Kolunje Water Supply

I am in a volunteer orginization called Engineers Without Borders. On the Kolunje project, I am a senior advisor to the Rutgers Chapter. Our project here is to drill a water well, and distribute water to points in the community where villagers can go to get their jugs filled for drinking water. Currently their shallow wells dry up in the dry season and drinking surface water causes much illness.
I am here with 4 students, and another senior engineer. For this trip our goal is to meet the community, and gather information so we can proceed with the design. An estimate on the population that we have to serve is 12,000 people.

To Kisumu

Today we took a 6 hour journey by van to Kisumu. The way led through the Great Rift Valley, and Kericho where there were tea farms as far as the eye could see.
We found our hotel called the Milimani Resort. The room is nice. It has air conditioning and a mosquito net over the bed.
We had dinner at a restaurant on Lake Victoria, which is the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world (Lake Superior is the 1st) and the headwaters of the Nile.
WIFI only works downstairs in the TV room so thats where I am now, hangin w/ the folks. Its 80+ deg @ 9:50pm, and one of the guys is sitting on the couch with a winter coat on. This is cold for them. There is no A/C here so the windows are open and the mosquitos are flyin. Luckily, we were told that the mosquitos that carry Malaria only come out between 7:30 and 9 pm. There is no daylight savings time here so the mosquitos dont have to adjust.

Lake Naivasha Resort

On the way out, We stopped by a friend of Peter's that manages a Resort next door. This place has been around since 1902 when it was owned by King George. They have rooms and tents to rent. We had lunch there. The picture is Peter and I.

Lake Naivasha

For a day trip, we went to Lake Naivasha. Its about 50 miles northwest of Nairobi. We went straight to a boat tour. The lake had dropped 30 ft in the last 3 years so we had to drive out to the current lake edge. We went in a small boat and saw hippos and plenty of birds including egrets (2 kinds) eagles, egyptian geese and plenty more. There were also plenty of hippos. I took plenty of pictures, but my camera doesnt have a great zoom so I need to crop the images but I dont have that software on this laptop.

Across the lake we went on a short hike. We saw Giraffes, wilderbeast, impala, zebra, and a bunch of other animals.

dinner- yum

The first night I had to go to a restaurant called "the carnivore" I invited my tour guide, Peter to go with me.

As you can imagine there was plenty of barbequed meat. the waiters kept coming around with different meat on skewers. Pork, chicken, steak, turkey, ostridge, and more. We ate until stuffed.

The picture is me and the chef with the huge bbq behind us.

Arriving in Nairobi

I arrived last night. It was raining lightly, in the 60's. I was met by a recommended tour guide, Peter. He runs Elite Travel, and Jambo Taxi.

For the first few nights, I got a really nice hotel, The Pan-Afric. Its resort-ish right in Nairobi. There is a swimming pool, a bar and a restaurant.

I checked in, dumped the bags in the room and went to the bar with Peter. There was a nice band playing calypso music.

Stayed till about midnight. Its a little late, but body time for me was 2 hours earlier.

Peter met me after breakfast and we went on a city tour and in search of accomodiations for the rest of the EWB group when they arrive on the 6th.

Tonight we are going to have dinner at a restaurant called "The Carnivore" Its famous in Nairobi. Vegetarians not allowed. I will try to get a picture or 2.

Slide show

Click on the link below to see a slideshow of the pictures I took on the trip.


http://picasaweb.google.com/controlsbill/Nepal?authkey=Gv1sRgCOHeoJjk8azM5wE&feat=directlink

Bill