Consumer Society

Each town has its own bazaar. Here in Marsabit, there is a rabbit's warren of stalls that sell vegetables, fruit, electronics and cheap plastic products of every description. The Nomad Hotel, a Muslim establishment, offers a menu of local and western food. Bars run by infidels serve Tusker, Belozi and Pilsner. In those dingy dives, you can see men chewing qat or kat, the leaves which induce a high in the chewer.

Cars line up to convey villagers to parts beyond. These vehicles are laden with provisions for families living off the beaten track. And there appears to be no regulation regarding the number of passengers. Common practise includes packing the truck or pickup to capacity and then finding room for more goods, people and animals. White tourists are amused by these sights just as local kids are amused by the camera-wielding foreigners.