What To Do ... ?

I have been planning to go out to Kenya immediately after Easter to get things started at the shamba.

But I have just received a text from my significant other, who lives in eastern Kenya. She has applied for a job with a Tanzanian company and has been "invited" to their headquarters for a few weeks. She is parking the kids with her sister and will be gone during the time I had intended being in Kenya.

Although my trips are mainly to work with KCIS and the Twiga home, I like to steal a few days to see my Sig. Other. I can't afford two trips in quick succession, so what do I do?

Either I go as planned but don't see my partner and kids (I haven't seen them for a year,now), or I put off my trip until the end of May so that I can see her, but putting off overdue work that really needs to get done now.

I am fresh out of ideas. I'll have to sleep on it.

Excitement ...

There is excitement in the Dad Mzungu UK camp (my bedroom/office) as I think about preparing for my trip next Tuesday. I haven't actually packed anything yet - I haven't even thought about packing anything. After all, packing isn't that difficult is it?

My plans once I touch down in Nairobi are a bit, er, fluid. I will be going to Kisii. I will also be going to Malindi, and I will spend some time in Nairobi, and that is the extent of my plans to date.

Timing depends on my people there, and one of them has not acknowledged that I am arriving in less than a week. Oh well, there is plenty of time for that. After all, we are talking Kenya and we know that Kenya works on a different time-scale to Europe.

I will be meeting some people in Kisii that I met on various social networking sites. That will be interesting. Kisii is not renowned for its high mzungu population. In fact, that last time I was there, I was definitely the centre of attention with the kids, many of whom had never seen a mzungu before.

Even in the suburbs if Nairobi where I stayed on my last visit, I was always followed down the street by the local kids and many adult stares. There was nothing malicious or threatening. They were just curious. The kids didn't even ask for sweets as they would in a tourist area.

I just hope that my curiosity value keeps me out of any trouble.

Away from the Politics

I am excited, very excited. in fact I have shaved off about 50 years from my 57!

I'm going to Kenya! Next Tuesday evening, I board a Boeing 777-200 with another 8 people (so far) and fly to Nairobi.

Once there, only one thing is certain. I am going to be with my fiancée and her kids for her son's 6th birthday.

Other than that, everything is a bit fluid at the moment. I know I will be spending time in Nairobi. I know I will be spending time (at least a week) in Kisii, where our orphanage is located.

This is my town of preference for when (if) I settle down. I have friends there. The orphanage is there.

It is a provincial town of about 70,000, big enough to have all the big shops (all things are relative), a reasonable bus service to the big city, and a nice climate, not too hot and not too cold. The area is hilly, green and well watered and the soil is extremely fertile - paradise town within paradise country.