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..
So happy for each line you're writing, please keep doing so! Think there are many more readers of your blog although they all don't comment as frequently as I do :) Am checking regurlarly every night for your lines, today a very nice surprise to find them already before noon. Maybe some more in the evening..? Video and photos also highly appreciated, feels almost like we also would be with you on your trip! Take care everyone over there, far away!
VastaaPoistamaria