Coming to Africa

Many of you might have noticed that I am indeed in Africa at the moment and that I am most pleased to be back here. It is even more beautiful than I dared to remember, they do say longing makes the heart grow fonder. I have been up to quite a bit, about time I’d share some of my adventures with the world.

On my way down from Warsaw to Nairobi, I made a little 12hr stop in the UAE. Since I was spending half a day at the airport, I thought it a shame if I didn't have a quick look around to see what this Dubai fuss was all about. I saw the Burj al Arab and the Burj Khalifa, both very cool structures, and did a bit of general sightseeing from the window of the cab on the way. The thing that struck me about Dubai is how much it resembled a lunar space station, with everything located indoors and air-conditioned to escape the horrifying heat (I mean, they even do their skiing indoors). Even the train stations looked like something positively out of Star Trek.

With that experience at my back it was time to head to more familiar venues. Just as midnight Dubai had been surprisingly hot, so midday Nairobi was peculiarly cold, and it only got worse as I headed up to good old Kijabe. Although the weather was cool and the oxygen very scarce (the school is located 2200m above sea level), it was good to be back to Rift Valley Academy. My first couple of days back I thought the place had changed so much, everything seemed different than it had been when I had left, all but the caf food of course. Although there had been a bit of change, as the days went on, I realized RVA was pretty much still the same, the change was rather with me. The musical talent on show at concert still held high class, the awkward clapping between every silent moment still there, the science pond’s ecosystem continuously ravaged by intruders, the scarfing just as uncomfortably brutal as ever etc. RVA the place hadn't changed, but RVA the people had. No wonder then, as the days went by and the alumni poured in, that RVA started to feel more and more familiar. My RVA was back, having flown in from all corners of the world.

The following couple of days were filled with catching up with old friends and seeing how each person had adapted to becoming a college person. Plenty of stories and laughter were shared, with a couple new great memories being made in the process. The greatest new memory that all of us who had made it back got to share was undoubtedly witnessing the marriage of two of our classmates. The two high school sweethearts had chosen a lovely location for their special day, and it couldn't have suited their personalities better. Under a grand African tree, with the wildebeest, zebras and giraffes grazing in the distance, and the birds hunting for fish in the lake behind us, the beautiful barefoot couple took their vows.  The after party was held at a charming bungalow by the lake, where we were treated to entertainment as varied as Masai wedding blessings and German folk music. In honour of RVA and its rules, after the feast we all paired up and danced around the newlyweds, as un-choreographed and freely as we possibly might, there was even room for some Azonto! As the sun began to set over the lake, it was time to send our newly married classmates of to their honeymoon. With rice still in their hair and a smile from ear to ear, they drove off into their future atop a white Land Rover, proper MK style.

I've had a wonderful time coming back to Kenya and getting to see so many of my old friends and getting witness a wedding as charming as any I've seen. My time in Kenya draws to a close, but my stay in Africa continues, as I board the plane to Mozambique on Wednesday, having not been back there for more than two years. Looking forward to seeing my parents, snorkeling in the ocean, and realizing how much Portuguese I have forgotten!