Our accommodations while we were in Kitale way exceeded any expectations that I may have had. Even though we had been assured by our team leaders that they would ensure that we had a decent place to stay and safe food to eat, I still imagined "roughing it" a bit more than we had to. Karibuni Lodge was cozy, comfortable and welcoming. Karibuni had a main house with a full kitchen, living room, dining room, rooms where the owners lived, a nice back room/porch where we ate our meals, and some guest bedrooms where a few from our team stayed. The other 11 of us were spread out among different individual houses/huts/cottages around the property. This place had some much character and I loved the fact that each of the individual cottages were so different from the other. 
I shared a cute cottage (pictured right) towards the back of the property with three others...a mother and daughter (who I used to babysit for many years ago!) and the Director of Missions from the Chapel. We had one queen bed and two twin beds complete with mosquito nets and a full bath/shower with hot water. Even though I do not normally share a "room" with three others and we all had a decent amount of luggage for our almost two week stay, it really did not feel too cramped. Being that I was in a new place with strange noises, I enjoyed having the other ladies as roomies and the close sleeping quarters. The only part that challenged me was remembering to not drink the water from the sink or let the shower water fall in my mouth. We did have plenty of safe drinking water in jugs available, but it was hard for me to remember to not put my toothbrush under the faucet. I got really nervous after my first shower when I realized that I had let the water get in my mouth. I know that I always spit it out but I was not sure whether or not the dirty water just being in my mouth could still affect me. Thankfully, I never even had a hint of stomach problems while in Kenya. What a relief! Our room (my bed was the middle one in the back corner)
View from our front door
Laundry day in front of our cottage. I loved the wandering sheep everywhere...
Me and my 3 roomies (taking pics and hanging with the sheep one day)
Some of the other accommodation options...
This bamboo hut was my favorite
The outdoor showers (structure on the left), which were completely awesome, by the way!
They lit this fire behind the outdoor showers every day around 4:00pm so that we could have hot evening showers before dinner.
Everyone had indoor bathrooms and showers in their cottages so the outdoor ones were optional. There was something amazing about taking a hot, steamy shower outside...in Africa...when the evening air was cool and crisp...with the faint smell of a fire...sometimes the sound of rain falling on the roof...and the call to prayer echoing in the background from a nearby Mosque because it was Ramadan. If we arrived back from Mattaw late in the afternoon and the fire hadn't been lit yet, I would sometimes just shower in the cottage because I was anxious to get clean. Otherwise, I would have used these every night!
Around the property (I loved the variety of different flowers, plants, and trees)...
Our wonderful hosts, Theresa and Ibrahim
The only challenging part of dinner was having to break out my pill crusher so that I could take my malaria medicine. It was 1. disgusting (yellow powder in water doesn't exactly look appealing) and 2. embarrassing. I was made fun of unmercifully and did not enjoy being the dinner entertainment. I normally take my pills in food that masks the awful taste but applesauce did not even put a dent in the gag-factor to help this one down. I would mix the crushed pull in water and just try to chug it. Of course, that doesn't work for someone who swallows slow as molasses and the smallest amounts at a time. By the end of each pill, I was gagging and everyone was laughing. BUT, at least I didn't get malaria. :)
Karibuni's Pets
Little did I know how much we would be treated to wonderful food! Ibrahim was our chef who created wonderful masterpieces each night for dinner. Sadly, I do not think I have any pictures of his artwork. Theresa made our breakfasts and desserts and even catered to me by making special gluten free pancakes and cakes for me! It was wonderful. In fact, I think some of my fellow team members were jealous of my special desserts...they were pretty amazing. We were so thankful for the delicious food at the end of each long day.
We ate breakfast and dinner each day on the "back porch" with an awesome view of the back yard/hills.
A picture from the back of the covered porch
They had a table that seated 14, which was perfect for our team, so it was great for us to all eat together. I looked forward to dinner each night feeling as if we were outside, hearing the sounds of Africa, and eating a delicious meal by candlelight. It was wonderful. Here's us one early morning at breakfast...
Karibuni's Pets
Malcolm, the monkey
He was obviously tame enough to take food from Theresa's hand, but he did run from us when we got close. For days I would hear that he had been sighted, but I always missed him. Finally, on one of our last days, I got a perfect view of Malcolm. I was quite excited that he cooperated and stayed close. He must have known that it was snack time!
More photos around Karibuni
Hanging out in the morning waiting for our rides to Mattaw
Our guards
Most all houses or properties that we were exposed to in Kenya had gates and guards. It did not necessarily feel unsafe where we were, but it was nice to have the added level of security. I wasn't used to having men walking around with guns, though. One evening I was walking back to my cottage when it was pitch black and one of the guards ... with... his... big... gun... came out from around a house right in front of me. (Of course, some guys would probably say it was not big, but it was TO ME.) I jumped...just a little. :) And then I was embarrassed. I tried to be discreet about taking the picture below of Arnold talking to the guards. Obviously, discreet = a little crooked and something in front of the lens
The cozy living room where everyone gathered in the mornings for devotionals and then hung out in the evenings after dinner. There was a small tv and internet in this room only. I didn't really take advantage much of either except to send a couple of emails home to let my parents know that I was safe and that we were getting home a whole day earlier than I thought. Otherwise, I was busy playing card games with my very competitive teammates.
Theresa outside the house where there was a food prep area and also a small souvenir store
And that is my marathon post about Karibuni Lodge. It was a wonderful home away from home for 9 days.
