There are 43 tribes or ethnic groups in Kenya. The most widely used native language is Swahili. Here are some common Swahili phrases (spelled phonetically)
- jambo = hello
- assanti = thank you
- guahari = good bye
- hakuna matata = there is no worry (remember these words in a song?)
After I arrived at the hotel, I was quickly informed of several guidelines. I could not take any pictures, else people are likely to come up to me and demand a lot of money or take my camera. It was also not wise to carry camera or backpack, or to go out after dark. The risk of theft was high in any of these situations.
Nairobi was home to Karen Blixen , who wrote the book that served as the basis for the movie “Out of Africa”, which was filmed in Kenya. I saw the Karen’s home and estate which was turned into a museum. Nairobi was also the filming location for the movie “Constant Gardner”, which was largely filmed in Kibera slum.
I saw the site of the former American embassy, which was bombed and completely destroyed by Al-Qaeda in 1998. The site is now a memorial park.
Wild game meat is strictly controlled, and most restaurants cannot serve it. But there is a restaurant named “Carnivore”, which is licensed by the government to serve game meet. Servers walk around with various meat on a long metal post, from which they serve customers. I ate crocodile and ostrich, in addition to the more normal beef, chicken, and pork.
The national museum was closed for renovation, but I visited a serpentarium, where I saw various snakes, crocodiles, and alligators. Later, I visited a museum and saw native Kenyan dancing, and I saw about 12 model villages depicting how life for Kenya’s 43 ethnic groups had historically looked.
All in all, I was impressed with Nariobi. I could live and work there if the opportunity arose. Click here to view some photos.