~ After stopping to photograph the Karatina tea plantations we continued on to Mwea, where we passed the large rice fields. Although I'd passed through there before, on this occasion the fields seemed to be in especially fine condition. The large size of each field was impressive. The entire process of drying rice, sacking it up, and selling it from rice stores was visible. Cattle grazed on the field perimeters where bananas grew. From the overall look of the community, it appeared that rice farming was relatively lucrative. The rice drying on sheets on roads was large-grained, with an attractive pale color. Rice stores side-by-side advertised the same product — which one to choose?