A day in Nairobi

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Jambo Everyone!!

So as you see from the above - I fit right in here! Well OK, maybe I don't quite blend into the scenery at all but I feel very comfortable and happy in my surroundings here in Nairobi. This is something I wasn't sure about. When people refer to the city affectionately as 'Nairobbery' it doesn't exactly inspire you with confidence that you will get into and out of the city in one piece. However, here I am, still all in one piece, if a little tired.

After a great nights sleep in a cosy bed, a yummy breakfast (I remembered to take my malaria tablet again - woo hoo) I set about trying to get the safe in my room to work. This involved the reception, the chambermaid and finally the hotel 'technician' all coming to have a look at it, setting different pin numbers and then shaking and scratching their heads. Just before it was looking like I would need to change rooms the technician cracked it and proceeded to show me the 6/7 steps I needed to take, as opposed to the two steps in the instructions. All valuable now safe and secure my two fellow trip buddies and I headed to the Giraffe Centre. It takes so much longer to get anywhere in Nairobi mainly due to having to factor in the 10/15 minutes of hard haggling needed to come up with a price both parties are happy with for the cab fair. This settled we got our first glimpse of Nairobi during the day. First off, the streets are alot busier. Nairobi is home to 4 million people and most of them seem to walk everywhere, the others huddle in groups at the side of a road waiting for the right Matutu to come along which are Kenyas famous little mini buses. Many have black smoke billowing from the exhaust, some have a man hanging out the side dangerously whilst he talks to people in cars, at the side of the road etc etc. All seem to have a little personality of their own. Either a name such as 'Beverley' or a slogan on the back such as 'You do me, I do you'. All seem to be full to above capacity and remind me of a bush taxi I once took in the Gambia. The roads are not to bad, especially if you have a driver who will swing manically to avoid the many pot holes to make your ride more comfortable(!). I have a feeling I'll soon be longing for such comfortable roads when I am digging a truck out of mud in Botswana or similar.

As we got through the centre we passed through an obviously more affluent area with huge houses behind tall walls, occasionally with an armed guard or two. The Giraffe Centre is located in Karen, a district named after Karen Blixen who wrote 'Out of Africa' in her house not far from here. The Giraffe Centre was great, I got to feed them and you could get them to kiss you but I chose not to go there! Ha ha! I have some great pictures but the internet here is very slow so I won't be uploading them for a while. My favourite was a Giraffe called Frank. He has such personality.

I am now spending some time relaxing by the pool, getting ready for my overland adventure tomorrow. More to come soon ....

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Comments

[Chris her brother]

this larking around by the pool doesnt sounds very hard to me. Infact it sounds a piece of piss.