Categories
Lamu Mombasa Nairobi

ErinRose in Kenya, Part 3!

Before we resume our regular programming (meaning longer, rambling, more verbose passages of text), here’s another round of pictures, courtesy mostly of ErinRose, who was here until Sunday.

This one’s for you Elise, from the Nairobi nature walk:

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ErinRose and I ate lunch near the rhino and saw dozens of baboons wander past us:

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The guide told me I didn’t tip enough after being led into the cheetah cage for this pic.  Apparently the eight guys who sit around the cage need to split the tips between them.  I’m mean so I still didn’t tip more:

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Back at school, ErinRose and my counterpart and I handed out various undergarments that were sent from America by a previous volunteer’s friends and family:

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Doing what I do best in a plane to Lamu:

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Me taking a picture in Lamu.

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Here I am “explaining” a science experiment (poking holes in paper to reveal the crescent-shaped spot on the shadow caused by the eclipse) to my vocational students, another teacher, and some others.  I had never heard of this trick and wasn’t even aware that there was an eclipse happening, but another volunteer called me during the eclipse and explained how it worked and insisted that I must go show it to some students.  ErinRose knew the trick, too, so she poked the holes.  It was pretty cool, and I still don’t totally understand why it works at all:

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Categories
Mombasa Nyali

ErinRose Back In Kenya

My girlfriend is here for her second visit.  She arrived on Friday and we spent this weekend on the North Coast Mombasa, about twenty minutes from my house.  On Saturday we went to Haller Park, a nearby rock quarry-turned-mini-zoo/park where injured/abandoned animals are taken as a kind of safe haven.  Here are some pictures:

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I think this creature is actually from another planet:

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The deadliest animals in Kenya: hippos!

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It’s hard to tell from the picture, but this bird was gigantic!

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On Sunday we went to the also-nearby Mamba Crocodile Village, where crocodiles are raised for their skin and meat.

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Read the sign in this next picture:

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Here’s a video of the feeding:

After watching the feeding we went up to the restaurant, where we were seated at the “Lovers Table.”  We waited for the sun to set before we started dinner, since while she is here ErinRose is joining me in fasting for Ramadan.  I ate crocodile steak while I looked down at the crocodiles below, thinking “Now who’s on top of the food chain!”  Then I wondered how many people get eaten here every year.  The fences didn’t inspire much confidence.

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Starting yesterday, ErinRose has been helping with my classes, which have been going well.  The younger kids are painting and the older kids are mostly reviewing stuff from last term.  Having a helper in the classroom is great, because I can split the class into groups.  The kids have been teaching her many signs, and they gave her one of her own, very similar to my sign name.

Our weekends may be very touristy, but since she’s staying with me here at school during the week, the Culture Immersion (the good and the bad) is unavoidable.  More adventures to follow…