Well here we are at the airport and no going back now! Can’t believe this day has finally arrived, after 14 months of planning we’re about to board the plane to Kenya. It feels quite surreal. The flight is very quick, only 7 hours and, thanks to the caring service of the crew of SN Brussels Airlines (they really are “Passionate about you”!), a very pleasant experience.
As we arrive atNairobi airport, the old Africa feeling returns. Hard to describe it but it’s like coming home. A pleasant 24o temperature certainly helps to put us in the mood. Confirmation that we are here comes when the bus has a puncture right outside the gates of the hotel. Yes, no doubt about it, we’re in Kenya.
The plane in the rain at Brussels Airport
1st April The Hadada Ibis tell us it’s time to get up. Their screeching cry sounds like ha-da-da, hence the name. Believe me, with those around you’d never again need an alarm clock! We decide to take a trip to the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage (www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org) made famous by the BBC’s elephant diaries. We set off from the hotel and soon encounter Nairobi traffic. It’s chaotic but fascinating. You don’t know where to look first, will it be the banana sellers trying to tempt you with their wares or men weaving empty trolleys through the dense traffic.Matatu bus drivers are unpredictable at best and certainly keep you entertained as they just pull out in front of you. Kenya driving is not for the faint hearted. We finally arrive at the orphanage with 5 minutes to spare but it’s really worth a quick glimpse of those gorgeous baby elephants enjoying their brunch. As you watch them feed against an idyllic backdrop of Nairobi National Park you think to yourself, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Feeding time for orphan elephants.
time to go to the compound
So as our brief visit ends we decide to take a trip to neighbouring Giraffe Manor and yes, you’ve guessed, it is dedicated to saving giraffes. En route we witness Maasai grazing their cattle at the roadside. You may have heard about Kenya’s drought which has forced these herdsmen to travel 160 km to find grassland for their herd. Giraffe Manor is great fun because you can feed the giraffes yourself. They’re so gentle as they take food from your hand. Their tongues are an incredibly long, 47 cm! Makes me think of that film with Jim Carey,was it “The Mask”?
Feeding time,Agy is the one on the right.
Giraffe Monor,Nairobi
2nd April
We are walking back from breakfast and spot a florescent green streak on the path. On closer inspection it is a small green serpent snaking its way from one tree to another. Not sure what kind of a snake it is but suspect it’s a venomous green mamba. What a find and the first one we’ve seen in Kenya, unless we count the close encounter we had with a black one in our bath whilst on honeymoon! We’re spending a very relaxing afternoon with friends. Enjoying traditional African food of ugali (polenta) and sukuma wiki which is like spinach and literally means “push the week” as it’s a cheap, nourishing vegetable to see you through the week. It’s interesting to chat and discuss our different cultures. Did you know that there are 42 tribes in Kenya, the largest of which is the Kikuyu? Well now you do!
Georges kids playing in the pool.
3rd April
Today we will know whether or not the van will be ready to drive to the coast on Wednesday. Most of the modifications have been made and all that’s needed now is the registration number.
We are about to meet a European who has been working in Kenya for an international organisation for the last couple of years. On our way our driver tells us that the snake we saw yesterday was in fact a harmless grass snake and not a mamba. Oh well, must study those reptiles more! We are driving past a hotel we stayed at on our honeymoon. It’s quite nostalgic being in Nairobi town again. We have a very informative meeting with our European contact. He tells us that life in Kenya is one of the most rewarding yet frustrating experiences. You meet the best and worst of people here.
We’re now off to see what’s happening with the van. Everything seems to be going nicely, just a few final touches to do. Just waiting for that crucial registration number. Se we head back down town to buy supplies. We need cash for this and, guess what, none of the cash points are working. Never mind, that crucial call comes to confirm that the licence plate is ready. Great, now we will be able to leave for the coast on Wednesday morning, so exciting! On the way back we learn more about tribal life and that the name Nairobi comes from the maasai word meaning “sweet water”. Water is very precious here in Africa and everyone is desperate for the long rain season due to start now. If the rains fail this year, as they did last, East Africa will be facing famine. We have the privilege of meeting a maasai elder who tells us that he remembers previous droughts in the 1960’s when he migrated to Tanzania in search of grazing ground.
This has been a good day and we treat ourselves to a Nyama Choma dinner of several types of barbecued meat, including ostrich, crocodile and camel.
4th April
Well it seems that the dry season has ended here in Kenya as it rained heavily throughout the night. Great anticipation as today we finally get our vehicle. Success at the cash machine to get the supplies we need so we go to find out how the van is progressing. Surprise, surprise, the garage has forgotten to make an essential adjustment. It also needs to be serviced and inspected so time is running out. We are caught in the mother of all traffic jams in Nairobi, but when you’re caught in traffic you witness things you wouldn’t normally see; a man is walking past a car, there’s a slight “bang” and he sets off the car alarm. As we’re not going anywhere we notice that this man has actually stolen just the reflective part of the wing mirror from this car – how did he do that!It took him a fraction of a second and the rest of the wing mirror is still in tact. We finally arrive at the garage and realise that we won’t be going anywhere tomorrow as the van isn’t ready.Ah well,that’s life in Kenya. 5th April
Have you ever seen the film “Ground Hog Day” where every day is a repetition of the previous one? Well, it’s beginning to feel a bit like it here.Off we go to collect the vehicle which is more or less ready. We take it for inspection and it passes, phew! However, the registration plates have not arrived, apparently due to rain in Mombasa (don’t ask) so we will have to get temporary plates and pick up the originals on the coast. We will be glad to get there now but the last 3 days have been quite an education. We’re learning patience, something quite alien to Agy. Actually, if you can accept that things take time and relax and chat to the locals, you’re not wasting time at all but gaining a fascinating insight into Kenyan life, politics, tribes, etc.You really see how hard life can be just by looking around you. It’s a humbling experience I can tell you. I’m sitting in the van at the moment on a road with shops selling nothing but car parts. We’re surrounded by people, the sun’s shining and the atmosphere is bustling. There are traders selling second-hand clothes on the street corner and everyone looks cheerful. Anyway, we now have everything and tomorrow we’ll be on our way, hurray.!
