Ramblings Only

- We drove today from Nairobi to El Doret a small town in western Kenya. 

- We crossed the equator!! 

- We had security guards with us for the road trip. They were trained to use guns and had them. 

- our driver exceeded the speed limit by 6kms and police got him and took his license to the nearby police station. So we went to the police station and got his charge sheet filled. 

- we saw the Great Rift Valley, which runs all through Africa to Egypt and Jordan too. Geological phenomenon, the plates moved apart causing a rift. In fact we are staying overlooking the valley. It is very pretty.

- we climbed to 9000ft almost. Didn't expect to have such altitudes in Kenya. 

- this area is known for its runners. I ask them what is the secret and they say they have lot of training walking/running 10miles to school uphill everyday. 

- we visited the two schools we will be working with. Very basic. One of the guards said ' this is kenya. Nairobi is not kenya'. This got me thinking. I felt like I was in any rural village in India. 

- of course I really wanted to do something in India too. May be spend sometime every year teaching? Just giving money doesn't help, with all the corruption. I can totally see the villages I went to in Trichy and thanjavur can totally gain from such initiatives. 

- the roads were super bumpy. Tar road have way to red muddy stony road. Lot of dust and jumping. It is a miracle the vehicle survived.

- my bottom line is things are not any worse than India I think. Although one part of India is making leaps and getting richer, there is the other part that is still illiterate, unhygienic, oblivious to the world. I am reminded of the tribal people of Jharkhand that have to walk one day if they fall sick to get treatment. They have these programs in India too. It was my second option. 

- zebras, baboons, warthogs were sighted. On the side of the road. I was super psyched. 

- we couldn't find anything to eat for lunch so pretty much starved all day. I am not so hungry. Not sure if it is the malaria pills or altitude or Jetlag. We will see.

- tomorrow we will begin our work. Solar computer class room in a box and we are teaching them how to work on the computers. Very very interesting initiative. I want to do something like that. Will make my life more meaningful. This guy from UK have lived here with family for 10 years, doing this stuff. Hats off to him!!!

Ok got to sleep. Some pictures.