We landed Nairobi at about 10:30am local time and made our way to Immigration. It was a very smooth process, taking only 10 minutes. Our driver took us straightaway to our lodging for the next 5 nights, the Macushla House, located in the Karen neighborhood of Nairobi, named after Karen Blixen, the real-life heroine played by Meryll Streep in Out of Africa.

For those that are interested, the Kenyan Airways flight was very nice. The food was good and the flight attendants were friendly, efficient and kind. The 787-8 Dreamliner has to be one of the quietest planes we’ve ever flown on. The doors and carts moved smoothly and there were minimal rattling sounds. Alas, if we only could have said the same of the two people who sat in the row behind us and talked all night!
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, anchoring a metropolitan area of roughly 15.9 million people. Though overwhelmingly urban, the city holds a surprising claim to fame: Nairobi National Park sits within its boundaries, making it one of the only capital cities in the world where lions, giraffes, and rhinos roam just minutes from the skyline.

The city’s origins trace back to 1899, when British colonial engineers building the Uganda Railway established a depot on the site — chosen for its high elevation, temperate climate, and reliable water supply, conditions that also happened to keep malaria-carrying mosquitoes at bay. The location proved so advantageous that by 1905 Nairobi had been named the capital of British East Africa, a status it carried through the colonial era and into Kenya’s independence. Historically, the city grew as a commercial hub for the region’s major export crops — tea, coffee, and sisal — which moved through Nairobi via rail on their way to the coast, laying the groundwork for the diversified, fast-growing economic center the city is today.

Once to our hotel, we met up with Peter and had a delicious lunch. Later we took a nap, enjoyed dinner and then went back to bed! These first two days will be very low-key, with the intention of getting over jet lag before the touring begins.

Tomorrow: Nairobi