Kenya
Lake Victoria
Expedition No. 1
Our trip to Lake Victoria was really a trip to many towns in the area. From Nairobi, we drove to Lake Nakuru and then to Kisumu. We stayed at Kakamega for 2 days. On our trip home, we drove through Kericho and Narok.
This trip was our "cultural" expedition, a chance to learn how native Kenyans lived and how their traditions and human needs were in conflict or harmony with the needs of wildlife. Otieno was one of our staff at the Jua Kali field station. We stayed at his father's house in Kisumu. In the picture, Otieno attempts to balance a pail on his head, something which is done with ease by the women.
Party in Kisumu
On our last night at Otieno's family home, singers and mucisians playing traditional African music and instruments helped us celebrate.
Ducks and Geese at Lake Victoria
We spent some time at Lake Victoria, learning about the fishermen, fishing, and the fish. During one of our lunch breaks, some local kids found us. They started asking for hand-outs (food and money). Out of principle, we could not give any. To break the tension, some students started up a game of Duck-Duck-Goose.
Kakamega Rain Forest
This was another amazing and unforgettable experience. We spent about two days camped in a real rainforest. Everything about it was exactly like you would imagine, exactly like every special-effect-packed film you had ever seen. Colobus monkeys swinging in trees high above. The muffled, drum-beat calls of doves. Rare and beautiful birds. Biting, attacking armies of ants. Slick, wet, rain-laden mud paths. Immensely tall trees that reached for the sun, with infinite strata of plants stacked below the canopy.
Ladders of Trees
Tall, intertwining ficus trees were abundant in Kakamega Forest. Sometimes, they were almost like a ladder, through and in which you could climb. In this picture, Barry has found a nice perch in a ficus tree.
Holy Hike, Batman!
During our stay in Kakamega Rain Forest, we made an incredibly long, hot, arduous hike up a hill to a cave. Yes, I'm a wimp for strenuous exercise, but it was a very steep hill. We walked single file through the cave, which was pitch black but for the poor illumination of our flashlights. I could just barely hear the bats whiz by my face in the dark.