Muellers in Kenya!: We're Back

My daughter Lisa has suggested several times that now that we are back in Nairobi that I pick up my blog. We arrived here on February 20th to a warm welcome from Lisa, Kristoffer, Grace, Noah and Kirsten and Hans (Kristoffer's Mom and her husband). Noah is a very beautiful little boy! Grace is a very smart two year old - who does not care to eat (unlike most Muellers)! The day after we got here Kristoffer took the day off and we all went to a lovely country club and had a nice lunch. Grace and Kristoffer swam in the pool.

Since then we have been kind of low key. We have visited the Giraffe Center with the kids. Grace was so cute. She loved the tortoises as well as the feeding the big giraffes. I think that the giraffes are my favorite animal here. We got lost a little while trying to find the center, and saw some very upscale homes.

Grace celebrated her second birthday with a party up at their pool and cake back here at the house. Lisa hired some people from the Monkeynastix program (gymnastics for little kids) to entertain the kids - they had fun. Grace is still singing Happy Birthday to herself.

We've visited Grace's school, where she is one of 15 to 18 toddlers in her class along with 5 teachers. It is very interesting to watch them come out of school to go home in the afternoon. It is absolutely the United Nations. Grace's favorite person to play with is Andrew, a Kenyan boy who likes her just as much. Lisa is going to try to arrange a play date back at the house.

My overall impression of Nairobi since we left two years ago: Well there is a lot of construction. A lot of road building (by the Chinese). But nothing much else has changed. We still see women climbing hills with heavy loads on their back. And we still see a lot of men sitting around. The matatus drive as crazy as ever. We have seen lots of dumb drivers - who can cause very serious accidents. They drive on the left here and most roads are only two lanes, and people pass on curves and when other cars are coming their way, they still pass - thus a lot accidents here.

A new adventure for us was a trip to Charles' (the driver) home. Lisa and Noah stayed home. It was a very long ride on some nasty roads. When we got there, we had to climb a 45 degree angle about 50 feet. Kristoffer had made a walking stick for Mike (he couldn't have done it without it, because his hip has been bothering him). We met Charles' mother, wife, children and niece. Now Lisa says they live better than most Kenyans, or at least they are not "very" poor. They live on the side of this hill, and have beautiful views of a valley. It is very green there, but because of the drought some of their crops died. Charles has built a house of his own, next to his mother's house and their kitchen. They were very hospitable to us. They served us coke, some cooked potatoes and a cooked chicken. Now I think the chicken was one I had met a few hours earlier - that was a real funny feeling. We had wanted to buy two goats for Charles' mother. Charles had supposedly arranged the purchase through the local butcher. When we went there, no one could reach the person who owned the goats. Michael had told Charles that he would spend a certain amount, about $100. Charles said he could get a male and female for that price. With that gift his mother could raise goats, have goat milk, have meat and sell goats - a very sustainable gift.

Kristoffer told Charles that we wanted to see the goats. Well that couldn't be arranged. We think that if we gave Charles the money, his mother would never get the goats. The money would be used for his new house that he is still building. We also think that Charles was going to get a cut of the money for getting the goats from the butcher. We left there disappointed - but Kristoffer is looking into someone else getting the goats.

Now about Charles' family. His wife is going to college to become a teacher. Lisa and Kristoffer are helping with the fees. She should finish a year from this spring. Their 5 year old son walks 30 minutes to school all by himself. The road he takes is dusty and hard. He walks home for lunch and then back to school until late afternoon. I couldn't get over the fact that he went by himself. Charles' wife walks back to her college, after visiting home, it takes her well over an hour and a half. She says if she walks fast, it would be an hour. She will be a primary grade teacher and they will more than double their income when she works. We asked about private school vs public school. She thought she'd go private because to get a high paying public school job, she'd have to pay a bribe to someone (that is Kenya for you - everyone wants a bribe)! We saw where the women washed the cloths in the stream about 1/2 mile from their home, I think that is the same place as where they bathe! Lisa is going to help me put some pictures together so you can see what we saw! They have avacoado trees right where their houses are. One in particular had a large overhanging shade. I sat there to get cool, only to find out that is where Charles' father is buried!!!!!

Yesterday was another great adventure. We went out to lunch at the Karen Blixen Garden (the lady from Out of Africia) and then we went to the Kazuri bead and pottery factory/store. We were given a tour and saw women making beads and pottery. These women were given this opportunity to learn a craft. They have been battered one way or another - either by their family or within their villages - and are all single mothers. They and their children live in a small village right there. I felt like I had to buy something to support such a good cause. Then we left and traveled over the countryside to find a glass making factory. They take broken glass, melt it down, and then reshape it. Lisa had been told it was a good place for us to see. It took us a very long time to find the road that led to the factory - then it took us 45 minutes on a road that put the Pink Jeep Tour in Sedona to shame. Talk about OFF ROAD!!!!!!!! It was unbelievable what we saw. When we got to the factory it was sort of like a very dark Willie Wonka place. Not worth the trip. We promised Charles that Lisa would never send him there again!

We've been to several lovely outdoor restaurants - very different. The service is very slow - but when you're somewhere new it doesn't matter. Today we went to a cafe in a garden that had a shop in it. Lisa said that the things were made my women similar to the bead factory. So too I felt like I should buy something :) This past Sunday we went grocery shopping after church and I had a mocha milk shake from a coffee shop. Well they put something a little extra in it and I was in the bathroom all afternoon. Think I'll just get bottled water from now on.

We leave for the Mombasa on Friday. It should be fun with the whole family at the beach. Remember that is where I rode the camel last time! Wonder if they are still there?????

The Windsor Country Club