The first days

This is my attempt to document my life and times in Nairobi for the short time I'll be here.


some dense fog


I'll start with a rather exhaustive review of the past week as an introduction, then post (hopefully) daily here on out. I traveled to Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after an amazing vacation in Barcelona with Carmen, Aimee, and Megan, but those stories are for a different time and place. I left bright and early (read: 5:00am) from our hotel in Barcelona to head to Barcelona's El Prat Airport. My flight was scheduled to leave at 7:30am to London's Healthrow, and the hotel said to head there 2.5 hours early. That was quite generous... I arrived seemingly as the first traveler in my terminal. After clearing through border control and finding my gate, I looked around to see that I was the ONLY person in the entire terminal. Only. Me. Sort of an eerie feeling in a major airport. But I gave it 30 minutes and people started to trickle in. A coffee shop finally opened up, so I managed to spend few of my remaining Euros on a chocolate pastry and a delicious espresso. I headed back to the gate to sit out the wait. A guy around my age was the only one at the gate at this point. Reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and blasting Skrillex from his iPod, I assumed American. Later found out he was traveling to Philly and was indeed American. I love being able to identify people's nationalities when traveling. Per usual non-American standard, everyone just forms a blob around the gate versus some sort of boarding order. Since this is far from my first time, I join in the mass, ensuring I'd have some overhead cabin space. Ask Colton his opinion on plane side checking of bags. Mine is similar. I settle into the flight, listening to some nice indie music until they tell me my music somehow interferes with the communication systems. Then the captain comes on. Apparently London has some dense fog early in the morning. I'm (almost) a pharmacist. I even knew that. Apparently this sort of thing is not accounted for. The number of flights allowed to land in London is decreased from 48 to 38. This delays our flight 1.5 hours, but out captain assures us the first officer is frantically working to get us in earlier. I just exhale, lean back in my seat, and close my eyes. We're supposed to land at 9:00am. Flight to Nairobi leaves at 10:15. You do the math. Not being even close to a stranger to travel delays, I just take it in as collateral damage of my worldly adventures. Indeed our flight is delayed and we land at 10:15, just as my other flight is taking off. Luckily, British Airways is awesome (although not for Carmen, Aimee, and Megan - just ask them) and rebooked me on a completely different carrier for free and gave me 20 pounds in meal vouchers. I have a 9 hour layover at this point, so I just explore the terminal, spend all but 10 cents (or whatever the cents are in pounds) of my vouchers, and talk to friends while I wait. Margaret Cho's 1994 stand up show even kept me company at one point. Finally board my flight to AFRICA.

A new paragraph is warranted because I'm about to fly to Africa. The week and days leading up to my trip, I had very mixed emotions. I absolutely love traveling. This is my fifth continent to hit and my longest trip ever. So much changed between the time I applied for an international rotation and actually taking off. School was finally coming to a close. Residency interviews had come and gone - ranks even submitted before the deadline. My short term career goals were coming into reality. But I also realized what I would be leaving behind for 7 weeks. I would be leaving my friends, my family, my boyfriend. It was very tough to take in in the days approaching my departure. But I knew my relationship and friendships were strong, so I knew I could do it. Even still, it's tough to swallow.

I boarded my plane. Kenya Airways flight 101 to Nairobi. I sat down in my seat (yes, going through the same non-American boarding process), listened to the accents around me, and FINALLY realized what I had gotten myself into. I was flying nine hours to KENYA. I quickly managed to swing my emotions over to the extreme excitement end of the scale. It would all be worth it. This would likely be a life changing experience. I would gain so much experience and knowledge that I would carry with me for my whole life.

the elbow jabber

Then my neighbor sat down next to me. Can you say elbow jabber, loud mouth, inconsiderate crazy crazy? Because I can. The flight left at 7:00pm, so I planned on downing my specially delivered vegetarian meal, popping an Ambien, and sleeping the flight away. I opted for a bottle of (too lately realized) cheap red wine versus my chemical friend. My neighbor opted for about 5 Tusker's beers. Nothing is better than the burps of cheap beer for a few hours. Not to mention when I closed my eyes, a kind elbow to my side was introduced all too often. With no remorse, mind you. She eventually went to sleep, laying down across the seats with her head on my armrest. I was trapped! But my bladder can handle it. I don't like to get up on flights. Window seats, for the win. My favorite part of her antics was that she failed to realize my reading light button was on her armrest. Quite frequently she'd shift around, hit the button, and look around like something shorted. Me being who I am said nothing. Just turned off the lamp and closed my eyes. Until it happened again. That part wasn't annoying to me. Just comical. Some people's delay in realization of their surrounds is humorous.

traffic is a tradition

I took my contacts out after realizing they were sticking to my eyes, so when we landed, I was in more of a haze than I usually would be at 7am in a foreign land. I passed easily though border control and immigration, receiving my visa without providing ANY of the documentation I had so carefully prepared. Grabbed a taxi, traveled an HOUR through stand still traffic to meet Stuart at the hostel. I have come to learn that traffic is a tradition here. As my Kenyan friend says, if there isn't traffic, you wonder what is wrong. I was excited to see one of my oldest friends and best traveling buddies again after a long time. Stuart and I have traveled both near and far, from Boston and Chicago, to Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland, and even to Hong Kong. He arrived late the night before after we both had delays. The perils of travel.

The next morning, we called a friend of a friend who is a private driver to help us get a few chores done, exchange money, get some food, etc.  We get our belongings organized and repacked and head to bed early because in the morning, we begin a long adventure into the hills of Kenya for some wildlife adventures!

maasai people

Stuart's friend of a friend, Paul, agreed to take some time off his job at a game lodge to drive us around. We traveled to Chulu Hills of the Maasai people, which he knew like the back of his hand. We saw many animals and beautiful landscapes. We stayed in the border town of Loitokitok, just a few kilometers from Tanzania. Such a little town. Seems like slums by any American's standards, but just standard of living in Kenya. After a night of rest on a foam pillow and hard bed, we set off for Amboseli National Park for some more animals. 

matatu

Our journey back to Nairobi consisted of a car we borrowed from Paul's friend, then a matatu (read: packed minibus taxi - google it), then a cab. Let me tell you, driving in Kenya is insane by any Westerner's standards. Traversing a single lane highway with transfer trucks chugging up hills, jackknifing, stalling, stopping, all while our matatu is weaving in and out of traffic at 40-100 kph. At one point, we crossed into oncoming traffic, onto the opposite shoulder, passed back into oncoming traffic, and returned (safely) to our appropriate lane of travel. Craziness. Insanity.

Finally back at our hostel, Paul charged up his iPhone (yeah, even here Apple is pervasive), and headed back to the lodge to meet guests the next day. Paul is awesome, if you can't tell. We would not have been able to do the type of traveling we did if it wasn't for him.

mzungu mecca

So that was all Wednesday and Thursday. We're now back at the hostel. Friday is Stuart's last full day, so we travel to two markets: Junction Market and Village Market. Both are in affluent Western neighborhoods. I was finally able to find a USB modem for internet at Junction Market, which is about as Western as you can get. Even a frozen yogurt place, which yes, we took advantage of. Then off to Village Market where there is a traveling Maasai market every Friday. Can you say mzungu mecca? That's Swahili for white person. Merchants take you by the arm to show you their theoretically superior product. Haggling is the name of the game here. Prices start easily at 10 times the final price. Persistence is the key, but for a guy like me, I can last about 5 minutes in that type of place. I need to peruse merchandise on my own time. This is not a remote possibility here. I didn't get anything, but Stuart got gifts for friends and family, navigating the complicated pricing schemes of merchants. We got lunch with two of Stuart's friends before heading back to the hostel for his last evening.

Now off to dinner with some other friends. We're headed to the famous Carnivore. Carnivore. Yes, as in meat eating central. I, a vegetarian, have adopted a general policy that I'll eat meat when traveling for 'cultural enlightening' but generally keep to sampling. This was NOT an option. At least 10 different preparations of multiple meats, from chicken to bull balls (no jokes, please). I sampled them all, eventually netting what would be a huge American meal of various meats. Was the most meat I've had in 5 years. I was afraid I'd immediately have a heart attack, but so far, I've survived. After the insane dinner, accompanied by Tucker's beer--a local favorite--and Dawa--an African drink meaning medicine (appropriate, right?)--I finished off dinner with some chocolate gateaux and tawny port. The meal is finally over, and it's time to head home.

Stuart has to pack it in early because of an obscenely early flight (a trend of this trip), but I stay up to check out some of my pictures from the trip so far. I'm blown away at what I've been able to see already. Fear not, pictures will follow.

our official adventure

Seeing as Stuart left early in the morning, my Saturday was spent (finally) sleeping in, exploring downtown, where I was one of 2 other mzungus, and catching up on some tasks, I find myself sitting in a very Western cafe sipping an iced latte listening to a usual playlist enjoying the open air seating. In a few hours, Erin will arrive and our official adventure as two pharmacy intern from America explore the Kenyan healthcare system. I can't even tell you how excited I am to have Erin along for the ride. We have some great ideas in store, and I'm sure plenty of crazy stories to tell. Erin and I met the first day of school back in Communications class in the same small group. Now we finish our educations together as well. Perfect bookending if you ask me.

Until next time, asante and usiku mwerma.