Apa, Sopa. Takwenya, Iko.

This is going to be more lackluster than usual. I'm tired and don't have many words though I hope you enjoy my little journey.

Saturday morning bright and early we set out for visits. First, we went to Peace House Secondary School. It was nice and their mission and projects are cool, but the best part is the Volunteer Coordinator that we were touring with is from Daingerfield - right down the road from my home town.

From there we started on the longest drive so far to Mondouli. We stopped there for water then headed to the Maasai market/homestead of Mondouli Jou. It was a long way up this hill on the bumpiest road yet complete with hairpin turns. It is market day so all along the way there are people dragging animals and carts of goods to market. Coming up the drive a Masaai market is something to see. The landscape is brown with hits of green against the bluest sky, then you see red...lots of it. Warriors dressed in traditional fabric and women with full beaded regalia selling vegetables. The long and short of it is that we went to the market and got strange looks as usual. I think I even got cussed out in Kimaa, but since I couldn't understand her, I'm only guessing.

We went on a long tour of the area; up and down and back again. It was something to see. Most notably was the drinking water source: a small pond in a rocky alcove covered with green slime and pollen. Yum. It was rather depressing to see. Small kids were hauling this water up the hill for drinking and cooking with. The only thing I could think about was doing a culture to see what was growing in it. I probably don't need to know.

To explain the title: those works are traditional Kimaa greeting and their replies. There is a whole host of rules that go along with who you say what to when and what the appropriate response is.

The day was absolutely gorgeous though. And I'm out of words... :)