Well, I’ve already broken one of my initial trip tenets: that I would not use an airplane unless absolutely necessary. I made the decision to travel to Kigali, Rwanda so I can spend a day in the Volcanoes National Park to visit the mountain gorillas.
There are no direct overland routes, and trying to cobble together a trip from Arusha to Kigali would have taken too much time. I’ve been here in Africa now for two weeks, and I’m already beginning to feel a bit of a time pinch to get done everything I want to do and make it down to Cape Town in time.
My flight connected through Nairobi, a place I visited 30 years ago when I was a young buck full of youthful exuberance. I only had enough time for nine days when I was here back then, but I made the most of it, staying at Giraffe Manor (the former estate of Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame), visiting Treetops Hotel in the Aberdare National Park, safari in the Masai Mara and a few days on the Indian Ocean at Malindi.
I have fond memories of drinking Tusker beer at the end of my long dusty days on safari.
It was nice to enjoy a cold one for old time’s sake on my return to Nairobi (even if it was just in the airport).
Nairobi airport has changed significantly since I came through here 30 years ago. In 1986, it was a small airfield – still significant by other East African standards at the time – with no enclosed terminal. It was an open air operation with a large roof and high walls.
It s changed quite a bit since then.
Even American commercialism has gotten in on the act:
A four-hour layover and I was on my way to Kigali, Rwanda, where I landed late in the night. I had booked the night at a small, boutique hostel. But it was such a boutique, that when I arrived at 1:30 am, it was shut down closed. No lights, no activity – nothing. My very friendly taxi driver, Lewis, took me to a more reliable accomodation. After a long day of travel, I finally fell asleep.