12/18

My  host family had to attend a wedding, and I was graciously invited to accompany them! The ceremony took place in Nakaru, which is about a 3 hour drive from our location in Nairobi. We used my host's car, split the cost of gas (3600 ksh total) and the driver (2000 ksh). I also signed up for a 3-day safari in the Masai Mara at a cost of 28,000 ksh. As it is on the cheap end of safaris, I will be camping in a tent for two nights and will have an open-roof car to see the animals and the Masai people.My safari, which means journey in Swahili, will start at 7 AM on the 24th.

The wedding allowed me to interact with the Kenyan people to a much higher degree than before. I was blown away by the friendliness and acceptance. I had believed that the drive through the highway would be nerve-wrecking, but people tend to yield to others as they attempt to overtake and are forced to return to their original lane.

On the way to the wedding, we stopped at Lake Elementite in the Rift Valley area. The US issued a travel advisory to the area within the past few days in light of post-election violence prosecution, but I did not encounter a single problem. Lake Elementite was marked by plenty of wild flamingos and awe-inspiring scenery marked by deep valleys and tall hills. It is 8,000 ft in the air, and I needed a sweatshirt to be comfortable.

We went to Lake Nakuru Nat'l Park as well. After standing in line for admission, we learned that entering into the park for Kenyans was 300 ksh (< 4 dollars), but all non-Kenyans were charged $60. The driver informed me that he could easily get me a Kenyan ID for less than 2 dollars, but I did not want to risk deportation. Out of principle (cheating foreigners in this highway robbing scheme), I did not pay for admission to the park and simply went to the wedding. There were plenty of monkeys and baboons outside, as well as some flamingos and a rhinoceros. A few local children tagged along with me, so I bought them lunch. They used copious amounts of salt (something that needs to quickly be eliminated from any healthful diet), and packed much of their meal for dinner. There were no tables left in the diner, and instead of waiting for one to open the waitress merely packed us next to a group of people already eating; they were not pleased.

At the wedding itself, I learned a lot about Kenyan tribal culture. The Kikuyu are the most common, and are traditionally farmers and businesspeople (i.e. trade). This particular wedding was a marriage between two Kikuyus, but I learned that inter-tribal marriage is often an issue. While the recent marked increase in inter-tribe marriages has decreased violence among the various groups, there is a dilution of culture and increase in homogeneity. The issues surrounding various tribes seems, upon a cursory glance, very similar to the caste system in India (what history books don't tell you here is that even though the Indian caste system has been ruled illegal, it is still in place).

The Luo have a practice where if the husband dies, the wife is married off to the next older brother. Furthermore, the corpse spends the night in the home. Cremation has now become commonplace due to land shortages and thus high burial costs, but the Luo tend to mourn for weeks. The Luhya have similar burial practices. The Kisii and Somalis practice FGM (female genital mutilation, i.e. female circumcision). This is often done at the age of 11 or 12, a few years before the girls are married off (15). Although FGM is now illegal in Kenya, it is still frequently practiced in rural areas. The tribes mentioned here (except for the Kikuyu) have a rule where the woman is no longer entitled to her father's property after marriage.



I learned that high school is not required schooling, and as such the gov't is not required to provide this level of schooling to all inhabitants. Nancy, my host, is working on creating a NGO that will bridge the gap between high-achieving students and affordable post-primary education. She hopes to have the program running by the end of next year.

On the way back to Nairobi, we were stopped by the police for a random check. They ensure everyone stops with the use of tire spikes that are about 6''--much longer than the American counterpart. The cop went through the entirety of my backpack, asked to see my passport, and asked a series of questions about what I was doing in Kenya, how long I'd been here, and when I planned to go back. Nancy later informed me that he was just trying to find an excuse to ask for a bribe. Nancy works for the gov't, and after she told the cop that she is a "public servant" the cop said "you may now leave." Nancy also said that if a cop ever gives trouble for a legitimate reason, it is best to ask "what do you want," a phrase nationally understood as a willingness to give bribes.

The mefloquine I've been taking to prevent malaria has been having side-effects. I get very dizzy at times, and my dreams are rather strange/traumatizing. Doxycycline has fewer, less significant symptoms, but must be taken everyday due to its short half-life.