July 6, 2011

We had a delightful Fourth of July Celebration with the Elders.  We roasted hotdogs over a charcoal fire, had potatoe salad, baked beans, Jello, soda pop and chocolate cake.  The two African Elders didn't quite to know what to make of it but enjoyed themselves anyway.  Elder Keno asked what potatoe salad was since he had never seen it before but had two helpings.

We did go back to Busia all by ourselves and made it there and back without a guide.  We went up on Saturday to participate in their activities for that day and planned on staying over.  We made reservations at the Farmview Hotel since it was recommended by Elder Fox, our predecessor.  When we got there after driving down another rutted boulder strewn track that is supposed to be a road we found that they had no room.  A church group had came in and they had given away every room.  They offered to escort us to another hotel but we said "No thank you" and drove back to Kisumu.  On the way to Busia we passed a semi truck that was lying on it's side with the drivers side of the cab mashed.  Several other trucks were parked and the drivers were sitting in the shade of one of the parked trucks discussing the matter.  When we came home that evening it was still there.  We went back up on Sunday to participate in their meetings and the truck was still there.  After the meetings wee over we drove home and it was still there.  I guess no one was in a big hurry to move it.  They had filled in a lot of the potholes in the road with dirt.  The dirt had been forced out of them and the holes were still there with dirt all around them.  The rain turns the dirt into mud and tires just squish it out of the potholes.

We drove up to visit the Saints in Nyabondo.  When we turned off on the dirt road it was being worked on.  They had dirt piles all along one side where the dump-trucks had deposited it.  The road is narrow anyway and this made it really narrow.  I said "I sure hope we don't meet a truck coming down".  We did, three of them.  I was forced to pull over between the dirt piles to make room for the downhill traffic.  We had a very delightful day as usual and as usual they insisted on feeding us.  On the way back down the dirt road I had to pull over several times to let traffic pass.  At one point there were a couple of women herding two donkeys laden with something.  As I pulled in the space between the dirt piles I heard the women yelling at me.  The Elders said that the women were telling me not to hit the donkeys.  I figured that donkeys are smart enough to get out of the way and I wasn't going fast enough to hurt them if they didn't.  I sure hope that they fix that road before we go back again.

Fifteen things to Love About Kisumu and Western Kenya

1. Romantic Candlelight Dinners
Power is off again
2.Refreshing showers in the morning
waterheater is still broken
3.Doing laundry
I am sure the water will be back on in a day or two, are you sure you can't wear your underwear a day or two longer?
4.Exotic nightlife
Look at the size of that cockroach,  Don't step on the Gecko
5. 6:30 a.m. serenade of the birds.
GRAAAAAK,   TOO-TOO TOO-TOO-TOO
6.What is the new perfume you are wearing?
Deep Woods Off!
7.Scenic drives
Watch out for that Pothole!
Watch out for that Truck, bus, matatu, bicycle!
8.Speed bumps
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9.Smooth roads
Fasten your seat belt and you WON'T hit your head on the roof!.
Yes, I am sure mufflers aren't an essential part of the truck.
I am sure that if we put it in fourwheel drive we can make it through.
It LOOKED like a shallow puddle!
10. Helpful store clerks
What is Jello?, sour cream?
11. Good directions
Ten kilometer down....THAT'S A ROAD??????????
You go straight that way to.........
Turn left just past the rock crusher
      You with the hammer, where is the rock crusher?  What, that is you???
12. Street addresses
1/2 kilometer past the UN compound on Nehru Road, turn left
13 Modern toilets
That hole in the floor IS IT??????????????
ACK,  GAG, CHOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
14. Rain storms
Where'd the road go?
I don't remember a river being here!
15. Internet connections
Hurry and check your email while the internet is on....Too Late