Saturday, June 12th - Enthusiasm

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Today I was driven by enthusiasm as we descended Mount Kenya and later finally arrived at the Dominican compound in Kisumu. I woke up at 5:30 am, ate breakfast, packed my backpack, and left Old Moses Camp at 6:45 am for the last stretch of the trail. Our team hiked together as a precaution in case we encountered some of the wildlife. Fortunately, we were able to see a family of 3 elephants, 2 zebras, and a group of loud monkeys! Each group was in a different area toward the end of our hike this morning. The elephants were off in the distance while the monkeys and zebras were about 50 yards away from us. The hike only took us about 2.5 hours to cover 8 miles.

On the hike, Nicholas told me that his main reason for being a guide isn't for the small salary or for the food provided on the hikes. Rather, he enjoys the "exchange of ideas" between the Kenyans and his clients from around the world! When he said that, I was stunned at how meaningful his statement was. I kept thinking about our conversation all day and have begun to realize how wise some of the people I have already met here are. We said goodbye to our team at the gate, and they all said that they did not want to see us go since it "pains their hearts" or makes them sad.

We were driven an hour back to Nanyuki, mostly off-roading on the bumpy ride. My heart was breaking as we passed by so many worn down huts and children without shoes who were still smiling and waving. So many people here have nothing, especially the farmers on the mountain, who live in shanty wooden shacks that look like they could crumble at any moment.

We drove 4 hours to the Nairobi Airport. The drivers are a little reckless even in the busy traffic (imagine rush hour in NYC). We took a flight from Nairobi to Kisumu, which was about 30 minutes, after a minor delay because the President of Kenya was getting off a plane on the runway when our flight was supposed to board. We arrived in Kisumu at 7:00 pm and were met by Father Charles. We stopped at the grocery store on the way from the airport to the compound to pickup eggs for the house. Father Kevin graciously greeted us at the door, fed us dinner, and we were shown to our rooms in a small building across the grass that has 2 tiny bedrooms for each of us, an outdoor shower, and an outdoor bathroom where we will be staying. I'm thankful to stay in a real bed tonight. We have mosquito nets above each bed. There is a pen of dogs right outside my room which the guards keep for safety. I am happy to be situated in Kisumu where I will be for the majority of the trip.