Week 9

Aside from our usual teaching assignments, this week provided a few special activities. On Tuesday evening Jim and Jane Sang had a farewell supper for the two Danish gals staying in our home with us. The five people in our home, the five Swedes staying in one room units behind our home and Thomas Kipkurgat (on the left in the photo below - Moi University’s International Development officer) were all invited. Dr. Sang is the Chief Administrative Officer at Moi U and Jane is a bank manager at a downtown bank. Thomas and the Sangs have treated us all very well. We are living in Sangs property.

On Thursday we went to the Eldoret National Agricultural Show. In many ways it was similar to Canadian Ag shows – many displays of farm machinery and other things related to agriculture. In many ways it was different – there were many educational institution displays. Also, the farm machinery was much smaller. It was interesting to see differences in Canadian and Kenyan agriculture and farm shows.

Because the Danes are leaving on Monday (March 12) we decided to postpone our trip to Masai Mara and spend part of the weekend with them. Saturday a group of 13 of us went to Kakamenga Forest National Reserve, the only tropical forest left in Kenya. It is a rain forest but this is the dry season so the foliage, while mostly green, was not as lush and moist as it might have been. That probably made it easier for us to complete the 18 km hike through the dense vegetation, to a view point with a bird’s-eye view of the forest canopy, and finally to the Isiukhu Falls. Some of the terrain was quite rocky and steep so Grace ran out of steam before we got back and I asked for the van to pick her up for the last 4 km.

Here is our tour group taking a break at an interesting tree. There were two Americans (on the left), three Canadians (Paige from North Bay, Ontario is sitting in front of Grace), five Swedes, two Danes, our Moi University guide (in yellow shirt, second from right) and one Tanzanian (Grace on the right - she lives in one of the three bedrooms in our home).

There are two trees in the photo below. The parasite tree wraps itself around the host tree, eventually killing it and creating cavities for animals to make homes.

Here is one view of the forest canopy. It was a tough climb to get here so we had a good rest, enjoyed the view and ate some lunch.

Resting at Isiukhu Falls. If you look closely you can tell Grace is flushed and quite exhausted by this time. We never went "in and out" to anywhere so she had no opportunity for a long rest while the rest of us continued our hike.

Two of my courses are finished except for exams. One has been written and needs to be marked. Another exam will be written on Wednesday, March 14. After that I expect to schedule a special series of seminars or lectures. However, I will have more “free time” – not that I have been overly busy.