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We thought we would have a bit of a lie in this morning considering we had cancelled the additional activities, Ken wasn’t having any of it. Another 7am pick up outside the hotel and of course he’s on time or arriving early.
We checked out, they tried to scam us with the exchange rate, almost double it would have been if we had paid what they wanted, bring the manager in (we were ready for some Chinese arguments) of course the receptionist called them and they backed down immediately and gave us the correct rate. Silly little Chinese men!
Ken was concerned that we may be missing out on a walk or seeing some more hippos and giraffes at the lake, we weren’t worried. Onwards for some paintings and to Nairobi, Ken! Bless him, we were giving him an early finish aswell!
We headed off in our van, me with my head stuck out the window like a dog, thoroughly enjoying the fresh air and knowing full well this will be the last of it for a few weeks at least, deprived of fresh air!
Annie the princess traveller was not worried and was the cold one sat in the corner of the van, moaning myrtle wasn’t stopping me haha.
A few cows and goats out on a suicide mission this morning walking across the roads when there were cars and trucks coming, they must have got bored on their Saturday morning off. Good job our breaks bloody work!
We stopped for a few paintings, I wasnt able to find any floating my boat, but annie bought a few she liked and who was asked to step in and barter for a better offer instead of $250? Beth… so Beth put $100 on the table and wouldn’t budge but instead started to walk away, Annie almost fell for the sob story of give me extra for my kids move. And almost threw another $20 in, I refused and let her put $5 only in. Maybe I’m just tough skinned, but almost definitely street wise, sob stories do not lie with me. But people have to stop asking me to barter if they don’t follow my lead or bloody listen to me.
Anyways, onto the next place, stopped for Kenyan coffee for Annie, she’s getting all the shopping done today!
Everytime I got out the van an obligatory stretch was necessary, men here aren’t sleezy which is nice, they just say Jambo! Still very surprised as to how clean the place is, sweepers all over the place tidying up! Very impressed and very refreshing actually!
Got to the outskirts of Masai District and stopped at another shop, some cracking paintings of African tribes. I could have had a field day in there, but I only took two slim looking ones in the end. Yaah! Finally!
Another sob story of give to my kids, I didn’t give him extra and when Annie started talking to him and the other guy whilst they were rolling my paintings up she asked them if they had wife and kids and the guy that told me he did actually slipped up and didn’t. So I lent in next to him and said no kids aye, didn’t need that $20 for them then? He just laughed. Another scam I avoided, love it when I win these things!
I’m not a tight cow I’m just not a push over, they see blonde white women coming and start rubbing their hands together… No.Sir. Not today!
Another trudge up to Nairobi, it was almost time for a road side wee but Ken had the coffee break idea which saved me! Road side cafe, went in for the Madazi, wasn’t the same as day one they were deflated and cold. Not fresh. Disappointment to say the least.
Never mind, I tasted the best there was in that small window we had!
Load of loud Americans buying fries at the stop, it all looked very confusing and loud for them, the false lashes and fake nails wasn’t helping them to see or flick through the dollar and Shelling notes they had. Haha.
So glad it’s only just the two of us in the van, the van fits 8 and holy moly if that was the case I would have been very miserable in that van, no room to spread out and lack of oxygen. No No. the 5/6 hour journey really would have felt that long if that was the case with the amount of people. Luckily we had the private tour and it was very comfortable and pleasant. Only realised on the last leg that we hadn’t had music playing the minute we got in the van until the time we got out today. It really must have been pleasant!
Nairobi fast approaching, traffic building and the fresh air no longer smelt so fresh but oily and industrialised. The places still very clean and swept well. Annie screeching and tensing at the 6 lanes of traffic merging into 3 and pedestrians walking through the traffic to cross the road with lots of near misses, they’re too street smart to get run over, I’m sure they have very little hit and runs.
Everyone so happy with little to nothing, it’s great to see, it makes you put things into perspective. Everyone should witness things and places like this at some point in their time. It’s very grounding.
We got to the hotel, finally! And our time had come to an end with Ken the main man! We had a very big tip from us, which judging by his face he was extremely happy with. He was a lovey man, not always the best driver but we will let that one slide.
The hotel was decent, Annie was having doubts before pulling up, the area was very run down and lots of street vendors with their veg, shoe smith, welders, newspaper boys. She seemed to think these were the streets you’d get mugged on. I simply saw an opportunity to go for a walk, with no threat to life of belongings haha. The slums are always a place you should never go and I couldn’t see any tin shacks here. Safe as could be!
She wasn’t having any of it, (we have different styles of travel clearly haha)
We checked in, went to the pool and decided it was time to relax and not go out today. The thought of going out into that traffic again today was exhausting me.
The pool was cold but fresh, the sun burny hot. I wasn’t pink but annie was turning that pink colour again slowly so she kept out the sun a little.
Of course the pool had men in it trying to swim and being taught to swim by the lifeguard, which I couldn’t look at or listen to once he started to tell them to hold their breath and Breath out looking forward on front crawl, I’m not delving any further into details as it makes me twitch.
Annie was getting her hair washed and plaited by Sharon the hairdresser down in the salon so whilst I waited I checked rugby and football scores whilst nosing around the salon that looked like something out of Harlem, NY. They wash your wig for $5 or you could have olive oil mayonnaise hair mask, don’t want to know anymore about that haha.
Lovely looking plaits An, my turn for a shower and time to get ready for some din din and wine, the place had ribeye steak for $6 and of course a ribeye steak in the heart of Africa was definitely a must. No complaints either absolutely delicious, if only annie was in the comfort of her own home… she would have nibbled every last piece of meat off that bone with her hands and teeth but she had to act socially acceptable - damn it!
Buckets of wine for $2 were also a hit, until we were bursting and tired again haha. Time for a tea in bed.
AC is the only thing going to make a noise tonight I think, no make believe frogs (fans) or mosquitos biting us (hopefully)
The weekend is coming to a close, it doesn’t feel like we have been here less than 72 hours, we have travelled so far and done and seen so much. It feels as though we have been here a long time.
We will for sure be well rested after the amount of sleep we have had!
Well… let’s see about that as tonight we are in a double bed so either duvet is going to be stolen, kicks and punches or noises from snoring is going to keep one of us up.
Fingers crossed for a peaceful one! Haha.
Hote: The Boma Hotel, Nairobi
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