The start
on Kenya VSO (Kenya), 13/Jul/2009 09:55, 34 days ago
improvised plant pots at the guest houseview from guest house windowWell after so long spent preparing I am finally in Kenya. There are undoubtedly things that I should have done and other things that I think that I have sorted out but which can still go wrong, but whatever they are I have left them a long way behind me. Despite my fears and expectations of disaster the departure and flight all went smoothly but there were some problems getting met at Nairobi. My flight was delayed leaving Heathrow, so after clearing immigration and baggage reclaim it was far too late to want to think about being stuck at the airport.Arrival problems sorted out I was safely installed with a dozen or so other VSO volunteers at the Methodist Guest House having our in country training. This involved sessions on language, health and culture together with the chance to meet some volunteers who have been here a while. The weather is fine but not too hot, a lot more pleasant than the heat wave that was roasting London when I left, although the Kenyans would welcome some more rain, parts of Nairobi are facing water rationing. My body is beginning to get used to the time change... all positive coming out this way but it still takes a while to adjust. There are about a dozen new volunteers and I am the only one from the UK, the rest come from Ireland, India, Netherlands, Philippines and USA.Most of Kenya is affected by Malaria and we were informed about the symptoms and the precautions that we need to take, however Nairobi is supposed to be Malaria free, even the VSO doctor agreed. In fact Nairobi is not one hundred percent malaria free it is just very rare but it was very bad luck that one of us got infected after two days in Kenya. So much for the smug mister invulnerable, it can not happen to me idea.Unfortunately an internet connection at the guest house is very expensive, so I am putting off posting this until I start my placement, at least it will save me having to write two entries.The centre of Nairobi is chaotic with a lot of noise and traffic, the matutus or local buses make a lot of pollution and belch out diesel fumes but if it all gets too much there are some western style malls protected by doors and security guards. Come in off the street and you could be in a mall anywhere in the worldAfter the ICT we scatter off around the country to our placements next week, not far for me as my placement is in Nairobi. Housing is expensive and hard to find in Nairobi, maybe the number of NGO offices is driving up the prices. My house is a fair way from work and that will not be easy but it is in quite a nice part of town, I guess that it might once have been used for staff at the main house, basic but no worse than I saw in my student days. There are two other VSO volunteers from the USA and Uganda who are in a similar place in the same compound so I have some company but as I have just moved in my place still looks very bare and spartan in comparison.