Answers are in green! Enjoy!

Do you have toilet paper? Yes!

What do you eat? Meat, a lot of vegetables, rice, ugali chipati, samosa. (see my other e-mail and google for more info.) Even I have that question.

Are food supplies bought daily for the meals, as is done in many parts of Europe? Yes, we visit the store every day.

How big is the house you are living in? I don't know the square footage but I would assume its about 1800 square feet or so. It has 3 bedrooms and the garage has been converted into an apartment.

Are you sleeping on a mattress, or some kind of mat on the floor, or what? I sleep in a bed with a matress, sheets, pillow, mosquito net .

How do you get around; does Ben have a car? We take the public transport (matatus).

The house has electricity, what other modern conveniences does it have, i.e. range, refrigerator? Refrigerator, TV, kerosene stove.

Do you hear Lions roaring at night? Lions live far away from where I'm at. The noises heard at night (and in the early morning) are the wild birds, the roosters and the local dogs.

Valley Park is located near Highway 141 and Interstate Highway 44. It's an old river town with a history of being one of the places that had clubhouses built up on stilts. Almost every spring, you could expect some flooding there. Sometimes a little water, sometimes alot. The river played an important part in the success of the river town. A railroad (AMTRAC) still goes through the town, but does not stop here. You can catch the train in  nearby Kirkwood though and ride to Chicago or head for Kansas City! 

Both Missouri Pacific and the Frisco rail lines came through this town. Stop in and visit the Frisco Hotel located at 28 Front Street which is one of the original old buildings preserved and a big part of the towns history. The Whittle Shortline store now occupies the building, but you're welcome to stop in and look around.

Recently  (April, 2006) they had the Meramec Valley River Basin Levee built that will keep that from happening, much to the delight of the residents!  With the completion of the levee they plan on having trails along the Meramec River for hiking and biking as part of the Ozark Greenway Trails.

They have several parks now: Vance Trails Park, Leonard Park, Brignole Park, and Meramec Landing for anglers and boaters. Simpson St. Louis County Park and Lake are also within their City limits. Be sure to check out the Museum Of Transportion which is just wonderful and full of trains, and also some old, but prime cars. Just outside of the city limits is Lone Elk Park and The Wild Bird Sanctuary, which we visited recently. The Sanctuary has more than birds too. They have snakes, bison, deer and other wildlife there and a "hand's on" area. It's located in a park that is hilly and offers wonderful views. Some areas are restricted and you need to stay in the car to view the animals, but other spots offer picnic benches and places for you to follow trails. Check out the photo's I took!