Kenya So Far

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Jambo from Kenya.

The first couple of days travelling in Kenya were nothing short of the hardest two days we have had on our trip.

It all started in Moyale, a town split by the border. After only finding disgusting accommodation riddled with cockroaches and our favourite, unclean communal toilets (an Ethiopian specialty) on the Ethiopian side we decided to risk it and cross the border hoping for something better, the problem being there was only one daily bus out of the place and it had long gone by the time we got there from Yabelo. We had no problems crossing the border, this is one that we were nervous about as they have had sporadic banditry right up to Moyale in the past, so getting across this with no hassle was a relief, although there was an armed guard on each bus we caught in this area.

The Kenyan side of Moyale is a dusty version of the sealed Ethiopian one. There are many more Muslims here and the mosque's loudspeaker was going non-stop for most of the day. We found a hotel that was actually quite decent run by a friendly Muslim family, although we were a little worried when we saw “the rules” which required couples to show their marriage certificate if they want a double room. Luckily we were spared.

We were desperate to get out of Moyale and arrived at the bus station at 6.30am as instructed. Of course we should have known better, the bus/truck did not leave till 9am and what a ride we were in for.

Northern Kenya is known as a bit of the wild west, there is not much here and we knew that the travel would be tough. However, the road from Moyale to Marsabit was so bad we were surprised that they even allowed it to be used. This was our worst bus trip to date, surpassing the 19 hour epic from Luxor to Dahab. Not only was the road bad but the driving was insane. He drove like a maniac, the truck fishtailed all over the place as we swerved from side to side. When we came up to a bridge we would skid out of control leading up to the bridge before the driver managed to control it. We spent most of the time up in the air and being slammed down into our seats which was not helped by the fact that we had the back seats right over the wheels. Even the locals complained and I imagine they put up with a lot. We were covered in dust, it was absolutely everywhere and after being thrown around so much I am surprised we were not brain damaged as a result. We have been on a number of bus trips where I have feared for our lives but on this one, I could not believe we made it to Marsabit alive. My advice: fly, you will miss nothing. Seriously.

We arrived safely thank goodness in Marsabit and met with up with our friends from Ethiopia Anthony and Yui. Marsabit is a dusty town but there were some services, running water not being one of them.

The next leg of our northern Kenya road trip was to the town of Isiolo. Strangely, despite the bus being in Marsabit all day, it did not leave until 2.30pm and it was at least a 7-8 hour trip. Once again the bus was overfilled with people, leaning on you, one lady put her bag on my knees, it felt like a bag of rocks - I left it there for a while before suggesting we put it under my seat. Sometimes it is difficult to get used to the lack of personal space, people lean on each other for friendship and physical support and children are passed around from one stranger to the next until he or she eventually reaches their mother - the sense of community in Africa is strong.

We stopped off at small villages along the way with colourful tribal people pushing and fighting to get on the bus. It got so bad that the bus just left them in the end. Another fight broke out when someone dropped the bag of grain that exploded on the ground. The local tribal people were beautifully decorated with beads, long earrings that connected to a chain around their heads and long ear lobes. They carried decorated spears and daggers and they sang songs all the way.

The trip was incredibly slow but the road was in better condition and the driving more subdued. We did not arrive in Isiolo until 10.30pm, breaking our first rule of not arriving somewhere new in the dark. Kenya is not safe at night and clears out leaving drunks, druggies and weird people wandering the streets. Isiolo was no exception and we did not feel safe pounding the streets at this time of night looking for accommodation. The accommodation here was poor, the only laugh we had was when a huge frog jumped into Yui's shower, sending her out the shower in her towel, covered with soap suds, screaming. This led the security at the hotel to come running, baseball bat in hand to deal with the frog (and the resident cockroach)!

We managed to get the first bus out of town the next morning heading to Nairobi or Nai-robbery as it is probably more aptly known. We were deposited in the rough neighbourhood of Eastleigh which is not a place we wanted to hang around for long. We caught a taxi into town and you know you are in a dodgy place when the taxi driver leans over to lock your door.

We were recommended a great hotel in Nairobi called Parkside Hotel and it was pretty decent and good value. What a difference a hot shower and a change of clothes makes to ones' mood.

The centre city is actually quite nice, much more developed that Addis and there are more foreigners around. There are also plenty of touts trying to sell safari tours particularly outside our hotel but they were pretty harmless. There can be no doubt that Nairobi is dangerous, muggings and armed robberies are commonplace, but we have thankfully managed to avoid anything sinister. After a few days enjoying some western comforts such as good restaurants, freshly laundered clothes and going to the movies, it was time to head out to the coast and see the ocean for the first time in months.

Our first stop was Mombasa, an 8 hour bus ride, some 500 km from Nairobi and we could not wait to get out of the place so we caught an early morning bus to Malindi, just a couple of hours down the road and what a charming little place it was.

It was really tropical, heavy rain showers on and off followed by bright sunshine. Our guest-house was lovely and airy with a view of the ocean and the sweet smell of farangipani flowers wafting in from the street. The restaurants were fabulous and the beach long with beautiful golden sand and not a soul on it (except for the odd dodgy “beach boy”). It was a wonderful place to relax for a couple of days, read books, watch the football and eat some really delicious pizza straight from Italy. After Ethiopia we were really enjoying some variation to our diet.

From Malindi we caught a bus up to the delightful island of Lamu. The road was very poor (as usual it seems) but we eventually arrived at the port with the ferry ready and waiting to take us across to Lamu.

Lamu is gorgeous, a maze of narrow streets filled with donkeys and cats and not a car in sight. Its charm lies in its people who are extremely friendly and welcoming and the lovely coastal atmosphere that you get in sea side towns. It is like being transported back in time. The narrow lanes wind there way around the small island with delapitated Swahili houses that ooze with character and other gorgeous homes that have been renovated to their former glory, with lovely carved doors and signs dotted around the place and mosques on almost every street. There are great restaurants and cafés and its a wonderful place to sit and watch the sunset over the ocean with a huge pint of freshly squeezed mango juice (or a beer if you can find it). We spent a few days with Jonathan, an eccentric law lecturer from London who filled us in on the best places to visit in Uganda and Rwanda.

At the other end of Lamu is the beautiful town of Shela, a pleasant 40 minute walk along the waterfront from Lamu. There is a huge beach here with no-one on it and massive sand dunes. The area has been taken over by the expatriate community who have renovated some of these gorgeous houses and turned them into small mansions and resorts. The narrow streets were filled with art and craft shops and other funky stores.

It was the perfect place to relax before spending the next two days in the bus back to Nairobi where our safari tour starts. First stop, Lake Nakaru and hopefully lions, leopards, zebra and rhino - a feast of wildlife to see so let's hope they are not hiding.

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