Jambo

In 1994 when I was working for the government and my office delegated me to the environmental Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
My flight itinerary covered transit descending in Vienna and Frankfort airports with the final destination- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or formerly Embakasi airport in Nairobi.
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Jambo, was the first word I have heard from Nairobian guy in the airport.
Nowadays many things are called jambo: Jambo Music, Jambo song,Jambo Smokers, Jambo the Gorilla,Jambo Café, Radio Jambo,etc.
However Jambo means "hello" in Swahili a Bantu language, the lingua franca of the African Great Lakes region and other parts of the Southeast Africa.
The hotel matatus (called minibuses in Kenya) left the airport and drove to the downtown to the Southern Sun Mayfair hotel.
The hotel turned out very fastidious and pleasant with quiet garden environment.
After long and exhausting trip it was real pleasure to taste local Tusker beer in the calm environment and green gardens of Mayfair hotel with water flows flowing and fish swimming around.
The Conference was accompanied with side events and lasted more than a week.

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Nairobi metropolis carries well-built cosmopolitan traditions comprise an exciting enlightening life, superlative places to eat and exhilarating nightlife and ocean.
Along with different attractions, like National Museum with artifacts of a homo erectus known as the Turkana boy you may visit Karen Blixen's former home, famous for her book ‘Out of Africa’ which chronicles life at the estate located in the affluent Karen suburb. Uhuru Gardens, a national monument and the largest memorial park in Kenya, is also the place where the first Kenyan flag was raised at independence, as well as Jomo Kenyatta's Mausoleum, Kenya National Theatre, and the Kenya National Archives. Art galleries in Nairobi include the Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art -Ramoma, and the Mizizi Arts Centre.
However one of the most fascinating tours I had in Nairobi was National Park, that we visited by ‘matatus’ where we had a pleasure to watch lions, buffaloes, hippos, monkeys, giraffes, zebras and etc.
Kenyan food is characterized by variety of ethnic traditions compound of seasonings and tastes of foreign settlers Indians, Arabs, Europeans, etc.
Finally we visited Masai Mara National Reserve, neighboring with the Serengeti National Park in Mara Region, Tanzania.
The tour was charming. We met local tribes and attended the concert. Kenya always stays in my best memories.