Where we wake up and thus make a first day of it.

We woke up on Sunday morning (waking up in the morning is a confusing term, as we did not sleep much at all due to the jetlag. I myself would fall asleep hard, feeling exhausted only to wake up 90 minutes later) with the sun streaming down.  We had heard the early morning calls of the chickens before dawn and now we heard the songs of birds we do not know.  The room we stay in has two windows and our each we could see flowers.  It seems as though almost every plant, and bush here flowers. Having arrived in the dark, it was a splendid place to wake up. 

             We didn’t necessarily pick to live here.  My sense, which may be wrong, is that the housing situation is always in flux with the frequent arrivals and departures from those who work at AMPATH (this is the consortium Deb’s job is associated with; website: http://www.iukenya.org/index.html). So when we inquired with Deb’s boss about housing, there are emails sent around the community checking in about where there is openings. And that is how we find ourselves living in a place called Kenmosa Village, in a house owned by a fellow named John. A house tthat is pretty amazing. We live here currently with a young Kenyan guy named Billy.  We are committed to living in this house for a few months and in that time the other bedrooms will be occupied by people from the states returning to work here with AMPATH, including John, the owner.

            After waking and quickly drinking a cup of coffee, which is quite fine and easy to come by.  Our roommate Billy graciously offered to drive us in to central Eldoret to look into phones (which Deb needs for her job and will help us connect here, will also be our source of internet and connecting with those back home) and to get some groceries.  When we arrived in Eldoret at the IU House on Saturday night (IU for Indiana Univ., where many or maybe most? of the AMPATH folks stay) Billy picked us up and brought us out to the house. He has been very helpful in showing us around and answering our many questions. So off we went to one of the Sararicom stores to look at phones.  We were quickly overwhelmed by choosing and decided to defer this decision. For me it is strange to be getting a fancy phone here when that has never been a priority in the States. I have been told that phones are cheaper here because the Kenyan government wants people to have access to them. From the phone store we walked next door to Nakumatt, which had been described to us as “Kenyan Walmart” before our arrival.  Just as we walked into the store up from behind came our friend Ben, who has been here roughly 5 weeks and comes from St. Could/CHS and made the move from Minneapolis as well.  He told us he was able to spot us from a good distance away.  He had been watching the distance race that was hosted by Eldoret that morning. So Ben and Deb and I wandered through the aisles in the grocery section making quick choices so as to be polite regarding Billy’s time.  We found we could get many of the same types of foods, though yet different.  We were quite selective and restrained in buying produce (which at home is much of what we buy and eat) as we wanted to limit GI discomfort from eating the some of the raw foods. The experience getting settled in to food will be a process. It was great to run into Ben and get grocery shopping under our belt.  We parted with Ben and Billy drove us by a few places so that Deb could orient herself for work he next day. Then it was back to the house to eat our lunch.

We later decided to make the walk in to town, as this would be a easier way to get a handle on the city and our distance from it. Thoughts on the first walk into town to come.