I kissed a giraffe and I liked it

More on that later.

I made it to Nairobi! I met a bunch of group members in the Amsterdam airport and even sat next to one on the flight to Nairobi. I had a bit of a scare with visa materials and had to track down a copy of my itinerary, but in the end I didn’t need it to get the visa! Walking out of the airport was pretty exciting; there were dozens of people holding signs, but the SIT people spotted us and eased our worries. They escorted us out to a neat little van (with a banner saying “Jazz Central” across the front, posters on the ceiling, and green neon lights on the walls). They lifted our bags onto the roof, strapped them down, and drove us off into the night.

We were all anxious to see where we would end up. After an hour or so, we arrived at our home for the next 3 days: a Catholic monastery/hostel in the Karen region of Nairobi. We each have our own room complete with a closet, desk, bed, mosquito net, and sink—with safe water! They didn’t tell us at first that the water was fine, so the first time I brushed my teeth a felt like I was being a daredevil. Oh, we have wireless internet, too!

Though it was 11 PM, we were welcomed with a hot meal of rice, fried fish, and pasta. After we had eaten, we all crashed for the night.

           

Today has been incredible so far. After breakfast (cereal, toast, eggs, and a mystery porridge that looked like Malt-O-Meal but tasted like citrus?), we were told the plans for the day: first, the Giraffe Center! Which leads me to the title of this post:

Yes, this giraffe ate a pellet from my lips. But it’s okay, everyone was doing it, and giraffe saliva apparently has antiseptic properties. These guys were so adorable and friendly! We fed them, learned a little bit about the center and its inhabitants, and went for a short walk on the grounds. This place was incredible! (Mom, look into the Giraffe Manor as a potential hotel for when you come! It’s on the grounds. )

Next, we went to a shopping mall to purchase local phones. My new little Samsung can call the US for 3 shillings a minute ($0.03). Much better than the $4.99 it would cost from my Droid!

We returned to the hostel for a lunch of seasoned rice, salad, veggie/potato stew, and some delicious yellow sweet potato thing. I’ll have to ask the names of all these mystery items!

Now we have a little free time until afternoon tea. I’m hoping to explore the grounds a little more.