"Shall I stay / Would it be a sin / If I can't help falling in love with you"

Although the travel to get there was traumatic, Kenya was a perfect destination.  Although it gets a bad reputation, I LOVED Nairobi (“Nai-robbery” to naysayers), and definitely want to get back there again in the future.  From the moment I landed, it was obvious – “Toto, we’re not in Cameroon anymore.”  Nairobi is incredibly developed compared to the Africa that I’ve seen, and even better is that that way of life seems accessible to a greater share of Kenyans.  Although I didn’t think I’d be hit by culture shock very hard, I stood in a supermarket aghast when I saw half of an aisle devoted solely to toilet paper!  The sheer number of choices and options blew my mind and was a little overwhelming.    Although a bit odd to constantly see other foreigners in and around the capital, that lent itself to a weird sense of anonymity that has been missing in my life for the past year and a half.  Everyone was incredibly friendly, from the family we stayed with, to connections made through “friends of friends”...even chatting with artisanal vendors was a pleasant experience!  I was meeting up with four former Cameroonian Peace Corps Volunteers who had started their travels in December and had spent the last 3 months backpacking across the continent.  I’m slightly jealous of the travel these ladies did, but glad that I got to be on the tail-end of their adventure.

On the first day, we visited Karen Blixen’s house (of “Out of Africa” fame). 

 

Having just had pizza for lunch, I was already on a high, but lemon cheesecake and chocolate mousse at a nearby restaurant had my head spinning.

 

The next day we kept up the tourist vibe and headed towards Lakes Naivasha and Oloidien, pausing first to enjoy the incredible views of the Great Rift Valley.  

Because we were traveling on a slim budget, we avoided the official parks and their entrance fees, but found a few locations that were hidden gems and we were able to see several animals for free! 

Can you spot the baby?

Not just silly lawn ornaments

Fun fact of the day:  They're rosy pink from pigments in the organisms they eat.

 

We literally had to stop our car to avoid hitting these baboons crossing the road.  I rolled down my window to get this shot and was within 5 feet of this creature!

Another detour led us to even more wild animals:  

 

 

The Great Rift Valley, again...

...even more beautiful at sunset?!

Thanks to a little online searching ahead of time, we were able to find a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at a club.  I felt a little out of place at this establishment given the disconnect between their outrageous cover charge and my flip-flops as footwear, but it made for a great night.  There were legit Irish step-dancers as well as the hilariously named featured entertainment of the evening - Murfy’s Flaw, purportedly “the latest rock/pop sensation in East Africa.”  Their original stuff was hit or miss, but their covers weren’t that bad, and we all enjoyed getting into the Irish spirit.

The next day we kept it low-key, enjoying some Lebanese food at a nice restaurant, lazing around the house listening to music, and eating family style with our generous hosts.  We stayed up late into the night chatting about politics/international development/economics/conspiracy theories and it was so unbelievably refreshing to have a real conversation with engaged and intelligent people. 

 

My last day in my whirlwind tour of Kenya was full of last-minute shopping, errands, and meals.  Before I knew it, we were saying our goodbyes and headed for the airport.

Seriously experienced world travelers (a.k.a. my heroes)