Kenya is a predominantly rural country. In fact, (as far as I’m told) there are only three actual “cities” in Kenya – Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu. This weekend, I took a trip down to Kenya’s primary and capital city Nairobi. We did briefly see Nairobi when we first landed in Kenya, but only for about a day and a half and that was mostly lost in a jet-lag induced haze.
Anyways, so Thursday night I took off for the city that it sometimes referred to as the most dangerous city in Africa, or Nairobbery. Let me tell you…I LOVE it! The cool breeze that I felt once I stepped out of the airport and drove into the city at 2000 metres above sea level was like a breath of fresh air (and the air does seem to be cleaner in Nairobi). I was staying with my two friends Zu and Jami who are doing their placement with the Nation Media Group. There is a definite vibe and energy to Nairobi that I have truly missed since leaving Toronto. Tons of well-dressed people making their ways to work. Skyscrapers, streelights, and sidewalks (so far I have only counted 4 streelights in the entire city of Mombasa, only 2 of which work at any given time, none of which are actually obeyed) The difference between Mombasa and Nairobi is like night and day. Like many other primary cities, there’s some negative feelings between the two places. People in Mombasa say that Nairobi is too fast, too rushed, and the people are rude. In Nairobi people say Mombasa is too slow. Having seen them both, I think I’m in the Nairobi camp.
Friday morning, I headed to the visa office to finally make my status legal in Kenya so it was a bit of a relief to get that out of the way. So we spent the weekend wandering the city, sampling various restaurants, and heading to various bars and even playing a game of ultimate frisbee with some expats. From Parklands, to Westland, from the Central City, to Downtown, I got a taste of city-life again. We went for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I toured the nation media building where Zu and Jami work, toured the masai market, and just wandered the streets.
Funny story, Zu took me to the Ngara clothing market just outside the city centre in one of the more sketchy areas of town. By clothing market, I mean a bunch of people who have lined up along a street with their cardboard boxes, and displays of clothing layed out on mats that can be quickly closed up should the cops arrive (of course its all illegal). So we walked, doing a little shopping. I realized just the impact that living with 2 girls to this point has had on me – as Zu looked at one shirt and asked me for my opinion, I said “It’s a nice shirt, the kind you would wear on a Friday to work with a pair of jeans.” The surprise on Zu’s face made me realize what I had just said. A simple yes or no woulda sufficed. Did I really say that?!?! (if you ever wonder whether I actually think about what I write, consider – would I actually admit saying that??)
Anyways, we continued shopping, and I was haggling with a vendor over a shirt when we heard a loud bang! Heads turned and people started to run, but for some reason we continued to haggle. Then we heard a 2nd bang, and saw a huge cloud of smoke moving towards us…tear gas. Apparently it’s a regular occurrence for Nairobi police to come by and shoot tear gas in the area to disperse the merchants, and of course any people who decide to shop there. We knew it was time to go, as the vendor yelled at me to give him the money for the shirt, Zu and I decided it was time to leave…quickly! Fate was telling me that I was not to buy that shirt I guess. As we ran away from the crowd, weaving and ducking, i have to admit i did wonder - where the hell am i?!? Good news is that we did get away in time, and we’re not affected by the tear gas at all. In the end, I am laughing at it, the only part that bugs me is the fact that i didn't get the shirt!
But that’s just the kinda city Nairobi is. Not without its problems for sure. First and foremost is security. On Friday night, even going from the restaurant where we were having dinner to the club (that was just down the street) required a cab – a distance you would be ridiculed for taking a cab for in Canada. But it is what it is. It’s unfortunate though, I really believe that based on the amount of potential the city has, if only the safety and security can be improved, Nairobi could really become world-class. I know there’s a huge side of Nairobi that I didn’t see, the slums (although we did go to Kibera on our first trip), the despair, the poverty etc. I know they’re there, but for one weekend, I got to see the kind of city Nairobi can be. In my lonelyplanet guide, under the section on Nairobi, the authors begin by asking the question: “Who’s afraid of big bad Nairobbery?”. Their answer is “Quite a few people apparently”. I like to think I’m not one of them.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment