A day filled with sadness and thrill

The last days in Kenya,
Waking up, opening my eyes and turning my head to the left, I see Jimis sad face with tears falling down his cheeks, I realize with sadness that today is gonna be our last day here in our own little paradise.
Our trustful driver "Andy" drove us to the finnish embassy in the morning, and we heard short presentations about their work and the situation with the relation between Kenya and Somalia (Al Shabaab). Some of us also pre voted for the presidential election we soon have in Finland.
Before going to the embassy our teachers told us to dress up a little as we were visiting a little more official place, so the most of us was wearing our better clothes. After the visit though we suddenly were, dressed up, just outside of the gates of Africas biggest slum, and after paying 4 armed guards (one of them wearing garfield socks) and a guide, we entered Kibera.
The experience was breathtaking. We walked in muddy allies filled with garbage and sewage water, among steel house wrecks and some even built of their excrement. Our group was lucky enough even to be able to visit 2 different homes and listening to some touching real life stories. After the visit we find our way actually to a local Kibera slum school. Talking about a breathtaking experience! The school was surrounded by fences and gates, and inside there were about 270 pupils taking lessons, divided into 8 classes. We gave them some gifts, and they showed their appreciation by dancing a little.

Coming back from the slum, we felt so dirty and exhausted, that we greased our bodies with disinfecting agents, and jumped straight into our pool, enjoying ourself just like it would be our last day! :)

/Gabbe, Fanny & Jimi

more pictures!

Muzungus on the road again!

Today as we woke up in wundanuyi we discovered that it had been raining during the night. Our guide Ken told us that he had never seen rain in january, so we really got to experience something special. The locals were really happy about it because rain is always welcome for the farmers, but on the other hand it was a bit concerning because it REALLY shouldn't be raining in january in Kenya. So while Finland didn't get any snow for christmas, Kenyans got rain in January during their dry season. It might have something to do with global warming?!

After driving slalom 250 km between broken down trucks and camels for about 10 hours we finally arrived back to Scriptura Mission in Nairobi. After a long trip with only snacks and soda we got some REAL food (fishschnizels). Some of us decided not to let our full stomachs and the darkness prevent us from taking a refreshing dip in the pool.

After an exhausting day of not doing anything we are all now heading to bed.

Usiku mwema! (good night)

/Fanny, Sophia, Gabriel, Matias and Wille

Last night at Wundanyi

Tuesday

Today was the last day of our stay here in Taita. After the everyday morning routine, eating breakfast, packing our bags etc the bus took us up the hill for one last visit to the Canon Kituri Secondary School were we today, for the first time, we actually got to attend to their classes!

One lesson is 40 minutes long and they have 2 of these 40min lessons a time. Then they get a 15min break, followed by the next ”pair” of lessons. All of us got to attend to 4 of these lessons, visiting which ever class wanted. Speaking on behalf of ourselves, we experienced the lessons quite ineffective and low standard, but in general it felt great to see what a standard leveled school in Kenya really is like.

After the school visit we headed out to the rainforest, there we saw a lot of different endangered species and plants. After all it looked a lot like a Finnish forest and not as exotic as we thought, although we saw a mother-tree and some monkeys. We walked about an hour in the rainforest until we stopped to rest on a cliff with a beautiful view of the whole valley below. After a short brake we headed back to the bus and drove back to our headquarters.

Later some of us visited an old cave that was used by the freedom fighters during Kenyas independence war just down the road. For example Kenyas first president stayed there hiding back in the day.

We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow driving back to Nairobi, so now the boys will go and enjoy one last sauna here in Wundanyi (Taita).

/ JWG (Jimi, Wille, Gabbe)

pictures!

First two pictures are from Icipe ( bug place) and the following three pictures above are from Paradise lost ( the coffee place). Then we saw a very surprising thing when we noticed that there are ads on the houses: from condoms to cellphones :D In the last two pictures we are doing our laundry! Who says that men don't do laundry!?

A quick tip 2

A second quick tip: don't take sun in Kenia! Reallyreallyreally use the suncream all the time, even if the sun doesn't shine or you're going to look like Onneli (the picture above)!

Susanna & Onneli

Canon Kituri Secondary School

We woke up and ate breakfast at 7.30. Then we had about an hour to prepare before we took off to Wundunay village. Some of us visited a local slaughtery on the way (some of us had no interest in seeing any part of it). In the village we had some time to roam around by ourselves and explore the market. Four of the boys had the courage to try a local restaurant, which inspite of the menu only served beans. From what we heard it didn't taste too delicious.

When we returned from the village, some of us relaxed in the sun, which led to sunburning for many of us. Then we took off for the main event of the day : Canon Kituri Secondary School. We drove five kilometers uphill and found ourselves surrounded by school students our own age. The students waited for us in their dining room and when we introduced ourselves, we felt very welcomed. We had some time to get to know each others in small groups, and share pictures and tell about our families and lifestyles. They were thrilled abour the gifts we gave them : a laptop and a projector. They wanted to show us around, which we were excited about. But they seemed even more excited and were eager to take pictures of everyone and everywhere. Then it was time to say "see you tomorrow" because we're going to spend our day with them tomorrow as well.

Now we're sitting at the terasse and eating excoting froots in the moonlight and just enjoying ourselves in the middle of the rainforest.

/ Emmy & Riina

From Finland to Great Rift Valley

Video

Earlier this week

Today we spent almost the entire day in the matatu (our minibus) traveling to a small town called Wundanyi, located at Taita hills, which is going to be our home during the following 5 days. We saw a few giraffes and also an elephant on the way! (although they were FAR away..)

When we finally arrived to Taita hills we ate the best dinner so far, yummy! Then the girls showered and the boys decided to go to the sauna (it was a finnish Harvia sauna). Funny they have a sauna in kenya, when it's about 30-35°C outside during the day. Although we already experienced a Kenyan sauna in the matatu, it was very very hot and we were all sweating.

Yesterday we had to wake up at 6:00 o'clock at the morning, we ate breakfast and then headed out for Icipe insect research center. Ken, our guide, thought the journey would take about 2 hrs, but it only took 40 minutes. As you see the traffic in Nairobi (an probably all of Africa and Kenya) is very unpredictable, you never know what's going to happen. At Icipe we met a finnish researcher Tino Johansson who explained what they do and what it is like to live in Nairobi. Then we listened to about 10 different researchers with different expertise, it was pretty interesting but also very exhausting and we had problems staying awake at the end. After we had eaten at Icipe we headed for Paradise Lost, a huge coffee plantage. We saw how they grow and prepare coffee. There were also many mango and avocado trees at the farm. Afterwards we had the opportunity to buy some freshly roasted coffee we went to see the stone aged cave. It was SOOOOOOOOOOO cool, we felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie. There was a waterfall covering the entrance off the cave and the tree roots were hanging down the cliffs. It was very exotic and beautiful for us Finns, because naturally we don't have anything a like in Finland.

The farm had signs that promised there would be ostriches and camels. Although there only was one old and UGLY camel, which in the end escaped from it's cage.

When we arrived back to Scriptura Mission we ate dinner and had a evening discussion session.

At the moment we (Mati, Tupu, Wille, Mari, Anni, Saara and me, Emma) are sitting outside one of the dormitories, listening to music, writing the blog and chatting with each other. So far we have all enjoyed our trip very much, hope it only gets better!

We had network difficulties last night so we couldn't upload the text..

A quick tip

Here is a tip if You decide to travel to Kenya. It is important to know about local marketing. It is always "necessary" to bargain (except in supermarket etc. of course). The seller/stand owner can even be insulted if you don't bargain at all and just leave the stand because of the high prices. Of course the seller will be happy if you pay the price he/she asks, but be ready to pay the price you offer. It is said that the reasonable price is the third from the original price. Still we have an self exprience for barging the price much lower. Onneli and Kiia bought wooden giraffes couple days ago. The original price was 5000 Kenyas shillings and they managed bargain the price to 1000 shillings.

The post about yesterday and today is coming later, stay tuned!

Susanna

Hakuna matata

Jambo!

Today arrived the second group early at the morning. After their arrival we left to Great Rift Valley. The landscape was beautiful! Soon after those amazing scenes we went to Hells Gate National park. We had so much fun! We saw zebras, antilopes, giraffes, buffalos and PUMBAs!

At Hells Gate first we went by our bus (first picture) a while. Then we walked several kilometres in caves, canions and streams! We have never climbed that much! That was so POA(=cool (in Swahili) and exiting but still so hard and a bit scary, too.

We have a permanent guide here during the whole trip, Ken. But today we had also an other guide. A little local boy, Simon about 9 years old. When we were climbing down a hard cliff, Susanna was stuck in the middle of the rocks. Few second later somebody grapped her hand and helped her down. When Susanna saw who was helping her she bursted in laughter. An 9-year-old boy helped an 17-year-old girl down the cliff!

When we were on our way to Scriptura Mission (the dormitory) to eat (last meal we ate was breakfast at 8 o'clock!). En route we were stuck in a traffic. Our guide found out that it was going to take a while if we stay and wait. So our teachers and the guide decided to change the road to another. Because of that we were about 2 hours later in Scriptura and we got our food (rise, chicken and boiled vegetables) only until after nine. And the food was cold already! Yack!

Now we have to go to sleep. Tomorrow everybody have to wake up 6.30! Bye bye and good night!

Susanna and Onneli

Jambo Kenya!

Finally we  have arrived to Kenya! We were pleased to see that everything went so smoothly and we made it with out any problems. Our flight from Amsterdam was on time and we even got ice-cream!

We spend our first night at a hotel in Amsterdam. After an exhausting flight from Helsinki we decided to pick up some fast food from the nearest McDonalts.. which turned out to be a little bit harder than we thought.. From our point of view Saara ordered banana milkshake, however, after a while she was given a huge bacon cheese  burger!! Probably the lacking factor is Saara's english knowledge since she got water instead of coke on the plane...

At the moment we are sitting in a lounge of our first accomidation, Scripture mission. We  were suprised by the quality of this place. We even have our own showers and decent bathrooms. Eventhough it's almost 11.30pm, the outside temperature is around 20 degrees ( 68 F ).

Tomorrow the rest of our group will arrive here and we are going to visit the Great Rift Valley! It's going to be wicked!! We'll add up some pictures later on.. stay tuned...


Mari, Saara and Anni

goodbye Finland

Snow. We are still at the airport sitting in the plane and waiting the staff to clean up the runway since there is so much snow on it. Quite ironic that snow can cause problems here in Helsinki conserening that we have it for like 3-4 months per year, huh?

However, that's just a tiny problem because we are so excited about our trip! It was great to be able to pack all the summer clothes that we haven't seen for like 6 months. Hopefully the clothes still fit on us after all the eating at Christmas.

The next night we are going to spend in Amsterdam and our connecting flight takes off around 11am. This gives us an opportunity to enjoy our last (probably) shower. We have also more time to study Swahili.

Tomorrow the dream comes true!

Mari & Saara