Marsabit 2

I’ve spent the last twelve days in Marsabit and have two days left here. As far as research goes, the trip has been productive. I’ve spent my days traveling around the town and mountain area interviewing old people about what Marsabit used to be like when they were young, or even when their parents were young. All of them are quick to point out how much better life used to be, which I think is a combination of truth and nostalgia, though it seems mostly truth. Generally, national independence has not been kind to the northern parts of Kenya, which have been ethnically and economically marginalized by the government. The region’s population and its resources have hardly been managed, and the current drought makes this failure a common topic of conversation. Here, it doesn't seem out of place to ask, "Where did you get water when you were a kid?"


One thing is for sure, time moves slowly here in Marsabit. One part has to do with my own circumstances: though I spend my days travelling around and interacting with people, my evenings are quiet and solitary. After the first few days I was able to adjust to having more time to myself, turning the quiet into “productive solitude” rather than loneliness or isolation. That usually works for about an hour, and then I try to kill time with various media. For one, just so you don’t think I’m roughing it, the guesthouse here has satellite television. The channel selection isn’t the greatest, and it always seems like there is nothing good on. They have ESPN Classic, which mostly shows old rugby games, but not ESPN. There is also a channel that seems to play one of the Cocoon movies each day, so I’ve been able to get doses of wisdom from Wilford Brimley. It has also made me consider having a Steve Guttenberg movie marathon—anyone interested? Fortunately, I brought season four of House on DVD, so I can get my tv fix by using my computer. I also started reading The Fellowship of the Ring, which has been my favorite way to pass the time. I even enjoyed the first half of the book, which I was unable to successfully endure when I was fourteen. Plus, the book regularly reminds me of Jon Hurst, which is always a good thing.

But apart from my circumstances, Marsabit is just slow in itself. Most people here are farmers and/or pastoralists, but because of the drought there isn’t much to do. Some organizations are hiring people to de-silt water pans, and women can busy themselves collecting water or gathering wood, but no one is in a hurry here.

Still, there’s been lots to enjoy here. Highlights include playing soccer with a group of kids on the road and getting incredibly dusty, observing people at the “singing” wells, driving a Land Rover, and seeing elephants on an illegal hike into the forest.