Descending into the hazy Rift Valley
Last night after dinner, I sat and chatted first with the Archbishop of the Province of Central Africa (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and Mozambique) and then another purple clad man appeared, one of the Bishops of the Province of Madagascar ! The Anglican church is very actively spread far and wide, and its bishops stay here ! Both very nice men. I was interested that the Archbishop said when Rowan was here last year touring with him the African Provinces, they were 'welcomed' in all countries but 'received' in Zimbabwe. A subtle difference – Zimbabwe where the church is being horrendously persecuted !
After breakfast, Peterson took me to River Road which was almost empty compared to 10.30 yesterday, so I said it was OK to drop me and the bags and I'd wait. It was fine; the bus was on time and I got a seat right by the door on the left hand side …. so I'd be able to see the sudden opening up of the Rift Valley, which was very hazy, with many dust spirals going up and up and suddenly collapsing back to earth. Once we were in the rift, I was watching out for the first sighting of Lake Naivasha (where all those carnations in Waitrose come from !) but it didn't appear. It took me about half an hour to realise we weren't on the same road, and another half hour to realise we were heading for Narok … was I on the wrong bus after all ? But do you know, I found I didn't really care … this is Africa; things will work out and I felt after being alone in Nairobi, that it was going to be OK here, as a lone woman.
Once in Narok (which is on the Maasai plains) we stopped for 20 minutes, and managing not to get too pestered by Maasai-memorabilia salesmen, I found a loo. 10 bob for a pee. And what's more, it was a high type, (no seat) … so a quick clean round the bowl with a wet wipe and I used it in comfort ! Then an ice cold Fanta from a bar, and I was set up for the rest of the journey to wherever it might be ! (Its OK …. the bus was just taking a 100km detour to avoid really bad roads).
We continued over the plains, seeing the occasional zebra and impala and many, many Maasai cattle. But what was new, was that huge areas are being ploughed, and seemingly growing wheat, for I saw some being cut with combines.
We rejoined the road I had thought we would be on near Kericho, where tea is the common cash crop, either small 1 or 2 acre shambas, or the big Brooke Bond estates. Another stop, where I found a small co-op shop with Lyons Maid ice cream, so I had one of course ! Then down the western side of the Mau escarpment and onto the Kano plain, with its huge sugar cane plantations, which seem to have increased in number since last year. Boy, was the heat getting at me now; no air seemed to blow into the buses open windows, only choking dust.
Then into Kisumu, shimmering in the late afternoon heat and when I got out of the bus … no Paul to meet me ! But I found a spot to wait in the shade, and phoned him, and he said he was only a few hundred yards away … and there he was ! Good to see him again; he seems thinner … I hope he is well ? He stopped a tuk-tuk and we came to the Catholic Mill Hill Mission guest house, where I have a lovely big room with a view through palms and acacias to Milimani. Own small shower room, which is where I headed first, sharing the shower with sweaty clothes to wash them. I have a balcony where I can dry them. I'm sitting on a wet towel as I type this, cooling off.
Supper was hot pea and ham soup (in a temperature of 30+ ??) cold meats and cucumber, bread and followed by an assortment of fruit. I dribbled mango all down my frontage ! More laundry …
Tomorrow there is mass at 7, followed by breakfast. I asked if as a non catholic I could attend, and they said yes, and would I read the lesson and psalm ? Of course I can ! They have a small chapel in the guest house.
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