Chicken or beef?

(Written Sunday April 29, 07:45 Kenya time – regarding Wednesday afternoon, April 25)

Here's an interesting factoid. This is one of the only places in the world where chicken costs more than beef. Where in most developing countries you'll find chickens running around literally all over the place, here they are not (although it's starting to change and you do see a few of them). Historically chickens have been raised only in pens and only with a special diet, as for whatever reason it's been believed that chickens must have a special diet or they won't survive. Therefore the cost of raising them has been higher, meaning as well that eggs are quite expensive. I saw signs in restaurants that chicken was up Sh50 (50 Shillings) from what was printed on the menu, and on the menu a beef dish might cost Sh180 while a chicken one would be Sh250. In the U.S., we have a big push towards organic meats, and organic chick which eats a controlled diet of organic grains, corn, or whatever is they eat, taste the best by far. The meat is better quality, and the eggs are a brilliant yellow-orange, vs. the more yellow yokes of their battery hen counter-parts. But here, even though the diet is controlled, it's still quite clear that the quality of food they get isn't that great. The chicken meat is very lean and meager on the bone, very little fat. And the egg yolks are practically white. Curious.

Here we are enjoying our last sit-down meal before Pokot land. Beef, chicken, rice, fries, and more. Yummy!