Trek to Migori

Don't worry...just because we made it to Nairobi did not mean we were at our destination. We still had a solid 8 hour drive to Migori, the village we would actually be working in. We got up about 8:00am, with plans to leave at 8:30. Buuuut, according to Swahili time, this meant more like 11:00. We had breakfast on the lawn again, and then had a bit of a delay while a group went back to the airport to pick up a lost bag and change money over to kenyan shillings. In the meantime, the rest of us played some vicious games of spoons and actually - get ready- studied! Crazy, I know. But those flashcards are a 1,000x more bearable while soaking up the African sun :)

It is technically winter here, but it is still about 80 degrees during the day. Nights get chilly, but they are very comfortable.
So we hit the road, making 3 stops along the way. Stop #1 was the Great Rift Valley. That's right...where the Lion King took place. woooot! It was beautiful. The valley stretches from Mozambique all the way up to Israel.

The entire drive was fascinating. Not only did we see the trees that everyone and their mother thinks of when they picture Africa...but...we saw baboons! They just hang out on the sides of the roads here. There was a baby baboon taking part in #shnugglefest2013. Too cute.
And just about every 10 miles, we would pass a village. Each one looked so much the same and they were all packed with people and markets. I wished we could stop in every one and see how they live.
Driving here is a bit frightening. They drive on the opposite side of the street, pass each other in oncoming lanes constantly and the potholes are just insane. Swerve city.

We finally arrived at Migori just as the sun went down. It was hard to get a feel for the village in the dark, so we had to wait till the next morning to see what we were truly in for. The volunteer house here was currently full of other students, so we are spending the first few nights in a local hotel. It is nothing like the hotels in the US of course...uuber tiny, showers and toilets in the same "room," (but we are lucky we actually have western toilets, as opposed to  the literal holes in the ground everywhere else in bathrooms here...need some good aim for those), mosquito nets over the beds (...not to mention a few unwelcome surprises under the bed and on the sheets...use your imaginations...#SP)

Falling asleep was tragic. I have never been so happy to have an airplane pillow and blanket! And once we finally did all fall asleep, we were awakened by the mosque next door, chanting the calls to prayer at 4:00am...and 4:30am...and 5:00am. The other volunteers say this is something you get used to, but I am prepared for the wake up calls again tomorrow morning. We got to meet the rest of the volunteers over a few Tuskers after dinner. It was good to hear their opinions and advice before jumping into day 1...