A weekend in the villages

Over the week, I invited myself at my colleague place, at her village. She kindly accepted to host me there, in the rural place where she lives with her family.

In Kenya, it is very common that people who live in the city have an original place in the villages. That's not surprising, if we think that urbanisation is quite a recent phenomenon in Africa. So, along the last month, it happened often that while people were speaking with me about Kenya and kenyan lifestyle, they mentioned "the villages", "the place I come from", "the rural" as the quintessential place for Kenyatude. Could I miss seeing this?

We leave Eldoret on a matatu, a small bus. This is the most common mean of transport in Kenya.  They have maximum 12 seats, and they should be half capacity with covid. All seems to proceed fine, while leaving the city. But once arrived in the outskirts, the matatu stop at the border of the street and at least 15 people come on board. With no mask, obviously. We are squeezed. The conductor, which is the man who is recruiting passengers by shouting the destination while hanging to the open door of the bus, tell them that "who doesnt have a mask dont have to speak because they cant open their mouth ". 😄😄😄 I think he is saying this to reassure me, because I tried to complain saying that matatu should be half capacity with covid. But everyone laughed. "Mzungus...".

Anyway, keeping our breath on hold and squeezed like sardines we reach the junction with the road which will take us to the village. It is now time for a boda boda. A motorbike. Ok, I know the other day I said I wouldn't use it ever, but in the villages there is no solution.  So, let's go. My colleague praises the guy to drive slowly because "she is not used to this". I felt so posh....

Anyway, He seems to receive the message,  and we set off long the spacious muddy road which cross this vast land. We are at the border with Nandy county. This area is so green and its inhabitants are all farmers who live almost exclusively of the products of the earth. It is just so beautiful. All is green. Especially, all is so tidy and cared for. Each plot,  meaning each property is fenced. Each owner keeps the surrounding so neat and clean. There is no plastic. There is no "development". All is so natural. All is so much from the Earth. Passing by with the motorbike, I can see bananas trees. Avocados trees. And the new mais crops, just sown but already flourishing thanks to the rains. I think my eyes are just so amazed, but so confused at the same time. They feel like there should be other colours then the green of the vegetation and the brown of the soil...

We arrive at my colleague place. I kind of regret going off the motorbike. It was cool. With the wind in my hair and a very freed spirit.....

The property is quite big and it is divided in different plots. The bananas field. The maize field. The veggies field. The field for the cows. The field for the chickens. All is surrounded by tall, slender trees. They seem to protect the area from external interference, but actually everything looks so peaceful and quiet here. Such a slow motion lifestyle. Such an authentic reconnection with the ground. With the earth...

The only threat is actually the eagle. African eagle. It is on one of the trees, observing the little chicks. My colleague tells me that it kills a chicken a day...

There is a main house, and then lot of satellite little houses in the surrounding. They are all made with mud and soil stuffed into a wood structure. But they look so smooth and refined that you would guess is cement. One of the little house is were we will sleep. One is the kitchen, traditionally separated from the rest of the house to compartmentalised the smoke from the fireplace. 

Then one is the food storage: maize, which is the base of UGALI, which is the base of Kenyan diet, is planted once a year, so they need to store it well for the all season. After a good meal - rice, potatoes, lentils - we go milking the cows. I tried, and it wasnt particularly successful.  My colleague was doing it in such a spontaneous way, but to me it felt like I was pulling these poor utters too strongly- and I was scared of making the cow in pain.😄😄😄

A beautiful walk followed, across the village and then along the colonial railway.  Then up til the new highway which they are building to avoid traffic jam in Eldoret. We walked for kilometres. I, my colleague and her beautiful sisters. We actually went too far with no other solution to come back than trespassing someone land. My hosts were so scared, and they told me that land and property is a big thing in Kenya!

The weather was actually good, because was cloudy and thus not soo hot to be walking, but it didnt rain. 

It is raining now, though, while I am in my friend's bed, under the mosquito net, under the metal sheet roof of her little house. It is raining mildly, but the roof makes it feels like apocalyptic. 

I will let the rain cuddling me, now. 

It was such a beautiful, authentic, simple day.