The plan was to head into Nairobi with Joseph and Geraldine then go to the Giraffe Centre, catch up with Caitlyn’s friends and come back. Good, yes, ready.
We finally left the house about 12pm (I guess there’s no hurry on a Saturday morning) and caught a bus into Nairobi with our host parents. It was all pretty straight forward to begin with; down the motorway and mostly sticking to the lanes on the road. That was until we got into the city of course. Wow, what an experience! Total gridlock so the bus had to go down a different route, which put us in the wrong place.
Joseph led us off the bus and we found a tuk tuk to get us into the centre of the city. Now that was fun! This little vehicle (with 4 of us squashed in the back) weaved in and out of racing cars, buses and other tuk tuks. The number of near misses was impossible to count. Roundabouts seemed to be a challenge – sure there’s enough space for me to fit in there; it doesn’t matter that the bus is bigger than me, I’ll go first anyway; a wave is enough to push my way in before them; I’m going in that direction and you can’t stop me! It was like this little thing was on rails the way it turned at ninety-degree angles and fit between buses and trucks. Absolutely crazy.
Anyway, we made it to the centre where Joseph took us to meet a taxi driver – Isaiah - he knew (Joseph used to drive taxis) to take us to the Giraffe Centre. It was all going well until we hit the only road that could take us where we were going. There was a traffic jam as far as the eye could see and we were crawling. Luckily there was entertainment of a sort. Vendors were selling their wares down the street in between the cars; a captive audience. Blow up zebras, chips, maps of Africa, nuts, sunglasses, phone chargers, traffic signs and everything in between. It was kind of like drive-through shopping or the Generation Game. We didn’t partake however, no matter how tempted.
We made it off the road onto this red, clay type surface that was clearly a road in the making. Puddles and potholes everywhere. This seemed to slow us down even more so by the time we came out of the traffic jam it was way past lunch time and we were starving.
Caitlyn had seen a sign for KFC and the craving began. I was fine to begin with but her insistence at wanting some of the fried-chickeny goodness rubbed off on me and soon I was yearning the 11 herbs and spices too. Up ahead we spied the mall that Caitlyn had been to (in the gorgeous suburb of Karen) and low and behold there was a KFC. “Pull in there please”. A zinger burger combo never tasted so good!
After we were sated we headed off again in search of our long-necked friends. FINALLY we made it to the Giraffe Centre and headed in. We stood on the platform with a number of others and fed these beautiful creatures. I would have said gentle creatures if it wasn’t for the fact that one head-butted me when I stopped feeding it! Caitlyn and I both received giraffe kisses – ok, so perhaps they were food-induced kisses; we put a food pellet in our mouth and the giraffe came to get it :-)
One giraffe was so new it didn’t yet have a name. I tried to convince the keeper that Marcella was a wonderful name for a giraffe. He liked it so perhaps I have a namesake in Nairobi now.
After our fill of giraffe cuddles and kisses we headed to a camp sight to catch up with friends of Caitlyn’s. They were the tour guide and driver of the long tour she did from Cape Town to Nairobi. We hung out with them while our driver for the day, Isaiah waited for us.
We decided to head back home. Driving through Mlolongo we saw Josh (the Canadian volunteer) with his friends going the other way. 2 seconds later we get a text. “Beer?” it simply said. We arranged to head out with them soon but had to stop at the supermarket to buy a mattress as you do.
We had spied a huge pile of mattresses at the supermarket the day before and as my current mattress was more like a hammock I went in to buy one. The shop assistants had to pull one that looked good out of the heap so that Caitlyn could lie it and tell me if it was the right size. It was apparently very comfortable as she insisted the shop assistant join her. Cue photo.
Just to be a pain in the ass, I wanted a different one so again we went through the rig moral of getting another mattress. This time I lay down on it (most amusing for all other customers I’m sure) to check it was comfy. Only $40? Done deal!
Standing at the counter with a mattress at a supermarket was all rather amusing for Caitlyn so she took a few photos to remember the moment.
Isaiah found it all rather funny too when we came out with the mattress. We squeezed it into the back of the taxi and were off again, homeward bound.
We were dropped back at ‘home’ and paid the man. $11000 ksh!! Really?!? That’s $132! Good lord. Well, ok, it was for a day. Thank you.
We brought the mattress in, much to the amusement of Ann and our host parent’s daughter and cousin who had come home for the weekend. A phone call later and Josh was on his way to pick us up (he has a taxi driver he always uses in Mlolongo). We were taken to a hotel called Connections right beside our school and sat out by the pool. We met Bryce and Jordan, two other Canadians who Josh had convinced to come out to Kenya to volunteer. It was great fun sitting and chatting and laughing. We headed home via Josh’s taxi guy and the boys headed into Nairobi to catch a night bus to Mombassa.
When we got in, the girls were dancing so of course I had to join them. I learnt the moves and away I went. Fun fun fun. I then helped them with some math homework, we had dinner, Joseph and Geraldine got home, we watched some random movie and it was time for bed. It has been a great day.
Lala Salama
Sunday
Elephant orphanage day! Yay! Joseph and Geraldine were appalled and really embarrassed when they found out how much Isaiah had charged us. It was way over priced! Oh well, we had to be ripped off at some stage.
Today we were to be picked up by Jacob, a more reliable trustworthy taxi-driver friend of Joseph’s. The girls went back to their grandmother’s, which is where they live during the week.
Joseph, Geraldine and their daughter lived just out of Nairobi until about 7 months ago but it all turned to custard when they suffered a home invasion. It was clearly a terrifying experience as they moved away very soon after and came to Mlolongo however, their daughter was enrolled in school there and as they had already paid for school and exams fees she was locked into studying at that school. Consequently she lives with Geraldine’s parents during the week and comes home on Saturdays for the night.
Our host family went off to church and Ann went to see her family so we locked up and headed out with Jacob to see the baby elephants. It was a much easier ride this time around and in no time we were heading in to see the 4-legged giants, well, baby giants anyway.
We were standing around the enclosure when we caught up with Tania, Amber and Lauren, all IVHQ volunteers. Then we saw them, a long line of gorgeous little brown (no grey here) elephants trotting purposefully towards the enclosure – they knew there was milk to be had. Unbelievably cute I tell you. The smallest ones had blankets on, cuuuuuuute! They all headed towards one of their keepers, or foster parents, and drank from the enormous bottles offered to them. We heard about how they lost their parents through disease, poachers, old age or starvation, were found and brought to the orphanage. The youngest was something like 4 months when he was rescued. They looked healthy and cared for at this orphanage. What an amazing job this place does! I think I may head back there another time and adopt one of the babies. Not sure how I’m going to take him back to Sydney but I’ll figure something out ;-)
After seeing a rather annoyed Pumba (warthog) and rhino we were all off to Gallaria (the mall from yesterday) for lunch, this time in a café. Karen is quite a wealthy suburb where a number of Westerners and affluent Kenyans live. It is named after Karen Blixen, the Danish author of the memoir Out of Africa; her farm was on the land in the 1930s where the suburb now is. There are some fantastic botanical gardens there and a number of wealthy schools. All rather nice really.
Lunch was hot chocolate and French toast, yes, yum. Ok, so I know that’s kind of breakfast but really, French toast is good at all hours of the day.
After a good wander around the mall, some postcard purchases and another visit to Nakumatt we were back in Jacob’s taxi and headed home. This time it was only 5000ksh as promised - $60, much better, thank you very much, asante sana. We will be using you again Jacob.
It was an afternoon and evening of relaxation and chatting as well as teaching Caitlyn to play the card version of Settlers of Catan, just called Catan. Very civilized.
It’s Caitlyn’s birthday next Sunday so we are going to head into Nairobi for the day, check out the Maasi markets, the museum and other bits and pieces, go to dinner and find a cool bar with a dance floor. So far joining us we have her two friends Janine and Rob, the three Canadians and the three IVHQ girls and possibly three other volunteers. Should be fun! Watch this space.
School tomorrow!
Lala Salama
