Magadi and More

Three weeks and counting before our exodus from Nairobi to the promised land of....Najile! This past weekend we had a great time with our small group from Nairobi Baptist Church (see pictures below/above). The plan was to go to lake Magadi (Emakat for you Maasai-speakers) to see the sights, then go out to eat along the way. The drive was about 100km each way, and takes a solid 2-3 hours. The trip organizers had rented a large van for us all to ride together which made the drive lots of fun. Steph had made chapitis (yummy Kenyan tortillas) as a snack and they were well received by all.
After a few hours of driving we see the large lake, mostly dry, and the ground is white. Magadi is known for its soda-ash which can be refined down to salt, and the plant is one of the (if not the) largest salt producers in the world. The salt just sits on the dry lake bed and then the company refines it. As we drive in, however, we quickly realize Magadi is not exactly a touristy town. Everything is owned by the company and it is clear that outsiders are not exactly welcome. We drove down to the local country club and were told that we were not allowed in (as temporary members). There were no attractions or tours to be had so we found a pull off spot to take some pictures ("snaps") of the lake. Within a few minutes, a guard came to tell us to stop taking pictures and shoo-ed us away.
So we turned around and headed out! On the way back to Nairobi, we stopped at an archaeological site where early-man remains were found. The tour guide abandoned us after the first tour spot, to the chagrin of our friends. One (Mary) reamed out the guy in swahili, and reported him to the government on Monday (as he was a government worker). This was definitely a trip highlight!
Before we went home, we stopped to get some dinner at the Olepolos Country Club, which was a restaurant run by a local Maasai man. The view was breathtaking as we sat on the top of a hill overlooking the Rift Valley. The food was also good, ala Gitihiri market, and we enjoyed lots of meat! Steph and I also had a couple chances to try our Maasai as a few Maasai men came to sell us various handicrafts.
We arrived back at Charles and Malaika's house around 7 and then enjoyed some Masala chai (ginger and cardamom I think) and good conversation before going home. When looking back at the day, there was no single event that seemed to be a "great time" as the lake was hostile towards us and the dig site had no real artifacts, just holes and dirt. But, in all, it was enjoyable to spend time with friends and explore Kenya together. We hope that someday our small group will be able to visit us in Najile, maybe even hike Mt. Suswa together. Praise God for a group of friends who were willing to welcome us to their homes and share their lives with us.