most likely a typical fancy resort but it was nice to lounge around for a day. However before lounging we went on a little hike to get to the kitengela glass factory. Outdoorsy me was extremely excited for this, but i spoke to soon because at one part of the hike you have to kind of scale a wall using vines and nitches in the rock and what do you know I fell in the river right below. Its funny too because right before it was my turn i asked Victor "How many people fall in there" and he repled "none, you will." and what do you know. I do. So embarassed, shamed me had to continue the hike soaking wet. But you know Africa in no time i was dry and ready to cross the next challenging part of the hike a wire suspension bridge. This is a really neat bridge but quite scary since it is made out of wires and very shaky. Only 5 people at a time can go across but guess what i managed to that without falling! The destination was the glass factory and extremely cool place that was startedby a german lady 30 years ago. Very artsy, the ideal place to live. After that back over the bridge to the lodge for a very fun day of swimming.

The wall that we had to scale

Me getting helped out of the water by our guide
The river in which i fell
BUT the bridge in which i crossed WITHOUT falling
Sabina doing her thing on a swing at the glass factory
Inside the glass factory watching a fruit bowl get made
cool artttt
more arrttt
i want thissss


The bridge once again
A view of the factory from far awa

The Day I listened to a Dictator

Today was the 40th anniversary of USIU. So naturally classes were cancelled and a big event was put on. This event in particular was revolving around The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. Hmmm.... kenyans love him. However those of us from the US not so much. The ceremony began a little late (African time) but we were entertained with various songs from the USIU choir. Then a speech was made by the vice chancellor of UISU, an american woman named Freida Brown. She began her speech by messing up! Calling Paul Kagame the president of Kenya.. did I mention that Freida is an american woman from Atlanta. She also apparently was also accused of plagarism last year, but the students here love her! Her speech was very spunky and personable but had various errors. After here there was an adorable poem performed, then another speech and then a play. The play was a contrast between traditional africa and christian africa where two brothers fight over money that they won. It was a cute play as well. Then Dr. Richard Leakey made a speech I was actually most impressed with him. First of all I was extremely excited to see him... but second of all the man is old and looks old but does not sound old by his voice at all. Last there was a rwandan dance performed before Kagame spoke. Kagame is someone that does NOT have the appearance of a dictator, he is a tall but skinny fellow. That has glasses and a tiny mustache. His speech was the usual, fairly articulate but extremely slow (he was speaking in english) and didn't really say anything new. After his speech there was a Q&A session in which he is called his excellency the president of the republic of Rwanda. The questions i was actually quite impressed with but kagame's answers i was not. He skirted around them in the most obvious ways. Well here are my pictures!

President Kagame speaking.

The Rwandan dance
Dr. Richard Leakey speaking
Freida Brown
Kagame, a lady who's name i cannot remember and Dr. Richard Leakey

Tourism at it's finest

This weekend me and 8 other girls went to the Masai Mara for a safari! We were a bit reluctant to go because we were afraid of how touristy it would be and just the general idea. But we also felt like it was a necessary thing to do if you are going to Africa! So we found a decent price and went for it! We left friday after swahili lessons at 10:00 am and were on the way. Around 1 we made it to Naroke and enjoyed some lunch however our fears of being the wazunugu were right because once we park and got out of the car we were bombarded with "jambo" and "its free to look". Feeling a bit humilitated we tried to defend ourselves with Habari Yako and other swahili phrases we have learned but it didnt seem to work. So after lunch we were in a hurry to continue moving, and move we did. In fact the road so so bumpy my head was pounding. Its kind of crazy but I feel like the safari groups should pitch in money and fix the 100000 pot holes that are on the 3 hour long ride to the National Park but hey just a suggestion. However we got to the park around 3:30 pm and were in awe of the beauty. So gorgeous. We had to leave at 6 however because there is a rule that if you stay after 6 you are fined. So we left and went to our campsite, the campsite was tents were large army esque tents that were pitch on concrete slabs with bathrooms included and 2 cots per tent. It was actually really nice. At dinner we met the 3 other guests, 2 danish men and a fellow from chicago. small world because the danish men actually SAW Megan walking down rhapta road that morning, its not hard to notice a whiteperson but it was megan! We all retired soon after dinner because michael our guide told us we should leave at 6:00 am the next morning. So the next morning was amazing, we saw lions and a rhino and the sun rise. The pictures dont do it justice. After a long afternoon we cameback for lunch and went out again arond 3:00 to see more and we did this time a cheetah adn her two cubs. It was slightly upsetting however because the cheetah was trying to hut and the 30 + vans surrounding her probably made it difficult so we kindly asked michael to take us home after a few moral dilemmas. Then it was up at 6:00 am the following morning this was the completel perfect ending to the trip because this time we actually saw the cheetah hunt and it wasnt quite as difficult because due to early rising there were only about 5 other vans. It was beautiful. We left around 10 am and we home in time for dinner and resting ! I think all of us were very happy we decided to be tourists for the weekend.
Tess, Beth and I in the back of the Safari Car.
Yeahh Buddy
The Masai Mara
Masai Mara
Buffalo! Nope not American Buffalo, African!
A nice up close and personal, we think they have some dutch ancestory, check ou the hair!
An Ostrich
Giraffes, these two actually looked like they were going to fight because they kept moving with eachother and kind interacting in a not so friendly manner.
Sun Rise at 6:00 am
Sunrise
Lions!!!

Some more of the Masai Mara


A rhino! There are actually only 5 in the park so we were lucky and actually saw one.

A Baboon with baby on back
A herd of Elephants
Cheetah!
Masai Mara


Lazy Lions on a sunday morning
This is actually a big pride of them, there are some cubs its just hard to see in the tall grass
The Cheetah with her kill and two cubs. See the Gazelle in her mouth
More of the cheetah with her cubs and kill.

All you need is Chapati and Coke

Today Lynsey took us on a day trip. This time it was to Olorgesailie and Maasi Land. Olorgesailie is the prehistoric dig site where the largest amount of man made hand axes has been found at the base of the rift valley. This was quite cool to see because i have never seen an excavation site and it was the freaking rift valley or land before time i like to call it since long ago the rift valley used to be a giant lake sandwiched between two volcanoes. After we toured around there we drove to Maasi Land where we met joseph our guide. He took us to an area in the bush where young boys go to become men, there is a hunter's hut where meat is left etc. He also took us to chase wild giraffes and gazelle! WILD GIRAFFES! After that we went to his home where his wife and friends gave us some yummy food and danced as well as of course sold us trinkets. At one point joseph left us to go find his cell phone that he had lost while chasing the Giraffes.... (hmm clash of civilizations?).

Me at the corner brigade! A pit stop on the way to Olorgesailie
Waiting for the tour guide at Olorgesailie
More of the big O
Victor!!!
The first site, this is a huge collection of hand axes and hammers.

Our guide explaining how these tools were used and that this area was most likely something of a butchers area because there are so many tools that could cut up meat etc
Some more of the rocks that have been left as is, this is how they built up at the bottom of the lake
Elephant bones!!! the bigger one is the one that was actually found here, the calcium of the soil in the rift valley allows the bone to be so well preserved. The other bone is an elephant bone brought in to show the difference in size
These are hippo bones. All the stones nearby allow us to assume that the hippo was killed by homo erectus!
Tess walking across rift valley!
Da rift vallley
Maasi Country
Joseph leading us to a hunter's bush
A bush that is used by people passing through and where a young boy would stay on his journey to manhood
the inside of the bush tent, that tree is also where meat is hung
where you would sleep
The wild giraffes!! and note the wind mills behind...

Joseph's son chilling the the 2 c's coke and chapati.
All of us sitting and eating the meal they gave us, potatoes, carrots, peas, cabbage and chapati! (goat for the meat eaters)
The Maasi women dancing
Rachel looking at some of their good and getting her hair braided at the same time!

Group shot in front of the giraffes!

Group shot in front of the hut!

The most adorable boys, little louis is in front the son of the evans, the man that drives us around and Joseph's son. Poor louis started crying when we left to go back to Nairobi because he had made a best friend!