It's no longer a matter of pulling out something clean to wear this morning; it's a matter of finding something less dirty. Carving out time to do laundry has not been our first priority. The buses we've hired to take us to the campsites arrive at the hotel at 7 a.m. For most of us, our day begins two hours earlier. No alarm clocks needed. A very noisy rooster somewhere nearby handles the job quite efficiently and promptly at 5 a.m. The hotel staff provides us with a full and hearty breakfast. It's far more than most of us would have at home, but we will be working hard and it will be a long time until lunch.
By 7:15 a.m., the wheels on the buses are rolling toward the campsites with team members and gear onboard. Nearly an hour later, having threaded our way through rush-hour traffic, we arrive at our destinations and get to work.
In the afternoons, we must leave the camps by 4 p.m. if we want to spend only one hour getting back to the hotel. Otherwise, the commute can easily turn into two hours or more, which in a hot and bumpy bus isn't anyone's idea of a good time. The 8 hours in between sound like a rather short working day, but I would challenge anyone who thinks that to walk in our shoes for just one hour.
Although it's springtime in Kenya, with blessedly cool and breezy mornings and evenings, we are less than 100 miles south of the equator. Once the morning overcast burns off, the sun is intense and relentless. Some of the modern high-rise office buildings in the city center have air-conditioning, but here in the camp it's a different story. So when the heat of the day exceeds 80 degrees, it takes a toll on us all. In addition, Nairobi sits at about 5,500 ft. above sea level. By now, we're mostly accustomed to that, but it still factors in to fatigue.
Once we stumble off the bus back at the hotel at the end of the day, the poolside bar does a brisk business. Although this is a budget hotel (think Holiday Inn before renovation), the pool area is quite lovely and provides a great place to unwind.
Evenings have been times of fellowship. Some have adopted Connie's philosophy: We can sleep when we get home. They've tried different restaurants every night and have enjoyed the wide variety of food that Nairobi has to offer. Others of us, who crave our sleep, tend to stick closer to our hotel/home, where the restaurant does a very creditable job of providing a satisfying dinner. Either way, we have a chance to share our day and our lives and bond ever more closely. For now the laundry can wait.
By 7:15 a.m., the wheels on the buses are rolling toward the campsites with team members and gear onboard. Nearly an hour later, having threaded our way through rush-hour traffic, we arrive at our destinations and get to work.
In the afternoons, we must leave the camps by 4 p.m. if we want to spend only one hour getting back to the hotel. Otherwise, the commute can easily turn into two hours or more, which in a hot and bumpy bus isn't anyone's idea of a good time. The 8 hours in between sound like a rather short working day, but I would challenge anyone who thinks that to walk in our shoes for just one hour.
Although it's springtime in Kenya, with blessedly cool and breezy mornings and evenings, we are less than 100 miles south of the equator. Once the morning overcast burns off, the sun is intense and relentless. Some of the modern high-rise office buildings in the city center have air-conditioning, but here in the camp it's a different story. So when the heat of the day exceeds 80 degrees, it takes a toll on us all. In addition, Nairobi sits at about 5,500 ft. above sea level. By now, we're mostly accustomed to that, but it still factors in to fatigue.
Once we stumble off the bus back at the hotel at the end of the day, the poolside bar does a brisk business. Although this is a budget hotel (think Holiday Inn before renovation), the pool area is quite lovely and provides a great place to unwind.
Evenings have been times of fellowship. Some have adopted Connie's philosophy: We can sleep when we get home. They've tried different restaurants every night and have enjoyed the wide variety of food that Nairobi has to offer. Others of us, who crave our sleep, tend to stick closer to our hotel/home, where the restaurant does a very creditable job of providing a satisfying dinner. Either way, we have a chance to share our day and our lives and bond ever more closely. For now the laundry can wait.
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