I was the best example J Despite countless discussions about vaccinations, three days before the flight I checked my vaccination clinic in Czech, if they could send me the list of vaccinations I took in the past, because I lost it! I was pretty sure I had everything necessary from my visit to Costa Rica in 2007. “Hepatitis A+B you have, Typhus expired now and Yellow fever, which is required to that area and you need a certificate to cross border between Tanzania and Kenya, you didn’t take” was the clear answer I received Thursday morning, 21 hours before our flight.
After some swearing how stupid I am, I took action and went after office to Abu Dhabi and fortunately it was not a problem to get it on spot there. I took also new Typhus when I was already in the hospitalJ Problem was that full protection would come after 7 days!! “Better now than never” calmed me down doctor’s voice. I also had to arrange with my colleague Hugo that he would pick up the Yellow fever certificate in three days and send it by email to me, that I could have it before we go to Tanzania.
After that I rushed back to Dubai, gave keys to Rune to water the flowers, went to several stores to buy food and last small things and at 11pm I was finally back and could start packing!!
Jaro and Marcin said that they would arrive around 10pm and we would pack together in my place. They came at midnightJ Jaro with two bags with random stuff in one hand and our carefully composed equipment list in the other and Marcin with one packed, but insanely heavy backpack which needed a radical intervention and me with a packed backpack but small things like repairing punctures on my mattress still to do. Our flight was at 6am, we agreed to meet Jana at 3:30am so had to get goingJ
I don’t know why, but before all my last holidays, I never slept and went directly to the airport. This one was no exceptionJ But we made it more or less and at 4am we were sitting in a minivan taxi direction Terminal 1.
And of course I forgot something in the rush. The mattress I repaired and put to dry on the loft bedJ But what was much worse was that Jana forgot (or better didn’t take) the credit card used to pay the ticket. It was for the first time when at check-in they asked for that credit card number. Jaro and me we checked in our overweight with no problems, but Jana with Marcin started running around, calling and trying whatever to get the number. And the clock was ticking!! At the end they opted for buying a new ticket for our flight, instead of going back home to take the card and fly one hour later, which would still be enough to catch the connection in Qatar.
So far so good and we all could have a drink on the plane to Doha and also on the plane to Nairobi. We arrived on schedule at 1pm local time. The same we couldn’t say about Jana’s backpack, because when she was checking-in on the last call they didn’t have time to put her luggage to our plane, so they sent it with the other and one hour for transfer was probably too little for lazy airport workers.
So our spare week was immediately one day shorter. Our hired driver Joseph aka Jasser offered that for some extra money he takes us to some Nairobi hotel and tomorrow he drives us to pick up the back and to Mt. Kenya National park afterwards, how it was planned.
We wanted to stay out of Nairobi, because of crime, warnings and that there is basically nothing to see. “One day is OK. At least we see the capital and if all that is true” we said and hopped into Jasser’s minivan direction city center.
So instead of going north to the lonely mountain we were going south to the busy city. And it was visible from the first moment. Overcrowded, dusty and permanently jammed roads, with sellers of everything from fruit and sunglasses to maps and phone chargers, walking between cars. Crowds of people waiting next to the road for matatu minivans, the only public transport. Crazy markets where everything is lying on the muddy ground. Groups of guys just sitting in front of half broken wooden stores and doing nothing. And what was the stangest...crowds of people always walking around at all directions!!! I don’t know how I would feel outside the car!!
In the city center I is much better than at outskirts. Quite clean, repaired, modern and looking safe J Jasser dropped us to a rather cheap hotel in the center and we went for a dinner. After some tough steaks “Buy 1, get 1 free” and “Buy 2 beers, get 1 free” we decided to experience some local culture and opened Lonely Planet. As per their “Have to see” list we went then to Simmer’s, an open air pub directly in the center between high rise buildings, with local band playing and us being only white guys. I would probably feel uneasy, but with already some percentage we ended up even dancing J
After that, me and Jaro, we opened our travel bible again. “Let’s got to some club” and we continued to one just next street. Nice place, with smooth African style music and dance floor in the middle. Except that we were immediately swarmed by local prostitutes, which were continuously trying to be our company for that short time we stayed J So we had a couple of beers, listened to music standing aside and watching another white, much older, guys being swarmed on the dance floor and then we left. Not our styleJ
Next morning we checked out, Jasser picked us up and we drove to the airport just to discover that Jana’s bag is still in Doha!!! One in Nairobi is fine, but two is just pure waste of time. But what to do L We drove back to the hotel, had dinner and couple of beers and went to bed. Our holiday had not even started and the spare week was already two days shorter!!
On Sunday we got up at 8am and Jasser, who chose to stay one day more, took us to the Giraffe breeding center, one of the few places where you can go around Nairobi. Main attraction was feeding the giraffe from an elevated terrace. Was fun, but those guys are really ungrateful. If you have food in your hand, you can touch them, otherwise they bite youJ After that we went to Elephat orphanarium and watched the feeding of 15, 150 kilos heavy baby elephants.
When we exhausted all Nairobi attractions, we went back to the airport. This time we were lucky and could change direction to Chogoria. Finally J
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