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Published: August 15th 2013
Highway Driving
The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, and traffic congestion is what they are all about!We departed Kakamega at five in the morning(we were supposed to leave earlier but someone had trouble waking up at 330am) , for the long bumpy drive on the rough roads to the capital city of Kenya. Anton, Francis, Our pilot Evans, and I were the rough riders. The drive was a long and tiring one, we for the most part the guys slept, but i had to stay awake to keep Evans the driver awake.
We Arrived in Nairobi; navigating Nairobi is a nightmare unless you know where you are going luckily for us Anton knew the city like the back of his hand. Anton attended primary school in Nairobi, before being shipped off to pre-cadet academy. Nairobi’s main city roads are concentrated into large roundabouts rather than controlled traffic lights. These roundabouts cause major congestion and chaos in the form of backed-up traffic for multiple city blocks. But if you know your way around town you can avoid driving into an immanent traffic jam.
After the meeting that Francis and Anton had, we drove Anton to the airport. The Nairobi airport had a very large and questionable fire that crippled the functionality of
Slum
This is the largest slum in Africa the airport to adequately serve to an international airport standard. All domestic flights and served through the cargo bay, and there is a 5hr queue for international flights that are served through tents on the tarmac. Leaving the airport we went off in search of Strathmore University to meet my contact Peter.
Peter is a professor of finance and accounting at Strathmore. Strathmore is a beautifully designed school, but by US standards is a very small school. Strathmore is a Catholic university with only five main buildings, a Library/auditorium, Business center, Law studies, Lecture hall/Chapel, and a student union building. The whole campus is probably equivalent in size to the BSU Stadium grounds plus the Taco Bell area. Not very large but the newly added Business center has an beautiful all glass paneled face and roof. After touring the whole university we left to Peter's Home in Nairobi.
Peter lives about 20mins away with good traffic and a 2hr drive if caught in a jam. The Adjacent building to peters home is the hotel where we stayed. a Hostel like building with approximately 50 rooms on a span of five floors. It was a
double room with a bathroom that had an over hanging shower that was almost directly over the toilet. After feasting on a very large home cooked meal, went went to the hotel for some drinks and small talk. in the dimly lit bar we talked and laughed constantly batting away mosquitos(Nairobi is Malaria free).The next morning’s shower was a very cold one! We had a free dinner at peters this night.
Peter lives on the third floor of his building in a small apartment with his wife and three daughters. His cousin and sister came over to help prepare dinner for us. We had Ugail, Chipati, Greens, lintel soup, and Beef stew. The standard African Dinner that is so good! Of Peter’s three daughters and the bun in the oven, his Youngest Wendy was the most Charismatic towards me. Wendy was fascinated by the sight of me but was so shy and timid to be seen by me she would run into the kitchen or cover her eyes with her hands as soon as we made eye contact; she was the cutest thing I had ever seen! After dinner we went for a drink at the hotel
Mobile Meat Bike
These motorcycles do what they want when they want. cutting through and avoiding traffic at all costs! before resting up for the next day’s Safari. (Safari in Kiswahili means Journey in English)
Day Two: We made our escape from Nasty Nairobi with one stop on the way out to shop. I say Nasty because its streets are lined with Garbage and People, In the midst of that the Air is thick with diesel smoke from all the lorries that don’t have to pass any emission tests. That is probably the only dislike about Kenya I have, it is such a beautiful place, but can be so polluted by Smog. Every Motorcycle, Tractor, car and truck spit huge plumes of diesel smoke.
We stopped at a sports shop so I could get a Kenya flag, and a Kenyan rugby jersey; The jersey looks just like the flag mainly red with black and green stripped sleeves and a tribal pattern down the ribs. I was able to customize the Back with my name (RUCA) and the number three. I put Ruca on the back because the translation for my name (Lucas) into Kiswahili is Luka or Ruca; I like the sound of it anyways! So the locals call me Ruca so I may
Mother and Daughter
we were paused in traffic, and I saw these two. I thought it to just be such simply beautiful moment. as well keep it Kenyan on my Jersey.
On the drive through the countryside on the way to Nakuru lake National park located about an Hour and a Half drive out of Nairobi, we saw the aftermath of a car wreck a Small lorry on its side with its contents spilt all over the road, and a man laying in agony on the side of the road; grasping the air as high as he could reach as if he were reaching to pull the sky down into his arms. It was sad to see as we passed by helplessly, numerous people had surrounded him so if we were to stop we would just be adding to the vulturine crowd. So we pass good thoughts and move on. We got to Nakuru and found the park gate with ease, dropped Evans in town so he could see his brother, Francis and I Continued alone to the park. The admission to the park was 8500Ksh (About 100USD) this was really unexpected; I was expecting 1800 plus fee for the car to get in. Then we had to hire a guide to lead us through the park, which was another
crane
These 4-5ft tall Crane/Storks live in the trees above the streets on the out-skirts of Nairobi. Scavenging for food off of the streets! 1500ksh. After paying every fee imaginable we were ready to make it in the park the time was 3pm and we had a 6hr drive back home.
I liked the fact that you could drive your own car into the park because it gave more freedom to do and go where you please. It’s always nice to move at your own pace and also you don’t get caught up in the prearranged tourist BS. Lake Nakuru has six rivers that feed her and has no outlet so the water level is steadily rising even though the rivers are seasonal. As we drove through the park I saw Impala, Zebra, Wildebeest, Flamingos, Baboons, Guinea Hen, dik dik, Giraffes, Rhino, Warthogs, and Lions. As soon as we saw the Lions, they were very far away and they were bedded in the Grass watching a single Wildebeest Graze. If I had a 300mm lens I could have gotten a better picture of them, but oh well I saw them!
Its Started to down pour and the lions retreated into the trees, so we drove all the way around the Lake and back to the gate we had
Crane Crane Cranes!
There were 100's of these birds everywhere! Sometimes 15-20 birds in one 30ft tree! originally entered. I had a really good time but I was bummed out because there were no elephants in the park but that is because the park is not big enough to contain the Migration needs of an Elephant habitat. So I will have to go somewhere else to see my elephants. Which isn’t a problem because there are lots of other parks to go and see them, but that requires More Money, “More Money, More Problems.”
We wrangled Evans out of town after nearly 25min of driving around looking for him! Evans had gotten us some traditional "Herbs" that make you feel "good" they looked like crab grass, and they tasted worse than crab grass! So you chew these sprouts and suck on them and drink the juice. After awhile you feel like a cow or something eating grass, and you have it allover in your mouth. but if you eat peanuts with it and it rounds up all the remaining sprouts stuck in your teeth. We were out of Nakuru at almost 530pm, for a long drive back home to Kakamega. The drive home was a dark, and foggy. For awhile I don't even think
we knew if we were going the right way. I got home at 10-11pm, and was Nauseas; I think I need to use clean water, rather than the tap to brush my teeth for now on… and stop listening to Evans.. ahaha
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Heather Jasper
Labeling photos
This is a great blog and I love the details you include about the city. Can you go back and label some more of the animal photos? Some are obvious, like the zebra and giraffe, but others are less clear. I'd love to read more about each picture. Thanks!