Home again, home again, jiggedy jig: Day 7

Day seven bled into day eight and into day nine as we were perpetually in motion for a day and a half.

We left Maasai Mara headed to Nairobi, which was purported to be a four hours drive, but as you know already the roads are not to be counted on and that four ended up doubled. But that wasn't just because of the roads.

see you later giraffes

Wildebeest

Trip for the day Maasai Mara (A) to Nairobi (B)

At some point, Lidia decided she wanted to crack open a hard-boiled egg to snack on. Which Muli said he'd to crack for her. Unfortunately, she'd accidentally grabbed a raw egg from the omelet station at breakfast, and Muli smashed it, THE EGG, on his forehead, and he had, then, egg on his face, shirt and entire steering column and apparatus. It was pretty hysterical and he was a good sport.

Roylee, Marianna, Micah, Lidia, Muli, Julianne, Ruth

As we entered Narok, on the main highway, a flurry of activity exploded and, within seconds, the highway was overflowing with 40,000 people who were helping snarl traffic, express outrage, and scare four vans full of white people.

Protest onlookers

You see, the rains that came through a couple of nights before had come from Maasai Mara into the creek and then picked up steam, and more rain, and then flowed the 40km into Narok and flooded the town. Which moved cars, ruined houses, and left the main area covered in 4 inches of mud. Well, the government had been sending money to town officials for years, to improve the banks of the creek and prepare for flash floods, but the city council had instead decided to pocket the money and leave their folks, quite literally, up the creek.

So, the student-lead was a protest to get attention, and if nobody elses' attention was captured, our surely was.

We had to drive along town side roads, which were being shoveled, to remove mud, while Muli was yelling at people in Swahili and a delivery truck in front of us was getting stuck. I had an uneasy feeling and was not sure our 2WD van was going to be able to pull off the biggest upset ever, Van vs. Mud/Protest, but after 45 tense minutes where I was really just waiting for some firearms to be brandished, we made it to the other side of town and I wanted a cigarette and the next day we heard that traffic was backed up for 20km.

Then we drove, and drove.

A mountain pass was blocked off because a truck carrying re-bar had blown a tire and was getting towed off a perch on the side of a steep cliff that would have meant sure death had it fallen. We made it past the truck, but that was another 45 minute delay. Others I'm sure were in traffic for several hours.

The traffic in Nairobi was packed. The airport was packed. Our bags were packed. And the only thing to do was give Muli a hug, wait in line for broken computers, then board our plane.

So, to give a summary of our trip home:

Mara to Nairobi, car / 8 hours
Nairobi airport / 3 hours
Nairobi to Addis, plane / 2 hours
Layover / 3 hours
Addis to DC, via stopover in Rome for refuel, plane / 15.5 hours
Airport / 2 Hours
DC to Boston, plane / 1.5 hours
Logan to home, cab / .5 hours

And just like that 36 hours passed as quickly as, well, a day and a half would when you are forced to sit still.

I feel like a need a big ending, now. A summation. Maybe a short film. Or, just picture this: the sun setting on the plains of Africa, the Lion King soundtrack playing, and Marianna and I doing an interpretive bush dance as a hot air balloon takes off behind us. All that would be shot directly into the sun, with an annoying yet artful lens flare present for the entirety of the tracked shot.

Overall trip locations in Kenya