The Last of (this) Africa Trip

My last few days in Africa:

After the day at the Giraffe Center and all around Nairobi, I took it easy on Monday, first in the garden of the lovely Wildebeest Lodge.

I also spent a while at my favorite Nairobi chain, Java House, at the Junction Mall branch.  Excellent people watching.

I stopped at Uchumi, one of the big Kenyan superstores, on the way back to Wildebeest to buy sanitary napkins for the orphanage that the lodge is affiliated with.  It's common for girls to stay home from school while menstruating because they lack the sanitary supplies necessary to attend school without embarrassment.  Some drop out all together.  In a country where school attendance for females is already low, the last thing they need is one more reason not to go.  Providing sanitary napkins can be a way to promote school attendance for females.  Since I've been working at a maternity hospital for the last month, this seemed like an obvious way to to contribute something to Kenya.

Luckily, they were running a back-to-school special on sanitary napkins at Uchumi, and I was able to buy a lot of days worth of school attendance for girls.  Much to the amusement of the Kenyan girls in line behind me at checkout.

The highlight of the day, though, was definitely going to the ultimate Nairobi tourist experience, Carnivore, with some people I'd met at the hostel.  Carnivore can be summed up in one word.  Meat.

My plate, as I began to slow down my meat consumption and it began to pile up.  There's lamb, beef, crocodile, ostrich, and who knows what else (and which parts of what) on there.  It was delicious.

Would definitely recommend the Wildebeest Lodge to stay in Nairobi.  Two resident dogs (Fatty and Barney) and a resident baby (the owner's son Ollie).  Comfy lodgings, interesting people.  What more can you ask for?

 

On my last day, I spent some time wandering around Nairobi.  Felt relieved I didn't meet this end.

 

Stumbled on the Kenyan Anglican cathedral.

 

Saw signs for Kenya's recent constitutional reform.

 

Admired an old-school tow truck.

Thought about staying, but got on an 18 hour flight back to the US.  Saw one last African sunset.

 

Got back to D.C. in time to have lunch with Jess and make sushi with Anthony for dinner.

Caught the midnight bus back to NYC, arriving just in time for my first Community Health clinical.  It's at a community health center in Queens that serves a low-income population, primary with pediatrics, prenatal care and family planning, especially for teens.  Much more interesting and relevant to my interests than any other clinical I've had so far.  

Part of this course is writing an in-depth paper on the community you are working in.  As part of this, we did a community walk during the afternoon of the first day, wandering around looking in grocery stores to see what kinds of food are available, the libraries, what religious institutions there are and so on.

Saw someone on the subway who reminded me why I like New York.  Is that a jet pack?

 

Have been catching up on doula business--I have two definite clients in the next couple of months to do prenatal visits with and several potential clients to meet.

Went to pick up an ecstatic Eskimo in New Jersey and squeezed in a Ridge High School vs. Immaculata High School football game.

Had my friends Nate and Seth over for dinner, partly to catch up after a month away and partly to have an excuse to use the new dining room.