Dec. 26 - Day 11
Today was sort of a lazy
day. Slept well, got up around 7 and wandered the grounds. Again, this place is
beautiful. Mango’s dangle from the trees, while others soar to towering
heights. 
Oranges and bananas are also plentiful. I found my way to the river
and just delighted in the chirping birds and abundant flora. 
Sipping coffee on a deck
overlooking the river, I could see the tree tops swaying as monkeys swung
through the branches.Breakfast was a fabulous buffet with everything one could want, plus fresh mango, banana, pineapple and watermelon.
We did some laundry in
the tub and hung it out to dry, then decided to hike into town to the local
market.
This was NOT a tourist
market, but the actual shopping center of this area. The place reeked from the
two butcher shops and several hunks of raw meat swung from hooks inside.
Garbage lay strewn across the dusty street and people flung buckets of who know
what from their shop stalls into the road.
Kathryn was looking for
a skirt in the colorful materials all the girls here wear. We found a tailor
shop with two types of material – K’tanga and Kanga. The difference being the
weight and softness of the material.
The tailor wanted 15,000
shillings for the bolt Kathryn wanted; he could make her the outfit she wanted on sight,
but he needed a couple days and we were leaving in the morning.
We cruised around and
found some Kangas that Kathryn two of her friends.
Then we kept asking various tailors and finally found one who said they could
make the outfit for 15,000.
We went back to the
first guy and haggled for the material that Kathryn wanted, finally paying
10,000. It was K’tanga and much softer than the 5,000 shilling piece we bought
earlier.
We take the material
back to the tailor and he takes the measurements and promises to have it ready
at 8am tomorrow.
We also bought Kathryn a pair of earrings and a bracelet that loops up her arm in about 20 loops. They may be hematite. The cool thing is – this is not tourist stuff, these people don’t get tourist. In fact, we were quite the celebrities being white Americans and all. Anyway, this is the real stuff that the people wear, not what they pawn off on visitors.
The set is black and the
lady tells us it will look great against Kathryn’s white skin. She says since
she is black she likes to wear bright colors. The price for both is 5000
($3.50) I try to dicker, but she says – “this is not Wuzungu price (white
people) same price for all people. God likes it that way.”
We look around the
market at the veggies, fruits, live chickens, etc. but it is really hot today –
like Africa hot! – and the smell is getting to me so we take off.
We return to the hotel
for lunch, and then had a nap. Kathryn’s tooth starts giving her little twinges
of pain. Not only is it after 5pm, but today is Boxing Day, a holiday, so
everything is closed.
We want to see a
dentist, so Joe, the manager on duty – a Maasai – walks us to the local mission
clinic. I had seen it earlier on our way to the market.
Their dentist is not on
duty today but a doctor looks at it and advises Kathryn to take Tylenol against
pain and see a dentist when she can. She does not seem concerned with us
waiting a week.
Joe is very cool and we
have a long talk with him while sipping beers in the dining hall. He named his
daughter Oprah cause at 6 months old she was only happy when the TV was on.
I saw a blue monkey
(name not color) high in a tree on the walk back. He was kinda big like the
baboons we had been seeing.
Kathryn had some Tylenol
and a gin and tonic and her pain has gone away. I am a tad concerned that
something worse will happen when we are not so close to aid – like the tooth is
broke deeper inside and the nerve will become exposed, etc. We may head to a
dentist in the morning if it is at all feasible.
She is being very brave
and I am proud and impressed with her fortitude. On the other hand I don’t want
her to be “bravely stupid” and end up making things worse.
No comments:
Post a Comment