Jet lag is brutal. Today is our third full day in Nairobi, but we haven’t done much yet as we recover from the time change and begin work somewhere new.
So far it goes like this: We get up at 7 a.m. and eat breakfast together. Leo’s ride to work arrives a little after 8. I change clothes and then hit the gym downstairs. Then I work for a few hours, go to lunch, take a short break and then work some more until Leo returns and we take a cab to dinner. Or that’s the basic idea, anyway.
Sunday night we had both woken up at midnight and read for three hours. I managed some more sleep, but Leo did not. So I can’t say I broke any records on the treadmill the first day, but at least it was a start.
The fatigue caught up with us as the day wore on. Leo had a successful first day at the IBM site, but came back early feeling poor. So we stayed in and ordered room service for the first time in my life.
Monday night we slept better, waking up today with a little more pep. I managed to actually walk a few kilometers in the gym and then got a lot more work done. Photos of the hotel room:
Venturing Out
You’ve heard the phrase, “Stands out like a sore thumb.” Yep. That’s me.
We’ve read a lot about safety, so I felt nervous wandering out Monday and Tuesday for lunch. But who wants to hang out at the hotel all day? I don’t carry a purse and I memorize my route so I don’t look too much like a tourist. Unfortunately, a white woman walking alone seems to attract some attention. Both days multiple men have approached me to chat. They all say “Jambo” (Hello). Then they all want to tell me that “karibu” means “welcome.”
Some are selling safaris. (Note: You should never take those. Go with a reputable company.) Others seem eager to remind me to look right for traffic first, then left. Very helpful advice, by the way. This being a former British colony, they drive on the left.
Of course, people here drive like crazy and the pedestrians don’t seem to mind just walking out into the street whenever. I go with the flow, figuring if they’re walking, it’s OK for me to walk, too.
Even going with the flow, I feel awkward walking down the street. Everyone here is dressed well in dress pants, collared shirts, dressed. So aside from my skin color, I stand out in my casual pants and simple shirts. Some people seem downright annoyed by my presence. Others seem to think, “Oh look, a white girl.” Most are, “Wonder what she is doing here?” Our hotel is full of a variety of races and ethnicities, but most are business people heading to an office. The others tend to be older white tourists, likely taking hired cars to their destinations.
Today’s random chatty person was the most amusing so far. He walked up to me as we crossed the street, warning me to look right. He asked which country I am from and what I am doing here. I’ve already learned that “working” is the best answer. He then asked where I was going.
“Lunch,” I told him, as we kept walking.
“Where to?”
“Tropez.”
“Oh. Why go there? You need to go to Java. That’s where you’ll find people like you. You know, white people.”
“Uh, that’s OK. I want to try local places.”
I never found Tropez though. Leo says nearly everything in the city has a hand-me-down look. I find this especially true of the signs, which are sort of haphazard. So I ducked into a Turkish place nearby and munched on something delicious that resembled a gyro.
I was hoping to visit the National Museum this afternoon, but I’ve actually had a lot of work to do, so I plan to go tomorrow morning. Instead, it’s time to research dinner options!
Photos
It’s illegal to take pictures of government buildings here, and I haven’t wanted to bring a camera or phone out on my lunch trips, hence few photos so far. The sun sets at 6:30 and it’s considered dangerous to walk around after dark, so we will be taking cabs to dinner. That means even fewer chances to take pictures. But I promise we’ll be making up for it on weekends when we head out to be tourists!
We’re already making fun plans to feed elephants and pet giraffes. Our itinerary will also include a stop at Carnivore, a restaurant mentioned in every single article and guidebook about Nairobi.
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