I spent an hour and a half writing a massive post, but the computer froze and its been deleted, I am fuming right now and dont have time to re write it. Fuck this.
Long time no post. I haven’t had reliable access to a computer for over a week now, sorry for the lack of updates. Man this past week has been a whirlwind tour of East Africa and has seen us travel from Kenya to Rwanda via Uganda and back again to Kenya.
The main focus of the last week has been the the Mountain gorillas of western Rwanda and we put in some heavy drive days through the rain in order to reach them. We left Kenya after a 2 night stay at lake Baringo, a crocodile and hippo infested waterway in Northern Kenya. It was here that we a local tribe who allowed us into thier huts and around the village to demonstrate their way of life. The villagers seem right out of Africa, living a life one imagines has been lived for thousands of years, but for the most part it was just an act. Talking to a local I was told that come night fall the villagers trade their spears and arrows for the more deadly AK-47 assault rifle and the tranquil bush becomes a battle ground for cattle thieves. What we saw was just a masked, tourist version of the ideal Africa. Once again I was told that the Somalis, that illegally cross the border and night, were largely responsible for the trade in heavy arms. On a lighter note I was told I too could obtain an AK-47, with 500 rounds for the low low price of 20 goats, roll back those prices Walmart.
We crossed the Ugandan border after spending a night in Eldoret, another of the most furtile lands in the world for producing world class runners. Once in Uganda we drove hard to reach Kampala, the capital city. This country is one that has had a difficult past, as im sure we all remeber Idi Amin, and the atrocites he unleashed on the land. The country is however on the rebound and now Kampala is one of Africas safest cities. We stayed in Kampala for one night, and boy what a night that was. The whole group of us caught a cab to a local night club, in order to see how the other side party’s. The club could have been anywhere in the world, pumped heavy American rap and hip hop as well as laid back 80’s. Our groups being the only whites in the club recived all the attention and after a few drinks it became all out mayhem. In an effort to keep this blog family friendly ill spare the details, but you can rest assured that I want involved in any of it. I don’t like the idea of AIDS, or hepatitis for that matter. That was the night Obama won the election, so everyone was in seriously high spirits! Oh and I definitly taught the Africans how to dance, I burned up that floor haha.
Once again this is going to have to be a 2 part post, because we are rolling out and up to Nakuru again.
Things I now realize I take for granted:
-clean water - ice - clean clothes - dryers - shock absorbers - hot showers - the internet
Still Nairobi:
On about the third night in Nairobi Pierre and I went to a restaurant called “Carnivore.” Supposedly ranked in the top 50 restaurants in the world, we were expecting something grand and boy did it deliver. Its your typical African themed restaurant at first glace, albeit a really nice one. Obviously the interior decorator spared no expense building this place. We were visiting on a Tuesday night so the place was fairly quite, filled mostly with white tourists (although a very large party of Africans came in later). Its clear that this place caters to tourist dollars and the elite in Kenyan society (by our standards it was cheap as hell though $40USD bought a meal, dessert, drinks, and the taxi ride there, can’t even get that at Boston Pizza which is no where near the same class as this place). Te basic premise of the restaurant is similar to a buffet. You have one hour (I imagine to prevent the fat Yanks from eating all day) to select as much meat from the grill as you can possibly ingest. You don’t even have to leave your seat as all the meat is brought round on swords and then cut for you onto your plate. And by god what a selection they have, you want buffalo? how about crocodile, chicken, beef, pork, zebra, and meat from animals you probably weren’t aware existed, then this is the place for you. For the most part its just meat but you do get a starter soup and a limited selection of salads. The service is also impeccable, easily comparable to high class restaurants in New York or London. I believe I have just found my new favorite restaurant (sorry Boston Pizza and TGI Fridays) and will DEFINITLY return to Kenya, even just to visit this place.
Other than that Nairobi passed rather uneventfully, just a lot of relaxing. We did spend countless hours trying to locate an international phone card for Pierre, and then spent countless hours trying to use it to get the travelers checks that he lost refunded. Turns out they were never really lost just in a pocket of his bag he didnt check (true story).
Hey guys sorry about the lack of posts its proving really difficult to get onto a computer for any length of time. We are now in Kampala, Uganda. I have a huge post coming ASAP so please be patient.
Ive been in Africa for about a week now, spending the first five days in Nairobi before heading north to lake Elementaita. I’m currently writing from an Internet cafe in Nakuru. We are currently in the heart of the Great rift valley, an area known the world over for the top class athletes it produces. I have a really limited time on the computer so I’m going to try and get through as much as possible.
Nairobi:
This is a fairly basic African city, and one can immediately tell that its not a tourist destination. With limited things to do in the city , Pierre and I spent the first few days relaxing in the intense heat of what is about to become the African summer. Nairobi is relatively safe during the day in terms of crime, but driving is another story. Driving here is basically an all out war between minibus taxis, beaten up cars and suvs (anyone who is intelligent and can afford it drives big suv’s or rally cars - imprezas or lancers - because the roads don’t look like they’ve been done since independence in 1963). Add to this mix the hundreds of people trying to cross the roads and you have a mayhem only produced in the rapidly expanding third world. Besides the driving we have only heard a few Nairobi horror stories and they came from our driver Ronnie (Australian) who lives in the city. A few weeks ago he was walking down the street and was assaulted by three men. Two grabbed his arms, while a third choked him and knocked him out. When he came too he was missing the usuals, phone, wallet, sunglasses. But hey, this is Africa, at least they didn’t kill him.
But enough with the doom and gloom, 99% of people here are friendly and just want to chat to Mazungus (white men). Pierre bought a soccerball the other day and we took it to Uhuru park, which is a beautiful park located right in downtown Nairobi. As soon as the ball appeared we had a pick-up game going with more and more people joining by the minute. I trashed Arsenal with the guys (big following here) and assured them that this was a Liverpool year. Was a really good time, but you really feel the heat and especially the altitude. Being at 2000m+ Nairobi is a very difficult place to acclimatise to and Mitch and Pierre were out after 10 minutes.
The truck wants to leave Nakuru right now so I’m going to have to make this a two part post I will continue it as soon as I find another Internet cafe.
Africa, the dark continent. The land forgotten by even god himself. This is where I choose to spend the next 4 months of my life, and what a hell of a ride this will be. I’m sure my parents ask themselves everyday where they went wrong in raising a child that has to vacation in Nairobi, Mombassa or Johannesburg instead of London and Paris like normal people. More over, why that same child isn’t away at university “getting on with his life.” This is the main reason I wanted to get away. To escape the rigid structure and monotonous ritual for which the first world is so plagued. I wanted to get lost, to go somewhere exotic and far away from the hassles of everyday life (to all those who say I should be in school or working…. have fun in school or working… id rather be doing this). Now I call the shots, I call you, or I contact you because I am nowhere to be found, because I am now in Africa. I have nothing to worry about except where the next adventure shall be found or at what time I will wake up today. This is why I am in Africa.
Africa is unique in the sense that is harsh and unforgiving like no other place on earth. In Africa if the people don’t get you then the wide variety of carnivorous mammals will. If they don’t manage to finish you off then there’s always the Tsetse fly or the Malarial Mosquito. Yes, Africa is what some may call a “hell hole,” but is in this uniquely beautiful land that I shall adventure through and hopefully come out unscathed, or at least with my limbs intact. I chose Africa, because it is my homeland, whether I like it or not I shall always be connected to this land because it was on African soil that I was born. Africa, despite its problems is the most culturally diverse continent on this earth. It is also the most beautiful, under the constant gaze of the great Kilimanjaro, or the fed by the mighty Zambezi, it is unlike any other. I hope to discover an Africa rarely seen by Tourists, by travelling overland through its very heart. I will travel from my starting point in Nairobi, Kenya and make my way south crossing through Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia before finally crossing into South Africa and onto Cape Town. I hope to see the good, the things for which Africa is famous, big game, thundering rivers and mighty storms, but I also hope to see the bad. I want to see poverty and filth and all the things that make Africa, Africa. Perhaps I am selfish and this is the crazy dream only a well off person from the blessed first world could contrive, but its my dream and I’m now about to live it… Africa is calling… and I shall answer. Viva Africa!
