Reading: Kenya Passage

On a lighter note this week, we share an article from the May-June 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler: "Kenya Passage," by Christopher Vourlias. This is a colorful, ultimately optimistic account of overcoming a bit of adversity -- mud, cattle raiders, and the fear of wildlife lurking at nightfall -- while traveling through the Laikipia and Samburu Districts in the Great Rift Valley.

In the telling, Vourlias reminds us of the importance of understanding differences in the cultural views of distance and time and shares a poignant moment when he finds sympathy from Africans who have experienced much more profound hardship. He reaches his destination, of course -- and ingenuity, care for others, and patience triumph.

Claudia Daggett