Got into Nairobi from Jinja by bus (~13hrs). An hr before boarding, realized that I’d lost my glasses, probably at the whitewater rafting house. So I took off my contacts before getting on this overnight bus.
A few hours later, I woke up to shuffling as people hurried off the bus. I followed them to the Uganda-Kenya border immigration office. Due to a misunderstanding, I was slow to get cleared from the Uganda side. The bus conductor had to find me well after every other passenger had gotten cleared on the Kenya side, and escorted my blind self by the hand across the border. I felt like a child and as if an unsolicited bromance moment had just passed.
DAY 5 (3.4 Wed)
[10:15am] arrived in Nairobi to one of the bus terminals of CBD (central business district). Headed straight for an internet cafe to find lodging for the night.
Many hours and several misdirected bus transfers later, I made my way to Milimani Hostel which I was pissed to find out was very far from city center. On the plus side, the place was sweet, hot shower, I had the dorm room all to myself, fast wifi, and nice fellow guests (2 Dutch boys and a New Zealand couple).
DAY 6 (3.5 Thurs)
The frustration of the hostel location actually turned out to be a good thing. I searched online for things around the area, and there is the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.
I checked out of the hostel and saw the following:
29 elephants total. all orphaned. usually by death of their poached mothers.
The rest of the day was followed by:
A few hours later, I woke up to shuffling as people hurried off the bus. I followed them to the Uganda-Kenya border immigration office. Due to a misunderstanding, I was slow to get cleared from the Uganda side. The bus conductor had to find me well after every other passenger had gotten cleared on the Kenya side, and escorted my blind self by the hand across the border. I felt like a child and as if an unsolicited bromance moment had just passed.
DAY 5 (3.4 Wed)
[10:15am] arrived in Nairobi to one of the bus terminals of CBD (central business district). Headed straight for an internet cafe to find lodging for the night.
Many hours and several misdirected bus transfers later, I made my way to Milimani Hostel which I was pissed to find out was very far from city center. On the plus side, the place was sweet, hot shower, I had the dorm room all to myself, fast wifi, and nice fellow guests (2 Dutch boys and a New Zealand couple).
DAY 6 (3.5 Thurs)
The frustration of the hostel location actually turned out to be a good thing. I searched online for things around the area, and there is the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.
I checked out of the hostel and saw the following:
29 elephants total. all orphaned. usually by death of their poached mothers.
The rest of the day was followed by:
- Bomas of Kenya – outdoor exhibition of traditional Kenyan homes by tribe, followed by a series of traditional Kenyan dances, instrument, and song.
- new hostel – tracked down a different hostel, this one in the heart of Westlands (hotspot for Nairobi nightlife and a hangout of many expats). On arrival, the hostel managers were like “are you sure you want to stay here. is this ok?” Turns out that my google map search led to a hostel primarily tailored for local university students, not tourists. all the better! In the last few days, I’ve gotten to know some students from Nairobi Institute of Technology, all studying architecture. The hostel has native Kenyans, but also students from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and DRC to name a few. The hostel also hosts nocturnal guests which scurry into the shadows when they hear footsteps but leave the compound without fail by sunrise. The boys in the 4 person share each pay 7500 Kenyan shillings a month (1 USD ~ 90 KSh)! I’m paying 500 KSh/night since I’m a foreigner, but it still beats the price of any tourist-tailored housing in this expensive part of the city. This morning, I joined many of the boys in doing laundry. I still suck at hand laundry.
- most of the rooms are 4 person shares, but I am in a 2 person share with a man in his 40’s who’s here temporarily until he finds permanent housing. He’s a casino pit boss who was recently transferred from his hometown close to Mombasa. I wake up 6am everyday to unlock our door and let him in since he works nights.
- Kibera slums – the biggest slum in East Africa (1.2 million residents). Went on a guided tour by a local who grew up in the slums. We went to various grassroots organizations in the slum (women empowerment group, jewelry making using animal bones, a primary school).
- Westlands nightlife – my first ever club experience was in Nairobi. I went to Molly’s (a bar/club frequented mostly by locals) with my hostel managers the first night, but then went to 4 more the next night. Verdict: not a fan.
