DAY 12 and 13: I find Paradise at the Kakamega Rainforest

Vacation time!

Dave and Connnor's construction project was on hold over the weekend while they waited for materials and in the meantime, that meant it was the perfect time for them to skip town with me for a little R & R. We grabbed a Matatu which is basically a van that they PACK with people down to Kakamega. That ride was hot and bumpy with lots of stops and maybe the most uncomfortable journey I have ever had but well worth it after a taxi in Kakamega dropped us off at the Rondo Retreat.

This place was stunning! I felt like someone had just dropped me off in Ferngully (or Avatar) or some sort of other magical place. The "cottage" we stayed in was right in the heart of the rainforest and more like some sort of glorious colonial home. It had a long plantation parch from which you could see monkeys in the trees, and hear various birds and frogs. The food there was included in the stay and was incredible! We even got ice cream after lunch, a meal that Connor claims was maybe the best in his life.

After lunch we decided to go hiking in the rainforest paths just outside of the resort and (stop reading this if you are my mom) opted to go into the forest without guides as it was a bit spendy and they had a map at the resort. We hiked for over three hours always surrounded by butterflies and seeing lots of monkeys hopping from tree to tree along the way. We saw Colobus monkeys, Blue monkeys, De Brazees, and Red-Tailed monkeys, not to mention a multitude of birds and insects and the greenest trees you've ever seen. We even made it out of the park before dark and before the gates closed at 6:30 and we didn't get rained on too hard.

That night we met lots of other people all of whom seemed to be currently living in Kenya even though they were from places like Louisiana, Canada, and Europe. It's amazing, the projects that people come over to do here in Kenya. Some had farming projects while one couple helped prisoners that were released with no family and nowhere to go. It became clear to us as well that, tourists don't really go to Western Kenya. All of the people here are hear with a purpose or because they live here. Made me feel like somewhat of a tourist pioneer.

The next morning after checking out we climbed to the top of a hill up above the canopy and could see for miles. On the way down we went by some old mining caves that were rumored to have lots of bats living in them. Dave was the bravest, going deep into the narrow cave, and found out the rumors were true.

We hiked back to catch a taxi and matatu all feeling like we did not want to leave. We agreed that our parents would all really like this place too. Hmmm.

DAY 10 and 11:

The days are starting to run together for me. Here are a few highlights of thigs I maybe have not mentioned as of yet.

I met a white man in town. His name is Zach and he works for an Episcapalean church in a small town nearby. He said he'd love to grab a Tusker and chat sometime. He was in town going frombank to bank to deposit money into different schools accounts in order to sponsor several children's education. I saw himin the store and then later he stopped meinthe street to ask where I was from. Seeing other white people is rare and exciting here.

We went and played basketball at the airstrip (some runway that was paved for who knows why). It has one hoop that leans to the side a bit, is built out of wood, annd the hoop is nailed into the backboard. Several Kenyans joined us for a game of PIG and then 3 on 3. I rode on the back of a Boda Boda to ge there. In Portland lots of parents let their kids ride onthe back of their bike boards and I have always scoffed at it like it was dangerous but EVERYONE does it here. It only costs 10 KSH to get anywhere around town.

The kids come to visit us every day after they get off school. They love it whenyou take picturesof them mostly because they like to look at them on your camera screen and laugh at each other. They are pretty cute. They will play with you or harass you until it starts pouring rain and they have to go home. One night the rain started and they all huddled under our tiny porch with us.


The heavy rains come every day at about exactly5pm. I took a picture of the line of clouds rolling over the sky. Looks kinda like the Appocalypse is coming and the thunder sounds roll in with it.



We are planning a trip to the Kakamega Rainforest tomorrow. Might even stay there overnight. It supposedly has lots of monkeys and birds. I will report back.

Day 9: I venture into town

Read a bunch today. I rotate between Around the World in 80 Days, making notes in the margin to help with my adaptaion, and then reading On the Road. Both are great travel books.
Went into town when Dave and Connor were napping a bit. Went to a smaller Khetia's than the one before and got some more groceries. All of the canned or bottled products here are by some company called Peptane and seem to have a lot of artificial ingredients. The strawberry yogurt I got for example is bright pink and comes in a juice jug. I did get some green beans and garlic to make a recipe Katey taught me in Seattle.

While I was at the store something crazy must have happened in the street because all of the store clerks ran out to look and lots of people gathered on the storefront to look. I could not see anything but a group of bikes going by.

As I walk back and forth from town a lot of people will make comments or talk to me. Most people will give a wave. The street kids usually say their usual "how are you" or "give me money", but today a Boda Boda (bike taxi) driver managed to say that I was "the most beautiful woman ever". Good work on your English buddy. That's what any woman regardless of nationality wants to hear.

I tried to buy some mangoes and bananas from a street vendor on the way home but she misunderstood me and when I gave her 40KSH she just gave me a ton of bananas. Maybe I will get a mango tomorrow.

We all went to a restaurant called Coffee Garden tonight and I had chicken masala with Ugali and mustard greens. Ugali is maize flour with water cooked into a sort of brick formation. You can rip off pieces and dip it into your sauces. Pretty good and very filling. I didn't even come close to finishing mine. Perhaps I will eat the rest for lunch tomorrow. The electricity went out while we were eating at the restaurant which didn't seem to phase anyone there. Mom and Papa called me on Dave's phone as we walked home so I got to talk to them. So weird to think that most of the people I love are on the other side of the world.

We watched Hurt Locker on Dave's computer tonight. Iraq made Bungoma look like some sort of paradise not only because there are more plants here but because even though a lot of people in Bungoma are poor and live very simply, they for the most part, all seem pretty happy.

Day 8: 1st Day in Bungoma

I have to think back to remember this day now. I write in my journal every day while everything is fresh but I don't always get online to post it. I also promise pictures soon. Can't for the life of me figure out how to get them off of my camera and onto the computer at this internet cafe and will have to give up or it will end up costing me a lot of Kenyan Shillings to sit here and search for them.

My first day in Bungoma was spent still a bit jet-lagged. I hung out at the apartment while Connor and Dave went out then when Connor came back to run some errands I went into town with him. We went to the Walmart of Bungoma called Khetia's and I bought myself a towel and washcloth for less than 2 US Dollars. We then went to a shop owned by a man who has to be Pakistani or Indian. We haggled with him over buying a bicycle for 4,000 KSH (about 78KSH = $1). The bikes here are all made in India and for some reason are super tall. We got the bike and headed straight to a Fundi or bike-mechanic who would tune up the new bike as none of the nuts and bolts seemed to have been remotely tightened.

This is a Boda Boda who gave me a double thumbs up. He is riding in front of the "Tourist Hotel". Not many tourists. The hotel is one of the more broken down lookingplaces in town.


After Connor left me at the apartment again Leslie came over and sat with me as I finished sending e-mails on the computer. Then we decided to play a card game. I was going to teach him cribbage (trying to think of a good 2 person game) but instead Leslie taught me what he called "poker". Kenyan poker is really just a mixture between Crazy 8's and UNO. We played for hours never keeping track of who had one the most games.

Dinner tonight was peanut butter and jelly and I vowed to myself that I would definitely venture out and find some more interesting food to make for later meals.

DAY 7: The Bus Ride to Bungoma

Dave and I caught the bus to Bungoma at 8am and did not get into Bungoma until about 5:30. This was due to some road construction that cause some diversions onto bumpy roads where a truck stalled, blocking traffic for a long time. When we got into the city of Bungoma it looked like there was some sort of political rally going on. Lots of people were flooding the streets.

We walked back to Dave and Connor's apartment flooded by stares and kids chanting "how are you?". It's about the only English phrase they know so they will chant it over and over again when they see you. Even right now as I type this there are kids peeking through the door and saying it and staring at me.

We met Connor outside flooded by kids then hung out at the place cooking a dinner of boiled potatoes and onion with rice. A solid meal. Their neighbor Leslie also came to visit. He comes over often. He is just finishing up high school and waiting for some test results before he goes off to college. He told me today he will teach me some Swahili tomorrow.

It poured down massive drops of rain as we ate that night. The electricity goes in and out. The rain is very intense but never lasts too long. I got out my Delta blanket and slept under Dave's mosquito net and never once felt cold.

DAY 6: Exploring Nairobi

After an amazing buffet breakfast out on the veranda at the Norfolk we headed out to meet Dave's sister-in-law who works for a company called Telecom based out of Nairobi with offices in Uganda and a few other places. She and her husband, Johnny wanted to go out to the Nairobi National Park which is just south of the city. The park itself is bigger than the city of Nairobi. You can go on mini safaris in cars through the park or go on a safari walk. We opted to go and visit the animal orphanage where you can see animals from the park up close. A lot of the animals there have been abandoned by their parents or would not be able to make it in the wild. It looked a lot like a zoo but with more African animals than any zoo I've ever seen. We saw lots of lions, cheetahs, Patas monkeys and baboons, warthogs and Ugandan cranes (the ones with hair that looks like an afro). I was struck by how strange the hyena looked to me. Like nothing I can relate it to in the states. Maybe some sort of bear, dog mixture? We met a black monkey named Barack (ha), shook hands with a small baboon, and saw 4 year old lions whose mother was killed by a snake.

Next we went to the Bomas (cultural center) at the recommendation of the driver. This place reminded me of if you went to the Polynesian cultural center in Hawaii. They perform dances, play drums, and sing songs for you. Kind of a tourist trap. We ordered some soup and eggs there and they tried to charge us three times the amount our bill should have been. That happens everywhere here. You have to check everything and have a handle on what things should cost or you will get cheated.

Next we went to the Giraffe Center, a place I'm pretty sure we went to when I was 5. They breed giraffes here and you can go up to a balcony area and a bunch of volunteers will give you pellets you can hold out and feed the giraffes. They will walk right up and eat out of your hand. They have these crazy long black tongues and the people that work there taught me to feed it one pellet at a time out of one hand while I got to pet it with my other hand. Very neat. Dave's sister mastered the giraffe kiss which involves putting a pellet between your lips and letting the giraffe lick it off of you. Cute and slobbery.

That night we went to Holly's friend Ester's apartment and she cooked us an amazing meal. She has a son named Alan who ran around pretending to be Spiderman then he would switch to being Alan. Playing pretend I suppose is pretty universal.

DAY 5: Arriving in Nairobi

Customs in Nairobi was very easy. We had filled out some papers on the airplane and you just hand them and $25 dollars to a man who takes a picture of you, stamps your passport, and sends you on your way. I headed down the stairs with my bags to see hundreds of people waiting for the passengers to come out of the airport. Somehow, even though I had neglected to give Dave my flight number or anything, he was right there and I spotted him waving in the crowd. Felt so nice to see a familiar face. Sort of strange to see it so far away from home.

Dave called a taxi cab driver recommended to him by his sister. In Nairobi you usually have a driver who you program into your phone and call him when you need someone to pick you up. If they are not free they have a friend they will recommend to you. We headed through the streets of Nairobi driving on the opposite side of the road than in the states and went straight to the Norfolk hotel and checked in.

The Norfolk is a beautiful old colonial hotel. I think it was built at the end of the 1800's and has since been updated. It looks like some sort of fancy estate. Dave and I dropped our stuff in the room, explored the grounds, then went to the bar for a few drinks sitting outside on the patio. At this point I think I was running purely on adrenaline. So excited to be in Africa that I couldn't be tired even after staying up for 2 days in a row. I woke up a bunch that night.

Fortunately, it is just the beginning of the rainy season here so the weather is a bit cooler than normal. I still think it is hot and never sleep with anything more than a sheet.

DAY 4: Flying through Amsterdam

I got a whole center row on the airplane to myself on the way to Amsterdam. That was nice. I may have also thrown one of those Delta blankets into my backpack unsure of what the bedding situation will be in Bungoma. The Amsterdam airport felt like some sort of huge IKEA to me. I had a 4 hour layover there so I waited until McDonald's (yeah, even in Amsterdam) opened at 6am and ordered the "New York" which was 2 Egg McMuffins with coffee and orange juice. That has officially been my last taste of American food and I have to say, those Egg McMuffins were better than any I have ever had in the states.

On the flight to Nairobi I sat next to a French man who used to be a police officer (or policier) in Paris and now lives in Burgondy. He was very kind and we spoke a mix of broken French and English to each other. I gave him my e-mail and he said that he would send me a picture of himself at the top of Kilimanjaro if I sent him a picture of me on a farm in Bungoma.

DAY 3: Cars, famous people, and fine food

Katey and I went and got bagels and coffee Wednesday morning and believe it or not, Portland lives on in New York. The place had a huge sign saying they were serving Stumptown Coffee. Even New Yorkers know that that shit is the best.
Tim picked me up that morning and we drove back to Pennsylvania to their house. The drive is long and I can't believe Tim does it so often. Their house is beautiful and peaceful but I can see the many reasons why they want to move back into the city.
We headed back to NYC that night along with Wendy and went to Extinction at the Cherry Lane Theatre right off Bleeker Street. Outside were clearly some famous people as they were dressed snazzy and pictures were being taken. Turns out they were from a TV show called Psyche and there to support their fellow actor in this play.
The play was an emotional rollercoaster and we were in the 3rd row. Wendy and I worried before about falling asleep but this show never let up. I laughed a lot at the interactions between the two men and was shocked at the ending and amazed that they would perform this show night after night. It was the kind of play that could crawl inside an actor and really effect them. It hit so close to home playing songs off of Pixie's Doolittle album and even some Nirvana and Beastie Boys. By the way, Michael Weston is an amazing actor.
Afterwards we went to digest the play and some amazing food at Commerce, a fancy restaurant that we only went to because it was right next to the theatre. We had a tortelini appetizer that had sweet potato, pomegranite, and hazelnuts and was maybe one of the best things I've ever tasted. That whole meal goes down as one of the best I have ever had. I certainly went out with a bang before leaving for Africa.



I am so glad that I came to New York City and got to spend time with my brother. I don't do it enough. It was also nice to do it without my parents. Time well spent. I'm already feeling like I will never regret this trip.

DAY 2: Christopher Walken and the suitcase full of hands

It has been snowing lots in New York. Snow = slippery. Slippery means I have been wearing my hiking boots everywhere now.
On Tuesday morning I met Alice and shopped around a bit in, I think, the Greenwich Village area. Alice also walked my by NYU and Washington Square Park.


Very pretty. She left me sending me down Bleeker street after a saleman at Urban Outfitters informed me that the day before he rang up Darryl Hannah. I went off looking for Murray's Cheese Shop and only got a really wet and cold face and a wet foot from one of those disguised puddles right by the sidewalk. I never found the cheese shop and instead just took the subway back to Katey's area and got a panini with Julia in the cafe downstairs.
Next I watched the Bachelor which Katey recorded for me. Can't believe Vienna is still on that show! That's all I need to say about that.
I headed down to Times Square at about 5pm on the subway. I finally popped up at the street level at about 40th and 8th and didn't really know where I was. Started wandering and wandered straight into the tourist trap of a lifetime. Right into the Mecca of tourist NYC. Flashing lights were everywhere. It was hard to not just keep looking up.



Katey somehow found me right there on 42nd street by the Mary Poppin's sign and we headed away from the craziness of Broadway and found some Thai food at Yum Yum Thai.
Next up was the Shoenfield Theatre for A Behanding in Spokane. Everytime Katey and I heard the word Spokane we got excited. We were up in the balcony but you could still see pretty dang well.



Christopher Walken is just how you would imagine him but with long hair. He is poised but understated. Sam Rockwell was better than I imagined and stole the show with a monologue he gave in front of the curtain about wanting to save monkeys in zoos. The writing was typical McDonaugh. Very dry, raw, dark humor. At one point a suitcase opens and a pile of hands falls out of it. At one point Sam Rockwell was throwing these hands at another actor. Everything was brilliantly interconnected. It was a tight script that ran under 90 minutes with no intermission. Thank you Martin McDonaugh. Too bad those hillbillies in Spokane, Washington cut off Christopher Walken's hand but it sure was fun to hear him talking about my hometown.
The night ended at a rooftop bar that had flavored margaritas (I had banana... and too many).



Then Olympics watching and macaroni and cheese at home.
Thanks to Katey and Julia for a lovely time in the city and at their place. No doubt I will be back.

DAY 1: New York City

This is Brooklyn Bridge Park at night. Although I did not take this exact picture I pretty much saw this same view except with some snow thrown in.
Last night Tim was extremely kind to pick me up at JFK airport and take me all of the way to Katey's apartment. I immediately put on some of Wendy's warm city clothes, rocking some high heel wedge boots, and strutted towards Amir's gyro place with Katey, Julia (Katey's housemate), and Tim. We walked through a beautifully lit walkway straight through the Columbia Campus to get there then after a gyro I hopped on the subway (all by myself) and met Alice.

Alice and Becca and I headed down to Brooklyn where we checked out the Brooklyn Bridge Park pictured above, went to an amazing coffee shop in DUMBO for hot chocolate, and then went to the Galapagos Art Space for Foreplays. Galapagos was AMAZING. Maybe one of the coolest theatre venues I have been in to date. Yeah. I knew last night that I would not be able to describe it very accurately so it looks like this:

There is like one huge pool of water with walkways and these little islands with cabaret-style seating that you sit at with your drink. The company did a great job of really using the space to it's full extent jumping down from the second floor balcony and walking around in the water in rain boots. All in all, some very fun creative plays with lots of people around my age. It was one of those things that made me feel like I could totally get behind moving to New York. Very fun, good people.

I took the subway back to Katey's place and walked home in the gently falling snow. Something kinda beautiful about all of the fresh snow at midnight in the city. And something about taking on the city alone even for one small night that made me feel super independent.

Leaving tomorrow, oh, and happy valentine's day

My itinerary for New York is entirely based around plays.

Monday night is seeing Foreplays with Alice.
Lots of sexy plays done by an upstart company of young artists.

Tuesday might is seeing A Behanding in Spokane with Katey.
Martin McDonaugh writes his first American play. The cast includes Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell.


Wednesday night is seeing Extinction with Tim and Wendy.
This one has Freddy Rodriguez (Roday) from my favorite TV show Six Feet Under and Wendy got us awesome tickets in the 3rd row.


Thursday I leave for Africa.
An excellent schedule if I do say so myself.

Going to the Olympics

Going to Africa, even though only for a very short while, is great because it makes me feel like I am taking my life into my own hands and doing what I want to do.
Being an actor can be hard sometimes because you are always at the whim of some other company and some other director. It never was originally your idea and you don't necessarily get much say in how the project is realized. Although Africa wasn't really "my idea" per se, it was certainly me who took the bull by the horns and decided I was going to do it. Other people deciding your life is hard. This is a case where I can take matters into my own hands. I like it. I will miss lots of people while I am gone, I know this, but I hope they all know that I am going for good reason and to really do some searching into who I am and what it is I want and need out of life. I know you can't expect to find all that in 3 weeks, but I feel that 3 weeks also cannot hurt.

On a whole different note, my family friend Will is in the Olympics.
You should watch for him. He gets to walk in the opening ceremony tomorrow night and everything. I get updates from my mom, who gets them directly from Will's mother, Ann who happens to be one of my mom's best friends. It's one of those things that totally fills me with that good ol' American pride. I really am proud of him. He's doing what he loves now when he can and he actually made it to the place that every athlete dreams of going. It's kind of unreal to actually know someone that is going to be there, and be there competing. Wow. Way to go Will. I, of course, will be rooting for you to go all the way, but I, of course, am also so proud no matter what happens just to say I know you.
Heck yeah.

I am leaving in only about 3 days for a 3 week cultural trip of a lifetime. Maybe it is my Olympics. It's my challenge. It's something that I want and need to do for myself. And I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself too.