Thursday, November 04, 2010

A Week (and a half) in Kisii

When a place is so other, you can be surprisingly aware of its unfolding.  From the first impression to the next is a string of unexpecteds, but the first impression has a lot of staying power - busy and green, green, green.

Things that followed that first impression:
Driving on the left
Storks the size of a large child
The amazing quantity of produce
The fluidity between cars, cows, people, goats and motorcycles
Jaw dropping stares
...followed by huge smiles
...followed by "How are you!?"
The too-long handshakes
Giant bees and bats

Kisii feels like a normal Kenyan town, like Scranton was a normal American town before The Office.  It's fun to be here and peer in on normal days and normal life.  It's a little tiring because Emily and I feel like the most abnormal part of the whole experience.

We walk by the bus station and a chorus of "Where are you going?" announces our presence.  The answer, "Kisii, right here" is met with stunned silence.  I think most visitors transit through as Lonely Planet recommends.  We're staying, at least for a little while.

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