Nairobi Adventures!

Greetings from Nairobi!

Today we thought we would each share a bit of our adventures.....after arriving in Nairobi at 6am we checked into the hotel, unloaded our luggage, and then went to do a site check for where we will be training tomorrow. We will be working with the Political Caucus Women's Group and will be spending 3 days covering communication skills to help them present their message more powerfully. Very Exciting!! Getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road was an adventure.......it's something to see cars and trucks coming at you on the right hand side of the road!!! ~Glenna

It was overwhelming to see the number of pedestrians....walking everywhere......while we were riding on the road in a vehicle, both sides of the road were full of people walking.....in full suits, dressed from head to toe. We weren't even close to being near the center of Nairobi...literally miles away.....and the residents were walking to get to their destinations. The streets are extremely tight and narrow...lots of traffic weaving in and out. I found it surprising that everyone was so well dressed....full business attire...men and women in suits. The City itself is fairly "dusty" with construction, smog, overwhelming activity with foot and vehicle traffic moving in complete chaos....yet everyone getting to where they need to be, vendors looking to sell their wares at the street corners.....this is the way of life here and throughout it all, locals are polite, courteous and welcoming. ~Robin

One of my highlights of today was to visit the Giraffe Sanctuary! We were able to hand feed the giraffes with little "treats"......they licked them from our hands!! I liked watching them stick their toungues out....and learned that giraffe tongues are 45 cm long!!!! It was cool! ~Griffin

For me today was about "imagining the unimaginable!" I never imagined I'd be face to face (literally!) with a creature of such magnitude. Today was a day of receiving from this trip....and the wonders that were involved. Imagine something in your life that would be one of the most wildest things that could happen.......and BELIEVE that it will!! How many people can say they've been kissed by a giraffe?! (See photo!) ~Bart

One of the first things I realized today....when seeing everyone walking miles from the airport to get to a destination...wherever it may be.....was that I was amazed. It was impressive to experience the overall courtesness of the population here. The overall experience with the giraffes was incredible because we were immersed in their natural habitat and interracting with them so closely. It was amazing to be so close to these gigantic creatures and learn that their hearts are 1' x 2' in size (to be able to pump the blood up their necks) and that when the babies are born, they drop 6 feet to the ground and walk in less than an hour and can run within 2 hours. We also learned that Warthogs and Giraffes live together because Warthogs have a great sense of smell and Giraffes have a great sense of vision....therefore one watches out for the other and alerts in time of danger from predators. It was an amazing day! ~Mathew