Nairobi, Kenya, Day 9 - Stop the donuts!!

Tiffany's race number on her really sweet koga-miyata bike.

Tan lines galore, eh...

Now that's my kind of "water" bottle...
I still have a bit of research to do but did zip/nodda thing this morning. Got off the TV couch at noon. That was life drainingly difficult. Managed to tap into the WWW. No reply from Aaron, the dude I met in Kampala. He's got critical data for the stretch into Ethiopia. Do have to take the plunge myself? Do I really need to put myself into danger again and again... Damn it's like I'm on a giant adventure or something. Ok, Ethiopia here I come. Ready or not.

Later on, "the gang" and I went downtown for chocolate covered donuts (i.e. me and thomas were the only ones cramming donuts) and cafe lattes at a "fancy" cafe. Newest gang member today was Tiffany from the States, a cool cyclist/burnt out lawyer from S. Carolina but working in London.

What's a nice girl like Tiffany doing in a place like Nairobi? Well, the Tour D'afrique (not to be confused with the Cirque du Soleil) just rolled into Camp. She's gonna be a participant! The famous Tour is a bike race from Cairo to Capetown. It's legendary. It also costs something like $12,000 USD to enter the race. Yikes...that's some serious money. Thomas reckons it would pay for a four year bike ride, non-stop.

Well, the Camp grounds are now packed with cyclists' tents now. There must be at least 25 bikers. That's a whole lotta tan lines...

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 11/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya, Day 8

that's thomas on the right...
I've met some very interesting people here at the Hilltop. First there's Thomas from Germany (he's riding his bike from his homeland to Capetown). He's living the life I'm supposed to be living. He's a journeyman traveler/cyclist/author (i.e. he's a pro). He's been all over the world. He gives slide shows. Writes articles. Makes a living doing it. Talking with him for the last few days has really inspired me. Maybe this travel "career" isn't over quite yet. I must work on a strategy to earn money and travel at the same time. Anywho, Thomas is an amazing guy.

If you can read German or wanna see some pretty pix, check him out at his webpage, here.

that's leonard on the left...
Another guy I have to mention is Leonard from Kelowna. He's the guy setting up the slum tours. He looks exactly like the goal keeper for the German National Soccer Team. He reminds me of Don Cherry in his forthrightness. But he's an anti-Cherry-ite. He's much more intelligent (not a stretch for anyone I guess, ha!). He's sharp as a tack. A man of his convictions. To do what he's done here is an incredible feat.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 10/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya, Days 4-7

One of the few postcards I sent home. There isn't a whole lotta selection. However, I think Kenyans and Africans in general have more important things (like disease and poverty) to worry about...

Yep, that's my lovely prose, eh...
Still alive and kickin'....not much happening other than I've been procuring equipment and books for the last few days. Yes, books! That's one of the best things about Nairobi: it's bookstores. I've bought 3 books since I got here. The latest book? Rich Dad Poor Dad... It's not my kind of read but what the hell. I hope it's not an Oprah book. That makes a total of 6 books (including 3 guidebooks) I'm hauling around. I really can't carry that much.

Good news: I managed to purchase a dense foam sleeping pad. I missed my yellow one so much (the one I sent home with Sal). It would have helped so much earlier on when I was hitching in the back of flat bed trucks.

Bad news: on the visa front, it appears the Sudanese visa won't be possible in Nairobi (unless you're a business person). I'll have to try Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) like I originally planned. It's a little stressful not being able to get it here. I'm not sure if obtainable in AA either.

Good news: I was able to get same day service at the Ethiopian embassy. I'm really excited about getting there.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 9/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya Day 3 - stayin' alive...still

life's real rough in the slums...
Most tourists come to Kenya expecting to see lions, elephants, and other safari fare. Others have ambitions of climbing peaks like Mount Kenya. But, if you really want to venture off the beaten path to go to the slums of Nairobi. Thomas and I went down fellow Canuckistani Leonard to Muthare. Unbelievably, with a population of 800,000 people, Muthare is the smaller of two giant slums on the periphery of Nairobi.

[ed. notes: Leonard is from Kelowna. He is the driving force behind the Pamoja Tunaweza Single Mothers Group, a small group of at risk mothers in Muthare whose husbands have abandoned them or died of AIDS or violence. The goal of the group is to raise funds through slum tours such as the one we were on or donations to start a micro-loan program that would provide members with seed money for starting small businesses. If you would like to help out, click the link. Trust me, a little donation goes a long way...]

As the taxi sped along, I noticed an endless row of roadside food stands and behind them rows of tin roofed shacks. The scene reminded me of similar shanty towns I saw in India. I knew then that we had arrived in Muthare. The taxi would stop abruptly. Before I even stepped out of the cab, I was overwhelmed by the stench; a wall of aroma composed of sewage, smoke from burning rubbish and human waste wafting from the slum.

didn't mean to startle you ma'am...
We entered the maze of tin shacks, following closely at the heels of Leonard. "Habari...mazuri...", he'd greet everyone we passed in the narrow corridor. Occasionally, he'd stop and have fun with the kids along the way; thus, breaking the "untouchable barrier". Unquestionably mzungus (white people) like me and Thomas take their lives into their own hands when coming down to the slums unescorted. Leonard's been down here at least 15 times by himself, he purports, but I couldn't help but feel a bit vulnerable (especially with my camera hanging around my neck).

lots 'o kid in the ghettos...
Minutes later, we emerged from the narrow alley way. We found ourselves standing on a small promontory overlooking a sea of corrugated tin shacks, all hastily arranged into long rows: stretching a couple of kilometres across a medium sized river valley in front of us and perhaps 5 to 10 kilometres stretched either side along the valley floor. Huge. There was no noise other than kids playing nearby and a howling wind that streaked through the labyrinth of shacks that we just negotiated.

The stench seemed to follow us like tsetse flies chasing a water buffalo's butt. No wonder, raw sewage ran along an open ditch in the middle of lane. Despite the freeflow of milky white fluid I observed, the ditch is often clogged with millions of plastic shopping bags that litter ground.

One of the few toilets serving the entire population of Muthare.
We scurried like rats on a sinking ship. The path narrowed until we reached a cul de sac. There we found Vicky's home, a single room shack with a double bed, a couple of chairs, and a hot plate on the foot of the bed. Vicky would be our official guide. An attractive young woman with an equally impressive handshake, like most young women in the slums, she is a single mum. Leonard informed us that the future of these mums are depressingly bleak. There is massive unemployment in Muthare. The young mothers are desperate, driving alot of them into the sex trade in order to make the money to support their families.

She offers Thomas and I a drink of water. I could not refuse. In the meantime, we met her little boy, her sisters, and neighbours. Despite the horrid conditions in which they live, they seemed so happy.

Vicky's sisters...

Muthare's Portage and Main
Vicky took us down to the "main street". Everyone's pretty friendly, shaking our hands, shouting out hello's. We couldn't help but notice that there people were completely sloshed. I mean men AND women were hitting the sauce. [ed. note. we'd walk along the river and Vicky would point out men, often members of gangs, and their primitive distillation equipment in the stream. apparently, more than a few people lose their lives in this trade.] Vicky would move us along if someone got too friendly. But, overall, she reassured us that things are cool.

Street art: damn Rastafarians are everywhere... Bob is hope, as is soccer using a tin can for a ball.

no, i'm not related to bruce. maybe jackie but not bruce.
Next, she took us to a school. We looked in and found the class, waiting for their teacher, was taking a nap! Ha!

you'll recognise this little boy from the original blog entry.
Next on the tour was the Good Samaritan orphanage.

Ladies with big hearts...
The orphanage was a breath of fresh air. These lovely ladies (above photo) manage the orphanage. They provide food and shelter for 40 to 50 kids of all ages every night. The dorm is packed to the rafters with kids at night and, unfortunately, many other kids are left out in the cold. Eva, the lady on the left, gave me a tour and pointed out the two story orphanage had an significant lean and could topple at any point.

3 to 4 kids share each bunk bed.
All is not doom and gloom however. A replacement building is being constructed next door. Progress has been halted though until more money is raised through donations.

the incomplete orphanage.
The aim of the orphanage is to become self-sustaining. Across the road is a plot of land where the orphanage raises cows, pigs, and chickens for food. The ladies have also started making handicrafts to sell to tourists (see the above pic of the lovely ladies) fund. There's also a scholarship fund in place that has give orphans the opportunity to go to college. Those kids and other alumni usually comeback to help out.

an orphan

dude-like orphans...
It was getting dark having a bit to eat at Vicky's sister's place. Not a good time for mzungus, let alone those who live there, to be in the slums. We hurried back to the main road for the bus ride back to the Campsite. It was a great day. Certainly an eyeopening experience. I couldn't help but envision a positive, hopeful outlook for the people of Muthare, like Vicky (and the other single mums) and the kids at the orphanage.

[ed. notes: the slums, in light of recent Kenyan elections, became the focal point for alot of the violence. i can see socio-economic factors playing a roll in the riots, but when you start introducing tribal grievances into the mix, these slums indeed are sitting on a powderkeg. Anyway, I got a email the other day from Leonard saying the situation in Muthare was insane. Vicky's sister was sent to hospital when she was hacked on the arm by machete wielding thugs. She's OK. so much for progress...]

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 5/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya Day 2 - Stayin' Alive

the Upperhill Campsite (1°18'2.14"S 36°48'43.11"E) is a pretty good hangout. Good crowd. Good beer. Good security. Centrally located. Satellite TV. Dorms were kind of grotty so I stayed in a prefab tent (right) instead for a pricey 6.42 dullah per night. Not bad.

Still alive. Decided to bust out of the fortress today. Headed downtown to get some ATM money with a newly made Kenyan friend, who laughed at my paranoia. After getting a stack of cash (kind of stupid of my carrying such a stash), Tony drove me to a "suburban" shopping mall where I did a little shopping. [ed. note: Tony was apparently drunker than a skunk. Why can't I spot these guys?]. I ended up buying 2 books: the Bradt guide to Ethiopia and a lil' book called "the constant gardner". The guidebook is supposed to be the best and "gardner" is supposed to be good. Both are pretty heavy. Ugh. More crap to carry around. Besides I'm still trying to finish the power of one. Anyway, the more I think about it, the more frivolous the purchase was. I hardly spend money on creature comforts like books. So, I guess this was worth it.

Finished an important task today at least. I met with Surinder tonite at the Campsite. She's my contact here. [ed. note: I was mugged by 4 knife wielding thugs in Vilanculos, Mozambique (here: 22° 0'1.30"S 35°19'24.05"E) earlier in the trip and lost my Visa card.] She gave me my new Visa card. I was quite relieved to finally get it because it should offer me a bit more financial flexibility than just the Mastercard. Surinder was really nice and invited me to supper one night this week. Not necessary... I thanked her profusely.

Slight change in plans tomorrow...thought I'd start the diplomatic chores but I might be headed out to the slums (on a tour). I'm a bit worried about the security arrangements (ie. none) but what the hell...

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 4/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya

the new and improved nairobi...obviously way more people are well to do now.

Nairobi II, bring it on. But first, the drive in from Eldoret. Eldoret to Nakaru was just brutal. It was easily the worst "paved" road I've ever been on: bone jarring and bone rattling. Hilarious, I just saw one road crew repairing potholes the entire length.

Theoretically, traveling at 100 Km/h, it should have taken 3 hrs. to get to Nairobi. Instead it took 7 painful hours. What can you do?

Rolled into Nairobi at about 4 PM. Plenty of daylight left. I paid particular attention to my surroundings as the bus puttered along the traffic choked roads. Past Westlands, the rich suburb. And into an unrecognizable downtown packed with soaring skyscrapers (back in '91 Nairobi was pretty much a government town with ugly low-level bland characterless buildings). Past the infamous River and then Lagos Roads, each located in the sketchiest part of downtown where violent crime is a common occurrence. Unfortunately, for most travelers, the bus stops in front of the Akamba bus station smack dab in the middle of Lagos Rd.

The streets are just jam packed with people, presumably going home after work. Not too many loiterers. No burning garbage. Those were positive signs.

While waiting for the luggage, a lady, on the same bus, told me to be careful with my stuff. She was nice enough to ask me if I knew where the hell I was going... I showed her the map in the guide book, pointing to the Upper Hill Campsite. She and a few other ladies, concluded that a taxi ride was "the most comfortable way" to get there. She negotiated a taxi fare for me (initially, the ladies were in an uproar over the first quote...I just laughed). I thanked her profusely for her kindness and off I went to the Campsite. I'm beginning to really like Kenya.

The Campsite was indeed on a hill, overlooking downtown. Perfect spot for getting things done. I arrived to find John and Klaus, the Swedish and Danish guys on my Nile rafting trip!!! Holy crap! I thought I'd never see them again [ed. note: they were driving their 4x4 truck all the way home to scandinavia.] They're STILL waiting for their Sudanese visas. [ed. note: long long story. if you're interested in the logistics of "expedited" service, leave me a message.]

Also at Upper Hill is Brittany, an American girl who I met in the Backpackers in Kampala. Damn it's a small world, eh. I think she's been here for about a week. Apparently she has latched onto John & Klaus and been made part of their crew for the trip to Ethiopia. I didn't know this beforehand when I offered to split gas with them for the same trip. They have room for 4 but there's a possibility that they have to take on an armed guard for at least part way after Isiolo. So, I, again, am outside looking in. I wouldn't mind a ride to Isiolo...at least. It's a long shot.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 3/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

i'm outta here...part 34

hello my friends...

tomorrow marks the beginning of perhaps the most interesting part of the trip.

i'm headed for ethiopia. for those with atlases or keeping score, i'm headed to the kenyan/ethiopian border via isiolo, marsabit, and finally moyale at the border. the tarmac ends at isiolo. public transportation ends at that point as well. thus, i will have to resort to hitch-hiking (in this case paying for a reportedly torturous bumpy ride on top of a transport truck all the way to the border.

after reaching moyale it's a 2 day torturous bus ride through the land of rock throwing kids to the capital of addis ababa.

i am so looking forward to getting there.

in the meantime, i'll be wrapping it up here in nairobi. you won't believe it but i had a great time here especially with the most interesting people/fellow travelers at the upper hill campsite. i'd like to mention a few of them. forgive me if i missed anyone. there was thomas (the german bicyclist - check out the link on the side bar), leonardo (the crazy kelownian who specialized in swedish chef impersonations), john (a true swede), claus (the mumbling dane), maria (the german girl), leo (the swiss marathon bike rider without a tent), frank and amanda from calgary, and tiffany (the american girl/burnt out lawyer cycling to capetown on the tour d'afrique - yes, the tour was in town).

well that's it from nairobi... i survived!

nairobi...

nap time in the school of hard knocks.


more school kids...

not much time today kids.

arrived back in nairobi a few days back. i must admit it was with much trepidation. i started my "travel career" back whenever here. it was not a positive experience. those who know me know that i spent the first 4 days back then sequestered in my hotel room immobilized by fear.

my observations so far have confirmed a significant improvement in the security situation.

such an improvement, i ventured, on a tour, to one of the ginormous shanty towns that surround nairobi.

local tradition has it that tourists are scammed in downtown nairobi and shot in the slums.

well, it's not that bad...

it's a long and heart tugging story that i will write, at length, about later.

suffice to say, it's a must do tour when in nairobi. a full on, in your face experience.

will be in nairobi for a few more days getting ready for the biggest road trip so far.