mass exodus

Every early morning around 6:30 or 7:00 and then around 4:30 to 6:30, there are tons of Kenyans walking along the side of the roads. Everywhere. This is typical for Africa if you have been here but in Nairobi, where roads are packed with cars, with crazy drivers behind the wheel, it is a dangerous proposition.

evening time when people are walking home

The picture above doesn’t even do it justice – there are many along the roads, and usually without sidewalks on narrow crowded streets with cars wizzing by. Why doesn’t the government build sidewalks so people can safely walk? It boggles my mind. There is no transport system here with the exception of the matatus, the little VW buses that pack about 15 people in them for about 30 schillings a ride. Some have to walk for about 5 km to get the right matatu stop, then wait for an hour for the matatu, and then ride in a cramped matatu for about an hour to get to their job. Twice a day. Not easy.

we have already moved

To another place in Nairobi that is. What a strange trip it has been already this past month. After living in the place in Runda, we realized that it was not the home for us. The whole time we were there I never felt comfortable – not comfortable with the neighborhood, the guard dogs, and the place itself. It was like living in a high security hotel/prison but with the added factor of smelly barking dogs. Derek has blogged in much more detail but regardless, we are out of there.

The place we moved to is so funky and actually reminds me of Derek’s moms place in mexico in a way. At least the style of it. Our landlord is fantastic. Born and bred in NYC but has lived in Kenya for 20 years, and is a certified professional photographer. She has taken some amazing photos throughout her travels in Africa and has essentially made a living off of it. She is so laid back. No “indentured servants” or super tight security. The place is totally safe. The neighborhood has no thorough foot traffic with nearby slums and is in a beautiful setting with huge trees, cobblestone roads and lots of birds.

The place itself is eclectic. It is one large room, but bigger than anything we ever had in NY. There are our landlord’s touches – lots of beautiful rugs and artwork from all over the place which we like. We walked in and felt like it was ours.

Here are some photos.

the road to our house

front of house

the yard and landlords’s house

the yard

poppy

more of the yard

our place with bikes

early morning

outdoor patio

a trampoline!

view of front

front entrance

d’s desk

another doorway

bed and jess’s desk

kitchen

derek and poppy in the hammock

security schmurity

When going through the “domestic routes” of Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, our bags were haphazardly checked when entering the airport. Once we got our tickets to Mombasa, we were supposed to go through another security checkpoint before entering the gate area. There was a handwritten sign on the bag scanner that said “out of order.” No one checked our IDs or passports the whole way through.

On the way back from Mombasa to Nairobi, same thing. No check of an ID.

One word: sketchy.

As Ozzy says, Bark at the Moon

And the guard dogs that live with us, and watch over our safety once dark, are doing just that every night. The last two nights have been particularly intense, waking me up out of my sleep. Right around 11:00, they start howling. Once they start, you can hear about 20 other dogs in the hood howl back. It sounds like a chorus but I wonder what they are saying to each other? Derek thinks one of the neighbor’s dogs is in heat and all the male dogs are letting her know who is the big dog in town. Or, maybe they are just obsessed by the devil, ala Ozzy? I am leaning towards the obsessed – I caught Suzie on film looking a little crazed by the moon…

suzie the obsessed

Nairobi National Park

So, if you drive for about 20 minutes down Langata Road in Nairobi towards Karen (yes, I had a Farm in Africa Karen), you hit the Nairobi National Park. You can take your car right into the park and pay about 1000 Kenya Schillings a person (about $17 bucks) and you are in the wilderness. Some say the park serves as a corridor for wildlife to the Rift Valley. Not too sure about that but you do get to see zebra, hartebeests, giraffes, baboons and other critters roaming freely, ungated and minding their own business. We spent about 4 hours driving around and it felt like we left Nairobi for the day on a safari. Check out the photos below but dont get too excited. We didn’t see any lions or leopards. Or elephants (tembo in Kswahili!)…

giraffe lovers

what they call damns and marshy swamps

zebra in the grass

zebra running from the car

bird on a wire

the stare down

zebra family – note the city in the background

pedro and chery’s pink hippo

forget the name of these fellas

no baboons in sight

monkey in a tree

not sure what berry this is

the majestic yet loner ostrich

giraffe hangin in nairobi

Derek also posted a cool video of our explorations.

Find Myself a City to Live In

We have been in Nairobi for three weeks and New York already feels like a distant memory to me. Strange feeling to have lived in Gotham for 8 years and at times, wasn’t sure if I would capable of leaving it. Although is one of the larger cities in Africa, I feel like my lifestyle has completely changed.

Most days, I don’t leave the Runda/Gigiri area, because I am living and working near the UN area. Each day I wake up, Derek drives me in Pedro and Cheryl’s pink hippo car to the UN gym, I work out then walk right next door to The World Agroforestry Centre, work all day pretty intensely and then Derek picks me up before dark, around 5:30. From there, internet access at home is sketchy so we usually enjoy a nice home cooked meal, do some reading and relax. I think we will spend more time outside once the weather is warmer. Because it is the cold season for Nairobi, nights are cold.

Many nights we stop at the Village Market in Runda. All around our hood and close by hoods like Westlands, Parklands, etc, there are “malls” which have a big Nakumatt (like a Walmart but also a grocery store), shops, Safaricom (the cell guys), and restaurants. Everyone seems to hang out at these, as they are safe places, but it reminds me a bit of Phoenix where everyone goes out to eat in malls. Strange departure from NY in which malls have always failed.

We live in a guest house behind a very large house in the neighborhood of Runda. It is about 4 km from the UN complex. There is a caretaker, who never leaves the “compound.” If we want to leave, he has to unlock the gate and let us out. Even if we want to go on a bike ride. At 6 pm, the night guard takes over, and guards the property until 6 am. This sort of living is strange and difficult to get used to.

Our landlord has a house dog who has some sort of skin rash on his nose and eyes. He is also deaf. At night, the nightguard let’s out the “guard dogs” that are cooped up all day. Two are labs and the other two are rottweiler/doberman mix dogs. They smell and are not the most friendly…

I have walked and biked to work but it takes a long time. Every morning and night there are streams of predominantly if not all Kenyans walking to and from work. I assume most work in the neighborhood as maids or caretakers or security, or are walking from the nearby small slum that sits right outside Runda. Everyone driving are expats, Indians, wealthy Kenyans. The disparities are so in your face here.

Before we left NY, people kept asking me what I would miss the most about NY. I would always say it is difficult to answer until you miss it. Well, I don’t miss much with the exception of one thing. Freedom. Freedom to walk around. Freedom to not be stared at. Freedom to leave work when I want. Freedom of feeling safe. I think most take advantage of that in the United States, particularly in places like New York City, which is so safe. At least now.

Derek has been blogging about our adventures but below are some photos of all the hood, work, and all things Gigiri and Runda.

UN grounds and “nature path”

UN gym

World Agroforestry Centre grounds

World Agroforestry Centre

My office building – a little different than NY…

our home

cattle herding on our street

the slum right outside our door

The Village Market hangout

the Village Market, like a mall

Landed in Nairobi

So, we made it. After the chaos of lost bags, crashed computers, and car-less days, we have solidly landed in Nairobi to start a new life. Hopefully not a decadent “expat” life, but one that is completely different than the America and New York City life that we have lived for the last 30+ years…

Our little guest house in the neighborhood Runda, has outdoor space where you can sip your morning coffee although, it has been cold here and i am still waiting for a sunny morning. No one told me it would be colder than NY…

our guest house in Runda