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After gathering at Maaseno university, some general confusion and cancelled appointments we where directed to take a walk to the upper class quarters of Kisumu: Milimani. In the old colonial housing we found the KLIP-house which we can later use as an office when working with our projects. Well there some confusion remains of what we're to do there but our host appeals to our coffee addictive swedish minds and empazises the importance to serve us coffee. 

 

Eventually our bus comes and we're taken to market after market around town. Some are formal, some are informal, but they've all popped up on their own, with no formal buildings made. The markets stalls are buildt from scrapmaterial; pieces of wood, parts of metal sheets, or the goods are just displayed on the ground. Livestock is walking around everywhere and if the good displayed at a low level are not guarded they risk being eaten or tipped over by sheep, hens or even cows. Kids are roaming around and they find us very amusing. When someone takes a picture they all gather up in front of the camera and wants to be photographed. 

 

One of the markets has ilegelally moved when the road was moved. The land they're occupying is designated for farmland, but has been a market for some 20 years. At the piece of land designated for their market there isn't much but, an unused waterpipe, lots of birds and a shed where women dry the leftovers from the Nile Perch. The Nile Perch is a big fish that was introduced to Lake Victoria with the result of diminishing indigenous species of the lake since they where eaten by the Nile Perch. The Nile Perch is being fished and exported to Nairobi, Mombasa, Middle East and Europe, which brings in money. (See documentary called "Darwins Nightmare" about the Nile Perch) When the nice fillets have been cut out and exported, the bones, heads and some leftover meat remains. This is dried here and families make soup from it to feed their families. The fish is dried in the sun and needs to be constantly guarded from birds that are as constantly watching the drying fish parts. The picture shows the drying fish remains and the tree with big birds watching it.

 

We return to the guesthouse with our heads full of markets.