In and around Nairobi

Kasiunia has the most beautiful house in Northern Nairobi*. If you forgot to look out into the garden, you’d think it was a little English cottage nestled in a hillside in the Lake District.

However, the garden with its banana trees and multi coloured flowers reminds you that you are far away from the lake district.

The house inside is like a stately polish home with portraits of ancestors on the walls. And when I say portraits, I mean portraits. The most striking one is of Kasiunia’s younger brother, he passed away at aged 10. Kasiunia told me that she found the portrait sitting at the back of an old cupboard, dusty and forgotten. It’s now hanging in the centre of the wall in the dining room, la place d’honneur. Beautiful blue eyes stare out intelligently, an oval face framed by light blond hair is supported by a slight frame – a very picturesque little boy.

Kasiunia has multiple errands to run while I am staying with her but in between picking up her computer which broke down a few days ago (“a stupid old thing” which she admits later she is “excited to have back” so she can check her email**) and dropping of a request for a birth certificate (this takes a couple of days as these office in Nairobi are currently trying digitise their records), we make it to Giraffe manor. Giraffe Manor is a large park (and adjoining bed and breakfast) with some very friendly giraffes and a few pompous warthogs (“so ugly they are beautiful!” exclaims Kasiunia – of the warthogs, not the giraffes). At the entrance, you’re given a handful of pellets to feed the giraffes. They are very pampered and will happily relieve you of all food you bear.

Giraffes have long black tongues that go greedily in search of the handful of pellets they know you have. They are quite gentle but not domestic animals obviously.

I discovered that if you get to close, they will lick your face in search of more food (check my last blog post here + pictures on instagram I think!)

Other outings include driving round Nairobi, seeing various sights, and generally getting a feel for the city. Nairobi is teeming with people, life, construction. So much construction. “Flats everywhere! I remember when this used to be a field for coffee!” is a frequent complaint accompanying Kasiunia’s very colourful introduction to the city. She's apologised for not being able to take me out to the national park that borders the city but I’m not too disappointed as we will be driving to their house on the coast (post to follow shortly!).

I'll be updating you all again very soon xx

*Kasiunia has a number of staff working for her. I am woken in the morning with a tray of tea, and our meals are served very promptly throughout the day. I have not put this in the main body of the entry because I am staying with family and don’t wish to offend them or their lifestyle. Being served is not something I am used to and gives me very mixed feelings. If you wish to know more about my feelings on the subject, please feel free to ask – I’m happy to discuss it, just not in this forum.

**Opening her email later that evening brings the news that one of her distant cousins has died and everyone is inquiring whether she will attend the funeral – “of course not, everyone is dying” and the funeral is too far to make the effort for such a “funny man”.

#Nairobi #Kenya