One of the things that has made life so enjoyable, and Marilee and I so compatible, is a spirit of adventure. Whenever we can, we like to do new things, with new people, in new places and, in Marilee’s case, speaking new languages. In addition to the normal tourist attractions we like to try new foods like Guinea pig in Peru and street food in China...we try anything on a menu we’ve never seen or heard of... we wear native clothing when it’s distinctive or provides protection from thieves or molesters...we try local buses, trains, ferries, helicopters and balloons ... visit grocery stores and pharmacies, visit local art galleries, bookstores, jewelers, and concerts... climb stairs and mountains ... drink only local beer, wine and fruit drinks, even Peruvian chicha ... We call them “adventuras” ... adventures. Our trip through the native district of Nairobi was an unforgettable adventura.

    It began back home in Shell Beach when our new neighbors learned we were going to Africa, via Nairobi, Kenya. They were sponsoring a young native girl in the slums of Nairobi so she could go to a Catholic school; they gave us 6,000 Flintstone Vitamins to deliver to the school, since vitamin tablets were very scarce in Kenya. Since we travel light, two carry-on size bags for a month on the road, we carry an extra empty suitcase suitable for packing whatever art we decided to bring home. This time it was filled with bottles of vitamins (looked at very suspiciously by  customs). When we got to Nairobi and called the school, a van, driver and man and woman from the school (all natives) brought the sponsored girl to our hotel, planning to pick up the vitamins. We insisted  on delivering them ourselves...”We want to see where they’re going.” Marilee and I are always polite and respectful when dealing with people in foreign lands, but we can also be persuasive.

    “O.K.,” they finally agreed, but explained that we would be traveling a few miles deep into a very poor African area. “Don’t open the windows; don’t stick anything out the window; don’t pay attention to vendors; keep doors locked; don’t even think out getting out of the van. This is not an area for white people. ”

    Thus warned, we were off...another adventura.   

    I took hundreds of photos...through closed windows while driving over badly rutted dirt roads. More often than not, the results look like they were taken through closed windows while bouncing down badly rutted dirt roads. There are a few photos of downtown Nairobi and a few of the school, but the heart of this collection is the fortitude, inventiveness and resiliency of people living in truly horrible conditions.