A Wandering Sole

Artisans in Kibera

// January 9th, 2012 // 5 Comments » // Kenya

Baraka, a sandal maker in Kibera with a great smile

Day 2 of our Nairobi shopping research project:

When you visit the curio shops at the craft markets in Nairobi, most of the vendors aren’t the ones actually making the products. They source them from all over Nairobi and Kenya, but I heard several people mention Kibera. Kibera has a lot of people (I put this vaguely because some sources say 170,000 while others say 1 million or more) so just asking around about crafts people could take some time. While I did visit Power Women the previous day, I wanted to visit more artisans. The question was, how to go about this…  Click to Continue Reading

Power Women & My First Visit to Kibera

// January 3rd, 2012 // 8 Comments » // Kenya

A view of Kibera from the train tracks

I’ve been on a 3-day shopping tour of sorts in Nairobi. Not so much to purchase goods but more to research and learn about the people behind the beautiful crafts and curios sold around Kenya. I took my friend John from the village with me; I want to expose him to as much as I can and I also appreciate his assistance with translation and questioning at times.

Day One (Thursday):

By the time 7am rolled around, I think John and I had been in and out of consciousness for a few hours. Staying at a shoddy hotel right downtown near the main public transportation hub and lots of bars, the noise in the alley below was buzzing late into the night and started again very early in the morning.  We walked downstairs for our complimentary breakfast (okay the fact that this place is called a bed and breakfast is laughable because it’s definitely a hole in the wall). We… or I guess I should say I, decided to visit a women’s group in Kibera called Power Women on our first morning. Kibera is the largest slum in Kenya and the second largest in Africa. Click to Continue Reading

Boxing Day, Presents, & More Family Visits in Kenya

// December 28th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Kenya

At the mention of Boxing Day, I asked the boys, “What exactly is Boxing Day?” The response was: “It’s the day after Christmas.” Of course it is. After a little bit of google research and asking a Canadian, I now know about Boxing Day. Here in Kenya I spent Boxing Day doling out gifts to the boys that Stella and I had put together for them (yes, I am ashamed to say that I was a day late because we never had a chance to sit down on Christmas and open presents). Then, we went to meet John’s sister and her family who were in from Nairobi.  Click to Continue Reading

Hairy Goat Meat for Christmas

// December 27th, 2011 // 6 Comments » // Kenya

I awoke feeling a little bit like a Scrooge. I was not in any sort of Christmas spirit and still sad from a conversation the evening prior. I lay in bed another 20 minutes before deciding that I must face the day head on and get up. I lifted my mosquito net and placed two feet on the concrete floor. I grabbed my toothbrush and emerged from my room, blinded by the sunlight. It’s going to be a hot day, I thought. Kids started greeting me with “Merry Christmas,” and it was just so odd. The weather was warm, there were no icicle lights hanging from the buildings, and I didn’t smell my mother’s pancakes cooking either.  Click to Continue Reading

Bazaars and Shopping in Istanbul

// December 20th, 2011 // 8 Comments » // Turkey

Transporting goods in the Bazaar District

Taking advantage of a free stopover on Turkish Airlines, I was lucky enough to experience Istanbul. It’s a city I’ve been dying to visit for about seven years now, and though the visit was brief, I fell in love. Stella, my awesome US road trip buddy and former fellow Kenya volunteer, skipped school and met me in Istanbul for a short reunion. With less than 72 hours to explore the city, we had a jam packed itinerary. Our first day? Shopping of course.  Click to Continue Reading

Montage Monday: Fisherman Takes a Rest (Kenya)

// December 19th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Kenya, Photo of the Week

Although I had been to Diani (a beach just south of Mombasa) last year, this trip was no less exciting and full of an entirely new set of adventures. During one of our many walks on the beach, I started photographing the dhow boats in the water. It was only after a few takes that I realized a fisherman was on one of the boats taking a rest.

More on our trip is to come (like a follow-up video to answer the question ‘Do people on the coast cook with salt water?’).

Village Gossip & Chuck Norris

// December 8th, 2011 // 9 Comments » // Kenya

My alarm went off at six. Still dark out, I rolled out of bed and my feet hit the cold tile floor. Tired but excited for the day, I quickly got ready, stirred the dozing guard awake to open the gate for me, and walked down the shaded dirt road to the bus stop. I was heading out to the village to visit with the boys. Not only was I eager to see them, but we had logistics to work out for our upcoming safari to the coast. Click to Continue Reading

Have you ever seen the ocean?

// December 7th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Kenya

Tonight, the boys and I are leaving for Mombasa. I’ve been staying in Nairobi, but I traveled out to the village yesterday so we could sort out packing and logistics for our safari to the coast. The day’s events deserve a posting on their own but today I wanted to share a video with you from my visit and what the boys think the coast will be like… including a much debated question, “Do people in Mombasa cook with the ocean’s salt water?”

I will warn you that a.) this video is roughly edited, b.) the volume changes in it quite a bit, and c.) it’s fairly long for a blog video. But even though I’m slightly biased, I think you should still watch it because their excitement is hard to miss! And then you can take place in the great debate about cooking with salt water in the comments below :)

(If the video does not show up in your browser, please click here.)

Montage Monday: Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia

// December 5th, 2011 // 9 Comments » // Photo of the Week, Turkey

With less than three days to explore Istanbul, I think I can say we made the most of it. One of my favorite architectural sights in the city is Hagia Sophia, once a Christian church that was transformed into a mosque and is now a museum. This photo is just a teaser of my stopover in Istanbul that I hope to share in the coming days.

On the Road in Utah

// November 28th, 2011 // 8 Comments » // America

From passing a hurricane in Florida to rain and hail storms in the Grand Canyon, we hit a lot of bad weather on our US Road Trip. And, Utah was no exception. I ended up hiking in the rain in Bryce Canyon and feeling chilled to the bone. Was it worth it? Well, it’s amazing how much recovering in a hot tub will do wonders for minimizing painful memories :)  Click to Continue Reading