We stayed at a place called Baobab Beach Resort. It’s name is after the Baobab tree (they pronounce it “bow-bob,” bow like a tree bow, not a gift bow).

When we first arrived there we thought that we might want to cut the trip short, simply because there is nothing to do once you have read a few books and gone for a swim. But once we settled in, four days didn’t seem enough! I read a few books, and walked on the beach (not as relaxing as you would think, I’ll mention that later), and swam in the Indian Ocean (I even went over and did a little archery—I guess taking it as a P.E. class at school wasn’t for nothing).

There were a few of those Moroccan looking daybeds around the grounds of the resort, and so people would just sit around for hours, reading and napping. It was weird, sort of like a movie.

The resort was so fantastically tropical. The only palm trees were coconut, and several times I saw an employee collecting fallen Plumeria flowers to set out for guests to wear (and many of the employees always had one behind their ear as well). Chaise lounges were set out along the edge of the small cliff, overlooking the water. One afternoon I was walking along a trail from the pool area to our room and I found out why you aren’t supposed to take drinks from the bar. I had a pineapple juice with a slice of pineapple on the rim, and all these little monkey’s started following me. I tried to scare them away, but then they started running after me. You aren’t supposed to feed them, so I couldn’t just drop the pineapple and run. They were small monkeys, but it was still creepy. This is a different monkey; I saw it on a plants and grounds tour (I know, I’m such a nerd).

The tide was in pretty far most of the morning, but in the afternoon it went down enough to expose a sand-bar/coral reef a couple hundred yards off the coast. This was so neat. We took a glass-bottom boat out to it one afternoon and snorkeled around for an hour. The fish weren’t all that incredible, but the experience was great. I mean, the Indian Ocean!

The beach was bright because the sand was so white. But the water was clear and there were always clouds in the sky, so it was too perfect not to look at.

Since it is winter right now in these parts of Africa, it rained almost every day. But it was still very warm, so it was never a bother. In fact, on the last day I went swimming in the ocean and it started pouring. It was incredible, the salt-water on your lips and the rainwater dripping down your face. And seeing the drops fall in the water all around you—you never get to see rain from that perspective. So cool.

I was very surprised to find that the guests were almost all German. It turns out that there are many direct flights from Germany to Mombasa (which is strange since Mombasa airport is soooo small). Anyway, this made for few acquaintances although we did meet some nice people.

It was hard not to buy things, since we had such a limited amount of luggage weight on the small flight. I bought several pieces of fabric on the beach.

There were beach vendors everywhere and someone was always trying to sell you something. When I said walking on the beach wasn’t necessarily relaxing, this is what I meant. Even if they weren’t “selling” something, they would come walk alongside you and ask where you were from and all sorts of things, saying “conversation is free.” It seemed harmless, but you just know that no one is that friendly for no reason. It really annoyed me because I just wanted to be on the beach and not have anyone bug me. I realized how we are so like that in the U.S. I mean granted people can get annoying when they are trying to sell you something anywhere, but still, people pretty much mind their own business. Well not in Mombasa.

It was interesting to see that the same Masaai people we saw on Safari were also walking the beaches (selling beads and necklaces unfortunately—not that they shouldn’t make a living, but it kind of spoils their traditional tribal appearance). There was a guy who walked up and down the beach every day with a small caravan of three camels, giving “beach safaris.” Goodness knows what else there was to see but palm trees and water! Hmm. I guess riding a camel on the beach is experience enough.

After we flew back from Mombasa, we spent one last day exploring Nairobi. We visited the Karen Blixen Museum (Karen Blixen was the woman who wrote Out of Africa). We also went to a factory where clay beads were being made and fired.

The glazes they used were really colorful and there was, of course, a gift shop full of necklaces and other pottery and clay things. We stopped at a roadside flower vendor because we had heard roses were cheap. It turns out that Kenya exports long-stemmed roses and other flowers, so the rejects get sold in town (and by rejects, they mean the slightly too small, slightly too short, etc… ). Anyway, there were hundreds of beautiful roses, all great colors and all looking really healthy…for 100 shillings! That’s $1.50, for a dozen! Not fair.

So now we are in Nigeria. It was interesting going from one country to another within Africa. I could start to see the difference in culture and behavior as soon as we got on the plane to Nigeria, since most of the passengers were Nigerian. Kenyans are more laid back and quiet. They are kind and very friendly. Nigerians (at least the first of my observation on the flight and in the Airport in Nigeria) are loud and hurried. Their speech towards each other is eager and often sounds aggressive, yet they are always mentioning or thanking God and that’s so refreshing. One guy let us switch seats on the plane so we could sit together and as he got up he said “God bless you.” It has been interesting to observe how different cultures communicate and interact in public. The Nigerians I have met here in Jos have been very friendly and are eager to know what you think of their country. They never complain (don’t we often complain about things when we greet each other?) The more I see and meet them, the more I love them. They are so beautiful too. The children are all adorable. I have to admit I have seen some kids at home that aren’t so cute, but here they are all cute. And at every age too. There doesn’t seem to be that awkward preteen age where you just look silly no matter what. They are always beautiful people. Especially when they smile. They are so happy with so little. I hope to learn a thing or two from a people who take nothing for granted, especially their salvation.

I start teaching in the Girls’ Center here at Rafiki on Monday. I’m getting nervous because people keep handing over lesson plans to me. I’m not trained as a teacher and the idea of being in front of five to ten girls is daunting. What do I say?! What do I do?! But I have had much assurance from the staff here and the girls are forgiving and are really just eager to learn. I will be teaching art, catering and semester five English to the girls and art to the boys. I’m so excited about the art classes of course.

I started coming up with some ideas for new products that can be sewn here by the girls in their production class. They learn to sew here and whatever they make gets shipped to the Rafiki home office in Texas to be sold. They don’t sell the products in town here because they don’t want to monopolize the market in any way. This way the girls learn a trade and can use it once they are finished with school (without creating any hard feelings from other businesspeople in towm. Anyway, some of the bags that have been being made are kind of “granny,” so they have asked me to design some new ones. I made this bag with the help of my mom yesterday. Everyone likes it so far. I’m also planning some crocheting projects for the girls, as I will be teaching them to crochet.

We went into town a few times to buy fabric for the Girls’ Center. The fabrics here are AMAZING. There are so many and the patterns are bright and colorful and fun. They are so much more daring than any fabric patterns I have seen in the U.S. It’s fun to imagine what could be done with them.

The weather here in Nigeria is bizarre. It is the wet season, so everything is green and beautiful.

But it does rain. In California if it rains it is grey and cloudy for days and it’s just rainy weather all the time. But here it rains hard just about every day for an hour or so. But then the rest of the time it is sunny and gorgeous. The storm clouds just roll in and roll out everyday. And oftentimes there is loud thunder and lightning. It will be three in the afternoon and the little kids will be playing outside and the sky is exploding with sound and they just keep playing. Nothing strange about it to them.

Living here isn’t as different from home as I had though it would be. There are quite a few things available in town, although they can cost a fortune. I have seen a few popular U.S. brands of foods and toiletries and they are very expensive. And sometimes you may find something you thought wouldn’t be here, but it tastes so different from what you are used to that it throws you off. The milk tastes very strange to me. The oranges are mostly green (even when ripe). The produce is smaller without all the miracle grow and genetic modifications that we have in the U.S. (which means it’s probably more healthy). But even with the different availabilities of foods and other daily necessities, there is plenty to eat and I have enjoyed just about everything. My mom’s house-help, Lydia, made the most amazing potato chips I have ever had. Hand made potato chips! I am finding that when there is a limitation here with what I am used to at home, it brings out the sort of Hippy, Mountain-woman, Tarzan and Jane side of me. I am constantly thinking of ways to recreate something with what’s available. Make-shift this and that. It’s good to be thinking of how to reuse stuff too. We could all use a little more recycling. The people here do it out of necessity, and although most Americans don’t have that necessity, it would definitely benefit everyone to be using and wasting less.

Last Sunday we visited an ECWA church (Evangelical Church of West Africa).

They were very welcoming, even singing a welcome song, and the service was good. It was neat to see a church body, a community coming together similarly to how we do. I forget that God is bigger than my continent and that he is Father of so many. These Nigerians really are my brothers and sisters. At the Girls’ Center I am called Aunty Libby. Everyone is family here. I love that.

I will definitely keep writing as I begin to get more involved at the Girls’ Center teaching. Know that I miss home and I would love to hear from you. Even just knowing what you did that day would be a little taste of normalcy that I wont know for some weeks. Thanks again for being interested in what I’m up to. I know it’s mostly been my vacation up till now, but my next reports will hopefully reflect the service that I am here to do (and that many of you made possible through your support—I thank you for that).

Beginning yet another adventure,
Libby

We made it safely to Kenya on Sunday evening. The flights were long and loud… and long. I took some sleeping pills, but they just sapped me of energy, so my mind was very awake, but I felt totally lethargic. But, we made it, and after our first night (with the help of the sleeping pill again—they work best in a quiet room when you can stretch out flat, not in a seat on a plane…) I felt rather well adjusted. And now after the second night I feel totally adjusted to the time change (10 hours here in Kenya, it will be 9 once I get to Nigeria).

I had flown from LA to Chicago, where I met my mom who was coming in from Texas.

We then flew on through London (below :)and to Nairobi, Kenya.

We arrived at night, and met our driver at the airport. I was surprised to find that in most of West Africa they drive on the left side of the road. I sat in the passenger side, which felt very weird. Since it was night, I didn’t see much on our drive into town, but what I did see reminded me a lot of driving in Mexico.

Our first night was spent at a Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi. The room was small, but very sufficient. Based on the furnishings in the room, I could how important safety was compared to furnishings: there was a little old sink in the corner, a funky lamp and an ugly brown phone, and great seventies looking chenille bedspreads. But attached to one wall was a shining electric safe. Punch in your code and you are good to go!

I was up and about in the morning eager to see Africa for the first time. Our view from the room was really great and the grounds at the Guest House were very pretty. There were flowering plants everywhere.

The climate is really nice—from what I hear it stays between 50 and 80 degrees all year long. I was actually surprised at how cold it was.

We ate breakfast at the Guest House with all the other guests. My first taste of African food (not necessarily traditional, but still made in Africa). Oatmeal, toast, and a slice of melon. The melon looked like a cantaloupe, but tasted like the smell of those bushes that are all around Mount St. Mary’s in Grass Valley. Some of you may know what I’m talking about. It was weird.

It was so neat to hear new birds and just breathe in real African air—I’m really here!

We were driven downtown (again, even in daylight it feels a lot like driving in Tijuana and other parts of Mexico—crazy drivers, lots of exhaust, and dust) and went to a sort of mall. Driving around downtown I realized that there weren’t any tourists (at least not that I could see), even when we went to the Hilton to confirm our reservations in two weeks. Seeing this really made me feel very white—I’m not used to standing out like that.

Yesterday we drove out of Nairobi to visit the Rafiki Village here in Kenya. On the way there we passed a lot of roadside stands selling fruit and other smalltown necessities. Many of the roadsides were lined with small plants and seedlings in black plastic bags, like a roadside nursery. It was so strange. The Village was beautiful—it smelled of fresh eucalyptus and was full of other new trees and plants I didn’t recognize.

The staff was very welcoming and the girls at the center were so sweet. We watched them during part of their skills class. Here in Kenya they are teaching the girls painting and some sewing.

We stayed in the village overnight and left this afternoon to return to Nairobi. On the way back to town we stopped and bought some bananas at a stand on the road—I haven’t tried them yet, but they look so good.

I’ll be they are much better than bananas in the states. Back in town we asked our driver to stop at the Tuesday street market so we could look around. It was so crazy!

The whole side of a hill was covered in vendors (you can't see it very well in the picture) with their items laid out on sheets and tarps on the ground. The dirt walkways were very narrow and when you stopped to bargain, people would keep pushing past you, nearly knocking you over onto piles of necklaces and wood carvings and baskets. I got a little crowd-sterphobic. My mom bought quite few things, I got two woven fabric scarves.

Now we are at another Guest House in Nairobi. We leave tomorrow early to go on Safari. The drive out to Massai Mara takes about six hours and from what I hear, the road is rough. But the rewards I am also told, are much worth the travel. I hope to see elephants, lions, giraffes, and perhaps zebras, hippos, and cheetahs. We will be at Massai Mara for safari for two nights, when we will return to Nairobi to catch a plane to Mombasa, on the coast. Mombasa is the beach resort that I have pictured in a previous post. It looks gorgeous. I don’t know when I will connect again, but I will hope to be able to post some marvelous photos.

So far things are great. Our days are full and there is sooo much to see. I wish you all could be here. I’m still getting used to the cultural differences—appropriate greetings, the Kenyan English accent, money (70 shillings to one dollar), etc. I miss home a little. It’s exhausting to take in so much in such a short time. I wish I had my iPod (I know, I know, how horribly “LA” does that sound…). Think about how much we listen to music. I haven’t really listened to music since I left, so I have had the same song stuck in my head without anything to replace it (Vienna, don’t know the artist, it’s on the 13 going on 30 soundtrack). Anyway, I’m glad I got to connect. I am getting some of your emails. Feel free to keep in touch that way, I will reply when I get the chance. More to come soon hopefully!

-Libby

ps. Hey Sunny, everywhere we go in Nirobi there is this car called a Nissan Sunny. I tried to get a picture, but no luck. Anyway, I thought you would appreciate it.

I spent the last three days at a beautiful lodge out in the middle of the Masai Mara National Reserve. I’m sure you have all pictured what a safari might be like. I had too: an old beat-up khaki land rover with a big sun roof, khaki safari jackets, big thick canvas tents, and lots of dry savannah grass. The whole idea seemed really hot, stuffy and tan to me before, but I found after three game-expeditions that an African safari has more color and variety than I had ever imagined. For each adventure we left at a different time of day (certain animals are more likely to be seen at different times of day), and drove off in a different direction away from the lodge. The game trails blazed through tall grasses that were more like shimmering gold than brittle khaki.

And much of the hillsides were still very green and lush.

The acacia trees were a lot like they look in typical African sunset pictures, knobby and flat-topped. Everything was beautiful.

On our first outing we saw giraffes,

zebras,

wildebeest, rhinos (which are very rarely seen, our guide says),

cheetahs (hunting! Cheetahs are also very rarely spotted), and lions with cubs (plus we saw lions mating, which our guide said you only see maybe once every five years).

By the next day we had seen several herds of elephants,

gazelles, buffalo, hyenas, plenty of exotic birds,

and hundreds of amazing views. It was just my mom and I being shown around in the safari van, so we had the whole thing to ourselves.

The whole roof lifted up so you could just stay standing as the guide drove around on the trails, listening over his radio to hear if other vans had spotted animals. As we tumbled over rocky terrain and bumped along dirt trails or through grassy plains, all I could think was, “I am in Africa, and this is the most amazing thing I have ever done!”

I know it’s a pretty simple and obvious thought to have, but it just kept popping into my head. I will never forget going on safari.

The lodge where we stayed was really very nice. There are some safari camps where you stay in tents (though they are nice tents from what I hear), but this place was sooo nice. All my life we have gone on vacations and always gotten the medium or lower end accommodations so that we could go at all—but this was the “go all out” version. Everything was covered, no detail wasn’t already thought through for us, it was pure luxury! Plus, Kenyans are incredibly courteous, thoughtful, and gracious. All the staff at the lodge were amazingly friendly. Anyway, the architecture in the main building was so detailed and unique—there was always something new to see. I kept thinking it was like being at Disneyland—only real, and waaay better! In the back of the lodge, there was a walkway that went up and out over a pond/swampy area. At the end of the raised walkway there was an observation room with a bar that overlooked a hippo pool where I counted at least nine hippos. The whole area was lush and green, full of papyrus, palms, other bushes and big trees full of little basket-weaver bird nests. It was fantastic.

There were so many times out seeing things that I thought of Baja. I thought, if Rafe Payne could see this, he would die of excitement. I could just see him getting all excited over all the birds and bushes of the African plain. Look! A lilac-breasted roller! A whistling Acacia! A fever tree!

A little Thomson’s gazelle! A sausage tree! A termite mound! A basket-weaving bird! A Euphorbia tree!

Maybe they will do an Africa Interterm trip…haha!

Probably the only drawback to the safari was the very bumpy, very rough (but really pretty)

six hour drive to get to the lodge. But really, you can’t safari unless you get out into the middle of nowhere, right? So I guess it’s all worth it. Our guide said that they will be repaving the roads within the next three years, so if anyone is considering going, wait a bit :)

On the way back to Nairobi after doing the safari, we stopped at a Masai village and saw the people in their traditional garb (they still live this way, almost completely traditional.

Only now are they starting to make a few contemporary changes like to their diet and schooling). The men wear great red cloth and are easy to spot along the way between Nairobi and the game parks. All the Masai wear tons of beads and earrings (for their often very large earlobes) and other adornments. They are a beautiful people.

It’s been fun learning some Swahili words. Everyone says jambo (hello) a lot. And there is caribu (welcome), asante sana (thank you very much), shida (trouble—don’t ask why we learned that one…), and quhele (goodbye). It’s a neat language.

Tomorrow we are off to Mombasa, the beachfront resort in the picture. It should be a few very leisurely days, and I will try not to read through the few books I brought too fast. I hear the weather is perfect, not too hot, but not cold. Kenya is perfect in the summer.

After Mombasa we fly over to Nigeria (after some careful rearranging and reducing of our luggage, as we have been notified that there is a much stingier weight limit for checked luggage within Africa than there is for flights out of the U.S.). My mom and I are both healthy and very happy. This has been a really amazing experience.

Kwaheri! (Goodbye!)

It's not just what I will see though. I was thinking today about what things will smell like. It's easy to try and picture or visualize what it will be like to "be" there, but I don't know what it will smell like, or what the more humid air will feel like, or what the food will taste like, or what new sounds I will hear (or lacktherof, coming from the bustle of LA...). As I post pictures, I'll try to give a complete sensory description of things.

I have been thinking about what things I expect to miss. Of course I will miss friends and my bed and my routine in general. But I think that I will really miss music too. It is very "twenty-something" to be into music, always discovering new bands, going to concerts, driving in the car with speakers pounding. Without it so around me, I will really feel its absence. Hmm.

More later,
Libby

I looked at her talking with her friends this morning (something I haven't been able to do in six months!) and thought how truly beautiful and wise and wonderful she is and has become. Since serving in Africa, I think my mom has grown a lot and it was just neat to observe that beauty and confidence that comes with the increased knowlege of and relationship with God. I can honestly say that I hope to turn out like her when I grow up.

This is where we will be staying for a couple nights in Kenya before we go on Safari. I get to see the Indian Ocean!

Booya!

I look forward to being able to share my experiences here through words and images. Check back periodically to see updates and hear how things are going! (Better yet, send me your email address and I will notify you when I post a new message-- elizabeth [dot] d [dot] stokes [at] biola [dot] edu).

Thanks and God bless,
Libby :)