Kenya
Tolerance
We knew that the predominant religion in Mombassa city was Muslim. The East African coast was settled long ago by Arab slavers and traders and they brought t…
Nairobi by Rail
We had to go back to Nairobi to finish the second half of the in country VSO Training. VSO split the classes up because there was a second group of volunteer…
Adopting Gertrude
We have adopted ... a Praying Mantis. I call her Gertrude or Gertie for short. She sleeps in our house all day then comes out to hunt our little bugs at nigh…
Athletes with Heart
Peter dodges Matatus and Lorries for 6 kilometers in his wheelchair. His hour-long trip down the Mombasa-Malindi highway is done in 35 degree heat at 90% hum…
Reality Check
We had a reality check yesterday about the hard life that people have here. We are starting to make many friends here. One of them is Paul. He is a great guy…
And now....A word from our Sponsor
I am very impressed with the organization that I am working for. Its called The Association for the Physically Disable of Kenya (APDK) was created in 1958 an…
The Matatu Experience
Necessity is the mother invention, and Matatus are the result. Thousands upon thousands of panel vans, locally called "Matatu", race up and down the streets,…
First Days in Mombasa
My day starts earlier than in Portland; around 6AM. I role out of bed and the day is already warm. I sit for breakfast now insteading of grabbing a granolar…
Daily Rythms
We have only been here a week and are starting to settle into the rhythms of our new life. Up every morning at around 6:00 because we went to bed early, bath…
Creepy Crawlies
We arrived two nights ago from Nairobi and were given a few days to settle in. The house we are living in was built for a man named Hans Zimmerman. He put up…