Dining in and out & aerial views of town

Kitale doesn't have much variety in terms of food. We tried most of what variety there was, steering clear of the nyama choma places (roasted meat- because Mike became a temporary vegetarian this trip due to watching so many animals eating garbage). The result was that we ate 90% of our meals together at two of the three Iroko cafes in town. The one where this picture is taken is in the Motoka cafe because there is a (motor) car suspended from the ceiling. (say 'Motoka' out loud a few times to understand the name). Iroko is obviously popular with many other mzungus in town, because what started off as a lunch for four quickly expanded as we all arrived and pulled up seats together. These are the faces of some of the people I had gotten to know at the monthly mzungu potlucks I have written about previously. These people include, amazingly enough, a girl from Newmarket that knows people Mike knows and a guy from Victoria that knows people I know! Cool.

This cafe is the best bang for your buck (shilling) in terms of service, cleanliness, food price and ambience in town. The food prices are comparable to several other places, but what sets this place apart is that it has very pleasant (ie coordinated and themed) interior decor, the wait staff are somewhat professional (as much as they can be not being accustomed to this quality of establishment growing up), and the food is fairly consistently good quality.

All this being said, having a group of eight people sit together was a bit much for them, and typical cafe blunders happened (typical for Kitale) like two people being told (after everyone was half finished their meals) that the kitchen did not in fact have the dish they had ordered. Would they like something else? (why hadn't they been told this right away, when the order was placed so they could eat with the rest of us?!?) Also, orders got confused much more than at home, even after writing things down (with prompting- "you may want to write this down...") and although they try to do the 'right thing' like wipe the tables where you are sitting, more often then not the miss big spots, and then push the crumbs in your lap. Another big difference we found was that, even when ordered together, different people's plates of food would often arrive at vastly different times, unlike in Canada when plates are held back and then delivered simultaneously.

We really enjoyed Iroko though, sitting on either the second floor or ground floor balconies, the friendly waiters who wandered around writing down what was on your table and then giving you a bill for it (you gave money at the front before you left instead of to the server... is this to decrease staff pocketing money? not sure...), the guy who would pour water for you to wash your hands at the sink with the beautiful but entirely non-functional tap... Yes, we were rarely disappointed, and you wouldn't be either if you went there!

The day I presented my preliminary results Mike and I went out to the fanciest restaurant in town to celebrate. For less than $10, we each got a huge, beautifully presented and deliciously prepared entree (curry) and drinks for us both. They even made cool garnishes from our tomatoes. We were the only patrons when we first arrived on the rooftop patio- the highest point in town, I think, and the service here was really professional. Each party was seated in their own round booth with an umbrella shaped roof. We were very impressed and just enjoyed relaxing somewhere 'private' like this.

The restaurant was on the edge of town. Here are some fields we could see from the top.

And here is a billboard- I wonder if anyone else in town can see it? Meaty Treats refer to some small sausages which are half the size of a hotdog, and taste somewhere in between a hot dog and a greasy breakfast sausage. I think I had tried one once five years ago. You can buy them from guys pushing heated carts on the streets or in cafes when you order french fries or eggs.

To get to the Vi Agroforestry center, go to the junction, turn right, and walk about five minutes.

Very wide streets and very few cars. Lots of people and bicycles at rush hour though. On the left hand side of the street, behind the trees, is the town hall. I rarely went on this street.

Mike's favourite part was seeing a tractor dealership right outside the window. Only a handful of small tractors inside though.

This is gourmet at home. Grilled cheese sandwiches. Yum... a real treat because cheese is either hard to find or fairly expensive (even for us!), so we made this with some we had bought at an outlet shop at a dairy we had visited in the city of Eldoret two hours away while on an interviewing (research) trip.

And finally, this is the view from our dining room window!