I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya after 22 hours in transit, which is great (return will be 36 hours).   I arrived at around 10 pm, 9 hours ahead of Regina time, then stood in line for an hour or so to get a Kenyan visa ($50).  My transfer man Edwin was there holding my name on a sign.  From him I learned that the recent election has not been the cause of any violence, although the results are being contested. I almost opened the door to jump in to his van, but would have been in the drivers seat.  Driving here is on the left.  At the hotel, the security guards…

I’m leaving tomorrow and no longer nervous just excited! I have a line on a guy named Freddo, given to me by a travelling friend, who would be my driver for a day in Nairobi. I am trying to negotiate a price but it’s not really working for me. He wants $150 for the day, to take me to the giraffe centre, the Karen Blixen museum (remember Meryl Streep in Out of Africa?) and the place in Nairobi I’m the most excited to see, the elephant orphanage. Greetings are very important in Africa, so he has sent me a couple of emails just asking how I am and if I…

Nairobi is known as the most dangerous city in Africa.  That is the city I am flying in to next Friday, arriving at 10 pm.  I have paid for a transfer, someone sent by the travel company to pick me up, who will be holding a sign with my name.  I thought the slight extra cost would be well worth the peace of mind.  Upon arrival I will need to get a visa for Kenya and get some local currency before leaving the airport.  Without the transfer I would have to fight my way through crowds, attracting attention as a solo white female in a sea of very black people, to…