I must say I am very impressed with Nairobi. Nairobi is night and day different from Kampala – or maybe it's just 30 years ahead. Kenya has enjoyed stable peace since England granted independence in 1963. Uganda, on the other hand, has cycled through many dictators and rebellions since it's independence from Great Britain in 1962. Nairobi is clean, well organized (the buses actually follow routes), people are dressed very well, I saw 6 Mercedes drive by in the space of less than one minute, the cars in general are in MUCH better shape; the roads are free of the pothole plague that is running rampant all over the whole country of Uganda, There are white people everywhere. Traffic lights dot the many round a bouts (and they actually work), and buildings are well taken care of. Downtown seems like a nice city, somewhere I would not be afraid to walk around alone. Kampala, on the other hand, resembles the slums of Nairobi with its makeshift tin shacks sprouting out of the roadside like weeds.
We hired Justice, or safari driver, to take us around the town for the day. Kid kills me. He switches his ls for r's and vice versa. Lunch was fantastic – I actually had a real grilled chicken breast. I had given up on grilled chicken. Grilled chicken here is some random piece of chicken with more bone than meat drenched in oil and then roasted over coals. This, however, was amazing! A real grilled chicken sandwich with tomato and cheese and lettuce on good bread. Amazing. Bomas (Maasai for "house") of Kenya is a little theater where they put on traditional dances from the different tribes all over the country. I was thinking it would be like the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. Not quite. L It was a bit disappointing – a round wooden floor surrounded by plastic chairs set on terraced concrete levels. The actual building reminded me of the kabbaka's hut we toured our first day in Kampala. The dances were interesting, sub-par, and even some of the dancers weren't into it. But I still loved the experience. The best part was Marvin, sitting 2 seats away from me on my right. His wife was teaching classes for USAID for the week, so he was along for the ride. And man, was he into that music. Foot taping, head bopping, face smiling. He was loving every second of it. Out of the corner of my eye I was watching him and laughing to myself. Adorable 60-year-old man loving life in Africa.
Carnivore was voted in the top 50 best restaurants in the world in 2005 and 2006. You better believe we were going to eat there. It's exactly like a Brazilian restaurant except the meat is roasted on real swords and they serve crocodile and ostrich. We're starting a petition in America to bring in ostrich meat. Dang that stuff is good! I think it might have been my favorite, then the chicken, then beef, then turkey. I ate enough meat to last me the rest of the trip. As long as your little flag was raised, the meat kept coming. My favorite carver, Austin the African Texan (He told me he was from Texas because of his name) snuck us a couple of slices of the gigantic the leg of ostrich. Apparently it's not served to just any guest. I told him he was my favorite Texan in Kenya. And wow is that ostrich meat good. The mango juice! To die for. I think I was his favorite Texan in Kenya too. J For about 32 dollars we ate like kings. The theme of the whole trip – "it was worth every penny".
Back to the hotel for a wonderful night's sleep. On a bed, not a bumpy bus. Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Justice was picking us up at 7:00 for our safari!!!
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