Day 6, 7, 8?

Starting to lose track here.  The day after our safari was uneventful.  Did some internet, did some shopping, and took Saids family to dinner.  We went to the local Maasai market where the stuff is mostly hand made.  I got something very nice for my family after bargaining the guy down to the point that even Said was impressed.  China prepared me well.

Then the next day we drove to Kijabe.  It was two hours from Arusha to the border between Kenya and Tanzania.  The land in Tanzania is just stunningly beautiful.  Endless green pastures, rolling hills; looks like Microsoft Windows wallpaper. 

Then its two hours once in Kenya to Nairobi, from the border.  Kenya is much more barren and unforgiving.  Lots of quasi desert almost.  Very dusty, very hot.  Humans are the only mammals that have sweat glands over the whole body, and standing upright allows us to minimize sun exposure.  Being in Kenya makes me understand how we could be persistence hunters.  That is, early humans just relentlessly chased prey in the heat of day.  It's essentially a contest to see who succumbs to heat exhaustion first.  But the prey animals are covered in fur, can't sweat like we can, can't carry water, and have more sun exposed surface area.  But its not until you feel that sun and notice a complete absence of water when you really see why we won that contest. 

Then after two hours to Nairobi, it took probably another four to get to Kijabe when it should have taken one, because like I posted before, the traffic was just PAIN.

Today was our first full day in Kijabe.  The hospital here is part of AIC international I think, which is a Christian missionary group.  The children's hospital is under a special international designation too, but I forget exactly what.  We toured it today with a Vanderbilt and UAB-trained pediatric surgeon, Dr Hansen.  He is fresh out of training and actually moved here with his wife and four young kids, and they will be here at least two years, possibly more.  Dr Hansen and his wife had Colleen and I for dinner tonight at their house, which is all of 60 yards from the hospital.  It overlooks a gorgeous valley, and they get balloons in their back yard.  Excellent meat loaf and salad tonight.

Kijabe is very high in altitude.  It is thus cooler, esp at night, and very windy.  In fact I think Kijabe means windy in Swahili.  But that is good, because its much easier to sleep, and fewer mosquitoes.  Although today a huge cargo container arrived from the states full of stuff for the hospital.  We spent 2-3 hours moving I think, and it was more tiring than it should have been because of the thinner air.  Or maybe I'm just old and out of shape.

Tomorrow we are actually going back to Nairobi to watch Dr Hansen do a couple quick ped surg cases in the Coptic hospital there.  Hopefully we will get out before rush hour!  I don't want another 'Nairobi Headache' which is what happens when you breathe that much exhaust.