As we begin the journey home...

We asked the group to reflect on the most memorable moments of this Kenya 2010 tour (in Mandarin, Cantonese, English ... and even bits of Hokkien).

Before we sign off, we should say a very big thank you again to Connie, without whom this trip would not have been possible! 

Last day: Nairobi

Our last day took us to Nairobi, the dynamic capital of Kenya and far more developed that anything we had seen in Tanzania. Not to say that Nairobi is free of problems – our guides pointed out a huge slum where corrugated iron shacks are home to over a million people, most of whom work for US$2 a day or less. 

Downtown Nairobi is certainly thriving (traffic is terrible), and our tour passed several impressive buildings, from colonial halls and churches to glitzy modern skyscrapers. 

Lunch was at the touristy but fun Carnivore Restaurant, where the menu consists almost exclusively of roasted meats (it’s a bit like a Brazilian churrascaria, with huge fire pit and meat on stakes at the front of the restaurant). 
It used to be famous for game meat, but these days hunting is banned in Kenya, and the only exotic items were farmed ostrich and crocodile meat. The group seemed to like the ribs and chicken livers best! 

Our final hours in Kenya were spent – where else – at the shopping mall. Everyone loaded up with Blue Mountain Coffee, Kenyan tea, local nuts and other souvenirs.

Our guides

Our expert guides studied at Utalii College, a government-owned hotel and tourism training institution in Nairobi.

Sammy Mwagodi
Age: 44
Email: samwagodi@yahoo.com
Sammy comes from Kenya’s Coastal Province, and is a member of the Taita tribe. His mother language is Ketaita (or ‘Kidawida’), but he also speaks Swahili and English fluently. He currently lives in Nairobi with his wife, two boys (17 and 10) and daughter (19). Sammy’s expert knowledge (and great sense of humour!) have been honed during his 18 years working as a guide.
 
David Agisu
Age: 34
Email: davieagisu@yahoo.com
David hails from Nyanza Province near Lake Victoria, which is also the ancestral home of the Obama family (!) He is a member of the Luhya tribe, though his mother comes from the neighbouring Luo, but like Sammy also speaks Swahili and English fluently. David is married with two children; a boy (7) and girl (4). He is an avid football fan and supports Arsenal in England and the AFC Leopards in Kenya (in 2009 the team won the Kenya Cup). David has been a guide for 10 years. He never seemed to stop smiling, no matter what!

Jacob Ojoo
Age: 30
Email: ojooabonyo@gmail.com
Jacob was our WildTrek liason in Nairobi, meeting us on arrival and also spending the last day with us. Like David, Jacob hails from Nyanza Province and lives in Nairobi. He’s not yet married, and has been a hospitality & travel consultant since 2006.

Photo - From left: David, Sammy and Jacob

Stephen and Tiffany especially thank Jacob for the upgrade at the Mount Kenya Safari Club!

Mount Kenya National Park

Our final park isn’t known for wildlife, though we still spotted plenty of warthogs and giant marabou storks.

The Mount Kenya National Park covers the slopes of Kenya’s highest mountain, which like Kilimanjaro, is usually topped in a layer of snow. Sadly, we didn’t get to climb it, though we did see it briefly, and Connie seemed keen for a hike (it takes 4 days!).

Instead, we stayed on the western slopes at the super-deluxe Mount Kenya Safari Club, a posh colonial pile that was associated with Hollywood stars in the 1950s and 1960s – William Holden was long-time president of the club.

The rooms in the main block and the larger chalets all overlook the mountain, and are surrounded by lush grounds that attract large stork, ducks and geese.

The restaurant was elegant, the food delicious; it seemed like we were sharing the whole place with just a handful of tourists and there were plenty of activities (including a maze), so no surprise that we decided to spend most of the day right here.

Equidistant from the North and South Poles

We crossed the equator several times on this trip, and finally made a brief stop to take some pictures and listen to a demonstration on magnetic fields. 

See video below (with translation by Connie).