Dear Patrick sensei, dear all,

Thank you, Patrick, for a beautiful message, sent after your journey
to Webuye in Western Kenya. We shall all be able to enjoy the journey
with you -- smells, swaying bridge and all!

Please read Patrick's message, which follows here -- thank you,
Patrick, for having brought back your story and your haiku -- that is
a great pleasure!

Isabelle.

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Dear Isabelle san,
I have been away again, and this time round, I was in one of the
small but beautiful and economically strategic towns in Western
Kenya, Webuye. The town is located exactly at the foot of Chetambe
Hills, close to River Nzoia. River Nzoia is responsible for the
famous annual Budalangi Floods. I took many beautiful photos, which I
am going to send to you.

There is also one very distinct feature about Webuye town: it hosts
the Webuye Pan Paper Mill which is the largest in the Sub-Saharan
Africa. There is an ever powerful obnoxious stench of the gas
emisions from the factory that lends the air a distinct foul smell:

at the foot of
Chetambe Hills and stenchy air--
Webuye town


When we arrived in Webuye town, it was still very early morning, and
the moon was still visible in the grey morning sky:

a golden arc peeping
out of the grey morning sky--
half moon


Then we beheld the flooded River Nzoia:

flooded furious
and raging down stream...
River Nzoia


At night, we could distinctly hear the roar of the flooded river:

the roar of the flooded
river in the quiet of night--
September rains


In the morning, we did not require bread, as there is green maize for
roasting:

breakfast of tea
with roast maize--
September morning

maize turning
golden brown--
imminent harvest


During the floods, there is usually a big problem as bridges are
swept away and one has to go a long way to find a bridge on which to
cross the river. The communities alongside the river have initiated a
unique project called the mufunje bridge group, which has made a
traditional bridge from wires and sticks; it is a weave of wires and
sticks across the more than 100m width of the river. The bridge sways
and swings as one walks across it, but it is firm and cannot break!

people cross the swaying
busy mufunje bridge--
flooded Nzoia River


Other wonderful things found on the way include:

ripe figs under
the leafless fig tree--
September breeze

finger millet--
standing tall in the
morning sunshine

ready boda boda--
day break in
Webuye town

~ Patrick Wafula