Fasting with the Moslems, fun with the Hare Krishnas

Hare Krishna Radha Yatra, Mombasa, Kenya

Currently is Ramadan - this is the fasting time for Muslims. At this time, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during daytime. In the mornings, the town is very quiet, in the late afternoon, the markets are full - and then, everybody is out on the streets to buy food for the time after sundown. Usually, the Old Town is very quiet at night - now, this is completely different. In the evening, there are many people on the street. They meet, eat, drink, make walks or visit friends.

For tourists, Ramadan brings no big no restriction, many shops and restaurants are also open during daytime. Mombasa’s population is about 70% Muslims, this means, there are also about 300,000 followers of other religions living here.

In the Mombasa, there is a very big Indian community. These Indians are Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. For sure, there are some Indian temples. Even the Hare Krishna’s are represented here.

Hare Krishnas, Mombasa, Kenya

Of course the Indians celebrate their religious festivals just as they in India act, e.g., with processions, deities and procession cars.... At the Hare Krishna temple, I got to know some nice young women. They were completely excited - just two days later there is Radha Yatra. At this festival, the statues of the gods are pulled on a processional carriage through the streets! For sure, I did not want to miss out on this! Particularly as I have never experienced something like this on my trips through India.... And I am already late on this trip anyhow and then it already makes no difference anymore!

And it has really been worthwhile - a brightly decorated processional carriage, which was pulled by approx. 50 women and men. Hare Krishna followers from all over the world, some of them orange dressed women in wonderful saris, a lot of dancing, singing, drums and fun!!! Simply fantastic!

Hare Krishnas, Mombasa, Kenya

Hare Krishnas, Mombasa, Kenya

 

Giraffes & Co at Haller Park, Mombasa

Close to Benson’s house, there is Haller Park. Earlier, there was cement produced here. After the material was finished, the owner, Mr. Haller, decided to re-nature the whole area. Today, this is a wonderful park with many big trees, Baobabs, Curtain Fig Trees, etc., Moreover, there is a lot of animals - especially exciting is it there in the afternoons, because then the animals are fed. A giraffe's tongue is - 1. veeeeery long, 2. veeeery furry, 3. veeeeery viscous....

Feeding giraffes, Haller Park, Mombasa, Kenya

It is good that the hippos and the crocodiles are fed by the staff. In both cases one should not come too close to their tongues...

A dream came true - back to Mombasa!

Mombasa, Kenya

After nearly a week in Arusha, I went back to Kenya, this time Mombasa. It was something tricky with the coach ticket. The coach came from Arusha, however, I wanted to get on approx. 15 kilometers later, our tickets has procured Benson in Moshi, this is about 100 kilometers later... But it worked out very well at the end!

Now Mombasa. Many tourists do not like the town, I do. I do a lot.  It is a very charming, loud and hectic here. Nice and warm with temperatures of approx. 30 or 35 degrees and a full air humidity - seldom less than 90%. For my eyes, there cannot be anything better....

Moreover, this great Old Town with many white, old houses and crooked narrow lanes.

Yusuf and his parrot, Mombasa, Kenya

Besides, this is the hometown of my good old friend Yusuf and his family. Yusuf, I got to know four years ago and since then we meet again and again, at last in Addis Ababa when his holiness was there and I was allowed to take photos all day.

Now a new meeting in Mombasa. Also, there is Nafisa now living in Mombasa, Yusuf's sister.  She lives here with her son and her granddaughter Khadija. Nafisa's husband has passed away last year and then the rest of the family moved from Tanzania to Mombasa.

This was a nice and at the same time sad reunion with Nafisa. We are like sisters - if one is suffering, the other suffers as well.

Nafisa and Khadija, Mombasa, Kenya

The granddaughter Khadija is even more beautiful now and at the same time she can behave like a little devil.

Mombasa has become a kind of a meeting place. Also Phylis lives here since one year. On my last trip, I spent a few days with Phylis and Willy. At that time they lived not far from Nairobi in a small town called Gilgil. Well, she is also in Mombasa now.... Phylis runs a car hire company with a vehicle park of five vehicles. The business goes well. Moreover, deals with properties. We spent a relaxed afternoon together talking about the old times and exchanging the news of the last four years.

With Khadija, Nafisas house, Mombasa, Kenya

By the way - meeting place Mombasa: Benson lives here as well. He has a shop in Bamburi, where he sells CDs and DVDs. The family inhabits a small flat in the same house. I spent 2 very nice afternoons with Benson and his family there.

Chagga wedding, Arusha, Tansania

On the week-end it was again a wedding. This time a typical Chagga wedding.

Nicely dressed for the wedding, Arusha, Tanzania

This is the tribe, which lives in the area around Moshi and Marangu. The colour of the day for younger people (generously, I belonged there, too), was yellow, for the older pink....So I borrowed from Rose a yellow-blue dress. For sure, I wanted to be adequate dressed as well. Just with choosing the dress, we already had a lot of fun. I did not find any suitable footwear with Rose (her feet are so much bigger than mine), but who looks closely at the feet of a Muzungu?

Having fun at the wedding, Arusha, Tanzania

It was a very nice wedding with a lot of dancing, many presents, exciting traditions (e.g., the mother of the bride gets covered with many cloths, because she loses now the daughter and must be warmed, instead, by cloths) and very good food.

A great evening!

 

Bensons dream - a campsite at Kilimanjaro

On one day we met Benson in Moshi. Benson, I also got to know four years ago. At that time he was my guide in and around Marangu at the foot of the Kilimanjaro. (At that time he was introduced to me by Albert and Rose and thus the circle shuts again)

Bensons plot, close to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Benson has inherited a property near Mt. Kilimanjaro and his big dream is to establish a camp site there. So we were there to have a look at the property. It is about seven kilometers from the big street and approx. 10 kilometers from Marangu, it has 3.5 Acres, more than enough space for a camp site, water is available and the power is there as well. The conditions are good.The next day we went to an Indian in Arusha. He produces safari tents. Forsure, there are big differences in equipment, size and price.

Of course, the Indian wanted to sell his big, expensive tents - they cost easily a few thousand dollars.... Bad luck for him that I had an idea, what Benson needs. Basically just an ordinary safari tent, 3x3 meters. Just like the ones in Masai Mara - photos were there....

Benson, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

A tent like that sets you back something like 1000 US. Later, it turned out, that huts made out of stone
come even cheaper than the tent of the Indian, but at that time we did not know...

Relaxing in Arusha with Rose and Albert

The house of Rose and Albert, bei Arusha

After these three exciting days in the nature I went to Arusha in Tanzania. Four years ago, I got to know Rose and Albert in Moshi. Now they live close to Arusha in a tiny village and have a safari enterprise.

Rose and Albert, Arusha, Tanzania

My days there were an extremely successful mixture of repose, excursions to the surroundings and work on the homepage. And then of course also experience how a small travel agency works in Tanzania. Very interesting, especially for me as a travel agent.

 

Trip to Masai Mara, Kenya

From Nairobi, I went for three days to Masai Mara.
At the moment, there is the

Masai Mara, Kenya

big migration going on. About one million zebras and wildebeest decide at the same time to cross from Serengeti into Masai Mara. All this involves a crossing of Mara River. It is a photographers dream to be there exactly in time to see the crossing. Probably, one or the other of you knows all that from TV, when thousands and thousands of animals push the precipitous slope down in the river, swim through and climb on the other side again up. Many are got by crocodiles others break the legs with the precipitous rise or descent. But we are talking here about wild animals and not something happening in a zoo.

Masai Mara, Kenya

Unfortunately, I have not experienced the river crossing, but it was simply great so see, how many animals were there already. Huge herds zebras and wildebeest, the lions already lazy, because of so much food.

Nevertheless, we have seen a hunting attempt, also lions feeding on a wildebeest.Ofcourse, there are also many giraffes, all sorts of antelopes, buffaloes, a leopard, elephants and warthogs... We spent the nights some kilometers outside the park on a campground in set up safari tents.

Masai Mara, Kenya

Masai Mara, Kenya

Masai Mara, Kenya

The eyedoctors of Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi

Milimani Backpackers, Nairobi, Kenia

In the meantime, I have a 16-hour coach trip behind myself and am in Nairobi. The hostel is pretty, the employees and the guests are very nice. All that comes with a nice garden, terrace and swimming pool. What does one want more?

Very exciting was my visit to Kenyatta hospital of Nairobi. This was arranged with Dr. Millicent. She is one of the Consultants in the ophthalmic clinic there.

 


No worry - I have NO eye problem, or better, no more than usually. No, it was something else. The Lions Club of Bavaria sponsors students who are trained especially in the ophthalmology. My father is active in the Lions club Guenzburg and the club supports already the second ophthalmologist financially. As I spend anyhow a few days in Nairobi, the idea was born to visit these young doctors there.

Eye doctors in training, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

So, Dr. Millicent has brought me to the students who are sponsored by Lions Bavaria. These were about 15 young students (with us one probably rather say assistant doctors) waiting for me. Most of them from Kenya, two from Ghana, one from Somalia, one from Zambia. We spent a brief hour with questions / answers, then I was allowed to visit the ocular department.

With the eye doctors, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenia

Of course, you cannot compare this hospital with the possibilities and the equipment of our medical centers, in comparison to many other medical centers in Africa, however, this is doing pretty good. Unfortunately, quite a lot of important devices are there in too low number or for a long time broken, and there is no one, who could repair it. This is not optimal for education, let alone the patients who must accept longer waiting periods. 

The broken eye examination machine, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

All assistant doctors go into villages, mainly for doing cataract surgery.
To me it seems, that that the education is good there and the young doctors are extremely motivated. I think, the money is well put on.

This was an exciting day!

Dr Millicent examining a patient, Kenyatta State Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya

Betty and the Catering Service

Cooking matoke, Bettys Caterin Service, Kampala, Uganda

Always interesting was a visit at Roses neighbor. This is her sister Betty. Betty has a catering service. During the week, she is preparing food for schools and hospitals. The weekends are always very busy at Betty’s place - because of all the parties going on... Last Friday, there were 56 young men and women preparing food for 2000 people.... There were gigantic pots full of Matoke (banana), rice, beans, chicken, vegetables, chapatti, beef, salads.... All night, these people were busy peeling, cutting, getting fire wood, cooking Matoke....

Cooking for 2000 people, Kampala, Uganda

Tomato sauce for the party, Kampala, Uganda

The Matoke Mountain for 1000 people each, Kampala, Uganda

Matoke Bananas, Kampala, Uganda

Wedding - ugandan style

Grrom and bride, Kampala, Uganda

Last Saturday I attended a wedding (exactly the couple, where, one week before, the Introduction ceremony had). This is a serious matter, there a female cannot attend in trousers.... So Rose wrapped me in one of her traditional dresses. By myself - no chance! First, an underskirt, and then a firm cloth, which is wrapped twice around the hips and tied with a cord. The hips become quite extensive with that... On top of all that, there is the dress..... This is rather uncomfortable and incredible hot! But the wedding was exciting! First 2.5 hours church, then a photo session in front of the church, then a party in the youth center. All that came with a lot of music, dancing, talking, a gigantic cake, food, and many parcels. A great day, also with quite some respect towards the women, who wear this traditional national costume in the everyday life....

Flower girls, Kampala, Uganda

In traditional dress, Kampala, Uganda

Father Caesar and Camp Chiro

Father Caesar, Camp Chi Rho, Lake Victoria, Uganda

Since some years, Father Caesar and the scouts have a camp site directly at Lake Victoria. Of course I wanted to see this camp site. The scouts have worked there a lot, a big piece of land is released from shrubs, and there is grass now. Moreover, they planted many trees. There is a building also, there live currently the guards. Later should become the rooms for people, who do not want to camp.

One year ago, Father Caesar installed fish pond there. There he has put 10,000 fish. When they are big enough, they are sold on the market. The money will be used for the camp and the actions there.

Father Caesar with new planted trees, Camp Chi Rho, Lake Victoria, Uganda

With Rose and Father Caesar at the fishpond, Lake Victoria, Uganda

My friend Immy from Kampala

Immy and her daughter Valerius, Kampala, Uganda

 

On one day I met Immy and her little daughter, the daughter is just five months old. Immy, before I also only knew from Facebook. We had a wonderful day together. Now, I only hope, that she soon finds a job.

Cleaning the village

Cleaning the village, Kampala, Uganda

After that, we cleaned together the village. Armed with straw broom and gigantic plastic bags we set out to the village. For sure, the adults of the village were very astonished to see a Muzungu cleaning the streets of their village... Well, if only one adult realizes, that it is better to burn the garbage in a special place than just throw it in the streets - then it already worked out!  Last time I have been so dusty was probably during the sandstorm in Sudan...  But it was a great day and a great action!

Cleaning the village, Kampala, Uganda

Cleaning the village, Kampala, Uganda

Hanging out with some ugandan scouts

With the scouts Nikolaus and David, Kampala, Uganda

This time, I was in Uganda not for sightseeing, but for visiting friends. This time also some friends, I knew before only with Facebook. It is rather exciting to meet at the main post office, which you  know only from the Internet. Good Rose was rather worried, particularly as it was a young man, I was about to meet - David. Their worries were absolutely unnecessary.

I was very in good hands with David. Two days I spent with him and other scouts. The scouts here do a lot of interesting activities. For example, there is workshop to learn skills (boats repair, to carpenters, etc.).

Welcome at school, Kampala, Uganda

The second day was even more exciting, as we went to a school, which is supported and run by the scouts. This school is visited mainly by children, whose parents cannot pay school fees. Out of the 200 kids, there are 70 scouts. Then there was the full scout's program with flag hoist, national anthem sing, the visitor welcome (this was me), parade take (this was also me!) ... Yes, and this was not all - I even planted two trees. 

Schoolgirl, Kampala, Uganda

School, Kampala, Uganda

School, Kampala, Uganda

Crazy market in Kampala

Rhona and Andy, Kampala, Uganda

Rhona took me also to the big market of Kampala. Already the way to the market is somewhat adventurous. The streets are completely blocked by minibuses, cars, motorcycle taxis, cyclists and pedestrians. Absolute chaos. Often one is quicker on foot than by the car!

The market was simply great - here you can get just anything, it’s just a matter of finding it, as the market is so gigantic.

Streets of Kampala, Uganda

Market in Kampala, Uganda

Market in Kampala, Uganda

Market in Kampala, Uganda

Market in Kampala, Uganda

Market in Kampala, Uganda