Well here we are dear readers, back in the world of mosquitoes, long bus journeys, squat toilets, not drinking tap water, disconnection from the internet, beer and budgets. It took us maybe two days in Nairobi to acclimatize to being back on the road. By then the backpack was properly packed to enable frequent road travel, we'd figured out how to travel in Africa and we had a plan. We'd start in Nairobi and travel up to Lamu, an island on the East Coast of Kenya famed for beaches and chilling out, making a few pit-stops on the way to break up the journey.
Nairobi (nick-named "Nai-Robbery") doesn't have the best of reputations. We'd arranged for airport pick-up from our hostel and I'm so glad that we had as we had a fantastic welcome to Africa. Mohammad, our driver, was extremely entertaining. We learned our need to know Swahili basics (Hello is 'Jambo' - possibly the best word for Hello I've ever heard), he kept us informed about what we were seeing, the businesses that are in Nairobi (lots of construction), the different markets we passed, the old oil drum sellers on one side of the road and the metal container/chests/chairs makers using them as raw material on the other, we met his wife (she needed money to buy something you see), had a quick tour of the area around our hostel and arrived feeling in high spirits. We could see why Nairobi had that reputation as it's a bit run-down, over populated (we passed lots of slums) and generally has an edgy feel to it. But regardless we knew that we were going to like being in Africa.
We stayed at Khweza Hostel in Nairobi for 3 days. This was a great place with lots of African decorations, a roof-top bar and great food (which was handy since you're only supposed to get taxis at night, never to walk, and paying for cabs every night doesn't really work on a back-packer budget). The price of accommodation in Nairobi was a bit on the expensive side compared to Asia, but we figured we'd get that for a couple of days to acclimatize in and then find the better deals there. This is when we realized one of the major differences between Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Big Trip. In Asia we could get awesome double rooms for about $10-12 US with WiFi, Air-con, TV, ensuite, inclusive breakfast and newly kitted out. I'm not sure we've found somewhere for that price at all yet in Kenya and looking at the Lonely Planet, even the camp sites where you pitch your own tent can charge you up to $30. So far about $20 is getting us a concrete box that is questionably clean with rusty sinks and showers that are pipe coming out of the wall (we should be grateful for this 'ensuite'). For $22 you may get a toilet seat. About $40-50 seems to be the budget you have to pay to get something even vaguely near to Asian standards and even then you don't get all the mod-cons.
Our route to Lamu dropped us off in Mombasa first, a major port hub with posh beaches north and south of it. Mombasa city centre isn't much to write about - despite having African, Arabic and Indian influences, it's just not as exotic or interesting as it feels like it should be - but we did find a great drinking hole (actually this could possibly be the ONLY drinking hole in town) where we chowed down on 'choma' (fried meat) and 'ugali' (maize mash - very starchy and bland but the main staple to accompany most dishes) and lashings of Tusker beer. We realised here that food was also not going to be cheap either. Instead of our nice daily Asian subsistence of $2 each being plenty, we're going to have to triple that here. Still cheap by UK standards of course, but again, not 'on a shoestring' friendly.
From Mombasa we travelled to Malindi aboard our first Matatu (the small-medium distance minibuses that are common here). This is when we realized that bus journeys aren't that different to Asia. You have long distance buses at reasonably cheap prices where the offices issue tickets and seat assignments for advertised prices (as we had from Nairobi to Mombasa). You then have Matatus where the driver rips you off 100% but the fare is cheap so you just get on with it because you have no choice. The Matatu stopped everywhere trying to fill up on passengers so, just like in Nepal, the journeys took forever and were cramped and full of all kinds of luggage (chickens, sacks, the usual). We were then thrown out at a bus station in Malindi and told to get a tuk-tuk. And of course, like everywhere else the tuk-tuk wanted to charge us 50% of the fare we'd just paid to go 1000% of the distance just to get into town, so we decided to walk. We asked directions to the road that our hostel was on and set off.
This is when we realized that addresses mean nothing in Kenya, only the name of the place you're trying to get to. Never ask for 'Mganuan Road' - always ask for the name of your hotel. An hour later we were in a local village area surrounded by clay huts with thatch roofs wondering how we'd come so far out of the built-up town area. Even a lone tuk-tuk driver said we were on the right road and didn't want to give us a lift, so we figured this road must be massive or perhaps we had booked into a homestay by accident. Just then a fairy godmother of a British expat grandma on a bicycle came by and gave us directions. We has missed a turning and had to re-trace a few steps (30 minutes of steps). We arrived at our hotel very sweaty, but exhilarated by the exercise and the experience. Of course, on our walk to dinner that night we ran into a lovely lady who worked at the hospital who escorted us into the centre where we realised how wrong a turning we'd taken earlier that day and how close our place was to the town. Regardless, we wouldn't have 'met the locals' like we did had we not gone wrong. But Sean would probably have been grateful not to have walked with 15kgs on his back for 1.5 hours....
Malindi is a lovely seaside place, popular with Italians so is overrun with their influence (pizza and pasta on the menu being staples). The beach stretches for miles and the town has a very charming feel to it in parts. We spent our time here walking on the beach and generally 'chilling' (as much as our budget would allow).
Another difference are the roads. The major highways seem ok, but the smaller ones, such as the road on our next journey from Malindi to Mokowe, are dusty. Very dusty. And with the searing heat you have to have the window open. So by the end of the journey you're covered in dust but your skin has been nicely exfoliated. You also get to spot lots of Monkeys on the side of the road just hanging out.
At Mokowe we got the 30 minute ferry to Lamu, an lovely little island that will be the subject of our next blog entry - and I'm thinking that's a job for Sean as he hasn't written one since Cambodia!! PS: The black thing in the centre is a goat squished in-between the stuff that came with us on our ferry to Lamu... think it was actually the most comfortable spot on board.
The people we've met so far are genuinely lovely. Even the touts sometimes just want to chat. There is a vibe here that exudes the infamous Swahili phrase from the Lion King - "Hakuna Matata" - No worries. And it's very clear this early on that this phase of our Big Trip will be much more relaxed. We're not going to have to travel as frequently as we did in Asia giving up more time just 'to be' in places that we visit. And this is how we'll manage to cope with the higher sleeping and eating costs. Either that, or we become tee-total and I think you all know how likely that is going to be...
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