And what about the fat old man?


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Africa » Kenya » Nairobi Province
April 19th 2011
Published: April 19th 2011
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Central NairobiCentral NairobiCentral Nairobi

The skyline from Central Park.
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
Wildebeest BackpackersWildebeest BackpackersWildebeest Backpackers

A lovely garden setting in an old colonial building.
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
Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park

Not Manhatten dude, it's in Nairobi!
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
Central Park monumentCentral Park monumentCentral Park monument

At the entrance to the park.
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

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19th April 2011

What a great post and I love the pictures. Would you recommend a group of girls to visit kenya? Asking for security reasons since my small group usually tries to look for somewhat safe countries to visit.
22nd April 2011

Visiting Kenya
Dear Allie Thanks for your comment. Kenya is a wonderful travel destination if you like African culture, wildlife and being a teeny bit on the edge. You will meet the most interesting travellers here, whether guys or girls. The mix in the backpackers is 50/50 and I have just come back from an unforgettable safari, to top off an amazing time in Nairobi. Of course you need to be aware of security, especially at night. But I'm like that in my home country anyway. Enjoy!
3rd August 2011

Bad Experience
I would like to warn people about Milimani Backpackers. As a hostel it is fine enough but I had a really negative experience with them. They have an area in the back corner next to the wall where people can camp. One evening I was lying down in my tent when a big thunderstorm came. The thunder was really close so I got out and went inside the hostel. Less than five minutes later I came back to check if water was getting in and I found my tent was covered in bricks. The wall had fallen on it. If I had been inside I would have died or been very seriously hurt. My tent was destroyed and when I checked my new video camera I found the screen had been cracked. I found out later this was the 3rd time the wall had fallen and once before it had hit a tent but they still let people camp there. I assumed Patricia, the owner, would replace or fix my tent and camera without any problem, just happy I was alive. But to my surprise she refused to pay a cent. After a heated argument they finally agreed to look for estimates. That was the beginning of a long fight to get some compensation. The played all kinds of games with me. They lied, they didn’t return my calls/messages/emails and they stalled me hoping I would give up. For awhile I stayed at the backpacker waiting for them and they refused to let me stay for free. In the end I finally got some cash four months later but only because I was so persistent. As for my tent they reluctantly gave me the cheapest old tent they had. It was useless against rain. For this I would have to say do not stay at Milimani Backpackers. I would recommend to stay at… New Kenya Lodge (River Rd and Latema Rd) -right in the center (close to cheap internet, Milimani charges 4X the price) -lots of travellers -cheaper -actual hot showers (Milimani’s are hardly warm) -offer cheaper safaris than Milimani and just as good If you aren’t comfortable staying in the center then I would recommend Upper Hill Backpackers (a bit far from town but very nice) or the Hostelling International Backpacker (near to Milimani)

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