Believe it or not the title of this blog is is considered a compliment in Kenya. After all, here in Kenya they figure if you are fat you are prosperous, and if you are old you have survived. It’s difficult to argue with the logic of the locals so there you have it. Whether you are old or whether you are young, it doesn’t matter as long as you come. One older gent I’ve been hanging out with in Nairobi told me over breakfast this morning, there may be snow on the rooftop but there’s fire in the furnace! Nairobi makes an excellent base for safaris to the world famous Masai Mara National Reserve, the final destination for a million wildebeest and a quarter of a million zebras who undertake the great migration in July each year from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania. The animals are in search of fertile grazing, only to turn around and head back to the Serengeti in October.
The journal left off in Arusha, dear reader, where we celebrated the end of an amazing safari over a few beers and a meal of goat with my safari companion’s Tanzanian family. The next morning I checked out of the hostel early and caught a taxi to the bus station, from where I boarded a minibus for the commute to Nairobi. The border formalities between Tanzania to Kenya were a breeze, and my wallet was lighter by only 25 dollars for a Kenyan visa, as opposed to the 50 dollars tourists pay to enter Tanzania. The minibus made very good time and after six hours we were in the heart of Nairobi. I jumped a taxi heading to the superb Milimani Backpackers just off the main road, where I have been happily ensconced for the last five nights.
The capital city of Kenya is a bustling and modern centre of four million people, and is notorious amongst travellers for it’s crime levels. But it’s still a stimulating travel destination in it’s own right. The guests in the hostel have been super friendly, intelligent and interesting to talk with. Every night we’ve been gathering at the bar as the staff light the fire, while ordering excellent meals from the hostel chef, and sharing travel anecdotes as the bar fills up later in the evening. Travellers to Nairobi need to be aware of their personal security at all times, but particularly after dark in this big city. There are plenty of security guards around buildings in the city, and most places have the gates locked, where cars wishing to enter the premises have to honk their horns before being granted access to a property.
The backpackers hostel is no exception, but I’ve encountered no problems in the city, and enjoyed going for daily walks in the city centre. Central Park is a good spot to visit, where I enjoy sitting on the grass catching a few rays over a good book without being bothered by any of the locals. One night we kicked on from the hostel in a large group, and only had to walk a couple of doors up to enter a happening local bar. Although it was a Sunday night there were plenty of people in the bar after midnight, where we played pool and had a chat. In fact I discovered the next day that the stayers were still at the bar playing pool at 4:00am.
Personally I’m finding Nairobi has a familiar feel as a city. As soon as I arrived from Tanzania it was clear the city is more modern, organised and cleaner than cities I visited across the boarder. There seems to be more wealth in Kenya, and although people often assume Tanzanians have excellent English language skills, in fact that’s not the case. In Kenya, however, the populace are fluent in English just as they are down in South Africa. Actually the city of Nairobi reminds me of travelling to the large cities in South Africa, and you will discover the same bustling, modern and busy feel about town. The only problem I’m finding is the pollution from the buses in the city centre. They vehicles spew out plumes of horrible black smoke at street level, and pedestrians walking along the centre’s main roads can be completely enveloped in the filth. Of course I realise the vehicles are older than in the west, but mechanics nowadays can have them running much more efficiently with minimum effort if the will is there. The pollution in Nairobi hovers around the main roads, and it’s nothing short of disgusting. It’s very unpleasant, but there are ups and downs to visiting any world city.
In summary I’ve enjoyed my introduction to Kenya in happening Nairobi more than expected. There are certain cities in the world where the reputation well and truly precedes them, and one can’t help but feel a little anxious when experiencing a big bad town for the first time. However I’ve had a ball in Nairobi and suggest, basically all of you should be here now!
“Whether you’re married or not you’ll regret it.” George Bernard Shaw
As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now
Tom
Note: Feel free to post comments on this site, or subscribe for notification of upcoming travel journals
Tom's music blog can be found here:
http://www.tomrooneymusic.com
- A return to beautiful Europe - November 19, 2024
- 70 Russian girls on an island yoga retreat … and me! - April 9, 2024
- Exploring with conviction - March 30, 2024