Africa

Day One: Tuesday

We Arrive in Nairobi

We arrive in Nairobi at 7:00 am, after a long flight from Amsterdam, with very little sleep behind us. It seems to take forever to get our Kenyan visa and to clear customs, but the good news is that both our bags are waiting for us. (Our carefully packed carry-ons were not accepted on the Amsterdam-Nairobi flight – we were over by just a few kilos!)

In the reception hall we scan the various signs being held up and see our names. Jackson is to be our driver and guide but all we want to do is go to the hotel and sleep. After a short drive through third world city chaos we arrive at the Serena Hotel. Our first hint that there is more than a little bit of tension still lingering in Nairobi (regarding the recent Somali Al Quaeda kidnappings and murder of tourists off the north Kenyan coast) is the major security at the hotel. Our van is stopped at the gate by guards with machine guns, then the under-carriage checked with mirrors before the barrier rises. At the front door we, and our baggage, pass through scanners similar to an airport’s and Jackson tells us, yes, it is due to the Al-Qaida threat. But once inside, the hotel is lovely, luxurious ... and our room inviting.

We sleep soundly most of the afternoon (after a light lunch) and then dine in the exquisite, comfortable bar ... while the night chirpers in the gardens are singing their evening songs. We begin to feel the lure of Africa and are excited about what lies ahead.

It is amazing that we can sleep more but we do (well, David is up pretty much awake at midnight and is trying to get some e-mails sent … but it seems Aliant web-mail does not like dealing with Africa and so he has a frustrating time). He orders coffee and toast about 4:00 am – “the best meal of the trip,” he says later –  and then sleeps until our wake-up call at 6:30.