Kapiti

Want the short version? Just look at the pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/38741292@N03/ (these don't have many animal shots because we used a bigger camera for that)

Day 6 and I still haden't slept through the night...

I woke up, packed my bag, cursed the mold in my water bladder, and walked over to JJs.

Jo(oomlout)rg Jores is a young German vet who works here at ILRI. He is an identical twin, likes fancy cheese, is going home to get a German Shorthair puppy next week, says funny things with his German accent, and was one of the first people to really make me feel welcome here. This French friend, Thierry (roll that R), had arrived the night before and was also coming to Kapiti. Thierry had been married to a German woman so I was the odd man out, linguistically speaking.

Then we drove to the nearby market and met Andre (accent egu) and his two sons Paul (4) and Hannes (2). They were also German, and pretty much the cutest family you have ever seen. I suddenly wished I had payed more attention in German class. Did anyone want to hear me recite half a poem in German?

We bought a ton of food, noted the country music playing in the background, and headed off just in time to be stuck in the late morning traffic. To pass the time, JJ leaned out the window and admired all of the goods being sold along the road. Everything from bandanas to knives to paintings of flowers and toy airplanes. I found out that the average life expectancy was around 40 when I commented on the amount of exhaust these guys must breathe on a regular basis. We drove perpendicularly through traffic at each rotary (there are many) and finally made it out to the highway.

Mombassa road is the major if not only road to and from the coast. In some areas there are 3 lanes on each side separated by a median (with cows and goats grazing in it), and at other times it is literally a dirt traffic jam. The latter section is ironically placed between two cement factories. You can barely see the people, animals, and cars through the dust. We pulled over to let Paul pee, and bought some sugar cane to share with drivers stopped next to us. Further out the pavement resumed but basically in one wide lane with no line down the middle. Passing is an art and necessity in this situation, as vehicles from unrecognizable truck things to BMWs travel at all speeds possible. There are no real rules, just get where you can, and feel free to use the dirt shoulder if you can navigate the potholes. Andy, you would love driving here. If someone tried to crowd us off the road, JJ would just lean on the horn. He chuckled and explained to us that "they hate that, it gets them really irritated, you can always get the right of way".

Past people, goats, cows, factories, shacks, bicycles, and even a herd of camels. Then a right turn off the highway onto a dirt road. Kapiti is a "farm" owned by ILRI where they employ local people to raise cows and take care of the property. It is also a getaway spot for employees complete with a huge house, Joshua at your service (weird!), and thousands of acres to drive or walk around on to see wildlife. I think it cost about $40 for us all to stay for the weekend. We saw an ostrich and a family of warthogs on the way in (they are so cute!).

After we each found our own wing of the house, we settled down for tea in the back yard. Hannes poured milk everywhere, I learned the German word for fly (fliega), and we watched a herd of giraffes in the distance. Then we set out on Safari!

Thierry with the camera in the front with Popie Andre driving (beer in hand), the boys in their carseats in the middle (toy lions in hand), and JJ and I crammed in the back seat (knees in face). Bumping down dirt paths all over the property we saw so much amazing wildlife. First was a lone gazelle, then a hartabeast, then herds of zebras, warthogs, cattle, kudu, and wildebeest (Gnu! Gnu! the little boys yelled). The carcases and skulls here and there were just as interesting. A zebra had gotten caught in a fence. Andre brought over a Gnu skull to the car for his kids to check out. On and on we went, Hannes fell asleep, then we had to stop to find his lion when he woke up. At one point we got out and walked around with animals all around us. Hannes and Paul grabbed my hands and dragged me off to see the Gnu. Thierry teased me about my new boyfriends.

Down another path we saw giraffes all around us. They let you get really close and then they lope off in super slow motion. It almost makes you dizzy. There were lots of babies. The road was blocked by a cow carcass over a small bridge at one point so I had to be the woman and rip it apart so we could go through. The boys just held their noses and watched. Then JJ found a way around.

Then it was nap/explore on your own time back at the house. After walking around for a while I went back to the yard and played with the little boys. They speak German to their popie, English to each other, and even some swahili here and there. I was starting to understand a lot, and I learned that "du schtinkst" means "we have to clean your poo". Andre was one of the best fathers I have ever seen in action. He wiped their noses, changed diapers, held their hands in the car, brushed flies off them, watched them play, laughed and smiled at them all the time, never sat down for more than 2 seconds, never got upset, cut apple slices, showed them bugs, and had a joint tucked behind his ear (the key to good parenting?).

The cows were brought slowly home for the evening. In the US, we feel an economic loss if a cow ever stops eating. That is essentially the rate limiting step to making more milk. Here, cows are confined at night without food so that they are not eaten.

Joshua came over to talk to me. He asked me where I was from and if I was cold. Then I told him he was lucky to live there. Why he asked? Because it is so beautiful. Do you like it? Yes he replied, I have to, it is my country.

I remember sitting there looking at the horizon and feeling like I was just living my life. There at that moment. No need to look forward and wonder what was next.

Before dinner, JJ and Thierry made sure to tell me plenty of scary stories about the house and the dangers of Africa in general. They ever showed me where a woman had been brutally murdered by warring tribes right above my room. I had some small revenge when I learned of JJ's fear of snakes, but it didn't make me less scared. Then they kept me up late around a fire, talking and laughing for hours. It was a good time. And then I had to go to bed and be scared all night long. Another night without sleep...

The next day we woke up, ate breakfast, and went for a hike. The little boys and popie came for a short while and then went home. JJ, Thierry, and I kept going. And going. Normally you are not allowed to walk in the National parks either at all or without a ranger and his gun, but there were no rules at Kapiti. We followed animal paths up on the ridge for a few hours and then dropped down to the campground and back home on the path. It was hot and steep. JJ turned around at one point and in his German accent told us "You don't have to be ashamed. It is ok. If you are not as strong as me". I almost peed laughing.

We saw birds, flowers, warthogs, skulls, bones, kudu, giraffes, and TICKS! Thousands of them, everywhere! Adults with fancy patterns, nymphs the size of a sesame seed, and little red larval ticks that you could barely see (thousands of them). JJ and Thierry were worried about their balls, and I was glad I didn't have any. Ironically ticks in Kapiti are far less dangerous to people than ticks in Massachusetts.

And that was about it. We made it home safely, showered, and collapsed.

I slept all night.