Shopping In My Sleep

After five abandoned bags, four days of travelling, three uncaring airlines, two long layovers and one missed flight, I finally made it to Nairobi.  (HA!  Best 12 days of Christmas EVER!)

Only one more task lay between me and my goal of getting to Tenwek  - my home for the next two years: the big shopping trip.  Because Tenwek is ~ 200 miles from Nairobi, a large degree of planning goes into food shopping.  Food staples – flour, sugar, rice- can be bought in nearby Bomet.  Some fresh produce is available at Tenwek, as well: potatoes, carrots, pineapple, bananas.  However, the majority of food stuffs – meats, cheese, dairy and other “necessities,” are purchased in Nairobi.  The trip is only made every 6-8 weeks, so quantities purchased are large, the bill is high and it can be quite a change for someone who is accustomed to running to the grocery twice a week.

Add in the fact that I had had no sleep, had only stepped off the plane a few hours earlier and wasn’t completely sure what was in the bags I repacked at the airport - and you have a mumbling, drooling recipe for disaster.  Thank goodness I had two Tenwek veterans there to help with the shopping or I may have come home with 56 packages of Ramen noodles (which I was happy to see they have here; they are about $.50 each!)

In the end, I had 3 shopping carts loaded down with $750 worth of goods!  I purchased household items: laundry basket, trash can, soap, cleaners, Kleenex, etc.. and food: canned veggies and fruit, cereal, oatmeal, bread, cat food, sugar, peanut butter, milk, soup, etc.  Then it was off to another household goods store for towels and rugs.  Cha-ching!  On the following day, cold foods: yogurt , cheese ,more produce: apples, oranges, lettuce,  and meat: chicken and beef, were purchased. 

My well-stocked kitchen cabinet!

I have never owned so much food in my life.  And it is very daunting, not knowing when you will go food shopping again. 

The milk here is one of two ways: you can either buy it locally straight from the cow – unpasteurized with the cream still on top OR you can buy it in boxes in the store.  The boxes do not need to be refrigerated until opened.  The box milk is okay with cereal, but it tastes funny to just drink.  Cereal here is expensive and it is difficult to get US brands.  I will likely be eating either yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.

Some pictures of my new kitchen:

Will follow with more pictures of my new home!