Day 14 to 20 It's Time For Africa

Hey! Sorry posts haven't been as forthcoming, but Internet is exceedingly hard to find in Mombasa, especially the wireless variety! We are here in Likoni, working with about 50 kids at an AIDS orphanage. This means that the majority of the kids are orphaned due to the disease. Many are older, but there are about 15 that really need our attention, and we take them to the beach almost everyday to blow off some steam. They are prone to aggressive behaviour because they are so unstimulated and bored.

Our home stay is a palace. We have a running toilet (with a seat!) and electricity. We even have a tv, on which we watch a Mexican telenovela, which is dubbed into english, called "beautiful but unlucky." This is the most entertaining show we see, as most of them are in Swahili... I am trying to learn, but even I need a bit more time! Mama Beatrice is our housemother, and she makes the beat food! We have rice most nights, but sometimes she'll make mashed bananas and greens, which I am definitely bringing back to Canada! Kenya though, for you health nuts, is generally paleo hell.. Starch with every meal!

The older girls at the orphanage are great at showing us the ins and outs of Kenyan life here, as is Mama Beatrice's son Peter, with whom we are going to venture into Mombasa nightlife with next weekend... Eep!

on the ferry on the way to Likoni from Mombasa town.

We live with 5 dogs and a bunch of ducks, as well as a turkey and a goose, who make an awful amount of noise for birds! Our "brother" is also fond of playing rap music starting around 7am... I feel like I'm back working at the Wunderbar! Ah well, small price to pay, seeing that our compound is by far the nicest in Cafe, (pronounced: k-eh-f) the name of the area we live in.

Cobra, the Orphanage house dog.

Say what you will about religion, and I will not contradict that much damage has been done in its name, but the help given to many Kenyans by the church is invaluable. Our orphanage gets money and aid from the church and a lot of people we have talked to take real comfort in their beliefs. I have not had a lot of contact with the Muslim community here, but I know there are a lot of charitable initiatives run by the Islamic institutions.

We have been adopted by a girl from Cafe named Susan, who helps ensure we do not get ripped off... It is expensive to be white in Kenya as far as shopping goes! Things here are quite a bit cheaper if you know where to go in Mombasa.

A bit of Mombasa town.

Mombasa itself is a fascinating town, with an incredible old quarter, and a diverse spice market as well as Fort Jesus, an old Portuguese stronghold from colonial times. It is now a really neat museum, and we spent our second weekend wandering around. The beaches here are stunning, an we are lucky the tourism in this area allows for us to wear our bathing suits without too much orthodox judgement from the locals. The town is quite a bit smaller and safer than Nairobi, and we are excited to see what the nightlife he to offer.