On the open road

The safari was amazing, and we took great pictures. This morning, I got this great one of a hippo in the body of water that the hotel is above. If we want other volunteers to come and stay at Wema as an eco-tourism location, it will be nice to show that the guests can also go on an amazing safari while they are here. The internet was also very helpful, and we had made a list of all the tasks we need to accomplish before heading home. Nevertheless, we were all ready to go back to the orphanage today.

However, as always, life is never that simple. Massai Mara is most of a day’s journey away from Bungoma, so the Fairmount first took us in their van to Kisumu, where another taxi driver was supposed to meet us. However, he wasn’t there. We kept calling, and he always insisted he was only a minute away. Finally, two and a half hours later, he showed up in a run-down van, and off we went.

The engine clicked and clacked and roared as we drove along, but we didn’t think much of it. We bumped along for hours into the setting sun and on into the darkness, following the exact path that had taken us here just over a week ago, that is until the car suddenly stopped all together. It was pitch black in the middle of nowhere. The driver tried time and again to restart the engine, but with no luck. He finally got out of the car entirely and got on a motorcycle, without explaining anything, leaving us alone with one other passenger.

We were concerned that the other cars wouldn’t see the van in the dark, so some of us got out, but the other passenger said we should stay inside. She finally explained that he had went to get fuel, so we sat and waited, watching the traffic zoom on by. We finally called the orphanage, and then just waited.

Suddenly, we saw a man’s face approaching the window, knocking on the glass. I heard someone in frint scream in fear, only to realize that the orphanage directors had come find us, and in fact the van had stopped only about 1 km away.

The driver had returned with fuel, and suddenly, after a few tries, the van came to life. We all piled in, and in just a few minutes we were home.

A little adventure, and it is great to be back. Unfortunately, one of the directors has Malaria, but we are all hoping he will feel better soon.