Leaving tomorrow!

Hi friends and family! Hope all is well back at home. Sorry this blog didn't end up being updated too often, we were always on the go with plenty to do and see. We leave tomorrow and the trip flew by with great success. We are back in Nairobi now for a night and can take a hot shower and relax before our long trek home.

This past week we relaxed under the sun, near crazy blue waters, perfect white sand, and every tropical fruit tree you could imganine. We dined on squid, octupus, marlin, swordfish, shrimp, lobster, baracuda, tuna, shark, etc - it was awesome!!!!

I got a little sunburnt, but am feeling better and missing the island of Zanzibar.

We have met the most amazing, kind, helpful people - that is the biggest thing that stuck with me thus far.

Anyway, hope to see you all soon!

Moshi today - Zanzibar tomorrow!

Hi everyone!

Pam and I have been on the move constantly and busy everyday, so it's been really hard to connect via internet. We also went book shopping before we left for Tanzania so have been busy with our faces buried in a book during our down time that we do have!

Anyway, the past week has flown by. We left Dorothy's on July 29th - it was sad, but it felt good to see everyone again and I hope to return ASAP! We stopped in Nairobi for a night at a hotel we have been staying at that is super nice, super cheap, and has an amazing shower! We were off the next morning for a 3 day trip to the Maasai Mara which was AMAZING! We saw every animal imaginable - including elephants and cheetahs and lion cubs which I had never seen before! We also spent our whole weekend with other inspiring, fun, and hilarious people from all over the world - including Tareq from Palestine, Judi and Chris from Scotland, and Zoey from Greece. We all camped and rode together during our safaris and also had a great bonding experience when we went over a huge bump in the park and had to take a little detour to a medical clinic so Tareq could get some stitches! We are all safe though and having a blast!!!

Now we are in Moshi, the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro! IT is def a mountain town with lot's of trekkers and tourists, backpackers and climbers. It is also nice to be in such a small little town with a great vibe rather than huge Nairobi!

We went on a hike with a new friend from the area - Ambrose - we went around local mountain villages, through what I imagined the Amazon rain forest would look like, until we reached a giant waterfall - hundreds of feet up in the air, sourced by a stream from the mountains. We were up high and the view was beautiful but the water was freezing! Everyone is extremely welcoming here and it's a place I want to come back to. Pam wants to come back and climb the mountain, but after our walk today, it might take me a while to be fit enough to imagine that!

So, tomorrow we head to the island! We're meeting amazing people, eating amazing food, seeing amazing things! I'm already thinking in my head about how I can pinch pennies to afford another adventure - ASAP!

love you all, see you soon! Pam and I have 10 days left here! It's going fast!

In wonderful Moshi!

We arrived in Tanzania today! I am so hungry I could eat a cow so I don't wanna be online long! I'll update soon! Everything is wonderful!

Like I was just here!

Hello everyone! It's been over a week here in Kenya and Pam and I are doing great! According to everyone here I am fatter than last year and braver, and if I visit one more time they will give me a house and I will be a true Kenyan! The feeling of being back here is surreal because it feels as if I never left! Dorothy has found out she has high blood pressure and is letting us do some cooking and cleaning to help out - she seems a little bit older but still has her spunk!

Yesterday we gave out some clothes and toys and things to the kids at school and at the feeding center and that went really well. We are taking lot's of videos and pictures. The feeding center has some new chickens, supplies, a cleaner look, fixed roof, the inside has been expanded, and an old building has turned into a makeshift clinic. Lot's of great changes thanks to the generous help of friends and family!

This post is going to be brief because we are spending as little time as possible in town and as much time as possible with Dorothy, the orphanage, school, and kids.

We are leaving Kisumu on Thursday morning and it will be really sad but I know I will be back again as soon as possible! Then on Friday morning we are departing from Nairobi for a three day tour at Amboseli National Park in Southern Kenya. After that, we are in Arusha, Tanzania for one night, then Moshi for a few days, then Dar on the coast, then Zanzibar (Grandpa - these details are especially for you!).

Words can't even describe the joy, kindness, sense of humor, and welcomness I have always felt in this little piece of paradise. I love travelling and nothing can beat these experiences! It's so nice to have someone from home experience it all over again with me!

There have been countless hysterical moments where I thought I was going to die of laughter, and we have some really great stories - you'll have to find me back home to hear some of them!

Pam and I spent two hours washing our clothes this morning, we visited with the kids, we are going to leave town and make some Mandazi (donughts!), and relax with Dorothy!

Peace!

Back "home"

In Nairobi, I instantly recognized the smell of the city, the chaos of the streets, the busy nature of the people. While everyone was nice - it felt good to step off the overnight bus in Kisumu. Pam and I waited in the Bus Booking Office area from 3:30am - 6:30am until it was light enough to venture into the city. I was nervous, anxious, excited. Kisumu (even though I was only there for a couple months) was a place I had fallen in love with. As soon as we caught a matatu to Dorothy's everything was happening fast - walking up the path to her house - it was as if I was just there a week ago. I immediately recognized and remembered faces - and to my delight - everyone remembered and recognized me too! Dorothy ran out of her house, dressed in her best dress - she looks older and has been sick, but you couldn't tell when she first saw us. She prayed, hugged me a million times, said it was a miracle I had returned. I cried! We had some breakfast, slept like rocks for a few hours, then I gave Pam a tour of my old home! I can't even believe I was there for all that time. We went for a walk around the village as kids were coming home from lunch. The students did double takes of me before some of them yelled out "Chelsey, Muzungu teacher!" One even remembered the song - Old McDonald Had a Farm that I had taught them. I feel so happy, content, at home! The whole day and night visitors came and we reminisced. It was so fun to show someone from home where I had spent my time. We walked to the school and the orphanage to visit people there too and they were so happy to see me. It felt so great and amazing. At the orphanage I was almost brought to tears when Pam went to sign the guest book and I saw my name in it from two years ago, I looked at what I wrote under purpose for visiting "to grow, learn, and make friends"...wasn't that the truth!

Anyway, it is the morning of day 2 in Kisumu - we are in town now and things are great. Pam and I will pick up some things for Dorothy at the grocery store, we will go to the post office, visit the downtown market, have lunch, and head back home to the little village. I smiled when we got on the matatu yesterday to go to Dorothy's and the driver asked where we were getting off - "Paradise" is the bus stop right near her village.

Our luggage was found and is at the Kisumu airport, we will pick that up later too. The kids at the feeding center are great - they sang us songs this morning and we were sure to get it on tape. Dorothy doesn't have Malaria but is still a little sick, but she is going to the doctor again today and feeling slightly better.\

One last thing - my nieghbor girl named Lindsay (who is now in second grade and so tall!!!) ran into my arms and smiled her big smile as soon as she saw me - just like old times! I was sooo afraid that no one would remember me, but it has been the opposite and I am so happy to be back. Pam is also loving it here and is now a part of the community as well! Actually she was even proposed to on the bus this morning (but don't worry Korey, we showed them her ring and they apoligized! lol)

Peace to all and take care!

Day One in Nairobi

After a flight to Chicago, where we met a very hilarious and funny airport security guard, we practiced our travel skills by hopping a few buses to explore Chicago's Navy Pier. Pam and I then met a very nice veteran traveler on our plane ride to Brussels - home of the Belgium waffle! After Belgium - we were on our way to Nairobi. Once in Nairobi - we found that our luggage full of presents didn't quite make it with us (but will be on it's way soon). However, we did meet crazy Richard - who is a Masai warrior and wanted to take us to his homeland. All in all - we made it safe, meeting plenty of crazy, kind, funny characters along the way. We slept in this morning, had a huge breakfast, someone at the hotel took us to get credit on our phone, a bus ticket for Kisumu tonight, we also went on the roof of our hotel for an skyline tour, and now we are trying to set up a safari for the end of the month. We will wake up in Kisumu tomorrow! School is still in session for a couple weeks before they go on break, so Pam and I might teach a few classes while there and do some hiking with kids from the orphanage!

So that was all the good news - the bad news is that Dorothy, the head of the feeding center is sick with Malaria and was at the doctor today when we called. We are a little nervous about this and her general health lately - so we will see how our time with her goes.

New adventures!

Tomorrow is the departure for what I know will be a great adventure. Pamela Nora, my sister from another mother and I will be taking on Kenya and Tanzania, carrying everything we need on our backs and what little moola we have in our pockets! I'll be updating - I've missed this old blog, couldn't even remember my old username and password! Anyway, stay tuned!