Not a good start to the day, but one that ends well!

Ergh – not a good start. As I reach immigration at Nairobi airport, the officer asks what I’m doing in Eldoret. I’m half asleep, and not thinking straight after the long flight. I tell him I’m working at the Moi University (rather than telling him I'm volunteering for the Global Network NGO). He asks me for my work permit, so I explain awkwardly I don’t have one, so he tells me I need to go to the immigration offices in Eldoret, and get a “special pass”. He stamps my passport for a 1month stay. I don't get it though, why was it fine when I entered the country back in July? There's no arguing with the immigration officers though.

Chris is waiting to pick me up at Eldoret airport, and drives me to the immigration offices. The immigration officer in Eldoret can’t see a problem with my visa, as I have one lasting the entire year. I asked if he can stamp me in, until the end of my stay, but he refuses, and tells me to come back after a month. I’m hoping all will be ok when I go back in a month’s time, and they don’t deport me, or put me in jail.

I arrived at work, exhausted. I was sent home early, as all the travelling just caught up with me, and I was just falling asleep.

When I got back to the guest house, I was just about to fall asleep, when JJ arrived home! She explained she was going running with Jesse tonight (a Kenyan nurse student), who was looking after her and Tess during their stay. I couldn’t resist inviting myself along, excited to experience running with a Kenyan, the elite runners, and find a better route than the Ugandan road! 

We ran to the Eldoret club, where there was a field to run round. It was hard work. Jesse was keen to do some exercises after running 2 laps of the field…it killed me! I realised my fitness needs some work! It was starting to get dark, and the mossy’s were coming out, so Jesse knew a short cut back and JJ cooked for us all - pasta with tomato and morzella..was yum. Tess (my other house mate) had been out working with AMPATH in the villages, so didn’t get back until 7pm. Jesse stayed for dinner. We chatted about the Kenyan culture and how the Kenyan wife must cook for the rest of the family; the perception of African families, i.e. the bigger the family, the richer they are. Was a really nice welcome back home to Eldoret, despite the bad start!