More than Meets the Eye

The Kenya Diaries (vol. 5)

June 13, 2006

Today Fr. Johannes walked with us into Rongai to show us where the supermarkets are. The roads are rocky dirt roads that are littered with trash, bottle caps and debris. Chickens, goats and sheep roam free along the roads and even enter the shops.

The people are very friendly. They greet us with smiles and handshakes. They ask many questions and want to know all about our family. They are especially taken with Lucia, who is too young in their opinion to know English. I do have to say that we create quite a stir wherever we go.

Kevin had this to say about Rongai:   I felt like I was going to a kid-made world. There were cement houses and stick shacks full of things to sell. The roads were dusty. Chickens, goats, sheep and cows are walking in the roads mixed with people. After we got our groceries we went back to the school. I was glad to get back where it feels clean.

Lucia said this: We went into a supermarket where a chickie went, and I stuck my finger in a bag of rice. I poked a hole in it so Daddy had to buy it. He told us to hold our hands together in front of us so we wouldn't touch anything else.

Ania and Philip said this: Daddy bought us each a soda and Mama bought us each a Bimbo, which was a double-decker chocolate covered cookie. It was very yummy. Mama did buy some groceries; bread, dish soap, toilet paper and spaghetti.


One thing I noticed was the widely varied smells that were hitting me from every direction. In America we try to mask anything that could be construed as unpleasant, but in Africa smells are a natural occurrence. There was the smell of smoke from fire pits mixed with the odors of farm animals, dish pan water, sweaty people, fresh fruit and vegetables. It was sensory overload for sure.

There were men with bikes called boda-bodas, that were actually a form of taxi service. They offered to take us back to the school for a small fee, but we declined. Maybe someday....