Kenya ni poa !

Nairobi - it hit our jetlagged senses immediately with its African smells, grit, hyperactive traffic, modern buildings alongside gutters of trash, and 6 million people of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, British, German, etc, etc, origins. The new and old worlds come together in this swarming mass of humanity, commerce, and religions. (As I write this I hear the muezzin call from a nearby mosque.)

The first thing that struck me about Kenya is the YOUTH! It appears to be a country of 20-somethings, greeting us with big smiles and “habari yako”. I even heard “shikamoo” several times, which, from my few weeks of cramming Swahili, I recognized as a greeting of respect young people give their elders. (Well … we ARE indeed over the age of average life expectancy here!)

Despite our elder status, Steve and I realized today we are still enjoying travelling in the same DIY manner we did in our 20s - figuring out a country’s mass transport, walking most everywhere, mingling with the locals as much as possible, staying in simple lodging, etc. so when on our first day in Nairobi we met Samuel, a young Kenyan who drove us from the airport, filled us in w/important Nairobi facts, indulged my very basic Swahili, and with whom we immediately connected, we decided we’d join him for some authentic Nairobi adventures the next day! 

Now here’s one really poa thing about Nairobi - there is a large national park just 1/2 hour outside of this swarming city where you can be surrounded by plains and acacia trees and mingle with Africa’s very famous herbivores, (giraffes, impala, ostrich, rinos, hippos, zebras, etc.) and predators (lions, leopards, cheetah, eagles, etc, etc)…. SO, we made a plan with Samuel to take in the Nairobi National Park as well as a few other non-touristy places, and then enjoy some nyama choma and ugali with him. 

I could write a ton more, but jetlag is making it tough to keep my eyelids open, so below are a few photos to bring you to a bit of East Africa. More later! Love from us! J & S 

 

In the photo below you can see Nairobi in the distance behind the giraffes. 

Steve and Samuel enjoying a meal of Nyama Choma and Ugali

 


Comments

  1. Sarah C. StuartFebruary 14, 2026 at 3:19 AM

    OMG! What a wonderful experience you are having! I can feel, taste and smell it all from your description. Love love love the photos. I’m on my way to PR for a warm weather escape vacation. Heading to Culebra via ferry. Have a fabulous time in Kenya!

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    Replies
    1. SteveFebruary 14, 2026 at 7:19 AM

      Great description of the city, I can imagine it. Great photos (the professional camera?). Keep up your youthful travels and let us know what interesting things you might be eating! Valentine kisses to you both!

      Delete
  2. caroline nordenFebruary 14, 2026 at 2:05 PM

    what fabulous photos and a description of your first days. Sounds like you totally immersed already, which is not surprising., given how easily you connect with people. Ditto on wanting to know what you are eating! What's the weather like?

    ReplyDelete

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