We're here!!

Jambo! (Hello)
I am in Nairobi, Kenya. How crazy is that? I have been having moments all day where I am dumbfounded by my surroundings and am completely amazed that this is happening in my life right now.
So we left Charlottetown on Thursday, June 23rd. After a tearful so-long, we boarded our flight to Montreal. Then we got to Montreal and waited for several long hours. We walked, we talked, we read, we ate, we waited…….. We flew to Brussels, Belgium. Too bad we didn’t have eight hours there instead of Montreal. It was an overnight flight, but because we were travelling through time (Brussels is 5 hours ahead of PEI) we only had about 3 hours of nighttime. That was odd and disorienting. Our descent over France and Belgium was beautiful. Europe (a thorough tour) is next on my travel list. We had a short stop in Brussels then aboard another flight to Nairobi via Entebbe, Uganda. That was long. Before that flight, we were feeling sweaty, dirty, hungry, tired and all-around yucky. Imagine how we felt after… not good. But soon, we met Henry and David. Henry is the travel agent who arranges everything for us and takes care of us. He is pretty much our dad while we’re here, I guess. He told us the same thing that he told the nutrition students last week: “Don’t look at your watch. If there is something wrong, call me- I am available for you at ANY time.” So, Mom, stop worrying- we are being well taken care of! David is our driver. He will be with us for the next week. He is hilarious.
So, we got to our hotel- the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in Nairobi. There are plants and trees, flowers, and birds everywhere. Our room is pretty. Beds hard as a rock! Amy and I started our first night off with a bang… plugged in our power bar and blew a fuse! That was our first of many giggle fits, I am sure. Today, we ate a delicious breakfast and headed to the Nairobi National Park. Pretty amazing. We saw a ton of animals: giraffes, jackals, warthogs, zebras (in the distance), a buffalo (from behind), and these beautiful cranes. They were HUGE. Our talented driver, David, spotted a lion in a patch of lion-colored grass. We saw him flick his tail a few times- the lion, not David. After the park, we went to the Kazuri bead factory. Over 300 women are employed there. They are mostly single mothers who otherwise would not have a job. The women and their families receive free healthcare. An amazing spot. And beautiful work…. We spent a lot of time picking out jewelry to take home. After that, David took us on a long drive through the city, back to the hotel. Lots of traffic, lots of sights, sounds and smells. I am feeling overwhelmed with all of the things to look at. Even while sitting at our table at the outdoor restaurant, I couldn’t stop looking at all of the different plants around me. Beautiful.
So we got back to the hotel and went for lunch at the poolside restaurant. Pizza and beer… how’s that for experiencing the Kenyan culture!! It was great, though. The beer, Tusker, was delicious. We had another beer at supper but I can’t remember the name right now. I have a picture. We had supper with Kim and Kevin in the gazebo. It was starting to cool off so our waiter brought us these charcoal burners that warmed us up and kept the bugs away. Not the cat, though! The hotel cat wandered around the restaurant all evening! I had a delicious chicken dish. It was kind of like a curry, but with less curry and more cilantro, which happens to be one of my most favorite flavors. It was great. We shared some wine and laughed our heads off. Henry joined us and we laughed some more. He told us that he would take good care of us, and that he had some things planned for us for after Kim and Kevin leave- he said that they were things that you just don’t do with your parents around!! Sounds intriguing!
I love it here. I am having a wonderful time so far. I am excited to get to Kiirua and get settled, meet the sisters at the hospital, and get to work. Tomorrow, we will be up early for a quick swim, some breakfast, and then a long drive to Kiirua with a stop at the equator. Wow.
This is probably the best internet connection that we will have for a while, so we’ll see when the next update happens. I’ll try to keep you updated!