" THE TROPICAL DAYS"

This piece of write up excites me everytime i open it. I have been trying to finish this and publish from quite a long time..
Finally this comes out..

March 17, 2009. I got an onsight opportunity. Unlike most of my frnds from IT and stuff, the destination was a "Third World Country" (I concluded this tagline after my experiences of the country)

Destination : Mumias Sugar Company, Kenya.
Route : Mumbai --> Nairobi (by air)--> Kisumu (by air) --> Mumias (By Road 90 kms)
I would like to mention that the destination was 40 kms from the EQUATOR.

THE JOURNEY:

When i arrived in Nairobi i had to buy my visa on arrival and had a transit of 9 hours for the next domestic flight. After getting my visa stamped i was strolling in the Jomo Kenyata Intl. Airport Nairobi in search of a local sim card, some currency exchange and more precisely a beer and a smoke as i was nauseated due to flight.
I had heard the most scariest of the stories about the continent and the people. After the long transit i finally reached Kisumu. It is a small town with an airport big enough to hold not more than 2 flights at a time. I went out and started looking out for my pick up vehicle among 200 people. Finally a guy approached me and said "Mumias?" i was happy and felt safe to find the name of the company i was going to on the cab. It was a green Pevegeot. The driver's name was Bruno. The journey was about 2 hours and already it was dark outside. I started imagining all the worst possible things that could happen to me and there it was the first one. THE RAIN. It started pouring down and i had never seen such a heavy rain all my life. It was as if someone emptying a tanker of water from top. It was pitch black outside, heavy rain, some kenyan music on the stereo, a silent driver and absolutely no street lights and no population for kilometers together.
I broke the silence and asked Bruno if i could smoke. He did not mind and he was not a smokder.
Then we took a turn and there it was the african WRC. After about 3 minutes in the muddy, pitty, wetty road our car got stuck badly, drifting all the way around 360 degrees. Bruno tried his best but it was useless. Finally there was a bunch of ppl there about 30 of them nearby. He called them for help and i was scared as hell. Finally they helped us pull out of the ditch and started banging the door and window for their reward money. He handed the a 50 shilling and rode away. They chased us for about 15 meters as they were not happy with the amount.
I started feeling very scared of my stay in such circumstances for almost 6 long months. Finally around 9 i started seeing lights and houses and hoardings of Mumias Sugar which made me take a sigh of relief. Finally i was at my destination.

THE WORK AND PEOPLE:

I was shown my place to stay, eat and drink by my colleagues who had gone before me. I ate some rice and dal, had two more Tuskers and hit the bed. Next day was my first day at work and i was excited. When i stpped in the work site i understood that my stay is going to be extended much beyond six months as the site was still under construction. First day the work extended upto midnight and it continued for rest of four months. We had hired some local people for manpower from a company called SOI Engg company. The guys were good but too lazy and i feel most of the Africans are. They just wanted Ugali (Maize ball which is the most staple food there),rest, sleep, and women. It was no surprise for me that 60% of Kenyan population was HIV positive. Most common thing which i observed was they stink like anything and everyone sleeps with everyone. They just talk in and around JIG JIG (Sex). I overworked myself and enjoyed it too for the next 4 months among these african people and i liked these guys very much.
They used to call me "Omondi" meaning dusky. Buddies are called "Baana" in their Swahili language. I learnt some more like ;
Hello how are you - Habari Yaku?
I am fine thank you - Mzuri Saana..
Welcome - Karibu
Overall it was a great experience with them. I feel there is no need to be scared of and all the stories whati had heard might be partially true because outside the work place it was a different scene.
None among the Inidans used to go out of the campus after 6. If you go out there used to be people always staring at you, asking you for money (but politely). Even the workers used to harass everyday asking for drinks, money, luch and all but if you say no they would never mind. Half of them were converted into Islam and remaining into christianity. But they never mind they just worry about their tribe
Too much poverty, too much laziness, unemployment, starvation, floods, extreme climatic conditions, epidemics, un educated people, corruption everything is almost 2.5 times that of India if i am not wrong. This is what makes the African countries an underdeveloped, unorganised and backward. This is what made me mention the term "THE THIRD WORLD COUNTRY" in the beginning.

THE CLIMATE:



As i mentioned that the place was 40 kms from the Equator it had the tropical climate. 10 months in a year on an average it used to rain and when it does it happens with full force. There is no word called drizzle in the African or rather Kenyan dictionary. Morning used to be sunny, hot noons, rainy late afternoons and chilled evenings and nights. All the seasons in a day almost through out the year. This motivated and challeged the liver to go for alcohol almost on a regular basis. Red labels, Gentleman Jacks, Amrulas, Tuskers, Peronis, Castle Lagers, JDs, Vats, Captain Morgans and my favourite "Guinniess".
Nature is wonderful. Climate is extreme but superb. Mosquittos are extra large and can eat flies, and most importantly i want to mention that African sky is the most beautiful sky i have ever seen. Every evening you can see a bright colorful sky.
Infact there were too many places to visit african safaris, water falls, jungle resorts etc. Unfortunately due to heavy work load i could not even visit a single place.

THE DISEASE< MEDIACTION AND RETURN

After exactly almost 3.5 months of my stay i had gone week due to over work load (physical) insufficient food, as we used to get only limited rice and dal as food all day, no hotels or eateries nearby, importantly vegetarian food habit which did not allow me to eat Ox, Bull and other mammels and birds. I caught fever one day and i was forced to see a Kenyan medical practitioner as Indian paracetamols did not work for the virus inside me.This was a nightmare. The system there was u will be asked for symptoms it will be fed in a computer and it blinks Maleria/Typhoid and you will be given the respective medication. My illness was diagnosed as maleria and i was injected an antibiotic with an air bubble in the syringe and prescribed for 500 mg antibiotics for 3 days on daily thrice basis. By the end of 4th day i started vomiting blood, getting black outs, as there was nothing in the body. I almost thought i am going to die. I had lost 17 kgs. Finally on my 2nd visit to the so called DOC. I was injected again. After 7 days i started feeling better and my colleague started to get into trouble. Fortunately the factory had its annual maintenance shut down the next day. We thought of coming back as we could not continue with this condition of health. So we changed our tickets to the first flight of the next day. I returned back on 18th July 2009.

GIST:

Overall a wonderful experience. Beautiful country. Beautiful nature. Sad part is i missed Masai Mara - The world's best safari. Memories of the trpoical for the rest of my life. Hoping to visit again some time...