Kenya Tanzania 2019

17.11.2019 Nairobi
Flew into Nairobi from Mumbai on KQ205 . This trip was long in the making and postponed once after nearly been set to go at the last moment . Why ? Don’t ask .. looooong story .
Took a late night flight by Vistara after rushing to the airport under the impression that we were late on account of traffic in Bangalore , only to be told that the flight was delayed by an hour . Bumped into Faisal at the airport .
Had a nice Italian meal and then off in our journeys.
Slept for two hours at the Nirantara hotel in at lower level in terminal two . Pretty ok room.
Flight by Kenyan Airways was on time and we had time enough to dawdle over a cup really expensive teabag tea . Rs 450 per cup at the airport .
We changed seats to the one’s with more leg space and had an uneventful journey 6 hours long . I watched Cool Hand Luke and dozed while Huvi fought a losing battle with sleep . She was able to stretch her legs because we had an empty seat .
It was remarkable how green all the surrounding countryside was as we landed at the airport . Nairobi , we were told is at a height of 5000 feet . We were received by a team of two young ladies from &beyond . Had to wait for our luggage for about half an hour . Clean modern airport but medium sized one . Jomo Kenyatta airport (JKIA )and Wilson airport from where smaller flights inland leave are the two main airports . We had visions of previous mishaps on other journeys. Thankfully none happened and after exchanging some money we were set to go to our hotel the Four points Sheraton in Nairobi quite close by .We were dropped off there .
Just beyond the fence at the airport , with a heavy security fence , we were told that there was a nature reserve of over 27000 acres with lions and cheetahs and buffaloes and Rhino.
Sumit my colleague from CA Africa arranged his driver Chalo , a charming individual to be at our disposal the whole day .
We quickly learnt some Kenyan words .. Karibu or Welcome, Jambo (or Jambo Jambo for repeated emphasis) -Hi , ‘ Hola Hola for ‘slowly slowly’, apparently a metaphor for everything in Kenya and ‘Asante ‘or ‘thank you ‘.
After a quick wash and change in our nice room , we set off on our adventures . Chalo who took good care of us took us to a place called Matbronze in the Langata area. It turned out to be a colonial era bungalow with nice gardens which were selling wonderful bronzes of various shapes and sizes all wonderfully wrought and a restaurant . All the bronzes looked nice and expensive and. They were animal and nature themed , but rather expensive .
We then sat out in the nice garden and had nice lunch .Huvi had a Burger and I , a Fish n Chips and a mushroom soup washed down with a zero Coke . Just the right meal for that time of the day . While we sat in the garden we were serenaded by a bunch of fat Guinea Fowl who scolded us non stop . There were lovely sunbirds and other birds in the trees , all very sylvan and nice .
Next stop to the Giraffe Conservatory along with the Manor Hotel. What an experience ! To see these unbelievably beautiful graceful creatures at such close range to feed them nuts from our hand and pet them was an unreal experience . Huvi was really happy and so was I . The Giant Rothschild Giraffes were an amazing combination of awkwardness and grace . It’s purple tongue , long eyelashes , huge head , the splayed feet all just remarkable . It is impossible to even think up such a creature ! Daisy and the smaller Giraffes , one Ben four months old , were just fascinating and adorable . Everybody seemed to have a smile on their lips including the minders or guides .
We spent a little time in the gift shop and bought some bric a brac and then wandered off for a neighboring nature walk . Then We drove around the Karen district . All very posh with high hedgerows separating one bungalow from another one . Lots of gated communities with high barbed wire gates . All set in midst of beautiful green undulating landscape full of tall trees , and flowering blooms of Jacaranda and mimosa , oranges and bougainvillea .
People were going to church resplendent in their Sunday best . Sighted some high end schools and the Catholic university of Kenya .

We then drive in to Nairobi CBD where Chalo took us to a Masai Sunday Market . The streets bustled with people and Matotos minibuses which mean trouble in Swahili , careening around the roads stuffed with people .
We saw some people dressed all in white , with hats and gloves , who we were told belong to some church ! We were warned to be very careful with our money and possessions and not talk to any middle men by Chalo.
At the market , we bargained to the best of our abilities. The sprawling market was full of locals selling hand woven baskets , metal ware , clothes and all kinds of touristy stuff . We bargained and purchased some canvas paintings , odds and ends for ourselves , family and friends . One person chased Huvi imploring her to buy a wooden bowl . The seller who looked really scrawny had rheumy eyes and was clearly drunk . He told Huvi, after trying hard to get to her to buy the bowl , after reducing his price thrice, that he would be happy receiving 100 Kenyan shillings ( one usd equals 100 Kenyan shillings ) as a tip , just so that he could get a drink !!!
It was a nice colorful market and we rather enjoyed poking around and bargaining . Later
Chalo showed us various sights in the CBD including the Parliament House and the railway station . Quite an amazing site to see Giant Maribou storks roosting In trees and on lamp posts in the city.
We came back to our hotel and dozed off for couple of hours till Sumit and Rachna came to pick us up at 1800 hours .
Sumit and Rachna really went out of their way to look after us . They took us to the Ole Sereni hotel to have a drink at a bar over looking the nature reserve . We had a drink while we looked at buffalo dawdling in the water hole and salt lick , in front of where we were sitting on the long deck , and then a fox who came out on his nocturnal perambulation.
All very nice and civilized .
Then Sumit took us Carnivore for dinner . On the way we talked about Kenyan history and the US embassy bombings and business etc .
Carnivore was quite the experience . I guess it’s a touristy thing to do , but we are glad we went . The thing to do , is to have the set meal . While some salads and sauces are kept on the table , enormous hunks of meat at brought in on huge sword like skewers and shaved on to the top your plate ! As you enter the restaurant there is a barbecue pit full of skewered meats roasting over a hot bed of coals glowing red ! Quite a sight .
The meat just kept on coming from pork , beef , rabbit , turkey , chicken endless variety of meat , till we literally threw down the flag and surrendered . It was quite a meal .
We dropped Sumit and Rachna to their home in the Newlands area and then drove back . Curiously there was heavy security near the airport with multiple check points . At one point we had to get off the car , while the car went separately and we crossed a barrier by foot and then we walked through a screening gate . .We got picked by Chalo on the other side .
Went to sleep around 1000 pm. Chalo was a wonderful guide and he had actually quietly helped us shop at the Masai market telling us what was the correct price quietly and secretively , while we bargained . That was wonderful .

Carnivoring !!!

The Menu

With Sumit et Rachna : a world of thanks to them for a wonderful evening !

At Matbronze