Tales From A 12-Year-Old: My Time In Kenya (Day 1)

Fairmont Hotel, Nairobi

My first encounter with Africa was with a very friendly and welcoming customs officer who granted us visa on arrival in seconds. He told us we could travel in and out of East Africa for the next three months. Friendliness is almost a habit in this part of the world and I was looking forward to my time in Kenya. Matthew greeted my mom and me with a ‘Jambo Habari’ or ‘hello’ in Swahili. He was our safari guide and driver for the duration of our stay.

On the way to the hotel I saw some large pink, brown and white birds called Marabou Storks roaming around the traffic circle. Every time I saw a garbage dump I spotted them. They’re not exactly a good looking bird with its bald head, massive bill, spotted naked neck and a peach coloured neck pouch on its big body. After a windy and uneventful ride from the airport, we reached the historic Fairmont Hotel.

The hotel transported us back in time when there were cobbled paths and rickshaws parked on the sidewalk. The walls of the hotel displayed exquisite African jewellery. When we went to our room, a welcome package of Easter eggs, t-shirts and compiled African songs awaited us. What a grand start to my Easter holiday!

The Carnivore

My stomach started to growl as we headed to the famed African restaurant called The Carnivore for lunch. The Carnivore, as its name suggests, was once famous for serving game meat. However, now it only serves farmed meat of a wide variety. We ate grilled ostrich, crocodile, lamb, beef, pork, chicken and potatoes. A twirling stacked tray of unique sauces and salads graced the table. There were a variety of sauces, chutneys and salsas as accompaniments. I wasn’t a fan of the ostrich meat because it was very chewy and the crocodile meat tasted very fishy. The rest was grilled to perfection on long metal skewers over a roaring fire.

Rothschild Giraffes

The drive to Rothschild Giraffe Centre was through the upscale neighbourhood of Karen. Huge colonial mansions surrounded by lawns, trees, foreign mission houses and church organisations. I felt pride surge through me as I spotted Tata buses and trucks, Mahindra jeeps and Bajaj auto rickshaws called Bajaji, all made in India, parked outside the giraffe centre.

On our arrival, Kelly and Daisy, the two Rothschild giraffes, greeted us. You could feed them by putting food in your mouth and they would come to take it from your mouth. Therefore, it looked like you were kissing. After pictures and videos of a giraffe kissing me and a little lecture on the anatomy of giraffes,  it was time to go back to our hotel and wait for our other friends to arrive in Kenya. It was an exciting moment as the last time I met my aunt, Eka and Joe, I was just a six-year-old!

Car Trip to Amboseli

As our car entered the Masai territory I couldn’t keep my excitement of entering the great Savannahs. I kept thinking about how many animals and birds I would see. The lush green grass and the dark green acacia trees littered the area. The first birds spotted were a flock of Superb Starlings, blue back with an orange chest flecked with green and white. Many pictures were clicked from every angle only to discover that this shiny blue-green coloured bird with white eyes is the most commonly found bird; they are almost like the sparrows of the Serengeti.

Soon, I spotted an African Fish Eagle, the King of Birds.  Young Africans warriors wear three feathers to represent the Fish Eagle to give them strength and courage.

We continued driving until Eka spotted a tree filled with nests of Weaverbirds. The weaverbird is yellow with an orange wash on the throat and chest and a shiny black bill.

Illbissil Girls’ Secondary School

Matthew drove us to a girls’ school, which my aunt supported. It was called Illbissil Girls Secondary School. Whilst the adults talked, all the kids were having fun passing out pens that my mom had carried for us to distribute. I made a lot of friends here…Fiona, Tasha, Minty, Milly and many more.

Photo Credit:

Fairmount Hotel

Carnivore Restaurant