I flew via Cairo, changing from Royal Air Morac to Kenyan Airways, "The Pride of Africa", because I couldn't leave the international terminal a very kind official went to get my boarding pass for me. He had me wait in a coffee shop next to the information desk. All the while I was waiting, and later too, there were very angry exchanges at that desk. People were yelling and appealing to the crowd for their side of the argument. I don't know if anything ever got settled, but it was an amazing show.
I arrived in Nairobi needing a place for the night as my booking on the tablet didn't complete. Going to the tourist desk I explained which hotel and the rate quoted on the web, he called up and secured a room at that rate. Then I paid for drive to hotel and later drive out to Karen Blixen farm museum. Sitting in traffic I was amazed at a large flock of birds sitting on sign across highway and in trees beside the road. They were huge, kind of a cross between a stork and a buzzard and moved like swimmers in the sky.
It all worked smoothly. This was a 4 or 5 star hotel; they met me with a warm washcloth to clean hands, then served me a glass of tropical juice as I was being checked in. Very nice accommodations, view of the city and real breakfast in restaurant in the morning. Nicest place I ever stayed. That afternoon the same driver picked me up and we went out to see the "Out of Africa" farm. It is beautiful setting and the climate is perfect, high altitude on the equator, I could imagine living there except that it is too far from the ocean.
The strongest image I keep from this drive, I did not take a picture, is of people walking. How to explain? Everywhere there were people walking, lots of people walking, mostly alone and at a steady gait, deliberate, neither fast or slow but like they could walk all day just like that. People everywhere, in city and country, many people - I can't fanthom where they were going, or coming from. A few women carrying bundles on their heads, but mostly just people in work or school apparel, suits and ties, women in business dress. Everywhere people walking. Image of infinite patience.
There were "tatas" - buses, full buses with wonderful names like Despair. Traffic was massive and roads were being built; or at least they had torn up great sections of earth to put in roads, didn't see much work going on. The driver said the roads had all been contracted to China, a government to government arrangement.
At Karen Blixen's farm I saw paintings she had done, much of the furnishings were original as she had sold to friends and when the museum was established they were able to get many things back. The terrain was a lot flatter than I had imagined, but lovely. A young woman guide took me around, a perfect afternoon.
On the way back the driver took me to a tourist trap, I felt I had to buy something. So I got a nice malachite bracelet and a small painting. I managed to lose the bracelet the very next day.
The next morning I was picked up by the tour company I booked for safari and taken to the local airport for a 45 minute flight in a single engine plane to Nanyuki, near the base of Mt. Kenya. I could see Mt. KIlimanjaro from the air! A driver from Sweetwaters was there to pick me up in a 4-wheel drive Range Rover. I was the only guest arriving that day and the driver named Samuel was assigned to me for my three day stay on safari. He was very easy to get along with, but I didn't always understand his English. And it turned out he was an excellent scout.
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