Nairobi…
the capital and largest city in Kenya, welcomed us with fantastic weather during
this trip. Interestingly enough, the
name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare
Nyrobi, which translates to "cold water". The phrase is also the
Maasai name of the Nairobi river, which in turn lent its name to the city. Home
to the Maasai tribe, the city also boasts a diverse multicultural composition
of people who settled in the city from British occupied regions such as India,
Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan.
Upon
exploring Nairobi, one quickly learns that the Maasai tribal members do not take
kindly to having their photograph taken as they believe that if somebody takes
their photograph, he has already taken their energy from a cultural perspective. Therefore when
visiting Kenya, it is good to be aware of this custom and to respect it.. Being semi-nomadic, the Maasai people are
famous for their fearsome reputations as warriors and cattle-rustlers.
During
this trip, we stayed at the Nairobi Intercontinental Hotel which was
great. Upon arriving at the hotel, the
security guards scan each vehicle for possible bombs. This was a first for us but we were told that
the hotel was a popular choice for politicians to stay at, during
conferences.
Traffic is a nightmare in Nairobi as it appears to be a race to the bottleneck from all directions. Its so crazy that you can virtually touch the car next to you from your window, without extending your arm to it's full length. Of course besides traffic being bad to a backlog of vehicles, one has to be cautious for live stock which cross the roads too.
One of Kenya's biggest tourist attractions is the Great rift valley, a
remarkable sight which is bordered by escarpments to the east and west. The
floor is broken by volcanoes, some of which are still active and contains a
series of lakes. Known as a large
trench that runs through Kenya from north to south. It is part of the Gregory Rift,
which starts in Tanzania to
the south and continues northward into Ethiopia. Picture perfect at sunrise, we were lucky to
snap up a few stunning photographs of the valley before leaving.
The local markets in Nairobi is a buzzy place where one could shop for local souvenirs ranging from wooden wares to beautiful 100% Pashmina scarves. Of
course, with the bright variety of colors available… I was glad I brought a big
bag :) The market is filled with
local entrepreneurs who display their handy work hoping to be supported by
tourists such as ourselves. There are
rows and rows of tiny kiosks of wares selling hand crafted wooden statues,
crockery, metal bracelets, bead jewellery, clothing, bedding, etc. What we appreciated was that you were not
hounded to purchase a product as with other markets we have been too.
Emanating
on the street corners, you will also find the smell of “nyama choma’’
resonating… Nyama choma literally means “roasted
meat.” Majority of the time goat is the default genre, but beef (ng’ombe)
and chicken (kuku) are also quite common amongst the locals and
restaurants.
Treated
to some local food by our wonderful Kenyan friends, it was clear that Kenyan’s
loved their food and loved to share. We
tried the local kuku (chicken) nyama choma served with a chapatti, potato bhaji
(note the Indian culinary influence) and some braised pumpkin leaves. It was truly a heart-warming experience to be
able to sit amongst the locals as if we were locals and experience the
wonderful Kenyan culture and vibe.
We also visited Carnivores, a local restaurant filled
with ambience where you could eat unlimited amounts of roasted exotic meats and
sides. It was here that we got to taste
crocodile and camel for the first time.
Whilst seated, the Dawa Dr visits each table to conjure up a "Dawa"
which means "medicine" in Swahili. The drink is a mix of vodka, lime juice,
honey, and a little sparkling water, often with sugar around the rim of the
glass. It comes with a stick so you can stir
the honey from the bottom, called a
‘dawa stick.’ Surprisingly, it was
a great palate cleanser. The overall experience
here was great and thoroughly enjoyable.
Later on
the trip, we visited the local Indian and Pakistani shopping called Diamond Plaza. Otherwise known as little India, the Diamond
Plaza shopping centre gives anyone who is interested, a taste of what India is
like. The smell of Indian spices is
unmistakable as you arrive at the centre.
Situated in the heart of Nairobi, the centre is made up of a multitude
of tiny stalls, from tailors and dressmakers, clothing & material retailers,
to restaurants churning out the tastiest curries and kebabs. It truly is a colourful place.
Of course
we could not leave without visiting the beautiful Shree Swaminarayan
Temple either. This temple, built in 1945,
was the first Swaminarayan temples to be built outside the Indian subcontinent as well as the first
on the continent of Africa. We were lucky that upon visiting, the priest was on
sight to bless us. One of the highlights
of our trip.
Nairobi is
a city rich in culture, vast open land and incredibly crazy traffic… if you’re
up for the hussle and bustle of Africa… Nairobi should be on your list of
African countries to visit.
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