Karura

Nairobi is both what I expected and not at all what I expected. The climate reminds me of California, as do the eucalyptus trees. The tropical flowers and ornamental trees are amazing. There’s the obvious poverty but also obvious wealth, and a palpable feeling of optimism among the citizens we’ve met. Kenya is poised for greatness, if the attitude of its people is any indication.

Today we hiked in the large urban forest called Karura, not the big urban national park you see in photos where giraffes are posing in front of glass skyscrapers, but a smaller, densely forested section of town near our apartment.

It was our first excursion out into Nairobi since our arrival. We summoned an Uber “chap chap,” which is a small sedan, as opposed to a “boda boda,” which is a motorcycle upon which you perch behind the driver.

The forest was gorgeous, but the best part of the day was meeting the Nairobi locals. Everyone we met, without exception, was lovely, helpful, and amazingly friendly. We ate at a forest cafe that served chef-made meals, where our server taught us some Swahili. We hiked and saw antelope and monkeys. It was a perfect Saturday.

Upon arrival back at our rented apartment, we found a huge musical party in progress at the shopping mall next door. As I write this I’m on my balcony listening to the music and watching the sunset. Jeanne has made a from-scratch African stew using fresh ingredients from the local market. It smells amazing.

Goodnight all, from Nairobi!