Around Kijabe

7 January 2016

This is Lincoln, signing on for the annual Kijabe Blog. As the fifth University of Washington pathology resident to accompany Ginger and Rochelle, and the first male, I will try my best to uphold the excellent journalistic contributions of my predecessors, Nadia, Emily, Nicole, and Claire.

My impressions of Nairobi and the rural village of Kijabe are unavoidably influenced by comparison to my previous experience living in Uganda for 10 months in 2012-2013. Uganda and Kenya, along with Tanzania, the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi are the countries comprising the African Great Lakes Region. There are many similarities to Kijabe and the environments I experienced in Uganda. Ginger and I have done some bird watching and I have been reacquainted with some of my favorite Great Lakes Region birds: including the pterodactyl-like squawks of the glossy ibis, sunbirds flitting around flower bushes, and the flopping crest and strutting hop of the hoopoe.

Inspired by Rochelle, who has been diligently running as soon as the sun rises as well as practicing yoga, and the beginning chapters of No Picnic on Mount Kenya – the account of an Italian prisoner of war who decides to temporarily escape his internment camp during WWII to climb Mount Kenya in order to refresh his humanity – I decided to run this morning. Picking my way up trails connecting homes cut into the sloping side of the Rift Valley, I eventually decided that the road was an easier option for my first foray around Kijabe. “Around Kijabe” really means “up”, since the town and hospital are located approximately half way down from the rim of the Rift Valley. It was a steep run/walk up to the main highway leading to Nairobi. I ran past groups of primary school children in uniforms, nickers, and long socks, who quietly cooed “mzungu, mzungu”. I was a actually a little taken aback by the subdued volume of their chorus, having been accustomed to the loud cries of similarly aged children in Uganda who inevitably would begin chasing me as I ran past. Perhaps this difference is due to the number of white missionaries in Kijabe? On the way down, I ran past a troop of over 30 baboons, some of which proceeded to gallop in front of me down the dirt road. The road is so studded with potholes that the matatus, filled with people commuting to work, were considerably slower than my moderate down-hill jog. 

Kijabe’s location makes for incredible views of Mount Longonot and Mount Suswa (two volcanoes) from nearly every spot in town and on the hospital grounds. Yesterday, I had lunch at Mama Chiku’s Hotel. The lady herself presented me with beef stew, rice, beans, cooked carrots, green beans, and cabbage, home-made hot sauce (my request), and a bitter lemon soda (Crest). Again, I was struck by the unbelievable views of the valley from my well-chosen lunch spot.

Sorry for the lack of photos. I'm having difficulties getting them onto the computer and internet challenges to boot. They will be posted "pole pole".