It has been very rewarding hearing from everyone how much they have enjoyed reading about our adventure. Thank you for your kind words. We are still living in a state of amazement, as when we are asked to describe how our experience was, all we can come up with is words that are all related to fantastic; Roget would be helpful for us.
We can say unequivocally, upon reflection, that the trip was perfect. There was not a single aspect to it that was not exactly the way that we hoped that it would go. It was a charmed week, from beginning to end. Incredibly, the only thing that was not exactly the way it should be was that our last flight was late boarding by about 15 minutes. Literally, that was the only thing that did not go according to plan.
enough cannot be said about the fact that Maddi really did have the time of her life. We will be hard pressed to provide for her an experience that was as rich as this for her soul as this trip was. It is really amazing, but all of the school staff are wondering what has happened, because Maddi has returned to class being able to walk better and stand much better without assistance. Probably coincidence, but who knows if there is a connection. Regardless, she asks to see her pictures daily and to see her videos.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Maddi and a Giraffe at Breakfast
Here is one of many videos showing Maddi having the time of her life with her giraffes. We repeated this ritual every morning for breakfast and every afternoon for lunch. One can really see the joy and utter amazement that Maddi shows as she discovers that she is living in the documentary that she has watched for 2 years. We just wonder now, what will she do when we go to a zoo and she cannot touch the giraffes. We will have to wait and see though, since I think we are staying put for a while. We have figured out that since January af this year, we have been on the road traveling for over 60 days! Clearly, we are in need of some rest and getting things done around the house. Cheers for now. Look for more videos; I will try to post one a day if I get the time.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Last Days in kenya and Coming Home
Here is the link to 500 pictures from the trip:
http://picasaweb.google.com/parkeralbum/MaddiSMakeAWishTrip#
Our last two days in Kenya were magical. Rudy and Marianne, our hosts at the Manor, arranged for us to go to the Rift valley to a warm springs that they know the owners of. They arranged the Kenyan children (Teddy, Linda, and Sylvia) that we played with on Friday to come with us. An incredible picnic was packed and off we went.
We drove through an area that was what is more typical of Kenyan communities. We have been staying in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi, which is quite nice. The Prime Minister and other influential people all live in this area of walled in compounds protected by guards and electric razor wire. Our drive, on the other hand, brought us to an area that was squalid by the most generous observation. Many small shops crowded along the street with vendors selling anything from cell phone time, pool games, sodas, and freshly butchered meat. These businesses are usually in a small shack that is put together with any materials that are available and are not much more than 10-12 feet across. The number of people walking is amazing. Anyways, we drove through and got many double takes. They were amazed to see some Kenyan children driving with us in this tourist van. Everyone was nice and many smiled at us as we drove through.
We drove on until we topped out above the escarpment of the Rift Valley! What a sight. We stopped for some pictures and Julie found some last minute gifts. Bartering has become quite fun. We drove into the Rift and descended down into the most amazing paradise we have laid our eyes on to. We went to a place called Mayer's Farm, a natural spring where volcanically heated water comes out of the earth at about 78-80 degrees. The water is pure, so much so that it is bottled at the source and happened to be the water that we brought with us that day. The place is literally an oasis, covered with Acacia trees, ferns, flowers, and grass. It was more beautiful than Hawaii or any other place we have seen. The water forms into pool, with one shallow for kids and one about 4-5 feet deep. The kids ran down and quickly got in the water. One of the many amazing things about the day was discovering that Teddy, Sylvia, and Linda had NEVER been swimming in their entire lives. The splashed and the joy on their face was contagious. In fact, George, our 40 year old driver, had never been to a place such as this and has never explored the Rift Valley, even though he has to cross it to get home. Since he does not have a vehicle, he has always had to take the bus. We found out that most Kenyans have never been to many of their own parks. None of the staff at the manner have ever been to either Mt. Kilimanjaro or to Masai Mara. To them, ALL of the tourists destinations are financially impossible for them. Anyways, seeing the kids enthralled in their experiences was truly a gift that will never be lost to Julie or I. After an incredible picnic, we walked up a trail to literally the widest tree that we have ever seen. It was a Boa (sp?) tree, which can be tapped for rubber apparently. While not incredibly tall, it had to have a span of nearly 300 feet. So cool!!! We then went back for some swimming in the big pool and some relaxation in the sun. All in all, probably one of the neatest days for us as a family that we have had.
Many bonds have been formed on our trip. The children with the kids, our relationship with Rudy and Marianne, and the relationship that we all made with the Kenyan staff. Knowing that Sunday was our last day, we tried to make the most of it. We savored our last breakfast with the giraffes, trying for that last touch of their long, gentle tongues. We enjoyed the company of the staff that we have grown to love. Any extra time with Cosmos, Peter, and Paul is enough to fill the impending void. Last photographs, an extra cup of coffee, the kiss of a giraffe. Never enough, but as lasting as a stone statue. After breaking our fast, we returned to the room to finish packing and getting ourselves organized for the rest of our last day. We got the boys watching one of their pirated movies (we bought 2 DVD's in Karen for 1000 Shillings (about $12) that have well over 40 Hollywood movies on them, many of which are still in theaters), Julie took Maddie on the front lawn for some more giraffe time and I went into the kitchen.
Ahh, the kitchen...We had been planning on something for a few days. Rudy found out that I know how to make Sushi...and this man lived in Singapore for over ten years, so he has a love for the food. Yet, one can imagine the difficulties of getting Sushi in Kenya. So, he had sent his wife and the chef out for two days scouting out sushi supplies in Nairobi. The old saying is true, where there is a will, there is a way...By Sunday, we had Nori, Gari, rice, vinegar, wasabi, smoked salmon, shrimp, and a wide assortment of vegetables. So, into the kitchen I went to spend a few hours with the cooks. The first thing I noticed was that the great Reggae music that I had been enjoying hearing them listen to was gone. The replacement? Some VERY bad sounding 80's pop from America...Debbie Gibson or something like that....:~(!!! I asked them if they had changed the music for me and they said yes. Much to their surprise, they were delighted to hear me ask them to put the Reggae back on and to hear that I liked it. So, for the next hour, we listened to Reggae and talked about all of the different styles they liked. Their own Kenyan version of Reggae is called "home grown" and is pretty good. With songs like Cocoa Tea's "Barak Obama" playing, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxn9jhypHfo) rolling Sushi with Kassan was a blast. The cooks are incredible, truly masters who picked up the sushi thing incredibly fast. All I had to do was show them once and off they went. In fact, once I got them going on regular and inside-out rolls, I was able to take off with Julie and the kids for a last outing.
We drove around Karen to a few last shops and back to Mat Bronze, an amazingly peaceful bronze work foundry and showplace that has about the worlds most incredible coffee shop. One would be hard pressed to find a nicer place to drink coffee anywhere. With an open veranda looking out to acacia trees, life-sized bronze sculptures of African animals, leather couches, and a cool breeze, we enjoyed our Mochas with George, our driver for the week, as the kids ran around on the grass. All of the coffee drinks are served with sculpted African animal chocolates that they make there. It was wonderful and bitter sweet at the same time, kind of like the coffee/chocolate combination. Knowing that this was our last time with George, we soaked all of the last moments up with him as we sipped our drinks. He is an amazing man, full of grace, wisdom, and that uncanny ability to connect with Maddi. Many times during the trip, he pushed Maddi around while we shopped, or played with Everest and the kids love him. He has one of those souls that when you are in his presence, you know that you have been graced and we will love him forever. Unfortunately, the clock was ticking and we had to get back.
Once back, I helped the guys put the finishing touches on the sushi and we enjoyed our last meal at the Manor. Sushi, giraffes, and the African savanna....No folks, it DOES NOT get any better than this.
Maddi spent the last three hours at the Manor with the giraffes. the boys and I packed up and joined Maddi and Julie on the veranda for cookies, more giraffes, wart hogs, and a lizard and basked in the last African sun. Marianne and Rudy gave Maddi a set of the giraffe embroidered napkins and an incredible hand-sewn giraffe apron as parting gifts, way more than we could have ever expected from them.We were able to get pictures with the staff and some last shots of the Manor and it's giraffes. We got the car packed and tried to choke back the impending tears for the goodbyes. All of the staff came out hugs, tears, and goodbyes were exchanged. As we drove out the gates, we were surprised once again by ALL of the staff waving their final goodbyes. Even now, the moment brings full tears to my eyes. They are some of the most amazing people that we have ever met and have made it a priority to come back as soon as we can. We have fallen completely and utterly in love with the country and it's people.
George drove us our last drive and got us to the airport. With a final tearful goodbye, we entered the world of airplanes and airports that we did not emerge from until 31 hours later. On the way, we enjoyed art galleries in the Amsterdam airport and spectacular views of Greenland. Our limo driver was waiting for us in S.F. and we were all passed out by the Bay Bridge. Ironically, as we emerged from the limo in front of our house, our dear friend Diane was happening by on her way to a cello lesson and she saw us in all of our travel/jet lag/just woke up from a three hour nap glory. We barely remember talking to her and I distinctly remember feeling how difficult it was to sleep. She said that we looked and talked like we had been injected with Novocaine. We said a mumbled goodbye, stumbled into the house, tucked the kids into bed and promptly fell asleep.
Thank you Make-a-Wish for giving our daughter and our family the most incredible experience of our lives. It is true, "Dreams do come true!" For Maddi, there is no possible thing that could have ever been given to her that is more meaningful to her. Thank you, thank you, thank you....
Love,
Maddison Parker and Family
http://picasaweb.google.com/parkeralbum/MaddiSMakeAWishTrip#
Our last two days in Kenya were magical. Rudy and Marianne, our hosts at the Manor, arranged for us to go to the Rift valley to a warm springs that they know the owners of. They arranged the Kenyan children (Teddy, Linda, and Sylvia) that we played with on Friday to come with us. An incredible picnic was packed and off we went.
We drove through an area that was what is more typical of Kenyan communities. We have been staying in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi, which is quite nice. The Prime Minister and other influential people all live in this area of walled in compounds protected by guards and electric razor wire. Our drive, on the other hand, brought us to an area that was squalid by the most generous observation. Many small shops crowded along the street with vendors selling anything from cell phone time, pool games, sodas, and freshly butchered meat. These businesses are usually in a small shack that is put together with any materials that are available and are not much more than 10-12 feet across. The number of people walking is amazing. Anyways, we drove through and got many double takes. They were amazed to see some Kenyan children driving with us in this tourist van. Everyone was nice and many smiled at us as we drove through.
We drove on until we topped out above the escarpment of the Rift Valley! What a sight. We stopped for some pictures and Julie found some last minute gifts. Bartering has become quite fun. We drove into the Rift and descended down into the most amazing paradise we have laid our eyes on to. We went to a place called Mayer's Farm, a natural spring where volcanically heated water comes out of the earth at about 78-80 degrees. The water is pure, so much so that it is bottled at the source and happened to be the water that we brought with us that day. The place is literally an oasis, covered with Acacia trees, ferns, flowers, and grass. It was more beautiful than Hawaii or any other place we have seen. The water forms into pool, with one shallow for kids and one about 4-5 feet deep. The kids ran down and quickly got in the water. One of the many amazing things about the day was discovering that Teddy, Sylvia, and Linda had NEVER been swimming in their entire lives. The splashed and the joy on their face was contagious. In fact, George, our 40 year old driver, had never been to a place such as this and has never explored the Rift Valley, even though he has to cross it to get home. Since he does not have a vehicle, he has always had to take the bus. We found out that most Kenyans have never been to many of their own parks. None of the staff at the manner have ever been to either Mt. Kilimanjaro or to Masai Mara. To them, ALL of the tourists destinations are financially impossible for them. Anyways, seeing the kids enthralled in their experiences was truly a gift that will never be lost to Julie or I. After an incredible picnic, we walked up a trail to literally the widest tree that we have ever seen. It was a Boa (sp?) tree, which can be tapped for rubber apparently. While not incredibly tall, it had to have a span of nearly 300 feet. So cool!!! We then went back for some swimming in the big pool and some relaxation in the sun. All in all, probably one of the neatest days for us as a family that we have had.
Many bonds have been formed on our trip. The children with the kids, our relationship with Rudy and Marianne, and the relationship that we all made with the Kenyan staff. Knowing that Sunday was our last day, we tried to make the most of it. We savored our last breakfast with the giraffes, trying for that last touch of their long, gentle tongues. We enjoyed the company of the staff that we have grown to love. Any extra time with Cosmos, Peter, and Paul is enough to fill the impending void. Last photographs, an extra cup of coffee, the kiss of a giraffe. Never enough, but as lasting as a stone statue. After breaking our fast, we returned to the room to finish packing and getting ourselves organized for the rest of our last day. We got the boys watching one of their pirated movies (we bought 2 DVD's in Karen for 1000 Shillings (about $12) that have well over 40 Hollywood movies on them, many of which are still in theaters), Julie took Maddie on the front lawn for some more giraffe time and I went into the kitchen.
Ahh, the kitchen...We had been planning on something for a few days. Rudy found out that I know how to make Sushi...and this man lived in Singapore for over ten years, so he has a love for the food. Yet, one can imagine the difficulties of getting Sushi in Kenya. So, he had sent his wife and the chef out for two days scouting out sushi supplies in Nairobi. The old saying is true, where there is a will, there is a way...By Sunday, we had Nori, Gari, rice, vinegar, wasabi, smoked salmon, shrimp, and a wide assortment of vegetables. So, into the kitchen I went to spend a few hours with the cooks. The first thing I noticed was that the great Reggae music that I had been enjoying hearing them listen to was gone. The replacement? Some VERY bad sounding 80's pop from America...Debbie Gibson or something like that....:~(!!! I asked them if they had changed the music for me and they said yes. Much to their surprise, they were delighted to hear me ask them to put the Reggae back on and to hear that I liked it. So, for the next hour, we listened to Reggae and talked about all of the different styles they liked. Their own Kenyan version of Reggae is called "home grown" and is pretty good. With songs like Cocoa Tea's "Barak Obama" playing, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxn9jhypHfo) rolling Sushi with Kassan was a blast. The cooks are incredible, truly masters who picked up the sushi thing incredibly fast. All I had to do was show them once and off they went. In fact, once I got them going on regular and inside-out rolls, I was able to take off with Julie and the kids for a last outing.
We drove around Karen to a few last shops and back to Mat Bronze, an amazingly peaceful bronze work foundry and showplace that has about the worlds most incredible coffee shop. One would be hard pressed to find a nicer place to drink coffee anywhere. With an open veranda looking out to acacia trees, life-sized bronze sculptures of African animals, leather couches, and a cool breeze, we enjoyed our Mochas with George, our driver for the week, as the kids ran around on the grass. All of the coffee drinks are served with sculpted African animal chocolates that they make there. It was wonderful and bitter sweet at the same time, kind of like the coffee/chocolate combination. Knowing that this was our last time with George, we soaked all of the last moments up with him as we sipped our drinks. He is an amazing man, full of grace, wisdom, and that uncanny ability to connect with Maddi. Many times during the trip, he pushed Maddi around while we shopped, or played with Everest and the kids love him. He has one of those souls that when you are in his presence, you know that you have been graced and we will love him forever. Unfortunately, the clock was ticking and we had to get back.
Once back, I helped the guys put the finishing touches on the sushi and we enjoyed our last meal at the Manor. Sushi, giraffes, and the African savanna....No folks, it DOES NOT get any better than this.
Maddi spent the last three hours at the Manor with the giraffes. the boys and I packed up and joined Maddi and Julie on the veranda for cookies, more giraffes, wart hogs, and a lizard and basked in the last African sun. Marianne and Rudy gave Maddi a set of the giraffe embroidered napkins and an incredible hand-sewn giraffe apron as parting gifts, way more than we could have ever expected from them.We were able to get pictures with the staff and some last shots of the Manor and it's giraffes. We got the car packed and tried to choke back the impending tears for the goodbyes. All of the staff came out hugs, tears, and goodbyes were exchanged. As we drove out the gates, we were surprised once again by ALL of the staff waving their final goodbyes. Even now, the moment brings full tears to my eyes. They are some of the most amazing people that we have ever met and have made it a priority to come back as soon as we can. We have fallen completely and utterly in love with the country and it's people.
George drove us our last drive and got us to the airport. With a final tearful goodbye, we entered the world of airplanes and airports that we did not emerge from until 31 hours later. On the way, we enjoyed art galleries in the Amsterdam airport and spectacular views of Greenland. Our limo driver was waiting for us in S.F. and we were all passed out by the Bay Bridge. Ironically, as we emerged from the limo in front of our house, our dear friend Diane was happening by on her way to a cello lesson and she saw us in all of our travel/jet lag/just woke up from a three hour nap glory. We barely remember talking to her and I distinctly remember feeling how difficult it was to sleep. She said that we looked and talked like we had been injected with Novocaine. We said a mumbled goodbye, stumbled into the house, tucked the kids into bed and promptly fell asleep.
Thank you Make-a-Wish for giving our daughter and our family the most incredible experience of our lives. It is true, "Dreams do come true!" For Maddi, there is no possible thing that could have ever been given to her that is more meaningful to her. Thank you, thank you, thank you....
Love,
Maddison Parker and Family
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Kenya Day Three to Five
Day 3
More Giraffes
Well, if you can believe it, we get to wake up every morning and repeat the morning ritual. Sit in a gorgeous sun room, drink incredible Kenyan coffee, savor delicious Kenyan fruits, take in the picturesque savanna yard, eat a made to order breakfast, and , oh yeah, feed giraffes the whole time…It does not get old and Maddi is still crawling out of her skin…Her connection to these animals is uncanny. They are sublime creatures and I must admit, I am totally addicted to feeding them and touching them. Truly a marvelous creature. The boys, even though they like the Giraffes, really like the warthogs.
Elephant Orphanage
After breakfast, we made a failed attempt to post the blog at the Internet café (small room with about 6 machines and no coffee…), but they were out of power. So, we went to the Elephant Orphanage. It is in the
Lunch
Ate another amazing lunch…
Jet lag Catches up
Went back to the room at 1:00, laid down with the kids and woke up 6 hours later at 7:00. What a bummer…We felt that we lost out but we just were so exhausted. We ate a small dinner, played some games with the kids, gave them some Benadryl at 10:00 and slept until 7:00 the next morning.
Day 4
Even More Giraffes…
Shopping in the Morning (local
grocery stores, shops, checking out the countryside), arriving back at the Manor with Lynn, one of the very large & famous giraffes from “Tall Blondes”, blocking the road. She was in no hurry to move, so we had to back up the vehicle and (off road it) to go around her….
Lunch with Rudy, then waving to the giraffes and off to….
Shopping in the Afternoon….local artisians/craft shops & Streetwise (an organization set up for street children to create art, sell it, and this pays for their education). I (Julie) got to meet Ishmil (the first boy to be taken off the streets and graduate out of this program). He now helps to sell the other children’s art and works with the kids. I saw an amazing documentary on this earlier this year, so it was amazing to meet him in person!!!
A Traditional Kenyan Dinner (we have fallen in love with the staff and people in this country), not to mention the beauty that surrounds you every day!!!
Day 5
If you can believe it, more Giraffes (You know, Maddi is not getting tired of this)
Kazuri Beads (a business that employs about 380 single mothers her in Kenya
The Coolest Play date ever (three children from Kenya
More Giraffes at the Giraffe Center
Some relaxation and some Rain
Kids out by Seven here…which is 9:00 am your time…we are DOOMED next week…
We found out that tomorrow, after breakfasting with Maddi’s favorite creatures on earth……Rudy & Marianne (our fabulous hosts) have set up a surprise trip to a hot spring in the Rift Valley and our play dates from today (three beautiful, Kenyan children are coming with us for the day)!!! We are planning on picnicking….swimming…relaxing…taking in the country side and maybe going to a traditional African village (I am unsure which clan, but will find out tomorrow).
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Jambo- First two days in Kenya
Amsterdam to Nairobi
-After 21 hours straight, the last leg of the flight actually seemed short. Probably due to the fact that we were mostly passed out for the trip. Emmett fell asleep before takeoff and slept for about 6 hours. Everest was himself, staying awake for almost 24 hours before finally falling asleep. Maddi, Julie, and I slept off and on, mostly off. The food and serviced on KLM was very good. We touched down into
Nairobi Airport and drive to Manor
-We processed through the airport relatively quickly. A very nice man pulled us out of a very long immigration line and asked us to follow him. Having heard numerous times of extortion/bribery schemes at the airport I was a bit nervous. However, he took us to the other side were there was no line and he proceeded to process us through himself. What a wonderful turn of events! Once through, we immediately had a young man who took us to the baggage collection area. He waited with us and after a long time, our luggage finally arrived (all of it, amazingly enough. Apparently, the airport officials “lose” your luggage, and if you do not fill out the right form, charge you $150 the next day when you come back for the “service” of “storing” your bag.). We passed through customs and found George, our driver, waiting for us. After piling all of the luggage into the van, George drove us about 30 minutes out of town to a neighborhood called Karen. We arrived at the manor and stepped out of the van into one of the most beautiful settings in the world.
Our room and the late night dinner
-Our room is very large, with a fireplace, two twin beds, a king bed and comfortable chairs around the fireplace. We have our own bath and our room is off the back of the manor. Incredibly, almost like it was designed, we get to walk trough the kitchen to the rest of the manor. Thus, we have the opportunity to meet the entire staff. We have had the incredible opportunity to meet and get to know Cosmos, who facilitates most of our food/drink needs. More on him and the others later. Once settled, they brought Julie and I a wonderful light meal of scrambled eggs and fresh tomatoes. After approximately 31 hours, we finally were able to crawl into our amazing beds and blissfully fall asleep.
Breakfast with the Giraffes
-Something to be said about time differences. On would think that we would have slept for hours, but we awoke maybe four hours later (we have no clock in our room and did not bring any watches, so we have NO idea what time it is) and waited for dawn to break. The smell here is amazing. Literally, the world here smells like a giant Sandalwood incense. Once 7:00 am rolled around we took Maddi into the Manor to have the long awaited breakfast. There are not words to describe how Maddi reacted when she walked into the room that she has watched hundreds of times on her video and saw the Giraffes with their heads sticking in the room. I will try to upload a video. Maddi literally was happier than we have ever seen her. She was almost convulsing because she was so excited. We had to hold her in the chair as she fed them. The experience is amazing. The giraffes are massive, yet so gentle and incredibly graceful. Their tongues are pretty dry and they have no breath smell. Their fur is incredibly soft and they cry numerous tears (it is how they sweat). We feed them pellets and you can feed them one at a time or by handfuls. You can even put one in your mouth and have the giraffe kiss it from you!!! So, from about 7:00 am to about 8:30 we had breakfast and fed the giraffes. The boys are loving this experience as well. They seem to enjoy the warthogs as much as the Giraffes. There are also Guinea Fowl, Geckos, Bush Buck’s ( a type of Antelope), and numerous birds on the property.
Nairobi National Park
-After breakfast, we went to the
Lunch with the Giraffes
-Upon our return, we sat on the veranda and had coffee and hot chocolate and fed the numerous giraffes. We got to spend a lot of time with
Giraffe Center
-After another incredible meal (we are constantly eating) we went to the
A run in with Jacques
-We were very lucky, as we found Jacque immediately. Often, they have to walk the 100 plus acres to try and find him. He was right at the fence and we got to see how truly immense he is. At close to 22 feet tall and 2 tons, this is an amazing animal to be 6 feet away from. Our guide took us into the enclosure and we got to see much of the local fauna. At our return, we saw Jacque again, being able to get some fantastic photos of him in the trees. As we passed him and walked down the trail, we were talking with the guide, who turned around and told me (with eyes the size of dinner plates) to “watch out!!!” I turned to see Jacque literally about two feet away from me and Maddi. How an animal that big can move SILENTLY through the forest is amazing. So, for the second time in one day, the adrenaline spiked! Luckily, he turned on the trail and moved on. What an experience.
An Early dinner for the kids and Lucy
-Our host arranged for one of the women at the manor named Lucy to watch the kids while we had dinner. She is a wonderful woman who works here at the Manor, who only gets to see her two children about 2 days per month. The kids had their own dinner prepared for them and we got Maddi into bed (Everest was already passed out at this time). So, Emmett and Lucy played with Lego’s, whichg was a first for her. She is probably 30 years old and has never even heard of them. Needless to say, what an eye opening experience for all of us.
The most uncomfortable dinner in the world
-Lucy allowed Julie and I to go the evening dinner, a very formal affair with appetizers and cocktails followed by a candle light dinner. As dinner progressed, we began to feel overwhelmed by the inequalities that exist here. It was a picture right out of 19th century Imperial English Kenya, with African waitstaff in white coats and gloves and a table full of rich, white foreigners. The people that work here (the Kenyan’s) are such beautiful people that have to put up with a work situation that removes them from their families and keeps them in dependant poverty. They have no voice, no economic opportunity, and live in a world with such vast disparities, it was literally too much for Julie and I to handle.
Late Night Fire
-We left the group after dinner and skipped the after dinner aperitifs. We took a very tasty Kenyan cream liquor back to our room and sat by the fire and discussed the nights events. We have to be very careful, but we are going to try and set up something to try to improve some of the people that we have met lives. I know it sounds cliché, but we CAN make a difference in someone’s lives here and we will work out the logistics somehow.
Mosquito Killing
-After passing out, we spent the night fighting mosquitoes (despite the netting, about four got in). I only hope after the five significant bites that I got, my immunizations will be effective. After another sleepless night, we woke up surprisingly refreshed at about 4:00 am, had coffee and fresh Mangoes and watched another African sunrise. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen.
We hope you enjoy the pictures and we will update in a couple of days. Off to the internet café.
I am uploading one image, but connections here are very spotty and slow...So, more than likely, I will have to forego pictures for now and just give descriptions and I will send links when we get back to a web host for the photos and videos.
Please look for another post tomorrow. We have done SO much since I wrote this.
Cheers and Asanti Asana
The Parker's
We are here!!!
I have a great post to put up describing the last couple of days. We are struggling with power outages and not having the right cvonverters. I will put up an extensive post this sfternoon (Kenyan time).
Short version.....INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maddi is having an experience that is unparalled!!!
Look for the post.
We are in love with Kenya!!!
Cheers, The Parkers
Short version.....INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maddi is having an experience that is unparalled!!!
Look for the post.
We are in love with Kenya!!!
Cheers, The Parkers
Sunday, October 5, 2008
We've made it to Amsterdam!!!
Great day so far. We started off with a great ride from Brett the Limo driver. Get this...He has two nephews...named Everest and Emmett!!! Talk about serendipity......Well, I am not really sure what time it is here/there. Here it is about 7:30 am on Monday morning. We had two excellent flights, with all on time and arriving early. The kids have been fantastic. The flight to Europe was great! We flew on an Airbus 330, with individual on-demand video screens at each seat. The kids were enthralled...lot's of Dora and Wonder Pets for Maddi. Thank goodness for Julie's planning, the food has been pretty terrible, but Julie's awesome snacks has kept us all very happy (plus a few travel vouchers that we got on the first flight for some drinks for Mom and Dad...)
Friday, October 3, 2008
Getting Ready for Maddi's Trip to Kenya
Well, the long awaited trip for Maddi's Make-A-Wish is finally about to happen. We had a wonderful party with our local trip coordinators Judy and her husband Steve. Talk about fun! They treated the entire family to pizza and spoiled the kids with tons of activities/toys for the long plane ride ahead. Special thanks to Tricia Litts, our Sacramento coordinator that made all of the arrangements for the trip. At the end of the evening, we were presented with a check to cover all of our expenses for the trip!
Here is the itinerary:
Sunday Morning 10/5/08:
Limo ride to SFO for an 8:15 flight to Minneapolis
Minneapolis to Amsterdam
Amsterdam to Nairobi. We arrive in Nairobi at 9:50pm local time after 26 hours of travel time. We will post and let you know how long it actually took....
Hopefully wake up on Tuesday and play with Giraffes....look here to see where we are going http://www.giraffemanor.com/
Wednesday through Sunday...Giraffes, Giraffes, Girafes...with maybe some elephants at the orphanage, the local warthogs, and a few trips into town to shop at the markets.
We will leave Nairobi on Sunday, October 12th at 10:00 pm local time and will arrive in SF after a layover in Amsterdam around 2:00 pm on Monday afternoon west-coast time.
Limo ride home and then dealing with the jet lag....
Please look for updates. We hope to keep this up to date better than when we went back east this summer.
Cheers,
Maddi and the Parker family
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