Kenya: A Country In Generalizations

I'm back in Dubai after an adventuresome albeit not-very-strenuously-earned week's vacation in Kenya. I'm getting around to posting the pictures from the trip and will furnish some of the better stories of the week over the next couple days so check back soon.

Kenya and (from the stories of the other expats and backpackers I met along they) the rest of East Africa is an awesome place to visit and just bum around. Although airfare from the States is probably $400-500 more expensive than Western Europe, you'll probably break even if you stay in Africa for at least two weeks. When not on Safari, I was spending maybe $10 a day (mostly on Tusker...more later on that).


I spent a day and a half on safari to Lake Nakuru, home to the largest rhino population in Kenya. We were lucky enough to see both black and white rhinos and even a leopard on the ground, which is supposedly pretty rare. I tried catching them with my poke-balls (I even pressed down-B!) but only came away with a stupid Metapod.


We spent the next two and a half days roaming around Masai Mara, the most popular park. We saw everthing: hunting lions, towering giraffes, herds of elephant, cheetas, leopards, hippos and crocs. Our safari driver, Barry, would just charge up in our van to within 10 feet of most of these animals. Close enough to smell the bad elephant breath and almost within petting range of the cheetah (petting cheetas is not recommended).

Almost as intriguing as the animals were the other travellers and backpackers I met. My favorites including three members of "Save the Children" who were on our safari, a PhD candidate doing her field research on the effects of climate change on territorial conflicts among pastoral tribes in north Kenya, and a trio of Irish volunteers who spend their weeks in Tanzania playing soccer with slum children. All were doing much more valuable projects than my consulting.

Travelling there is as safe as in the US or Western Europe. Sure, there were the usual scams (more later) and it's probably unwise to walk around the slums after dark, but I think these days Nairobi's slums are even safer than Burleith/Glover Park. Most of the people I met had travelled around for months without incident, and I never felt unsafe.

As soon as I got back to Dubai I tried to figure out when next I could head back there. Uganda is supposed to be more friendly than Kenya, and I'd love to complete the Lake Victoria Circuit or head down to Malawi and Mozambique. Maybe this summer, if things quiet down during Ramadan...