Just a few days In the Rainforest.

Like I said yesterday, I am way behind on my blogging, especially on my weekend adventures! Now that we finally have power again (after being without for 2 days) I can blog all about some of them. 

Around the first week of February, me and 2 others here on base decided to go to the Kakamega Rainforest. If you ever get the chance to come to Kenya, this needs to be on your list of top 10 places to visit. It is absolutely breathtaking and home to over 450 different species of butterflies, tons of gorgeous birds, (most only found in the Kakamega Rainforest) 3 different types of monkeys, and also baboons. While we were there we stayed at the Rondo Missionary Guest House. You don't have to be a missionary to stay here... however,  it helps when the bill comes. If you're a missionary, with someone who is a missionary, or like me who is not a missionary but working at a Mission Hospital you can get a pretty significant discount. I'd say its worth it discount or not because of the beautiful, quaint, and relaxing accommodations are like none other in Kenya with impeccable 3 course meals all included. The chefs are freaking amazing! It was such a treat, and so nice to get away from the dryness for a few days. If you are ever in Kenya here is their website RondoRetreat, but their website needs MAJ work, because this place looks NOTHING like their website said it did!

 But as we were only just several kilometers away... We get a flat tire on a rather slight incline with no spare. So, the matatu driver paid a random guy on piki piki to take flat tire to Kapsabet to be fixed 30 minutes away.

Not to mention we had been traveling for 5 hours and we were completely famished and exhausted. Therefore, Becca and I decided to pay this random guy driving a piki piki to take us on up to Rondo the rest of the way so we could get a head start on lunch! (He totally ripped us off, but I was to exhausted and starving to care.)

We had Bob & Betty's Room incase you couldn't tell.

and if you were wondering what Bob & Betty looked like... no worries their pictures are hanging proudly on wall!

Becca's aunt slept here

and Becca and I had the twins

Everyday at 3 coffee, chai, or whatever else your choice of beverage is and cake is served where ever you want it.

 justa swangin

 

 This is a sandpaper leaf. The carpenters who live near or in the rainforest collect these to sand their furniture, and the women collect them to file their nails.

These women walk over 8 to 10 km into the rainforest to collect firewood, and then walk back to their homes. Want to know what my 2 questions are? 1. I sure would love to see what that neck and back MRI looks like. (ortho child coming out) and 2. Where in the HELL are men?! Sadly I already know the answer to that one. -Pure. Simple. Laziness. and/or Drunkiness. The women literally do everything while the men sit around. If the men do have jobs, it's usually in the larger cities hours away. Therefore, they are 9 times out of 10 fooling around with other women, therefore HIV, only come home a few times a year to see their family, and 8 times out of 10 they never share their earnings with their wife. So twisted.

nyways after that history lesson... This was the end point of our nature walk. If only those "rapids" were bigger and that water was CLEAN because I so would love to put a raft down that river!

ello pretty.

 You can hardly see, but his rake is made up of one large stick that has been smoothed down. And the "rake" part is made of a lot of very strong, skinny sticks, and then held together with strong rubber-band. So. There ya have it. When you are without, can't afford, don't have enough to go around, or don't trust your kids with a real one... Hello craft project! (By the way- they totally work and all the grounds men had them, and there were a lot of ground men.)
**To what I said above about the men... These men are part of that 1-2% that don't fool around with their wives, and do work. Primarily because they are working at a christian place. At the missionary guest houses the standards are set very high for their employees however, you will never find a woman working there. The reason? I have no idea, but it is on my list to figure out before I leave.**

On the last night in Kakamega, we took a sunset hike. For all you early birds out there, there is also a sunrise hike to the exact place that I'm sure is equally exquisite! I however, hands down no questions asked chose the sunset hike because yes, I am 23 and still young, but joints are way to stiff in the morning to climb a very steep hill thing just to see a sunrise. Not to mention, the back of my eyelids are very pretty as well! : )

These were all at the half way point.
 The smoke you see are people just being mean, and burning parts of the rainforest for no reason. The small steep mountain/massive hill you climb up to the view point used to be very green and pretty, but now it's very dry, has very few trees-aka dead trees, and red dirt, from people burning the forest because of that reason. Luckily in Kakamega, it isn't near as dry as it is in Kapsowar. It is at a lower elevation, and is much more humid. The humidity is what kept the fire from spreading and burning the entire rainforest down.

At the top. Only trees with green on them.

 I'm so nasty-please excuse my how unattractive I look in this picture. Haha this was the best out of the 3... and clearly that's not saying much. Haha.

Ok. 9 hours later. (christian honor) THE END! GOODNIGHT!