Roaming in 'Nairobbery'

Somehow I find myself in February with a blog backlog. That is to say I haven’t been sharing. No excuses except to say that it’s been incredibly hectic and whoever said Africa is always at a slow pace was wrong!

I need to go back to December. Nairobi. This is a place where multinationals and big brands live, where the women don’t want husbands, wear high heels and have babies independently. And where shopping is big business and sushi is as common as a cup of Kericho tea. This is international Africa without the headgear!  I really like it, although that might have something to do with the fact that I hadn’t seen anything like it for twelve months. Crash and burn on the shop floor. I spent way too much, ate lots and went on adventures around the city with co-volunteers in tow. We were meeting for a workshop and given our lack of salary and income we were determined to do it the local way. i.e. the matatu and bus.  Now I know they call it Nairobbery and everyone and his mother will tell you it’s an awful place where your life is in danger but stuff it, you’ve got to find out for yourself.

The first rule, which I learned from my lovely friend Ber (lovely mad woman from Co. Clare who can chat the legs off a donkey) is to talk to the ticket man on board. The Kenyans speak English and find us quite a novelty so get right in there and tell him exactly where you want to go so he can instruct when to get off and what other matatu to get on. (remember the matatu is the local Hiace van?) Make sure of course to be ready for eventualities ie. wrong turns, half turns, weird directions and stop offs to ask anyone who will listen. Walk with purpose (this is my newest best advice to all newcomers to Africa) so you look like you know what you’re doing and get on the next matatu. If it’s empty don’t think you’ve got yourself a bargain. He’ll wait until he’s full before he leaves and you could be the mug sitting there with him.

The target – two shopping centres in one day. The objective – exploration and adventure.

Nairobi is a buzzing city. Side streets hold the most noise and racket whilst the main thoroughfare and business district is a hive of active people in smart clothing and briefcases. Tall skyscraper buildings shadow and swoon on the central city area whereas the sprawling suburbs boast parks and vast amounts of green and tall leafy trees shooting right for the sky. It’s a mix of very lush and expansive (and expensive) suburbs with hooting, tooting, wheeling and dealing inner city chaos. The city is alive with construction of everything from grand flyover roads to some fancy looking apartment blocks. If what is rumoured is true, those Somali pirates sure are spending their money here! A familiar sight and which reminds me of the old days in London when the Irish used to wait for work, the local tradesman and labourers wait outside the construction sites each morning to see if they can get work. Although a booming city on first sight, underlining this is the poverty of many. Only few are making it big in this city but those that are flaunt it openly.  The cost of living is high, much higher than Tanzania and restaurants and bars charge almost western prices for the luxury of their services.

But this is where customer service is important and staff are trained to welcome and serve the consumer. Café lattes and frozen yogurt, martinis and champagne all take their place in this swirl of nouveau riche lifestyles. The middle class Kenyan wants everything that the west has on offer and the drive to get it is incredible. It is possible to feel like the ugly duckling beside the glamorous women who confidently demand their place as leaders and winners in a new society. Men hold them back so they would rather remain single and use them to have children only. Independence is important and they don’t want to be like others before them.

Whilst taking a taxi will get you around, the scenic route is far more entertaining. From meeting a matatu driver who gave up his job as a nurse to make more money on the road to the Maasai market where beads, tossles and all things carved can be bargained for there was plenty of adventure. There were plenty of sellers and preachers squawking at the top of their lungs for minutes on end and chickens on board who came along for the ride. (It’s not just a rural thing!) Children don’t pay if they don’t sit down but it’s okay to sit on an adults lap so you never know who you’re going to meet and what age they might be.  It’s a melange of all sorts but never overcrowded. The Kenyans demand their safety and you won’t find a man hanging out the side of any matatus here waiting for his head to pop off!

Once in before dark and all night-time outings carefully planned, Nairoberry quickly becomes Nairobi again, full of life and packed to the brim with adventure.