One bucket list item down! I told myself I needed to go camping somewhere in East Africa, and camping I did!!
I am proud to report that I am a newly initiated member of an awesome group of expat Kenyan Campers!
At first I was very nervous about people's style of camping as compared to what I know in The States and fretted about hiking into the bush, killing our own dinner, sleeping without a tent. What I found out was I had absolutely nothing to worry about! In fact this was the most Glamping-filled trip I have ever been on. We rented a car (that was supposed to be a Rav 4x4, but instead we ended up with a Rav 0.4 - more later on that) and drove an hour and a half northeast of Nairobi on Thika Road which was an experience in itself.
Tangent: Recently, there has been desperately needed road development in and around Nairobi. There is some controversy about it all as all the new roads are being built by the Chinese. They aren't necessarily hiring local workers and everyone is wondering what exactly their motives are. Well, as they construct these suspicious roads, you will be driving down a very developed highway with 3 lanes going in one direction and 3 supposedly heading another, with an island in the middle, then all of a sudden you see a line of cars headed straight toward you on YOUR side of the island!! I am not sure if it is the Chinese design or the fact that ALLLLLL Kenyans decide to make their own lanes or drive where they shouldn't.
The next disarming factor, is that the locals on foot think it is still a good idea to cross the road where cars are zooming along at 70mph. To help the locals from any imminent squishing, they built on these Western highways, speed bumps of course! So, basically as you are driving along, you must watch for cars driving at you, people playing Frogger®, the speed bumps and oh ya! And there are is no signage what-so-ever!!
I am proud to report that I am a newly initiated member of an awesome group of expat Kenyan Campers!
At first I was very nervous about people's style of camping as compared to what I know in The States and fretted about hiking into the bush, killing our own dinner, sleeping without a tent. What I found out was I had absolutely nothing to worry about! In fact this was the most Glamping-filled trip I have ever been on. We rented a car (that was supposed to be a Rav 4x4, but instead we ended up with a Rav 0.4 - more later on that) and drove an hour and a half northeast of Nairobi on Thika Road which was an experience in itself.
Tangent: Recently, there has been desperately needed road development in and around Nairobi. There is some controversy about it all as all the new roads are being built by the Chinese. They aren't necessarily hiring local workers and everyone is wondering what exactly their motives are. Well, as they construct these suspicious roads, you will be driving down a very developed highway with 3 lanes going in one direction and 3 supposedly heading another, with an island in the middle, then all of a sudden you see a line of cars headed straight toward you on YOUR side of the island!! I am not sure if it is the Chinese design or the fact that ALLLLLL Kenyans decide to make their own lanes or drive where they shouldn't.
The next disarming factor, is that the locals on foot think it is still a good idea to cross the road where cars are zooming along at 70mph. To help the locals from any imminent squishing, they built on these Western highways, speed bumps of course! So, basically as you are driving along, you must watch for cars driving at you, people playing Frogger®, the speed bumps and oh ya! And there are is no signage what-so-ever!!
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| How else would you carry your wife and your fencing safely home!? |
driving seems soo scary there! and they drive on the other side of the road!! Crazy!
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