Nanyuki Week 1, in 15 notable experiences

We (Sasha and I) arrived in Nanyuki, Kenya a little over a week ago. Nanyuki is a 3.5 hour ride to the north of Nairobi, in Laikipia Province. Here are some crazy new things we've experienced  in just a few short days. It's been a whirlwind, filled with lots of laughter to ease the ridiculousness. 

1. Started an Internship with IMPACT

IMPACT is the organization we are interning with for the next three months. IMPACT stands for Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation. Basically the organization covers a lot of ground considering historical land injustices and pastoralist conflicts are everywhere. The organization works mostly with pastoralist (nomadic) groups in the four provinces of Laikipia, Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo, & some parts of Turkana. The office team is extremely friendly and we've been welcomed with open arms. Our main role will be to incorporate a gender-based strategy into the organization, seeing as gender inequalities are implicitly tied to resource use and the privatization of land. We walk 45-50 minutes to the office every morning and it is a crazy adventure each day. Although at first it was hella intimidating to cross the busy honking roads, and to watch for crossing cows, now we're pros. 

2. Overcome living with Goats 

Baahhhhhh

Before coming here, neither one of us could have said we had lived amongst chickens or goats or cows, but now we can. We are living in the guest house of a host family with three kids, ages 5, 8, and 12. So far, my favorite Kenyan friend is Florence, who is the nanny for the family and all around champion cook in the house. She's makes the best goat milk tea. Sasha and I have learned to cook a few things with her. 

Our little cabin has no bathroom door, which has made us closer than ever. (Lol. Sorry Sasha.) But after one week here our cabin feels cozy and warm. We feel grateful to have running water, and we even have a gas stove to make meals. Although we kind-of live amongst creatures including shower spiders and mice in the rafters, the company doesn't bother us. Well, except for the morning rooster. 

3. Accepted our identities as mzungus on the walk to work

Mzungu is "white person" in Swahili. From kids on the street yelling "mzungu mzungu mzungu!" to groups of guys trying to intimidate us to buy something at their shop with a chorus of "mzungu come!"s, we can't really get away from the fact we're not black. As one person told me, "You have no melanin." Thanks.

ESSENTIALLY we're an easy target for all things non-local. We can't exactly fit in inconspicuously. That means we hear LOTS of cat-calling on the way to work. (I'm writing a blog post about that soon. Cat-calling is shitty. Don't do it.) HOWEVER since people now recognize us, they've stopped bothering us so much on our 50 minute morning stroll since we're so good at pretending we don't hear them. We also get charged mzungu prices. But like, 60 cents for an avocado the size of my face is still a bargain so no complaints (avocados are actually the size of my face).

Butter toast.

Our walks to work have been quite exciting. We start off with a rockin' view of Mt. Kenya in the distance, always passing herds of goats and sheep. We walk on uneven dirt/rock paths next to the main road, passing a billion kinyuzis (barber shops), street vendors selling fruit and clothing, and a man-powered car wash complete with large sponges. And of course little kids going to school. No pictures of them yet, but coming eventually.

Check it out^^^^^ It's Mount Kenya in the distance and we're going to climb it sometime next month YAY. Also, those are herds of goats. There are goats everywhere. I had soup today and there was probably goat in it. Who knows.  

​Also we realized quickly that the word "hotel" doesn't mean a place to sleep. We're not sure what it means. But a milk hotel sounds legit. ​​

---

4. Rode a boda-boda and a tuk-tuk

The traffic in the streets is WILD. I have my international driver's license and I'm never going to use it here because people drive on the left side of the road, and also motorcycles weave in and out of cars like water dripping through rocks. 

look, even the plant says it's a hotel. what?

I'lI have to grab a photo of a tuk-tuk right away. 

---

5. Tried FUN new foods

My favorite so far is horny fruit. It has the texture of the inside of a cucumber and doesn't taste like much, but look how fun it is! Plus the name makes us giggle because we're 12. 
The best part of the day is often going to new hole-in-the-wall lunch spots around the office during our hour break. My go-to meal is githeri, which is a bean and corn mixture, often with a cooked vegetable salad and spinach on the side. The cost is around $1.50 USD for lunch and the food is very filling. We've also tried (and made) ugali, which is essentially a starchy flour bread thing that makes me extra sleepy. Kienyenji is a mashed potato base with beans and greens mixed in. Chapati is the Kenyan version of Indian na'an bread. Feel free to look up the other foods on the menu.  

6. Mastered the Bucket-Shower

The trick for a shower spa day is to boil some hot water and mix it with the lukewarm water from the tap for a bucket of perfect temperature. Toilet seat not included.

---

7. Went to a 4 hour church service

It was a pentecostal service and people had the holy ghost in them and it was wild and loud. The collective energy was impressive. It felt like I was in a soccer stadium with people supporting their favorite sports team after a winning goal. Instead, I was in GCC Congregation in Nanyuki, Kenya, and the sports team was God, and the winning goal lasted over thirty minutes. And I was the only white person in sight.

FINAL NOTE: I went on the back of a motorcycle to get there. We sped through dirt streets winding around tin houses and a field of kale. 

10/10 would recommend. ​

This isn't even the church. This is one we pass on the walk to work. Moo.

8. Became a bargain shopper

I needed a new shirt for work because my white ones are not withstanding the orange dust baths they get every day. I got one for $1 and the purple stripes are my groove. Sasha got a black shirt for $1.70 because she's bougie. No photos of the shirts, or the clothing stalls for that matter, but here's a veggie market we walked through and bought a palm sized piece of ginger and 3 carrots.

9. Got lost (multiple times)

So Nanyuki isn't a big city. It's quite small, and there are not too many paved roads so it shouldn't be too hard to keep track of where you are. On the first day of work, however, we ended up walking back to the Equator in the complete wrong direction of our cabin. Here is a lovely photo to illustrate. Do you see that big blue circle? That's where we started. Do you see the Equator marker? That's where we ended up. Now do you see the orange marker with a star in it on the far left? That's where we were supposed to go. Eventually after being followed by a 12 year old kid who wouldn't leave us alone, we got in a cab and directed it to go to the blue marker on the far right. Here's the problem: our cabin doesn't have an address. Eventually we made it back to our house because I remembered the name of a hotel we passed on the way to work that morning called Falcon Heights. But think of how many steps we got in! Reached that 10,000 step goal by a landslide. 

10. Visited a hype organization for street kids

I have a tendency to think white expats always mess things up for locals. A few days ago I was proven wrong when we met this incredible guy who has lived here for the past 10 years creating a grassroots homeless shelter for street kids, and finding ways to get them into school. The first kid he sponsored ten years ago made it to the top of his class from the streets. The second kid did the same thing. The third kid too! So instead of returning home from his volunteering trip, he stayed in town for another decade creating this valuable organization. The organization has helped over 135 street kids make it through primary school. We visited the transition house, where some of the former orphans live. It was one of the most moving testaments to hopeful and collective action against suffering, yet also one of the sharpest reminders of ongoing real-world struggles. 

This is the river near the transition house.

11. Seen a camel on the street and a giant crab in the fridge

Seeing as we are surrounded by wildlife conservancies on all sides, with lions and zebras and giraffes, it's bizarre that we saw a camel. One day it was walking down the street. Maybe it's from Somalia? Who knows. 

We also have a frozen giant crab in our freezer, stuck to the back of the freezer. We can't remove him, so we've decided to call him Marcus. 

Unfortunately, no photos of the camel or of Marcus, but I do have a photo of a nice pub and a place for millionaire investors. 

12. Was adopted by a dog

For clarity, we didn't adopt a dog, but it adopted us. His name is Survivor and we live in the cabin where some Norwegian visitor essentially mothered him for 6 months. So this dog automatically follows around any white people who stay in this cabin. Sasha loves him. I'm more ambivalent because I don't want fleas, but he's growing on me. He sleeps outside our door when we sleep.

sponsored by Nike

13. Learned some Swahili

Obviously imma learn some kiswahili while we're here. 

14. Went to the Equator

On our way into Nanyuki, our taxi driver let us stop at the equator which was BOMB because I lived in Ecuador and visited the equator in South America. 

15. Enjoyed some interesting music choices

Can somebody please explain to me why Kenyans like country music? Sasha and I rode a taxi back home from the supermarket and this badass dude, who we thought would play hardrock, blasted country music with the most ridiculous bass I've ever heard. It was bumpin'. 

Apart from the gospel heard in the church, Sasha and I also heard the most phenomenal impromptu concert at our gym. There was a man in a bright green t-shirt hyping up the dance moves and I think Sasha fell in love with his frog-like enthusiasm. 

FINALLY we listened to Swahili happy birthday for Mac, our now 5 year old host bro.