Day 11



Location of Kericho



Our final destination was a tea plantation in Kericho(48). Kenya is well-known for tea plantation. The people there were very nice. They were smiling all the time even though their work was very painful. The scenery around the plantation area was so nice. It was like a very quiet and calm country. After visiting the plantaion, we were done with our trip. I didn't get to know all about Kenya in 11 days, but I experienced a lot. I had great time with the people living here. They were always very nice although I was a foreigner. I also learned that the poverty here is a lot worse that I thought. Therefore people including I should aid them with any kind of help. The best part about this trip was that wild animals were always around us through the journey. I couldn't experience a lot back in my country. Overall, this journey was a great experience and a lot of fun.



Person working at Tea Plantation



Agree, By Clicking. "Map of Kericho - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=map of kericho&FORM=IGRE&qpvt=map of kericho#focal=cb82280ab0edabf47d72c723df909904&furl=http://www.mapzones.com/citymap/kenya/rift_valley/kericho.jpg.

"Tea Plantation." Budget Travel by HoboTraveler.com. 4 Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.hobotraveler.com/travel-journal/tea-plantation.html>.

Day 10



Map of Homa Bay



Probably Fifty miles away from Kisumu, there was Homa Bay(41). George and I really hated the drive from Kisumu. The road was rough and had a lot of bumps. Homa bay was close to the Lake Victoria.I knew about Lake Victoria very well. Every time I see the Africa continent map, the Lake Victoria was really conspicuous. I've always wondered about this Lake. So I asked many questions about this lake to George. Luckily, he knew a lot about it. The lake was named after Queen Victoria, the first European to visit this lake. It is the largest lake in Africa and the largest tropical lake in the World. I've never seen a lake as big as the Lake Victoria. We stayed there for a while. Actually, I forced him to stay. We found a place to sleep right after leaving Lake Victoria. It was a really great day.



Lake Victoria

Agree, By Clicking. "Map of Homa Bay - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=map of homa bay&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=#focal=cf5e3a9389cc1d12c3aa25912d3f90b7&furl=http://www.mapzones.com/citymap/kenya/nyanza/homa_bay.jpg

Agree, By Clicking. "Lake Victoria - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=lake victoria&form=QBIR&qs=HS&sk=&pq=lake vi&sp=1&sc=8-7#focal=ce9512f6fcbd63da779ae7d57addcdf6&furl=http://www.ultimatemontana.com/photogallery/glacierfullsize/Victoria-Lake-Glacier.jpg>.

Day 9



Map of Kisumu city



Coming back from Dadaab by the terrfying single-engined airplane, we drove to Kisumu(38). Kisumu is Kenya's third city, on the shores of Lake Victoria. The countryside was wonderful. I could see Mau Escarpment and hill of Aberdares National Park. Also, there was wildlife. I saw zebras on the grasslands. But sadly, Kisumu's a poorest city in Kenya. Half of the people earn 50 cent or less a day. I didn't believe it because the city was nicer than the some of the places I've been during this trip. The houses were quite good and they had modern business districts. I also saw a bank called Wedco. After a while, we arrived at Jubilee Market. It's very crowded and noisy. But I enjoyed the circumstance. They were selling all kinds of food such as dried fish, vegetables, and nuts. The Jubilee Market was a great experience.

Kisumu

Jubilee Market



Agree, By Clicking. "Map of Kisumu - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=map of kisumu&FORM=BIFD#focal=caf9492af29780e6b49468862f3be480&furl=http://www.travelpod.com/cache/city_maps/kisumu-city-kenya.gif>.

Agree, By Clicking. "Kisumu - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kisumu&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=8-6#focal=3d7b481b0fc29b46d607110bb0183869&furl=http://www.africapoint.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/kisumu.jpg>.

Agree, By Clicking. "Kenya Jubilee Market - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Kenya jubilee market &form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=#focal=d38f7c01364625906885824ab85906a2&furl=http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/78137124.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789219B309651A2344B3F058EC5E3DD2DE5CD47CD8B2D1ECF552A45BB040B49C35B11>.



Day 8

 To get to our destination, Dadaab(31), we had to take a single-engine airplane. So we went to Malindi Airport(30). When I saw the airplane that we were going to take, I was terrified. I doubted that it's safe. But Again, I had to get in anyways. Dadaab is on the equater and sixty miles away from Somalia border. This region was suffering from drought. In Dadaab, we went to CARE refugee camp(31). In the refugee camp, we helped the CARE worker with their duty. We distributed food, and visited schools. Still, the food and the supplies were not enough for all those people. In addition, their edacational condition was very poor due to money shortage.

School in Dadaab Refugee Camp



Map of Dadaab Refugee Camp



Agree, By Clicking. "Dadaab Refugee Camps - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=dadaab refugee camps&form=QBIR&qs=AS&sk=AS3&pq=dadaab &sp=4&sc=6-7#focal=6882eca663de5d0881babc2ec94bfe13&furl=http://www.wuscmanitoba.com/uploads/3/4/9/8/3498308/7763084.jpg?450.

"From Horror to Hopelessness | Human Rights Watch." Home | Human Rights Watch. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. <http://www.hrw.org/en/node/81791/section/11>.

Agree

Day 7

I went to the Gedi ruins(27). From the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries Gedi was a thriving but it's very hidden. They lived the coast between Malindi and Mombasa. The inhabitants traded with people from many other regions such as China, Venice, and India. However, there are no records about these Gedi people. I thought that's really weird. Also, this place wasn't revealed until 1920s. Monkeys were running around the ruined walls. All the surrounding environments were making the Gedi ruins even better. The Gedi ruins was my favorite place so far in this journey. It was well preserved and had unique and stylish design.

Gedi Ruins

Agree, By Clicking. "Gedi Ruins - Bing Images." Bing. 1 May 1997. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Gedi ruins&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=1-9#focal=797215b86a0ec32981f3770395da16ff&furl=http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/ralimage/17gedi.jpg>.

Day 6



Map of Mombasa



George said that we're heading to Mombasa(21). In order to get to there, we had to take a overnight train. In this Kenyan railways, there has been so many accidents that led to horrible disaster. I was so afraid of this unstable and hazardous transportation. I definitely didn't want to be a part of the disaster. I had to get in the train whether I liked it or not. The train was making an earthquake. I couldn't sleep. When we arrived at Mombasa, a car was waiting for us. The car took us to Watamu resort(25). The beach there was gorgeous. Despite the greatness of the resort and the scenes, tourists are decreasing because of the safety concerns. But I would really encourage my friends to travel to Kenya. It's wonderful.



Kenya railway



 

Watamu Resort



Agree, By Clicking. "Map of Mombasa - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=map of mombasa&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=2-12#focal=547b877c1cf6c84496319605cbe352e3&furl=http://www.destinygardenschool.com/uploads/MombasaMap%20copy.jpg.

Agree, By Clicking. "Kenyan Railways to Mombasa - Bing Images." Bing. 30 Apr. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Kenyan railways to mombasa&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=#focal=753404f89c1dd46c0e9c7dc85b96f3ea&furl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3485666447_179359f8ee.jpg>.

Agree, By Clicking. "Watamu - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=watamu&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=8-6#focal=8b6285cd715ce17b6c5bf75ee6375d92&furl=http://www.blueskycorporate.com/wat13.jpg>.







Day 5



Map of the Great Rift Valley



The destination was the Great Rift Valley(18). It was a plain that is four thousand miles long. In this valley, fossilized human bones are found. Before I came here, I was thinking of mountains or a canyon. It was a beautiful place. George said that although he has been here several times, he never gets bored of it. The dead volcanic craters created an amazing sight. The next place we headed for was Olorgesailie(19). Olorgesailie is a floor of the Rift Valley. It is famous for a large number of Acheulean axes. These pieces look very simple, but they were very vital for ancient human. Also, they put a lot of efforts to create these tools. They are not just a rock.

Volcanic craters in the Great Rift Valley





Acheulean axes

Agree, By Clicking. "Great Rift Valley Map - Bing Images." Bing. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=great rift valley map&form=QBIR&qs=AS&sk=AS1&pq=great rift val&sp=2&sc=8-14#focal=bfd0009db6e80a992e4fa33e85c6d32e&furl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Great_Rift_Valley_map-fr.svg/465px-Great_Rift_Valley_map-fr.svg.png



Agree, By Clicking. "Rift Valley - Bing Images." Bing. 2002. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q= rift valley&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=8-11#focal=c91f947522ef39095850ebdeb46a2d55&furl=http://www.swisseduc.ch/stromboli/perm/erta/air/icons/ja_080.jpg>.

Agree, By Clicking. "Olorgesailie - Bing Images." Bing. 2002. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=olorgesailie&form=QBIR&qs=HS&sk=&pq=olo&sp=1&sc=8-3#focal=8660b0c97b769e2dff2acf18a10c7580&furl=http://williamcalvin.com/BrainForAllSeasons/img/OlorgesailieHandaxe-Oakley-p70.jpg>.