First full day is finished. It was meant to be a day to just chill and relax but it turned out to be a day to search for a new hotel. As it turns out there was a much better hotel just 2 block away from the sorry one we were staying. Before we decided to hire this hotel, one decided first to see if the rooms met one’s basic needs. Happily they had bigger and better rooms. The bathroom was functioning and the whole setup looked a bit more professional than the present one. What’s more, one was able to get the residents’ rate! That translates into a savings of almost 50%. Not bad at all. But because we had been stung once, we decided to book in for just 3 nights starting from Saturday morning. (We are writing this on Friday night)
Our new hotel
Then to the city! We were to meet Sheila, the guide, for the first time again. Because Africa Web TV was early, one decided to just take this lively and vibrant city in. The street preachers at the National archives were still trying to convince bored and jobless onlookers that they should put their in the heaven. The school children were still going home in their various school uniforms. Some lovers were still holding hands while laughing at some private jokes they were sharing. Some guys were fighting on the street while the big PSVs (Public Service Vehicles) were humming and buzzing through the busy street traffic. some people were still wearing thick winter jackets even though it was around 23 degrees Celsius. Yes! This is Nairobi as we remembered it.
There were no traces of the danger that could be lurking around because of the threat of the Al-Shabab bombings. People were advising us before we left The Netherlands to avoid crowded places. The advice should have been; “hide in your hotel room”. This is because once you get out of your hotel room, you are always in a mass of people. That is Nairobi. If people were scared, they were not showing it. The people one asked about the recent spate of bombings just raised their shoulders and said life had to go on. Africa Web TV just stood amongst the people with admiration under the shining Nairobi sun this Friday afternoon.
At the dry cleaner’s, Nairobi
Once Sheila finally arrived it was as if time stood still. She had not changed a bit! She quickly took control of the situation and brought one to a bureau de change to get some Kenyan Shillings. It makes life a bit easier. We went into one of the Highlands restaurants to have a meal and to make plans for the next days. She had some great ideas of where to go, whom to see and so on. We were on a roll. She insisted we went back to our hotel. She wanted to see why we did not like it. One step inside and we did not have to explain ourselves any more! To make the matters worse, 20 minutes later a call came through the room phone to say that she had stayed too long in the room and had to come down. Sheila was just looking at the pictures we made last year together and which she was seeing for the first time!
Down we went to the lobby and to the so-called Nyama Choma Paradise section of the hotel to try out their meat. It was very busy and there were people of various nationalities present and enjoying their portion of the meat. They must know how to prepare those meats there after all. However, due to some reasons we decided not to partake in the Nyama Choma this time. We just drank some stuff and left. Since one is just moving 2 blocks away starting the next day, one can still come back and taste the meats of Nairobi. We brought Sheila to her taxi and returned to the very noisy hotel. Tomorrow should bring solace.
