Vivienne Rouge- Blog Abroad

Blog #1

Arrival to Nairobi

July 2025

After nearly 30 hours of travel, including a 6-hour layover and running through Paris Charles-de-Gaulle to make our next flight, we landed in Nairobi. It was dark, humid, and… eastern Africa.

For the next three weeks our group of 17 will be traveling around Kenya sightseeing and engaging with its people, culture, and history. Our itinerary is packed with daily activities ranging from museum visits to full day safaris and farm tours. Our first order of business, though, was making it through customs.

The lines were packed with hundreds of passengers from all over the world. We piled in and waited for what felt like hours for the line to move even a foot. One by one, we were fingerprinted and admitted into the country like exhausted sardines filing out of a can.

Once we finally made it out of the airport we were picked up and taken to our hotel in the city. It was night, so there wasn’t much to see, but the drive gave us our first taste of Kenyan culture: the rules of the road. It was immediately clear that traffic laws were not like they are in the US, if they even have any! Cars piled up and shoved their way in wherever they could fit and motorcycles zoomed in and out around the chaos. Our driver was telling us about the local flower industry and how it supplies the European market, but it was difficult to pay attention between the near crashes we kept getting into (by American standards). Even pedestrians walked right into the road between drivers! A couple of drivers noticed we were foreigners staring out the windows in awe, and slight fear, and had a good laugh.

It was late when we got to our hotel. Almost none of us knew each other, and we were assigned roommates for the trip. When we got to our room, my roommate and I couldn’t figure out how to turn the lights on. There were switches, but nothing worked. As it turns out, in many parts of the world you must place your room key in a slot by the door that enables power to the room. This is a method of reducing energy consumption when not occupied. To enforce this, they give one key per room, not per person.

Fortunately, the hotel staff stayed up and had dinner waiting for us. I had no idea what it was, but it was good! There were a couple of meat dishes, potatoes, and other vegetables. One of our faculty leaders gave us a quick rundown of plans for the next day (rest and free day!) and how to use our keys to power our rooms. When our meeting was done we practically crawled to bed, completely exhausted but excited for the start of our amazing adventure together.

Blog #2

Touring Around Nairobi

July 2025

After a free day of rest we started on our journey around Nairobi. For the next four days we visited the Nairobi National Museum and reptile park, a local artist collective, the Giraffe Center, Nairobi National Park, and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (elephant orphanage!).

Aside from our first day, which was a free day to recover from travelling, we were up and out of the hotel by 9am. There was lots to do and no time to waste!

Most places we went were between a 30 minute and 2-hour drive. On the drives we usually went from the city center and through the slums to more rural areas. The streets were lined with produce vendors operating out of carts or the back of vans stacked from floor to ceiling with tropical fruits like mangoes, avocado, and dragon fruit. Shepherds graze herds of cows, goats, and sheep on the grass along the roadside. It was also common to see people sleeping in the grass all throughout the day. Oh, and there were also baboons and other monkeys everywhere! As we would come to learn, this was part of the typical roadside scenery across most of the country.

At the Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust we learned about species endangerment and rehabilitation efforts. Giraffes at the center are bred in captivity for future release while elephants are rescued from preserves, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild. Of course, we also got to feed the giraffes and touch the baby elephants! One of my favorite facts about giraffes is that they live symbiotically with warthogs given their respective advantages at danger detection. Warthogs can see and hear predators at ground level while giraffes can see far away. An interesting fact about the elephants is how many years it takes to rehabilitate them. Starting around the age of four they are introduced to wild herds. For the next 3-5 years they spend time with their new herd on day trips before being fully accepted and ceasing to return to their human caretakers. They’re also adorably aggressive with their milk bottles!

Another thing about roads… the Kenyan concept of good and bad roads is very different from the American one. Our drive through Nairobi National Park to Ololo, our lunch spot, was extended by several hours because of trenches and rock piles our bus couldn’t get over, forcing us to turn around and find new routes. Our bus driver was absolutely fearless, though, plus we got to see the wildlife. Food also tastes better when you’re really hungry!

It's hard to say if we were late or perfectly on time, because after lunch right before walking off we saw a RHINO on the hillside!

Nairobi video

Blog #3

On Our Way to the Maasai Mara

July 2025

On our fifth day we left Nairobi for the Maasai Mara. We got picked up by our new driver in the biggest truck I have ever seen in my life. You had to climb a ladder to get in! We packed our stuff in the back and loaded into the seats ready for the 3-4 hour drive, or what was supposed to be 3-4 hours….

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from running around Nairobi for the last several days, it’s that not everything goes according to plan. That’s okay! Things usually work out for the best, or in this case for a wild experience we will never forget and a story we will all tell our grandkids one day.

The ride started out smoothly, we enjoyed great views from so high off the ground as we made our way out of the city and into the countryside. We passed through tiny villages and planes before arriving at a mountain and starting the climb. The multiple lanes converged into one, and before long every truck and car was in a single file line to get to the other side. Things started slowing down until eventually we came to a crawl. By this point, the 3 hour mark had passed and it was clear we were not arriving at our destination anytime soon.

Once we got to the peak we pulled over to stretch our legs and take in the incredible view. One of Kenya’s many natural wonders is its section of the Great Rift Valley, which passes from Mozambique all the way up to Syria. It’s an amazing sight, especially from the top of a mountain!

A bunch of us went into a little shop for interesting souvenirs. Everything was handmade; wood items, art, baskets, clothes, and trinkets. As we made our way to pay we were a bit apprehensive because none of us had much experience with haggling. In Kenya, there is no listed price on anything, so you haggle for everything. Someone starts off with an offer and you go back and forth until both parties are satisfied. When it was my turn, the shopkeeper gave me his price: KSH 14,000. I stood there in complete awe at how wildly expensive that was! For reference, that’s over $100 USD- for a couple of wooden spoons! Unfortunately, not everyone made it out unscathed… we did, however, all made it out satisfied with what we did, and didn’t, buy. Did you really get swindled if you bought an awesome, handmade, sheepskin hat and you love it?

The rest of the afternoon we continued the drive. As we started to get close it was early evening, so it was rush hour in the town we were passing through. The street was flooded with people, school buses, animals, motorcycles, and trucks. One truck was broken down and smoking….

Remember how I said Kenyan drivers are fearless? Well, after only a moment’s hesitation our driver started driving across giant piles of rocks to go around the truck. We were already so behind schedule, plus we were in a giant safari truck! Within just a couple of seconds I saw pressurized gas out my window. We popped a tire! For the next several hours we stood on the side of the road as the busy street turned empty and the sky turned to night. A couple of students helped the bus driver change the tire, but let me tell you it was no small feat. First of all, it was at least a couple hundred pounds and was bolted to the undercarriage. It took three of them to get it down! Secondly, we had no jack, so we had to use rocks to prop up the truck. However, it wasn’t high enough. We also had no shovel, so the guys used poles and rods to chip away at the ground to lower it enough to fit the spare tire on. By this point it was fully night, and we could see the most incredible stars.

When the new tire was secured, we all cheered and loaded back into the truck. We called ahead to the camp to place our dinner orders, anticipating arriving soon. Guess what… we didn’t! For the next two plus hours we trekked over the most jostling terrain any of us had been on. Giant trenches and mounds, rocks and holes. Because we were so high off the ground, every shaking of the truck was exponentially greater in our seats compared to the ground. 

(To be continued...)

Blog #4

Central Kenya

July 2025

After our incredible time touring the Maasai Mara and meeting a Maasai community we packed up and left for central Kenya. By this point, the group was having so much fun together and many strong personal friendships were forming.

We had gotten into a rhythm, and as we shared more experiences together we started having a lot more in common than just being from the same school. People’s senses of humor emerged as we bonded over the long, bumpy bus rides and adjusting to the Kenyan microbiome. What were originally cultural surprises were expected by this point, and we rolled with whatever plan changes happened. We were also exhausted, but still had so much left to do!

On our first full day in Naivasha we went to Hell’s Gate National Park. We screamed at a cliff together, got way too close to some hyraxes, and supposedly saw the rock that inspired Pride Rock in the Lion King. Later we climbed down a treacherous path into a gorge that spewed boiling hot water from the walls.

On our second day we took another unexpectedly treacherous path down to the Menengai sacred caves. The stairs had been destroyed by a storm, so we trekked and climbed around the perimeter of the canyon to get to the entrance. It was dark and damp inside, and for whatever reason what stood out most to many of us was an old wooden bench sitting in the dark along the wall.

After the climb back out our homesickness was revealed in an anonymous vote on where to go for lunch. Our faculty leaders really did not want to go to KFC, the only American chain in the country, but when we all closed our eyes and held our hands it was unanimous. To KFC! It was my first time trying the local Fanta flavor black currant (so good idk why they don’t have it in the American market!). I haven’t been to American KFC in a hot minute, so I wasn’t sure how it compared, but I can definitely say the chicken was better than any fast food chicken I’ve ever had. My table was freaking out at how good it was, and one of my classmates even got a second order to go!

An interesting feature about Kenya is its agriculture industry. It is one of the largest components of their economy, and they don’t import much so locally grown food is the dietary basis. I think that may be a big reason why the KFC chicken was so delicious!

The rest of our time in the region was spent in Nyeri. Tea plantations line the hills and coffee farms abound. One of our two faculty leaders is from the area, so we had the incredible opportunity to visit his home and enjoy his mom’s cooking! We foraged for macadamia nuts and tried his uncle’s honey. 

We also got a picture with a tree the last UNM group planted at his grandpa’s house several years ago. It’s mind blowing to know that our college has a personal tie to a tiny, remote village in Kenya.

It was such a special experience I don’t think any of us will ever forget.

Blog #5

Mombasa!

July 2025

We took a late night jet from Nairobi to our final destination… Mombasa! It is a beautiful city on the southeast coast of Kenya that changed hands from ancient Portuguese to Omani rule in the 17th century. It was nothing like what we’d seen so far, and it almost felt like a different country.

At our hotel, coconut palms lined the white sand beach. At low tide during sunrise, you could walk out for a half mile into crystal blue water. I had never been anywhere tropical before and never would have anticipated that a study abroad trip could take me to a place like this!

In old town Mombasa the Arab influence was very evident. Buildings had ornate doorways with brass accents, and prayer calls blasted from mosques. Children played soccer in the narrow stone streets, only making way for the tuk tuks that zoomed by.

As a group we visited Jumba la Mtwana, a set of ancient ruins set in a forest of baobabs. The structures we built from dead coral, ground with water to make cement. We also learned about the origins of Swahili culture as the fusion between Kenyans and Arabs which produced a mixed people and culture. We also took a spontaneous group snorkeling trip with a guy who had a boat on the beach. There was a window in the bottom of the boat to see the coral and fish.

The hesitation with the unfamiliar had all but dissipated from the group, and we explored in our own small groups outside of the last remaining group activities. Kenya uses a rideshare app called Bolt, so we called tuk tuks to go wherever we wanted. On our free day, a bunch of us went to a Yemeni restaurant in town that had the most incredible middle eastern food. We decided to staye till dark to explore the market. It’s so hot that not much happens outside during the day, but at night the streets come alive. It was bustling and vibrant, with shops opening up in the blink of an eye and vendors with carts stacked high pouring onto the road. We weaved our way through the streets buying spices and scarves, jewelry, and perfumes. I bought a giant avocado!

It was so exciting to be immersed in a place so completely different from home, but our trip was coming to an end. On our last morning before returning for Nairobi I got up at sunrise to walk on the beach and go swimming. No one else wanted to go, but when you’re fortunate enough to be on the other side of the planet in a place like Mombasa it doesn’t matter!

Blog #6

Coming Home

July 2025

Another 26 hours of travel later and we were back in Albuquerque. So much happened in such a short time, it’s hard to believe just a day and a half ago 17 of us were in Eastern Africa.

I didn’t know what to expect when signing up for the trip, and to be honest I knew nothing about Kenya upon landing. Not only did I learn about the culture, history, economy, and people of Kenya, but did so through firsthand experiences I’ll never forget. It’s one thing to learn from a book about how the coffee trade isn’t fair, and another thing entirely to be following a little girl as she rushes through the trees to show you where she and her family harvest the produce they may not even get paid for. I could have read about the challenges of building road infrastructure in a developing country all day long, but memory is something else when you have bruises to show for it!

Moving between a developed and developing country really makes you question how we determine what is advanced and contemporary versus dated and rudimentary. Here we have the most beautiful produce stocked in our grocery stores, but it’s void of nutrition. We also have lots of money for cars, but we’re divorced from the ground beneath our feet. Everything is paved, separating us from the earth we come from. It’s like we live in an abstract version of reality, thinking we’re ahead! It’s so nice to have clean water on demand at my tap, but there’s nothing like walking down to a riverside to drink from a spring.

It’s also interesting how easily we can adjust to what we consider foreign, and how foreign home can seem on the way back. My apartment felt more like a hollow box in a concrete jungle than the place I remembered as home. On our first full day back, I took a walk to Cane’s for lunch. Nobody was outside, it was all cars, and the most colorful thing on the sidewalk was the dirt on my shoes. At the restaurant I sat on the patio. It felt oddly weird, and I started to notice the American things. The fries just tasted like salt and crunch, there wasn’t much potato flavor. I was also really alone; not a single cat was in sight. Also, the Coke was NOT good! We do have access to Mexican coke here in New Mexico, however let me tell you that, by far, the superior Coca-Cola is Kenyan!