Day 5 - Sunday 9th May

We had breakfast in the Thorn Tree cafe within our hotel, the Sarova. There is a young – but tall - Acacia tree growing right in the middle of the cafe and stained glass round the outside walls very much in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Eating here makes a very pleasant start to the day.

We were kindly picked up by Jon and Jo to go to their church - Karen Vineyard, 20 minutes drive away. Driving through the National Park, we had to slow down rapidly for a family of warthogs crossing the road .... and on the way back similarly, for a family of baboons!

After the service we met some Sudanese refugees. They had got up before dawn that day to walk to church from Kawangware, about 10 miles away. They were students who had missed a lot of schooling in their early life and were trying to complete their education in Kenya. One of them said he wanted to be a doctor but I suspect that that is a complete pipedream. Within a minute of talking with another, he was asking whether “someone like you could support me through my further education?” I was taken aback. “But I don’t even know you,” I said. “Oh, my name is Philippe!” he replied as if that gave me the knowledge I needed. Jo said later that they are pretty much unemployable and desperate. The only thing they’re good at is walking. They came to Kenya by walking from the Sudan, miles and miles. Very sad.

In the afternoon we took a taxi to the “Yaya Centre” which Jon had told us was where the Masai Market is held on Sundays. It was hot with the overhead sun beating down – we used an umbrella as a parasol.

I found stalls selling beaded baskets and beaded bowls which I was looking for to take home as presents for friends and family. I enjoyed the bartering which Jo had taught me. It goes something like this:

Me: How much is this?

1500 Kenyan shillings!

Bei gali sana! (Far too expensive!)

OK - 1400 KES!

Kidogo! (That’s only a tiny amount less!)

OK what would you pay?
100 KES!

What??! That’s far too little! Look at all the work that’s gone into it!

....then it goes forward and back for a bit until I say:

700 KES – Bei musho (my best / final price)

... and hopefully both of us walk away feeling we’ve done well!

There was an abundance of stalls – and not too many tourists this time of year so everyone was begging us to look at their wares. I came away with most of the gifts I wanted to take home so I was delighted!