Nanyuki:

This was the destination picked by Helen Anderson. She was trying to establish the connection with people there to work together in developing marketing skills for them. She is planning to go back there soon.

They make everything from scratch by hand. Dyes were all made from local plants and insects. Yarns are made into rugs and scarves. Members purchased their favorites at the store. I purchased a scarf dyed with beetles blood which feed on local cacti. If they had more yarn, I would have liked to purchase it. Their yarn was gorgeous but it could have been better if the designs of rugs had more Kenyan characteristics.

In the afternoon after leaving Nanyuki, we headed for Nairobi. The car was almost OK this time, everything seemed smooth until very near Nairobi in the evening rush hour, we were hit by a Matatu, local minibus, at the back. It wasn’t a hard hit but some members felt in their necks. This small accident caused a slight delay to get to the Methodist Guest House where we would stay the last night together. By this time we all learned a so-called Kenyan tourist’s hymn, “Jambo Sana,” from Gichuki’s tape. We learned basic Swahili phrases from this song. We entertained ourselves singing this while we were stuck in the median of Nairobi highway.

The New Hampshire crew of Fran and Dave Lewis, and Judith Gooch had already left to go to their destination a few days before us. Seven of the members were heading to Lusaka, Zambia where Becka and two sons of Rosemarie and Cliff were born, Kafue where Arthur was Headmaster and Cliff was a teacher of Geography, and Serenje where Alison and Arthur taught Art, English and Phys Ed to Elementrary teachers. Nancy and I went to the Stanley Hotel in downtown Nairobi which is the first stop of our safari tour.