After departing Heathrow airport, we soared over France, Italy, Greece, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia and touched down 8 hours and 15 minutes later a few miles from the equator in Nairobi. We were greeted by a friendly immigration officer who was so excited by the fact that Terri was entering for her first trip to Kenya, that he emphatically insisted Danielle take her immediately to the bunduz (Swahili slang for the rural countryside) to pick a live goat, have it slaughtered, and eat a real authentic Kenyan meal... "nyama choma" (literal translation - burnt meat). He clicked his tongue and exclaimed, "Meat so fresh and delicious, it doesn't even need any of your American seasonings!" Since it was 8:15 in the morning, we decided to wait and participate in this ultimate Kenyan experience over the upcoming weekend. We'll let you all know how Terri responds to her first slaughter and roast!After we collected our luggage and made it through customs, we were warmly embraced by Danielle's in-laws. Eventhough we had planned to stay in a hotel while in Nairobi, they insisted that this would be a breach of Kenyan culture not to stay with family. We easily made ourselves right at home and enjoyed a delicious meal of Danielle's sister-in-law's "to-die-for" cooking - roasted chicken, maize, rice and beans, veggies, and fresh mango and papaya juice. This she topped off with ice cream and homemade brownies. We were enveloped in the neices and nephews lively conversation and great ideas of how to support and enhance the Virtual Information Project. We were even offered technology assistance and support in our set-up and implementation! Our first day in Nairobi was certainly a sheer delight!
Here are a few photos of us enjoying our first Nairobi night - getting a feel for the city! Picture 1: Terri and Danielle - first wildlife encounter :-). Picture 2: Terri and a few of the nephews - aka "our tour guides".
We do feel sorry for all of you who are sweating out 104 degree F days in Boston's temperate ecosystem while we enjoy Kenya's tropical winter - 70 degrees and sunny! No need for air conditioning here!
T: Very impressive. A goat slaughtered in your honor, the equivalent of the fatted calf. That tops me; the closest I've come to that was attending a Greek Easter dinner with the lamb roasting in the garage on a spit. J
ReplyDeleteWhat an ideal tropical winter-70 degrees and sunny!!! Now I understand why you planned to go to hot Africa in a summer season :)
ReplyDeleteI love your first encountering animal, the elephant-originally I didn't like any animals but after having my lovely kitten "Louis", I came to love all the animals especially due to their innocence.
Cheer up, Danielle and your partner Terri!