hakuna matata!

(picture is borrowed)

a dream of endless savannas with grazing giraffes, thompson gazelles, zebras, elephants and lions hiding in the grass in masai mara with a gin tonic in ones hand... the gorgeous coast around mombasa - or the picturesque muslim town of lamu?

last time I visited kenya, in 2002, we went on a safari in masai mara that I will never forget (I cried when I saw a giraffe for the first time.. they are totally surreal!). we took the train to mombasa and had some fantastic days by the beaches.... (oh yeah, some nice memories there!) this time, in april 2007, my trip would be just as amazing, but totally different; thanks to my wonderful friend thor erik!! - next time I will head to lamu, I promise jane! ;)

essential kenya; tusker, den ensomme planet and mosquito repellent! ;)
(its a samburu warrior on the lonely planet!)

nairobi
we had some lovely days in nairobi - nice foods, beers&cinema (that I think thor really appreciated!), swimming pool and all kind of lovely things - including great kenyan coffee! it was great to walk around the streets of nairobi and to feel the vibes that are totally different from cape towns! when thor did research in the national archives, I had some quiet hours to myself to walk around in the exhibition on african heritage in the national archives gallery! very interesting, highly recommended! here are some gorgeous coffee baskets from ethiopia and different masaai weapons:


on the road heading north! after a few days in nairobi - thor described them as luxury, hehe, I would later understand why - we jumped into a matatu (mini-bus, type toyota hiaceish) and headed out of the city. numerous donkeys by the road, fruit- and vegetable stands, people everywhere.. the smell of grilled goat (not exactly my favourite..), lots of smiles and churces every 100 meters - on both sides of the road mind you! we drove towards the stunning lake naivasha, we passed hells gate national park and I was continuously stretching my neck looking for giraffes!

i think we got a masters degree in sitting in matatu's - or thor has a phd in that concern! haha! humpetitten-humpetatten-humpetitten-teia!

nyahururu! thor was one of my very best study friends when I studied social anthropology in trondheim, and what an amazing man he has become! when i first met thor, he was 19, had long hair, was a little bit shy and he was very philosophical. maybe even too philosophical? hehehe. like he said himself, as we were sitting in the little kenyan town of nyahururu a few weeks ago, having a nice evening meal by the thompson falls, drinking our tusker; "actually, I think I was too sensitive when I lived in trondheim..." - and he states this, totally serious, as he picks out a dead bug of his food, shoves it onto the table - and continues eating of the same food!!!! I thought I was gonna die of laughter!! thor - you are my african bush hero! no one above, no one on the side! respect!!

having a cosy time under the mosquito net in nyahururu... (finally I was safe from all the bugs.. thank you thor, for being so brave!)


samburu district and maralal! thor does anthropological fieldwork amongst the samburu people. the situation in northern kenya has deteriorated alot the last few years. conflict has emerged between the different tribes, and distribution of land (or lack thereof) is one of the main problems. this is far away from nairobi, in the middle of the areas that the government doesnt invest any money or find much interest in....

however it is not a unique story for northern kenya- people fighting over land and cattle, raiding each other... but big groups of people become displaced, chased away from their homes. they loose their live stock, the few things they own, they starve... and no one really cares about the refugees and their horrible situation - which is not bad enough to qualify for food aid or other actions to be taken. I really hope and believe that thor's work can have a positive effect on some of these families destinies, at least over time. the first hand experience he gets on these peoples traditions and challenges, and the research he is doing, is priceless - driving around in the semi arid samburu district with his tent on his back! I really must say I admire his strength so much!

it was absolutely breath taking to drive into northern kenya. as we left the paved roads and bigger towns, the vegetation got dryer and the buildings and people scarcer. everyone also tended to wear amazing traditional clothing in bright gorgeous colours! for me, that was a huge experience, and quite surreal.

as we drove through rumuruti I felt we entered another world. morans, that is warriors, are young men that have been through the initiation rite of circumcision and are in a "state" between being children and married men, walking around, looking so proud and handsome. in our modern world almost like bachelors - but they have a responsibility to protect their societies, which our lazy bachelors doesnt exactly do ;) haha.

girls and women in amazing colours and extreme amounts of beaded necklaces, every single on of the beads symbolizing different things in their lives. as the ride got bumpier and the roads more and more dusty we passed the little village of suguta marmar, where samburu district begins. an experience I will never forget! unfortunately I do not have lots of pictures from the samburu district, according to thor and my dad, its because I am "too nice" and show "too much respect" to call myself a photographer ;) hehe.

thor in front of his little house where he lived when he wasn't out in the field with his tent :)

ehm.. no further comment...

thor took me on a little walking safari, in between the zebras, the camels and the herders in their red skirts with their cattle/goats. we just sat down on the warm ground between all the trees to have a picnic - for sure one I will never forget! I find this picture of thor so good in describing the atmosphere right there and then. the colours, the softness, the peace.... and the fabulous tastes of the fruit, which is grown locally of course. it was really good catching up with one of my best friends again!

adamson's daughter, little miss giggle!

a fantastic view from the losiolo viewpoint overlooking the great rift valley - which stretches all the way from mozambique in southern africa to syria and the dead sea in the middle east! here, it is also a kind of border between samburu land and pokot land - who considers themselves enemies in the conflict...

then this old samburu man, with a sweet smell of smoke and alcohol, had registered that there were people by the viewpoint (han va definitivt på en god snurr!). he wanted us to come to his little house to drink kenyan homebrew, however this time we had to say no thank you... alcoholism is a big problem here, as in most places on earth where people are poor.

red african soil...........

and as the motto of kenya says;
let us all pull together!

peace!