The Road to Mumias

No water since last night. Not from the shower or sink. I had to use my drinking water to wash up in the morning.

Nairobi is in the midst of a water shortage. In the best of times the municipal water authority has never been particularly reliable. With the recent bursting of several large water mains, nightly news reports show long lines of people waiting their turns to fill large jugs with water to use for cleaning, bathing, washing clothes, and, after boiling, for drinking.

Mumias is a small town in Western Kenya, north of Lake Victoria. The scenery en route is beautiful. Most of the road is lined with trees. Part of the "highway" (one lane each way) overlooks Kenya's famous Rift Valley, and the vistas are breathtaking - gently rolling hills, small farms, a patchwork of lush green fields - thanks to recent rains - as far as the eye can see.

The condition of the highway varies. The first 150 kilometers or so is smoothly paved, with each lane clearly marked. Kenyans drive on the left side of the road, so passing is on the right. While our driver was by no means reckless, it's always a bit unnerving watching your vehicle heading straight toward an oncoming van or truck. One of the "perks" of sitting close enough to have a nearly unobstructed view of oncoming traffic.

The next stretch of road is . . . challenging. Potholes of every size, shape and depth cover the road, many courtesy of recent heavy rains. Our driver was determined to avoid these at a ll cost - more out of concern for his vehicle's suspension than for our comfort, I'm sure. It took every ounce of skill he had to manuever the bus around these obstacles, as well as to avoid the cows goats and sheep grazing along the berm who decided to cross the road to visit friends on the other side, AND the occasional large boulders that had not yet been removed following a recent landslide.