Our safari babymoon...

With only 5 weeks left until baby makes its debut, we felt an urgency to safari before it got too late in the pregnancy or birth might be imminent. This also happens to be the brief period of time when the wildebeest are in the Maasai Mara for the great migration. During the great migration, approximately 3 million wildebeest, along with zebras, giraffes, gazelles, topis, etc, all make their way north from The Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This is due to their pursuit of the wet season in Kenya where the grass becomes abundant and watering holes abound.

After much research we decided to stay in the Mara North Conservancy, which was established in 2009 and offers very responsible benefits to the Maasai people, as well as offers great protection to the land and animals. There are only a small handful of camps/lodges in the Mara North, and only the partner camps in the Mara North are allowed to safari in the Mara North territory. This ensures that there is minimal traffic from tours and that the animals and environment are left in peace. This is also a prime destination for viewing big cats, such as leopard, lion, and cheetah.

We also decided that we would drive to our camp, the Royal Mara, despite descriptions of bumpy roads and a 6 hour drive from Nairobi. We're adventurous, and we wanted to see the lay of the land. We left Nairobi around 6 am and headed north before turning west towards the Great Rift Valley. The edge of the valley is met with a very steep drop off and a steep road down the cliff to the valley floor. Perched along this steep road are tiny huts with sheepskins and sheepskin hats for sale. Jason and I stopped for a picture of the valley, which was truly breathtaking.

Here is the first glimpse of the Great Rift Valley:

We drove through the valley and continued along until we came to Narok, which is a bustling little city/town between the Maasai Mara and Nairobi. We then continued on another hour or so until we came to our turn off, which was a dirt road leading away from the tarmac highway. At this point we had been on the road for about 3 hours, and we were doing great. We followed the dirt road through corn fields and wheat fields until we got to our next destination, at which we were instructed to turn left at the Y in the dirt road. As it turned out, there was a Y, with a sharp left, a road that continued slightly to the left and a road that veered off the the right. "which left is it?" I asked and Jason replied with perfect logic that left is left, right is right, and in-between in straight. So true was his observation that there was zero additional discussion and we eagerly veered sharp left and continued to follow the dirt road. We followed it through more farmland until eventually it was barely a road at all. It was more like tire tracks in the dessert with scrub brush and occasional tree. On we went, despite no more landmarks matching our directions to the Royal Mara. After driving for about an hour, we came to a gravel road where we saw many safari tour companies whizz by at highway speeds. We knew we had taken a wrong turn, and after stopping at a deserted hotel to ask for directions, we disregarded the directions that were given to us and decided to backtrack to the last known place where we had been on track. Back to the town with the Y in the road. It took another hour to get back to Ngorengore (the town with the Y) and we then chose to follow the middle road, which was also dirt/rock and even rougher than the previous road. This road was much more like a dry, gouged out riverbed, and was the most uncomfortable road I have ever ridden on. This road was the correct road, and required that we remain on it until we reached our turn off for our camp. This was another 2.5 hours of driving due to the slow pace required to navigate the rough terrain. At one point I saw a small water hole on the side of the road and what appeared to be a tree falling. It was an elephant(!) pushing a tree down. Here is our first glimpse of wild elephants:

We finally reached the Mara North Conservancy and shortly thereafter saw the road sign for the turn off the main road, onto the grassland following tire tracks that would lead to the Royal Mara camp. Our directions stated that we were to turn off to the right from the main road, but not to take any of the bisecting smaller tracks on the right. That's a bit confusing. So we turned to the right, stayed on that track and ignored all other tracks to the right. We drove and drove all over the grasslands and savannah. We saw zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, etc, but no Royal Mara camp. Again, we knew we had missed the proper turn. At this point it was about 4:30 pm and we had been traversing Kenya's incredible and rough terrain for 10 hours. As we made an effort to find our way back to the main road and our last turn off, my body met with the fatigue of the day and a very intense contraction clamped down across my lower abdomen. "Just breathe, it will pass" is what I thought. And yet, it didn't pass, and I became more and more terrified that we were lost in the Maasai Mara with nightfall only 2 hours away and the closest known "town" consisting of about 5 houses was nearly an hour away down the same bumpy road that had brought me to this state of distress. Jason, ever the compassionate man that he is, pulled the vehicle to a stop and encouraged me to get up and move a bit. I stepped out the vehicle and promptly noticed a hyena about 100 meters from us, which was fortunately more interested in pursuing a herd of wildebeest than in us. Nonetheless we kept vigilant of our surroundings as I stood outside the car and sobbed my woes and fears out. I then peed next to the car, which quickly relieved the contraction I was having and Jason offered me a tangerine..which I devoured. After this pitiful pit stop, we returned to the main road and followed a new track to the right. This turned out to be the correct path and shortly thereafter we arrived at the Royal Mara camp, where we passed through a family of elephants and entered the camp. When we pulled up to the reception lodge, we were treated with warm hospitality, glasses of tropical juice, and wet wash towels to clean off some of the road dust.

Our "tent" was amazing! Instead of trying to describe how nice it was, here are some pictures:

The best part of the camp, was that the tent was right above the Mara River, where we could view hippos bathing, as well as we observed elephants on the other bank, monkeys, crocodiles, and more birds than I have ever seen.



Friday night we went out on a night safari with our guide Simon, where we saw our first lions in the wild and got to hunt with the lionesses from the safety of the safari vehicle. When it was dark, the guide would shine a spotlight in the herd animals so we could see them, and the lions have learned that when the light is on the herd, the herd is temporarily blinded and easier to sneak up on. For this reason, wherever the safari truck drove, Jason and I could see the lion following close behind or alongside the vehicle. At one point, a lioness attacked a wildebeest (gnu in Swahili) and was able to get a claw into its rump, but the wildebeest managed to get away. A lucky night for the wildebeest, but not very lucky for the lion. A super awesome night for Jason and myself.

When we returned to camp, a candlelight dinner had been set out for us on our tent's deck, where we enjoyed several delicious courses brought to us. Despite the amazing service and very tasty food, we were so tired that all we could manage was a few bites before we turned in for the night. There were hot showers, and plumbed sinks, a toilet and even a bidet in our tent. We took a hot shower to rid ourselves of all the grime from the road and climbed into the most wonderful king sized bed, encapsulated by a mosquito net. We fell asleep to the sounds of hippos calling, lions roaring the distance, and a symphony of insect, bat and frog songs. This was paradise.

The next morning, power came on in the tents at 5:30 am, and we promptly (and tiredly) got up, dressed in warm and bug repellant treated clothes, and prepared for our morning Safari. Our tent personnel, Mark, arrived shortly after we dressed with carafes of hot tea and coffee, as well as biscuits, sugar and milk. It was so pleasant to sip tea in the morning and listen to the hippos calling out to each other as they returned to the water from their night of grazing on the savannah grasses. Slathered up in deet and sunscreen on all my exposed parts, we headed out to meet our armed escort to the safari vehicle and Simon who was waiting to show us the Mara. The camp is not fenced and it is a camp rule that no one walks in camp without a guard with them. We were very appreciative for the safety measures given all the wild animals in close proximity.

During the morning drive with Simon, we saw so many amazing animals and sights! Here are some of the highlights:

Baby Topi and mother:

Feast of the carnivores/scavengers, which includes hyena, black-backed jackals, vultures and STORKS (doesn't bode well for babies delivered by that method):

I was very smitten with the cuteness of the black-backed jackal:

The cuteness didn't end there; we got to see the jackal's den, inclusive of her pups. These jackals are tiny at full growth, about the size of a large domestic cat:

The LORAX..ehem..I mean hyrax (the fuzzy ones in the photo) and the red headed agama lizard (front and center under the hyrax):

One of the many prides of lions we encountered:

Hi kitty kitty:

Male ostrich in the savannah grass:

Zebra's and wildebeest abound:

After several hours of beautiful jaw-dropping scenery and close encounters with magnificent animals, we pulled up to a stop on the open plains of the savannah and enjoyed a picnic breakfast with Simon. Following breakfast, we packed things up again and Simon offered to take us to a Maasai village for a cultural tour. We were very thankful for this opportunity and really enjoyed our time with the Maasai women, children and warriors. Here is a picture of us with the Maasai:

After spending some time with the Maasai people, Simon drove us back to the camp. Upon arrival back at camp, we went straight to lunch, which was a multi-course buffet meal with t-bone steaks, enjoyed while we sat at a table perched above the Mara river. Following lunch, Jason and I returned to our tent for some down time prior to the afternoon safari. I was completely exhausted by midday, so when we got back to the tent I laid down on the deck loungers and promptly passed out.

After my nap, I slathered up with deet and sunscreen again, and Jason and I went out to meet Simon for our afternoon safari. On this drive, there were two older couples from Germany on the wildlife viewing, and Jason got ample opportunity to practice his German. The German couples both expressed that they had been on safari 6 times in the past together, and had never once been lucky enough to view a leopard. Apparently, leopards are the most shy and evasive of the "big 5" animals in Africa. Jason and I both went to the Mara with the excitement of seeing animals and the landscapes, but did not feel any vested interest in focusing the trip on the "big 5." We were equally impressed with spending time viewing a family of mongooses, or hyenas, or seeing amazing birds, or a praying mantis, as we were with the famous "big 5." Despite our easily awed and relaxed attitude to safari, we were lucky enough to see a great number of amazing animals, including all of the "big 5."

Sunday morning was our last chance to see animals, and a trip was planned for us to go to a rhino sanctuary, where we could meet with the resident pair of white rhinos. This was both very neat, and quite heart breaking. The rhinos are so endangered by poaching, that there are only two white rhinos in the Mara, and they are under armed guard and supervision at all times. To a large extent they have been "tamed" as they sleep in enclosures and are let out to graze during the day with their human escourt. The rhinos are used to visitors and we were able to get very close to them. It was incredible to see these creatures so closely and Jason and I were both completely awed by their magnificence. One of the guards of the rhinos told us that there are regular attempts to poach these guarded rhinos, and that the Asian black market will pay upwards of $1 million for their horns, as there is unsubstantiated belief that they hold medicinal value. It was disgusting to look at this immense and beautiful animal and imagine it shot and stripped of its horns, while its species faces extinction and it's carcas is left to waste. There are so few rhinos left in the wild, that I greatly fear we will see their extinction within our lifetime. Until one has the opportunity to see one of these creatures, one cannot comprehend how truely tragic this will be. I fear that with poachers continueing to see financial incentive from the international markets, the Mara wildlife may face the same future as the American plains buffalo. I could not help but imagine that the great plains of America, we're likely at one time as scattered with life and vibrance as the immense Maasai Mara. Here are pictures of the rhinos:

Yes, that IS me wearing a jacket in Africa. I guess I am acclimating to the temperatures here. 

After visiting with the rhinos we returned to the camp, collected our belongings from our tent and packed our car for the trip home. The Royal Mara camp provided us with a packed lunch to take with us on the road. At every step on the safari, the Royal Mara Camp was amazing in hospitality. We left the camp, promising a return trip. Here we are departing the camp:

For more pictures from our Mara North Conservancy trip, and to hear Jason's perspective of the experience, please visit his blog at http://blog.jasonmadrano.com

Bored yet? Nope!

A reoccurring theme in people's response to my announcement that I would be leaving my career, family, friends, and country to accompany my husband on a year long fellowship in global health was "what are you going to do?" At first I answered that question with "nothing" and an inward smile. Then I explained that I would be preparing for our baby and once baby comes I will be plenty busy.

Truth be told, with 12 weeks left of the pregnancy when I arrived in Nairobi, and a husband who is away from home for a regular workweek, there has been a lot of "down time." So am I bored yet? Nope.

My daily routine during the week consists of household chores like laundry (line dried daily), making meals, grocery shopping, reading everything that ever existed on childbirth, obstetrics and midwifery (Ina May you are my hero), and planning our weekend excursions. I make brownies for Jason's coworkers, and try out new recipes...which at times poses special challenges based on the high altitude and availability of ingredients that are common in the US but scarce or nonexistent in Nairobi.

I spent many hours researching to to make hard boiled eggs that peal easily. I made about 5 batches of eggs with various techniques and can finally say that most of the eggs I hard boil will slip out of their shells without protest. The big secret? Poke a tiny hole in the wide end of the egg (in the air pocket but not into the liquid part), add baking soda to the water, place room temp eggs in the cold water, set on stove and bring to a boil, and then allow to boil for 3-4 minutes. This is the part that seems to make the biggest difference: scoop the eggs out of the boiling water and drop them into a bowl of ice cold salted water, allow them to chill so they are cool to the touch and then return them to the boiling water for a couple more minutes. Again remove them from the boiling water into the ice bath and chill them thoroughly. The goal is to "shock" the shell several times to loosen the membrane inside. When they are cool, they will peel easily. They peel even better if you place a couple tablespoons of vinegar in a bowl of warm water and peel them in the water. This loosens the membrane that causes the whites to adhere to the shell. The hole in the wide end was a trick my mother always did with hard boiled eggs. She said it was to release pressure so they don't crack. None of my eggs cracked regardless of the hole or no hole (perhaps because I started with room temp eggs and brought them to boil slowly instead of from the fridge as my mom did) but there was a clear difference in the peel-ability of the holed eggs versus the whole eggs. :) Thanks mom! The baking soda was a repeat recommendation on several food science websites (it alters the ph of the egg membrane), and the repeat ice bath to hot water trick is credited to Julia Child. I cant remember where I read about the vinegar water to aid in peeling, but it made sense and the eggs taste so nice and stay fresher longer when they are peeled in vinegar water and stored in the fridge. I have also read that using older eggs helps to have an easy peel egg, but I have not found this to be true, and aren't fresh hard boiled eggs stinky enough when they are cooked that we don't need them to be extra old to add to it?

So there you have it. With "nothing to do" I cannot help but remain a busy body. I feel thankful for the time to dedicate to preparing for birth through all my research and reading, as well as to have the time to pursue whims and interests through to satisfaction. No, I am not bored yet, though I recognize this down time as a rare treat in life.

Give or take 7 weeks from now, Jason and I will be parents to our child. At this point, I will enter into a new career of mother and homemaker. I can't imagine work that is more honorable or necessary than to offer stable upbringing and nurturing to ones family. I am so excited for my new title and role: Mother.

From my eyes in Nairobi to your eyes..

The last couple weeks have been a frenzy of activity here in Nairobi. Jason's work is really picking up now and he is greatly enjoying the project he is working on with I-TECH. Thanks to the purchase of our Suzuki Jimny, we are now able to venture a bit further from our home to see some of the more exciting sights around Nairobi.

On September 1st, Jason and I rode out to Karen (a suburb of Nairobi) to visit the Giraffe Center. This is also the location of Giraffe Manor, a B&B where the Giraffes can stick their heads into the guest rooms and dining rooms. There are many pictures of Giraffe Manor online. We did not stay at Giraffe Manor, however, for a modest fee we got to enjoy the company of a couple Giraffes at their feeding platform.

Here I am trying to entice the young giraffe to return for a bit more food:

With the assistance of the giraffe caretakers waving huge branches of yummy leaves, the giraffes returned to the platform for a bit more food. Here I am giving the juvenile giraffe some food pellets:

Another guest that came for some of the dropped pellet food was the warthogs. There were a few of them, a male and a couple lady-hogs. Despite their weird appearance and unfortunate name, they were quite endearing in the same way that Pumba was from the Lion King. They often walk around on their front knees when they are eating, as seen in this picture we took:

After a while we stepped down from the feeding platform to offer up some tasty leaves from ground level. Here is Jason feeding an adult giraffe:

We also met this guy, sticking his head out of a crack in the wall of the giraffe platform:

All in all we had a fun time at the Giraffe Center, and would recommend it to friends and family as a fun way to meet giraffes up close and personal. 

Later the following week we finally got a delivery to our apartment. No, it wasn't postal, UPS, Fed-Ex, or DHL. We looked into these options for sending and found them to be very expensive (meaning $400-700 for a 20 lb box). So, we made arrangements with an acquaintance who was flying from Seattle to Nairobi to carry some of our missed items to us. She was very kind in obliging us, and my parents went out of their way to make sure she got the goods before her flight. Thanks Agnes, and to my parents for their help!

Here I am...very happy to finally have our goodie bag all the way from Washington:

In our bag was xbox games (for the xbox i brought and forgot the games), baby clothes/items, a special spatula or pancake turner, and some mosquito repellant to make our clothes into bug free garments.

Here I am with yet another giraffe, but this one squeaks and is for our future baby: 

This last weekend, on September 8th, Jason and I met up with one of the Kenyan Fellows and her children for an adventure at Mamba Village. Mamba Village is a bit like a small zoo and a bit like a small amusement park. There are crocodiles, tortoises, a man-made lake, camel rides, and a petting/feeding area for giraffes, ostriches, and a random goat. 

Here I am at Mamba Village enjoying the adult crocodiles on display:

This one is smiling for the camera:

After viewing the adult crocs, we got to meet some of the smaller crocodile residents. Upon meeting this cutie, Jason had a surge of paternal tenderness:

I too enjoyed cuddling with the baby crocodile. This guy is about 2.5 years old. Isn't he cute:

Near the crocodiles was this crazy looking duck of some sort. We were told the name, but seeing as how I could not replicate the word that our guide made for its name, it was unlikely to stick in my mind:

Remember that duck (look up if your don't), well this duck spends 6 month creating its lifetime nest out of sticks and twigs. It returns to the same nest year after year, which makes sense since it took half the year to make it to start with. The duck stands about 14 inches tall, and the nest is about 4.5 feet across and about 5 feet tall. Its the largest bird nest I have ever seen. Another interesting thing about this duck, is that it always builds the nest with the small opening on the bottom of the nest, and the opening always faces east. Here it is:

After admiring the duck's architectural prowess, we moved on to getting acquainted with the resident tortoises. These are not "snapping" tortoises, unless of course you are a delicious pice of vegetation, as seen in the corner of this guys mouth:

The crocodile, duck and tortoise were really neat, but I was most thrilled to be meeting face to face with another giraffe. Giraffes are so neat! This one had some indigestion and burped frequently while it was being fed, which is a bit like a burp through a didgeridoo. This giraffe was very endearing and was equally thrilled to get food from me, take my hair in its tongue, nudge me with its nose, and lift my dress when I bent over to collect some of the spilled feed pellets. Everyone enjoyed it when it grabbed my backside and luckily I was wearing my leggings underneath. 

Here I am with my new friend:

It was hard to say goodbye to this friendly and gentle giraffe:

After enjoying the animals of the park, we got washed up and sat down for a meal with Angeline (Kenyan Fellow) and her children. Angeline has a very nice family and we very much enjoyed spending the day with them. Here we are for a group photo at the lunch table:

Dr. Quack, banks, driving in Nairobi, and Dr. Quality

Arriving in Nairobi 6 months pregnant, I really felt the pressure to set up quality prenatal (antenatal) care for myself and our unborn child. I read many expat blogs and came across one which recommended a doctor that has a private practice very close to our home. Walking distance is very good when we don't have a car and public transportation is effective but scary. I may start taking pictures every time I see a mutatu or city bus in an accident to emphasize how often they occur...I've been here 3 weeks and seen at least 5 of them involved in crashes, 6 if you count the two that got is a crash with each other.

So, I called the provider that is so close to our home and was informed that I could come into the office any day for walk in hours, which are after 2 pm. On Friday, 8/24 Jason left work early (though everyone leaves work early on Fridays) and we walked over to the clinic. Upon arrival I filled out my personal information and then we sat in the waiting room. We arrived 10 minutes prior to the start of walk in hours, and there were only a couple women in front of me. There were no other men in the waiting room..perhaps women here don't bring their partners to antenatal appointments?

This is the view from the stairwell of the office tower, looking South across Upper Hill, Nairobi.

The waiting room was both comedic and slightly uncomfortable. It was very small and the only seats available were under a flat screen tv mounted on the wall. Across the room was a mirrored wall so we could still see the tv and hear it. What was both uncomfortable and comedic about the scenario was that the cable channel that was being watched was all American broadcasting of the sort you might find on Spike TV in the States. Commercials blaring out "the dumbest..Americans, the craziest...Americans, the WILDEST..AMERICANS!" with images of people jumping off roofs, running through fire (and catching themselves on fire), fist fights breaking out at weddings, backflips with people landing on their head, testicles getting smashed, etc. Having also been the only white people (and coincidentally the only American people) in the waiting room, many eyes were shifting from the television directly above our heads to our faces directly below the screen. Fortunately, the hilarity of dumb people seems to be a comedic phenomenon cross culturally, as we all wound up laughing together during our wait to see the doctor.

About an hour after arriving at the clinic I was seen by a nurse who took my blood pressure and sent me across the hall for a urinalysis. Across the hall was yet another waiting room, where we waited for another hour before being given a specimen cup. When I say "cup," I actually mean a vial, as the opening was about the size of a nickel in the States. I bow down the talent of the women here that are able to make it into that opening. Another feature of my "cup" was that it was clearly being reused. There was sticky residue where a previous patient label had been attached and removed so that my label could be added. I told myself that it had been sterilized somehow and went an my business. Another feature of the cup became apparent when I tried to place the lid on it and found that the lid was mismatched and would only screw on in a cross-threaded fashion that left it susceptible to leaks. Oh well. :) I turned in my sample and went back to the main clinic where we were advised to have a seat and wait. Another 2 hours passed! I was starving, approaching a cranky mood, and very uncomfortable from the heat of the room and the long period of sitting.

I approached the receptionist, who informed me that next time I can make an appointment and be seen in a more timely way. I informed her that I had requested an appointment and she told me they only do appointments in the afternoons on Wednesday's. "Okay, so can I come back next Wednesday with an appointment" I asked. I explained that I had not eaten for too many hours and that I needed to leave for food. She explained that the doctor would see me very soon, and would I like some fruit ordered? She promptly called a food delivery service which brought Jason and me two large servings of fresh fruit salad. Bananas, avocado, papaya, and pineapple were my salvation while I continued to wait.

About 5 hours after arriving I saw the doctor finally. He informed me right away that because of my gestational diabetes, no doctor would allow me to go to full term and therefore, he anticipates inducing my labor several weeks ahead of my due date. I politely informed him that we plan on having as natural a birth as safely possible. He attempted to convince us that because our baby was conceived with IVF, it is a higher risk pregnancy and more precious and therefore we should not take risks with natural birth. All the empirical, evidenced-based research I have read indicated that conceiving via IVF does not indicate a higher risk pregnancy than a naturally conceived pregnancy. So, Jason asked why he felt that I would need to be induced, and he did not answer this question. He then went on to say that my blood pressure reading was very high and that he would like me to take blood pressure medication. My blood pressure is normally very good, but during this appointment was around 150/90. Perhaps it has something to do with moving from sea level to nearly 6000 ft elevation, traveling half way around the world, the stressful clinic environment, the treat of inducing my labor, or the fact that I walked to the clinic? He further stated that we should have an ultrasound to check on the baby as well as blood work.

We again went across the hall, this time for an ultrasound and blood work. Blood was drawn (with a new needle I made sure) and the we went on to the ultrasound. The ultrasound was great! Baby was facing head down and is measuring right on track. We observed our baby sucking it's thumb and having an enormous yawn. SO cute!

After the ultrasound we were told to wait again. After another hour the doctor saw us again. He reported that the ultrasound looks good, but that he still wants me to take blood pressure medication and...ASPIRIN! Seriously...he wrote a prescription for aspirin. Contraindicated for pregnancy as a Class D drug during pregnancy due to evidence of fetal harm, and yet..there he wrote it on my prescription. At that point we left.

I was not feeling very confident in the medical care here when we left. Home birth was starting to look more attractive, even in a place with reduced infrastructure. I know my body is able to give birth and I know my baby is healthy. I refuse to let Dr. Quack-O derail me from my holistic approach to a gentle birth.

One outcome of the very bad medical visit is that Jason and I decided that if we were not going to rely on the medical care within walking distance, we are in need of a reliable mode of transportation to care that we deem quality. So, we decided to buy a car. We found a very great 1999 Suzuki Jimny (aka Samarai in the States) with 4WD and great economy. 4wd is a necessity here. There are incredible pot holes, and the roads are often unfinished or in disrepair. Additionally, flash flooding can occur and cars without 4WD may not be so safe. Also, we wanted a car that could get us out to see the great rift valley and Masai Mara among other things. So we found the perfect little jeep-like vehicle. It's in great mechanical condition, and in typical Nairobi condition for the body..meaning plenty of cosmetic dings and repairs.

In order to buy the car we needed to withdraw 300,000 KES, or about 3,500 USD. This required us to go to several banks, western union, etc to try to sort out how to get this money from our account back home. Eventually we founda. Bank that would do a credit card money order, up to 50,000 KES per card per day. So for several days we went to the bank slowly accruing the money for the car. We then contacted the sellers of the car and they agreed to meet us at a mall. The mall is about 4 miles away, and due to rush hour the taxi took over 2 hours to get there. Worst traffic I have ever seen...ever...and it's par for the course during rush hour here. I sure hope my labor stays far away from rush hour or we may have a backseat baby.

We bought the car, obtained insurance, and are working on getting the title transferred. This requires us to get a Kenya PIN (personal identification number). All in due time!

With our new car and insurance in place, we drove to Aga Khan University Hospital Antenatal Clinic for another attempt at antenatal care. We met with a very good OBGYN. Our confidence in the available medical care is much renewed with the visit we had yesterday. My blood pressure was very good at 130/80 (still higher than prepregnancy, but good nonetheless) and the doctor was very pleased with my diabetes management. The doctor is part of a obstetric team, and for our next appointment we will be paired up with a primary care doctor as well as an obstetrician for a team approach to the pregnancy through the hospital. It was a huge relief to have quality healthcare. Seeing the OBGYN, and providing a UA cost about $13. Fabulous!

The baby is moving around a lot, especially when Jason plays music for it. It seemed to really like Pacabel's Cannon...perhaps that's genetic? These days the movement is significant enough that we can see my entire stomach heave in different directions or just pop out in places when the baby shifts positions. Another piece of good news is that the baby has remained in a head down position for the past week, per our ultrasound last week and the doctor yesterday. :)

Hard to believe there's only 9 weeks left. Now that we have a car, Jason and I will be going to look at bassinets this weekend.

12 days and going...

I have now been in Nairobi for 12 days and I am really starting to feel adjusted to the time zone, the climate, and the culture. When I say that I am adjusted to the climate, this does not imply that like the locals I am sporting a fleece and long pants in 70 degree weather...this simply means that I am not sweating quite as much in my shorts and short sleeved shirts.

Jason and I have been spending much of our free time out walking and exploring the area around us. One would think that moving the the other side of the earth would make one feel as though their world has expanded, and yet upon arrival I felt very much like the world had shrunk around me. This was largely due to moving to a place where I know nothing about the street names (if they have names), where to go for basic things, how to get around, or which direction is which way. I felt a bit like this when I moved to Oakland California for college, however, I had a car and all the normal way of finding things applied. I could find any store on the Internet, print out directions and off I went. Another bonus about Oakland was that it had the ocean/bay in one direction and the largely visible Oakland Hills to the other direction. This made knowing north very easy. The same type of geographic identifiers have been present all my life in Seattle. Having always lived in a place with mountains and water, I find that I continually try to orient myself here in Nairobi based on the direction to the mountains or the water...but there is neither here in Nairobi.

Fortunately, I married a man who has as strong a desire for adventure as I have, and we have been slowly expanding our new world here. A couple days after arriving, Jason and walked about 45 minutes to a very large Nakumatt grocery/department store. Yes, we do have a Nakumatt that is closer, but we wanted to venture further and see a larger store. After walking to the Nakumatt Mega, we walked along Uhuro Hwy until we got back to the main bus/matatu route, where we hopped a city bus back to a stop near our apartment.

The city busses cost 50 KSH, or about .70 USD. Very inexpensive option to get around. This was a pleasant experience, except that the drivers need some convincing to actually make a full stop when you try to exit the bus. Everyone on board found my frantic attempt to get off the bus, while pleading for the driver to wait, very funny.

Here is a picture of me on my first Nairobi public transportation experience:

Despite eating most of our meals at home, Jason and I enjoy eating out because it is both very good (and often reasonable healthy) and very inexpensive. Below is a picture of a cat at the "Steak and Ale," a restaurant on Ngong Rd, about a half a mile from out apartment. The food was very good, and this cat seemed to know we were suckers for a cute face. When no one was looking I slipped the kitty a bit of the skin and connective tissue from our mixed grill meat platter.

I expected that I would experience a lot of new and fascinating (perhaps terrifying) insects here in Kenya. Since I have arrived however, I have seen very few insects. so far on the list of bugs are mosquitos, fruit/black flies, moths, butterflies (which I will try to capture some images of), and an awful but tiny spider. The spider was most awful because it jumps. It is tiny and black with small white specks on it and it can leap ling distances. The only thing worse would be a spider that could fly...I'm pretty sure those don't exist though. and an incredibly enormously huge grasshopper. I'm not sure the difference between a grasshopper and a cricket, but this was giant and caught my attention when it flew past me and landed a few feet from my feet. It was about 2.5 inches long!

Here I am with my friend Jimminy:

Our apartment is equipped with some very basic kitchen supplies, however we have found ourself needing/wanting several cooking items that we took for granted at home. One of these is our cast iron pan. The only pans/pots here are either non-stick surface, very thin stainless, or aluminum. None of these are ideal for us. So, we went off looking for a cast iron pan and thought that surely we would find a used one at one of the outdoor markets. We walked about a mile and a half to the Adam's Plaza, and around back found an enormous outdoor market. This is the Woodward Market, and if you go far enough into the market until you lose all sight of the road, then you have likely arrived at the Toi Market. I cannot emphasize enough how huge this sprawling permanent market is. It has endless vendors of used merchandise, such as clothes, dishes, cloth, produce (not used), and everything else you could imagine. We had the fortune to meet the proprietor of the market, Benson, who promptly took us under wing to try to locate the cast iron pan. he had no idea what we meant by cast iron pan or "chuma pan" (Swahili for iron pan) but I'm pretty sure he walked us to every pan in the market, ending with a metalsmith at the back edge of Toi Market, where he tried to barter for a metal worker to make the pan for us out of a disk of iron. Hammering scrap iron into a curved disk is how many of the chapatti pans are made. The metal smith seemed tentative, but willing, for the low, low cost of 5000 KSH, or $50. We said no thank you with as much tact as possible, and hoped that Benson would be as willing to lead us out of the market as he was willing to lead us into it...which he did. By the time we got back to a starting point, Benson was back to being very friendly and we told him that at the end of our time in Nairobi we would give him our cast iron pan (if we could locate one or get one sent from home) so he could sell it at the market.

Here we are at the start of the market, prior to Benson finding us:

 

We are having so much fun here. Every day holds new challenges, adventures, and experiences. Over this last weekend Jason and I walked about 3 miles to The Junction, which is a huge western style mall, equipped with food court, another Nakumatt, and lots of shopping and nice restaurants. There is also a kitchen supply store, where we found...A CAST IRON PAN! Im fairly convinced this may be the only one in the county...and we bought it. It was expensive, but well worth it! at The Junction, we also found a soft serve frozen yogurt place where you serve yourself and then pile on your own toppings. Jason and I split one with pistachio, passion fruit, and vanilla flavored fro-yo. It was so delicious after such a long walk to the mall. I will be back for fro-yo, and not feel a bit guilty when the total trip requires 6 miles of walking!

 

Jet lagged = blog lagged

It has been almost a week since I arrived in Nairobi and I am just now feeling adjusted to the new time zone. I arrived at 2:30 am Nairobi time on the 9th of August. The flights were very long, and by the time the plane touched down in Nairobi, I was a firm believer that restless leg syndrome is in fact a real condition. Remaining in my seat by that time was physically painful.  

Due to concern that I would not be allowed into the country without a return flight, I had made changes to my flight itinerary and flew from Seattle to Chicago to Istanbul and then finally to Nairobi. The airport in Istanbul was swelteringly hot, with no air conditioning to speak of and no drinking fountains. By the time I got on the flight to Nairobi I was extremely thirsty. I had also stripped off my compression socks due to the sense of hyperthermia i was experiencing. I spent the rest of the flight to Nairobi with feet and legs appropriate to the state puff marshmallow man, and endlessly parched. Water was very minimally accommodated on the last flight due to a medical emergency perfectly timed with when the first round of refreshments might have been served, and then taking up 5 of the 6 and a half hours of the flight. I was the nagging woman on the flight who kept getting up while the seat belt sign was in place to feign bathroom and then beg "please, please may I have another thimble of water please?"

 

I arrived in Nairobi and stepping out of the plane, I was pleased to find the temperature to be comfortably cool. The airport in Nairobi has very low ceilings and none of the glamour or glitz of the Istanbul airport. There were no duty free shops, no designer clothes or perfume shops. It was dirty, narrow-halled, and absolutely wonderful. I couldn't stop smiling. Like all airports, it was easy to find my way to the visa counter, where a friendly lady promptly took my $50 and stuck a 90 day visa sticker into my passport. I then waited for my baggage to arrive, and to my pleasant surprise, it did!

 

I cannot begin to describe how wonderful it was to exit the baggage claim area and find Jason waiting for me. His amazing friend and colleague Mburu was there with him to transport us back to our new home at the Savannah Sands Apartments.

 

The apartment is very nice! I will do a post at some future time with pictures of the apartment here. For purpose of brief description, it is a two bedrooms, a bathroom, a large living room with huge daybeds for couches, and a kitchen. It has a small balcony with a faucet, and clotheslines for drying clothes.

 

This first week has promoted many adjustments in expectations. I feel completely safe during the day to be out and about walking around and carrying out my shopping for groceries. Jeffery, our daytime security guard has expressed also that it is quite fine to walk about during the day, however everyone tucks in after dark unless they are driving from one point to another. Our apartment compound is right on the border of the Upper Hills Estate and Kilimani neighborhoods. Both of these are very areas of Nairobi. Everyone's homes/apartments here are within compounds that are walled, with electric fence and/or razor wire along the top, and full time security personnel.

 

Oe of the things that struck me in the first day was how dirty the city is. There is trash debris littered everywhere, along with huge amounts of dust and diesel exhaust. Due to the congested roads (and Ngong Rd where we live is one of the most congested) most people do not walk directly next to the road on the side walks, and rather walk along dirt paths several yards from the road. We follow the dirt paths as well. A note about the trash, while there appears to be a trash service that picks up the trash from compounds and businesses, there are no trash cans that I have see for the public. There are, however, dug out holes in the ground where people stuff trash, and then eventually someone will light the hole on fire to dispose of the rubbish. For this reason, there are also small burned out fire piles all over the place with charred remains of garbage. Another thing that was different for me, was that the refrigerated items (such as milk, yogurt, cheese, butter) at the grocery store are kept barely cool. They are all in a refrigerated section, but they are minimally cooler that room temperature. Milk is available in a plastic jug or in sealed plastic bags. Like most places around the world, the eggs are not refrigerated at all. All the food from the grocery stores is fine to eat, and we have not had any problems with buying the warm milk, refrigerating it at home and consuming it. Perhaps we can be a bit uptight about our food in the U.S.?

 

While there is not much of a restaurant culture (so far that I have seem), the restaurants that are available are incredibly inexpensive. Jason and I ate at an Indian restaurant at Prestige Plaza (home of the Nakumatt grocery store), where we received naan and chicken palak for about $8. This was more than enough food for both of us, and perhaps some of the best Indian food I have ever eaten. We also went to a place called "Steak and Ale" which is butcher, BBQ, bar, restaurant, and perhaps dance club (if we stayed late enough) all in one. Jason and I ordered a mixed grill with lamb, chicken, and beef with marsala fries. This plus a Tusker beer for Jason and a bottled water for me cost us about $12.

 

I have seen only a few dogs since we arrived, and all strays which have made packs with homeless people. The dogs all look the same: long legged, lean, pointed ears, dark masking on their face and otherwise golden short fur. They look like at some point they were mixed with a shepherd. I have not seen any dogs that would fall into the pet category, though every grocery story has a small freezer with chubs of frozen meat specifically for dog consumption. I'd guess this meat is purchased by those who have estate protection canines.

 

There are a fair number of stray cats, which are social enough to approach strangers for food, and often hang out around our apartment building. Hearing them fight in the night is common sound.

 

After one week in Nairobi, I am thankful to be here and very excited for the next 9 months. There is so much to learn and experience, and I love all the new sights and perspectives on life.

 

I know that blog posts are most enjoyed when pictures are present to punctuate the narrative. I will make an effort to take more pictures and get them into my blog.

 

Crab Steaming, birthdays, and dog paddling

Having a long stint of time in the San Juan islands and nothing specific to occupy my time, I decided that I would focus most of my meal planning around crabbing and eating the bounty of my harvest. I dropped a crab pot and the next morning pulled it up to find several very large dungeness crab. I kept two crabs and dropped the pot with some fresh bait, in hopes that I would catch some more by the evening to supply my meals for the next day. I rowed back in with my huge crabs and promptly dumped them into the steam pot. After cooking and cleaning the, I sat down at the table to indulge. I picked all the shells clean and wound up with a huge mound of crab meat, which became a po'boy sandwich for lunch. It was devine.

Later that day I rowed back out to the end of the cove and pulled up the pot again. Low and behold I had a pot full of crabs and I kept three, which brought me to my limit for the day and would supply my next days meals. I brought my three new crabs up to the house and started the cooking/cleaning process again. Sadly, half way through the cooking process my pregnancy aversion kicked in and I felt horridly I'll by the smell of the crab. Cleaning it was horrible, yet I knew that I had caught them, killed them, cleaned them..and there is no excuse not to eat them.

I figured I would take a break from the smell by taking the shell remnants to the dock to throw into the water. As I approached the dock I heard a Decatur guest mention that they had not caught any crabs, and decided that the best option was for me to share my crabs with these people. They were very thankful and I was free of the guilt that would drive me to eat something that seemed so awful at the moment.

I had hoped to get sick of crab, and yet I expected that I would take more than two to get me to that point. Oh well.

I left my sanctuary on Decatur on 7/23/12 so that I could be "in town" for my mother's birthday with was the next day. My brother and I planned a surprise dinner at "How to Cook a Wolf" for our mom and then planned to bring her to the new Dale Chihuly art exhibit at the Seattle Center. My mom was thrilled by both the food and the art glass and we all had a great time together as a family.

The day after the birthday I headed back up to Decatur, this time with my mom in tow. Between now and August 1st I will remain on Decatur, except for one small excursion back into town to support a former client in their completion of a very rigorous program. Today I walked along the beach, threw the ball for my dog (who returns to her breeder on 8/4/12, and went swimming in the lake.

I hadn't been swimming in the lake for many years and it was great to be back at it. Zelda, the dog, joined me for a swim and was great about swimming with me and not trying to climb out of the water on me. She has become quite the swimmer, especially if her ball is in the water. Both the dog and I enjoyed our dog paddling together.