City under the sun

For the next seven days of our honeymoon, we spent it by having massages at the spa or exploring the hotel. We had a good time and it was sad when it was time to leave. Ever since we got here, I wished to go visit the capital city of this wonderful country but couldn’t be able to when we landed. With the help of the customer desk at the resort, they managed to talk to some agents who changed our departure date so that we could go explore the city.

Fred suggested we use road transport for the journey to the city which was about six hundred kilometers away. This was to give us a better view of the landscape offered by Mother Nature.  We hired a van and a driver from the hotel to take us through the trip. The driver passed us by Mombasa town also located at the coast. We leant that it was a favorite destination to both local and international tourists as it offered a historical look on how the locals interacted with Arabs, Portuguese and Indian traders in the early days. It is also a major hub for trade in the region through its port where most goods would be brought in from other countries.

The journey to Nairobi was uneventful. We took about seven hours with several stops on the way. The road network was fairly good so we speed up most of the time except when we encountered some trailers carrying heavy goods which slowed us down. As we neared the city, we noticed how the real estate was coming up. The many buildings were under construction and it gave a promising look on how growth was being achieved in Africa whereas many of the European and America’s economy was stagnated because of recession. The roads linking the city to the various neighborhoods were really good and could be compared to the rest of the first world. The first thing that made us realize we were in a different part of the country was the weather. It was cool compared to the coastal one. I liked it.

The driver took us to a beautiful hotel called the Ole Sereni. The driver told us that the name of the hotel was taken from the Maasai name for the area which meant ‘place of tranquility’. It bordered the Nairobi National Park and we could also view the city’s skyline from the room. Apparently, Nairobi was the only city in the world where it had a natural game park within its borders. After checking in, we were taken for a ride in the city just ten minutes away. I was kind of shocked as it was not what we initially expected. With the media giving us a grim picture everyday of Africa, this was an eye opener. The city was no different to what we had at home. The tall buildings housed different offices and the streets were vibrant. Huge billboards lined up the streets alongside the streetlights which lit up the roads. Worldwide companies like Coca-Cola had also set up offices here.  At around nine in the evening, we asked the driver to take us to one of the clubs so that we could sample and enjoy the nightlife. Fortunately, it was Friday and the club was full. The music blaring out loud kept the mood alive with the drinks flowing from the waiters who served us. This guys can really party! Sure, most of them might not be having a lot in terms of cash but they live life. They don’t allow the stress of life burden them.

At eleven o’clock, we returned to the hotel. We were so tired but glad we got to explore the beautiful cosmopolitan city.