Back in Nairobi city
A year after we first came to Kenya, Africa Web TV is back in Nairobi city again. This time we have a much more flexible program so we are going to enjoy this country a bit more. What’s on the staple during this trip? We are hoping to hook up with some local content producers. We are going to be making some local content ourselves and we are going to revisit some of the places we visited last year. We have an invitation to meet with some showbiz people whose names we are not at liberty to mention here. We might get some of them to come over to the Netherlands to perform!
Depending on how our program goes in Kenya, we plan to cross over to Uganda to meet some very interesting people and hopefully do some local items there too. Sheila who was our guide last year will be the one to chaperon us this time again. If you ever are looking for a streetwise but diligent and intelligent person to show you around town, Sheila is your person!
Nairobi feels good this first night. The outside of the Jomo Kenyata International Airport looked busier this time around. The number of people waiting outside makes one think of the hordes always waiting at the Murtala Mohamed Airport in Nigeria. A friend already arranged taxi and he was already there waiting. The drive to the hotel was smooth and one had to marvel at the way the driver actually seemed to know and respect the traffic rules. 2 weeks earlier it was a kind of free for all on the roads of Nigeria. There, the people get a car from A to B. How they do it, is anyone’s guess. Just hold your heart and pray! In Nairobi there are actually driving schools where people learn to drive and learn the traffic codes etc. You have to pass a driving test before you are issued with a driver’s licence. In Nigeria, you just go to the local government and pay some money and you can drive yourself to hell. Nobody cares!
The hotel one has arranged this time is a kind of let down. It looked more like a youth hostel than a hotel it was advertised to be. The rooms are small and the first night one could not get a shower because the hot water was not running. This is so much different from the hotels (bar one) we stayed in while in Nigeria a couple of weeks earlier. Those were nice and modern and the hotel in Port Harcourt was really great. So for some our Africa Web TV Nigerian friends, it is not like we are always bashing your country. Africa Web TV is a very neutral organisation that calls a spade a spade. False patriotism will never make us tell a lie. What is good is good and what is bad is bad. Period! Happily one is booked for only 2 days here. Today will be the day to look for a better accommodation. Pity that where one stayed last year is temporarily closed for renovations.
The sweet inviting smell of Nyama Choma in the hotel is so welcoming though that one is willing to forgive the shortcomings of this otherwise basic place. Tonight one is going to go to their so-called “Nyama Choma Paradise” to have a taste of the Kenya roasted and barbecued meat! First though we are going to the city centre to say hello to all the people of Nairobi!