I arrived in Nairobi on Sunday and the first thing that struck me was that I was in a huge busy crowded noisy city again. I haven't been in a traffic jam since I left Toronto in the spring and I can't say I miss it one bit. The one thing that kept me amused during the traffic jams was that about 50% of the trucks, vans and matatu's all have pictures of Barak Obama on them. They're covered in slogans like 'God Praises Obama!' Or the word 'Hope' is simply written under his picture across the rear window. Its not hard to see how proud Kenyan's are of their grandson. I can't imagine anybody back home driving around with a picture of Stephen Harper or Danny Williams on the back of their truck. lol!!
I decided to get out of Nairobi asap because my priority was to get to the ocean and out of the megacity of 10M people. I took the overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa Monday night-Tuesday morn. It was lovely. I like riding the train because it is something I never get to do. When I was a young child the railways in Newfoundland were closed down (the old Newfie Bullet). But I have a few memories of placing coins on the tracks and having the train flatten them unrecognizable. It was amusing for a 5yr old at least. So ever since trains have been a novelty for me. When I first traveled Europe I was so excited to ride on a Eurail pass, and now that I had the chance to ride the Rift Valley Railway I seized the moment. It sure as hell beats the bus!
In the morning I was gazing out the window looking at the scenery drifting past my window. Adults and children stopped working in the fields to smile and wave. It was at that moment that I had to stop and think about what I was doing. It was such a great moment to realize that I was taking the old colonial train route across Africa to the coast of the Indian Ocean. The same line as the one in the movie 'Out of Africa'. It puts things in perspective. I am on such an incredible journey!
Mombasa is an interesting city. While Nairobi is a modern bustling city, Mombasa (although still a city) feels different with its older traditional atmosphere. It has a strong maritime influence with Arab-Muslim, Portuguese-Christian and traditional Kenyan cultures intermingling. It is also much hotter than Nairobi. Its about 35C here all the time, while Nairobi was about 25C day/15C night. I am sweating when I wake up in the morning under the fan and mosquito net.
Wandering through Old Town and the Market is a feast for the senses. Mombasa is a major sea-trade route through Africa for things South Asian. Spices, textiles and fruits are abundant here. I picked up Masala spice for tea/coffees, brass bangles and a Pashmina (for only $3!!). Maybe I should go and get some more...
But with the good comes the frustrating. The power has failed 3 times while I've been writing this blog in an internet cafe in Mombasa, so its time to cut my losses and sign off for now.
I'm hoping to head up the coast to Malindi and Lamu soon to get out of the cities and onto more chilled seashore. Cheers!
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