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Moving along . . . to Athens
posted Thursday, 7 February 2008
Things are still moving along over here, in many ways.
Things seem very calm around us, which I think is a bit deceiving. There are still reports of violence targeting specific ethnicities, even close to here. It seems strange to think about--every day is a sunny summer day and that seems incongruous with the general feeling of disquietude in the country.
At least today is cold and rainy, which seems to fit more with the events going on around Kenya. :)
Plans are coming into place for my trip to Greece, which is only days away. Yikes! So much to do and so little time.
We are still awaiting approval for my work permit, but while we are a-waiting, my visas are a-running out. In less than a week, actually. And there seems to be no sign of my permit application even being processed, much less approved, in that time. In order to get new visas, I have to leave East Africa for more than 72 hours.
So I have booked my hotel and my flights--all of them. Because things are still iffy between here and Nairobi, at least for the Kenyan drivers, I am having to fly to and from Nairobi. I am just ecstatic-- I loved it so much last time. (see previous post) The flights from Tenwek into Nairobi and from Nairobi back to Tenwek are with Africa Inland Mission (AIM) and since no one else needs to go, I have to pay for the cost of those flights.
In a not-so-funny coincidence, my flights from Tenwek to Nairobi cost almost the exact same total as my flights from Nairobi to Athens. But, then again, my Tenwek-Nairobi flights come with several free sickness bags. . . .so maybe it’s a better deal than I think. :)
I am VERY excited about my trip, at least the part after I get into Nairobi. Right now seems like a great time to go to Athens. They made billions of dollars of improvements in anticipation of the Olympics several years ago and the whole city, supposedly, is infinitely more tourist-friendly and easier to navigate.
After only leaving Tenwek a few times since arriving in August, I am ready for a week away. Most of the time, I love living and working in a small community, but every now and then, it’s time for a break. I am looking forward to going to a big city with sights to see.
And with things the way they are, this might be my last trip out of here for a very long time, so I am making the most of it. I fly into Nairobi Saturday morning--in a day and half!-- but don’t fly out to Athens until early Sunday morning, which means I get to spend the night in the Nairobi airport, which is actually not too bad.
I fly back to Kenya on the following Sunday morning, but will not leave for Tenwek until Monday afternoon--the Mission pilots don’t fly on Sunday unless it’s an emergency.
But thankfully, that gives me time to do some grocery shopping.
Thank you for all your prayers--things are really coming together. I am staying at a hotel with free wireless internet, so I will try to post every few days.
Things seem very calm around us, which I think is a bit deceiving. There are still reports of violence targeting specific ethnicities, even close to here. It seems strange to think about--every day is a sunny summer day and that seems incongruous with the general feeling of disquietude in the country.
At least today is cold and rainy, which seems to fit more with the events going on around Kenya. :)
Plans are coming into place for my trip to Greece, which is only days away. Yikes! So much to do and so little time.
We are still awaiting approval for my work permit, but while we are a-waiting, my visas are a-running out. In less than a week, actually. And there seems to be no sign of my permit application even being processed, much less approved, in that time. In order to get new visas, I have to leave East Africa for more than 72 hours.
So I have booked my hotel and my flights--all of them. Because things are still iffy between here and Nairobi, at least for the Kenyan drivers, I am having to fly to and from Nairobi. I am just ecstatic-- I loved it so much last time. (see previous post) The flights from Tenwek into Nairobi and from Nairobi back to Tenwek are with Africa Inland Mission (AIM) and since no one else needs to go, I have to pay for the cost of those flights.
In a not-so-funny coincidence, my flights from Tenwek to Nairobi cost almost the exact same total as my flights from Nairobi to Athens. But, then again, my Tenwek-Nairobi flights come with several free sickness bags. . . .so maybe it’s a better deal than I think. :)
I am VERY excited about my trip, at least the part after I get into Nairobi. Right now seems like a great time to go to Athens. They made billions of dollars of improvements in anticipation of the Olympics several years ago and the whole city, supposedly, is infinitely more tourist-friendly and easier to navigate.
After only leaving Tenwek a few times since arriving in August, I am ready for a week away. Most of the time, I love living and working in a small community, but every now and then, it’s time for a break. I am looking forward to going to a big city with sights to see.
And with things the way they are, this might be my last trip out of here for a very long time, so I am making the most of it. I fly into Nairobi Saturday morning--in a day and half!-- but don’t fly out to Athens until early Sunday morning, which means I get to spend the night in the Nairobi airport, which is actually not too bad.
I fly back to Kenya on the following Sunday morning, but will not leave for Tenwek until Monday afternoon--the Mission pilots don’t fly on Sunday unless it’s an emergency.
But thankfully, that gives me time to do some grocery shopping.
Thank you for all your prayers--things are really coming together. I am staying at a hotel with free wireless internet, so I will try to post every few days.
comments (2)
2. Joan left...
Thursday, 7 February 2008 10:33 pm :: http://daddysroses.blogspot.com
Great to hear from you today! I will continue to pray for you, of course
-- and especially for safe travel. You will love Athens. I'd love to be
there with you. It is one of the most interesting places we've ever
visited. Try Naples next time - I loved that too!
