Globus Kenya & Tanzania: The Safari Experience - Day #2 in Nairobi - Walking Nairobi and Feeling Watched
Last night, I found a 2.5-hour walking tour of central Nairobi on Viator and booked it for 11:00 today. I awoke to a WhatsApp message that John, our guide, would pick us up at 10:40. A plan!
We slept in again today, albeit with frequent awakenings. The hotel had power issues early this morning. There was a loud clunk, then silence. Another clunk, then the melodic startup sound of our air conditioner. 15 minutes later, a repeat. This happened at least four times. Lovely.
We went down to breakfast. Today, we opted for freshly-made waffles. They had the most interesting topping.
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| Perhaps "Marple" trees are native to Kenya |
After breakfast, we took a look at the pool.
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| The pool is quite nice and quite big |
There are lush plantings all along the back of the hotel. This bloom was particularly interesting.
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| White Powder Puff (Calliandra haematocephala 'Alba') |
We returned to the room to get ready for our day. With everything we needed ready, we headed down to the lobby to wait for our ride. Yesterday, Arlona had noticed a large bird in a nearby tree as we waited for our ride. Today, we could finally see what it was - a stork. And, there wasn't just one - there were several scattered through the trees. Were they watching us?
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| These Marabou Storks, or Untertaker Birds, stand 4-5 feet tall and have a 7.5-9.5 foot wingspan |
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| A couple of them got into what appeared to be a territory dispute over a perching location |
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| Eventually, one claimed the perch and the other was evicted |
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| There were a few other, prettier things to see |
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| But there sure were a lot of huge, ugly storks |
Our ride arrived with our tour guide, John. The car took us to our starting point for our walking tour of the CBD.
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| The British influence is still visible in the mailboxes |
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| The former National Assembly of Kenya, now the Bank of India |
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| Nairobi African Memorial commemorates nearly 50,000 African troops and followers who died fighting with Commonwealth forces during the East African campaign of World War I |
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| The minarets of a mosque, sticking up over the trees |
Kenya is about 85% Christian, 11% Muslim, and the rest practice Hindu, traditional African religions, or have no religious affiliation.
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| McMillan Memorial Library, 1931 |
As was the practice in Africa during British control, many facilities, including this library, were reserved for the British and possibly Indians. Africans were forbidden. Thankfully, that practice ended.
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| There were lots of international eateries |
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| Jamia Mosque Nairobi can hold 10,000 worshipers |
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| Its size was deceiving - it spanned a block in each direction |
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| We wandered through the City Market - lots of shops, but we weren't buying today |
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| The building hosted more storks - were they following us? |
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Undertaker Storks - are they watching us???
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| This is why - food vendors on the back of the market - storks claim the waste, *whew* |
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| A face only a mother could love |
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| Descaling fish |
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| A large park in the center of the city where people gather or come for midday rest |
John went on to say that this is a place where people meet to find love. Young people don't meet on benches or buses anymore. Everyone is so wrapped up in their phone that nobody talks anymore. The days of sitting next to someone on a bus and striking up a conversation are over. But here in the park, people sit and talk.
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| The University of Nairobi with an enrollment of around 50,000, having peaked at 80,000 |
As we crossed a street, an Uber driver with a fare stopped to let us cross. Arlona noticed he was wearing a familiar shirt.
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| We told him that our daughter graduated from Michigan State University, but I don't think he understood, but he was willing to pose for a photo |
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| The traffic lights don't work in Nairobi - traffic is either controlled by traffic cops standing in the road directing traffic, or, in most cases, an absolute free-for-all |
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| Kipande House, completed in 1913 and formerly the city's tallest building for over 20 years, is now a bank |
Our next stop was "Point Zero", the center of Nairobi. We saw the Galton-Fenzi Memorial, also known as "Point Zero" or the Nairobi Military Stone.
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| It was erected in 1939 and serves as the official starting point for measuring distances from Nairobi to other locations across Kenya |
It honors Lionel Douglas Galton-Fenzi, the founder of the Royal East African Automobile Association and the first person to drive a car from Nairobi to Mombasa.
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| The stone structure features a plaque indicating geographical coordinates and distances to various towns, including Dar es Salaam and Moyale |
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| Kenya banned public smoking 15 years ago - they have dedicated smoking zones for the few who still smoke cigarettes |
Our next stop was the Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family.
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| It was completed in 1963 and has a huge bell tower - our guide, John, walked us in |
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| A service was underway, so we could only peek inside |
Before we could enter the grounds, we had to pass through metal detectors. The same was true last night at Carivore. Our hotel also has metal detectors and a luggage X-ray machine. Every place has security personnel and heavy metal gates. John explained that in the past, Somali terrorists had attacked various places in Kenya. The heavy security was in response to that, and while it is no longer an active threat, the security remains.
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| We passed lots of street photographers |
John explained that most Kenyans' cellphones are cheap Chinese imports with lousy cameras. These street photographers will take quality photos for people for very reasonable prices.
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| Nairobi City Hall, right across the street from the KICC, our final stop |
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Nairobi City County Assembly
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| The Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) |
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| It is named for Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first President after becoming independent in 1963 |
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| The Kenyan flag (right) and the Presidential Standard of Kenya (left) |
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| Jomo Kenyatta Statue |
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| He served as President from December 12, 1964 until his death on August 22, 1978 |
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| The design of this building was said to be inspired by African hat design |
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| The Judiciary |
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| The Supreme Court - part of the Judiciary building |
With that, our walking tour of Nairobi ended. We bid farewell to our tour guide, John, and his assistant, Davis.
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| Garry, Davis (in back), Arlona, and John |
John dropped us off at a Carrefour convenience store. We grabbed a couple of 2L bottles of Coke Zero, two small packs of Oreos, and a reusable grocery bag, paying the exorbitant sum of 474KES, or $3.67. Woo, we love great exchange rates!
I hailed an Uber, and we took a $3.09 ride back to our hotel.
We relaxed for the afternoon, and I put this entry together. A little after 4:00, we went down for a late lunch / early dinner at the hotel. We opted to dine around the pool. We started with cocktails.
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| We started with classic margaritas |
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| I thought it was just OK, so I gave the rest to Arlona and opted for a Tusker Lager |
For dinner, we split a hamburger and an order of garlic naan. I am confident that we will have no vampire activity in our room tonight!
We were back in the room at 6:30 and ready to call it a night. Showers, a little relaxing time, and shuteye were all that was left for us, so we will be ready for a 6:00 alarm tomorrow morning. We'll need to get dressed, get breakfast, and get ready for a 7:30 departure for our first actual day with Globus. There will be seven of us on the excursion tomorrow, and it is unclear if this will be everyone for the entire tour. Here is the plan for tomorrow, from Globus.
Guided sightseeing starts with a game drive in Nairobi National Park. Then visit Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to learn about elephant conservation, including orphaned elephant calves. Visit Karen Blixen Museum, dedicated to the Danish baroness and author of Out of Africa – a 1937 autobiographical account (later, an Academy Award-winning film) illustrating her experience as a coffee farmer and connections with Kenya. After lunch at the gardens, visit the Giraffe Centre, followed by free time this evening.
We'll be on the go from 7:30-5:45 tomorrow, and then prep for a 7:00 departure the following day, including packing and checking out of the hotel for the real beginning of this adventure.
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