Sunday 26 August 2001 - Monday 27 August 2001
MOSHI, TANZANIA to NAIROBI, LONDON and NY
We got up around 5AM to eat breakfast and pay for our drinks/gift shop purchases/laundry/etc. A private shuttle to Arusha was arranged the previous day so that we could catch the first Davanu Shuttle to Nairobi over at the Swissotel in Arusha, an hour's drive away. Shuttles leaving for Nairobi from Moshi don’t start until much later in the morning. At the Swissotel we transferred our bags to the Davani shuttle then we went into the hotel. I bought some stamps then wrote and mailed some more postcards. Nik, looking to protect his summit certificate, asked for a piece of cardboard and was instead given a sturdy plastic folder…gratis. We returned to the bus only to find it had filled up with other tourists. We made our way to the back of the bus and crammed into the remaining uncomfortable seats. A far cry from our trip over from Nairobi the week before.
Our excitement for the day occurred at the Namanga border crossing. After we all went inside the Tanzanian customs office to have our passports stamped, Nik handed me his passport then headed off to the restroom. Meanwhile I went over to find our bus which had since moved elsewhere from where we originally disembarked. I got on board and sat down to wait for Nik when suddenly the bus pulled out and headed for the Kenyan side of the border. [It should be noted here that there have been hostilities between Kenya and Tanzania in the past and the border crossings remain noticeably guarded.] I ran up to the driver accompanied by another guy to announce that a few people had been left behind at Tanzania customs. The driver didn’t seem to care at first then he pulled over to wait. One or two people got on, but still no sign of Nik. I told the driver that one more person was still back at customs. The driver responded by driving down the road and across the border while I yelled for him to stop. Looking out the rear of the bus I saw the passport-less Nik dashing across the border in the far distance. The driver eventually decided to stop the bus and Nik got on, unharmed. The driver lamely excplained that only 15-minutes were allocated for border crossings.
The Kenya customs office was glacial in its speed. Probably just to spite the tourists who had the nerve to spend their money in Tanzania instead of Kenya. A Dutch guy from our bus got into a big argument over paying the $20 entry fee. Figures. Nik and I discussed the border crossing madness. I was more than candid in my remarks about the driver even after Nik pointed out that he was standing right next to us. Nothing happened—he must have still expected a tip at Nairobi.
On the road again briefly to a tourist trap then off to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. We unloaded our bags and went into the international departures building where we had to wait an hour or so for the British Airways counter to open. I called my parents briefly while Nik exchanged money and investigated restaurants for lunch and taxi rentals. We eventually checked our bags then hired a taxi to take us into Nairobi proper.
On the way into Nairobi we saw giraffes running around the airport periphery. Weird and cool. Not far down the road we passed the new U.S. embassy complex, built after the previous facility was bombed by Osama Bin Laden and followers in 1998. Our destination was an Ethiopean restaurant I had researched over the internet. The driver took us instead to a bistro in downtown Nairobi, evidently some place most tourists are taken to. We somehow explained where we actually wanted to go and got there after a short drive into a residential neighborhood near the Nairobi hospital.
A bunch of Arabs in robes and head-dress sat in a covered portico of the restaurant, giving Nik and I the once-over but saying nothing. Nik and I had the dining area all to ourselves. A Kenyan was our waiter. We caught only brief glimpses of the Ethiopean owners. The food was good, but we’ve both had better in New York City…honestly. I remember hearing a radio playing Britney Spears and other current US pop stars. Our waiter was intrigued to learn that we discovered the restaurant an internet tourist guide to Nairobi. We presented him with the print-out to his delight. Our driver waited outside in the parking lot for us after getting a Coke across the street. He drove us back through Nairobi for a quick look then off to the airport.
Back at the airport we mostly wandered around in search of souvenirs. At the Tusker bar we had some beer while I bought some shirts and hats for some family members. After we went up to the gate area Nik went wild for a few hours in the duty-free shopping mall, the ultimate tourist trap. Eventually we boarded our flight—Nik and I enjoyed a 2-seat section all to ourselves—which was already crowded with tourists returning from the Seychelles.
The British Airways flight attendant assigned to us was a bit rude to which I responded in kind, within the limits of acceptable behavior, of course. We ate the economy fare slop then got some sleep.
At London Gatwick the next day Nik elected to spend our 7-hour layover visiting bookstores and museums. I stayed behind to work on my journal while the memories were still fresh. It was a pleasant morning. Nik made it back on time with no difficulties, to the relief of both of us. The flight over was once again on Virgin with Nik and I again delighting in our own mini-row. Sadly the food on this leg of the trip was mediocre at best (for Virgin and by itself) plus we ran into some turbulence for a while. I don’t think either of us got any sleep.
At Newark Airport we parted ways after claiming our bags. Nik dutifully went to work the next day while I stayed home to recuperate, wash clothes, and re-adjust to life with all its conveniences.