We did ministry of all kinds! We visited homes, schools, and 3 different orphanages…
We got to sing songs and play games with the children…
We painted (of course)…
We cleaned the church and the schoolhouse behind it on Saturdays…
We danced to our heart’s delight in church on Sundays…
We ministered to and made friends in the market and on the streets downtown…
On one of our days off, we hiked 6 miles up to the top of the Menengai Crater in Nakuru…
Our friend, Priscilla, helped us to look a little more African…
And we said goodbye, ready for the next country and the next great adventure.
Kenya in Numbers:
Number of meals that included rice: 17
Number of meals that included pasta: 4
Number of meals that included potatoes: 19
Number of meals that included chapati: 11
Number of meals that included ugali: 15
Cups of coffee: 11
Cups of tea: 8
Cups of chai tea: 26
Times we ate lentils and cabbage: 8
Times we rode in the tuk-tuk: 42
Times we rode in a matatu: 8
Times I questions what animal (or what part of the animal) I was eating: 13
Number of KFC’s spotted: 1 in Nairobi (and 1 in Romania on our way to Kenya)
New food I tried and loved: avocado, chapati, chai tea, mandazis, samosas
New food I tried and would rather not eat again: ugali, goat meat, cow brains
Advice for Future Racers in Nairobi/ Nakuru/ Kenya:
1. Learn Swahili (although most people you meet will speak decent English):
Mungu: God
Mzungu: white person
Mi mi ni: My name is…
Jambo: Hello
Asanti Sana (squashed banana): Thank you very much
Nina jua una sema ni ni: I know what you’re saying (about me) ß- very good to know because they talk about mzungus all the time.
Rafiki: friend
Mambo/ Poa: How are you?/ Cool
2. If you’re in Nairobi, it is totally worth it to head into town and go to the mall. It’s a little taste of America with a movie theatre, good restaurants, and fro-yo!
3. If you’re staying at the Milimani Backpackers Hostel in Nairobi, get excited to have some decent African food and great company. Also make sure you have some buckets on hand in case of rain. Learn from my experience in the great flood of 2012 that we experienced in our room.
4. In Nakuru, make sure you go to Sisima for some incredible dark chocolate cake, yummy coffee, and to say hello to our sweet friend Tom. You could also meet some amazing guys selling clothes on the street outside of Sisima. Dennis, Charles, and John are all worth stopping and showing some love to. Give them hugs from us and make sure Charles is behaving himself. 😉
5. Nakuru also has a great safari, so check it out if you can afford to. Our team didn’t have the money, but looking back I wish we had gone. It’s one of the best in Kenya.
6. Take advantage of being able to wear shorts and/or pants whenever you want. If you head to Tanzania next, you’ll more than likely be required to wear long skirts at all times. It’s the little joys in life.
