#2 Kenya: Greetings from Africa
I just wanted to let everyone know that we arrived safe and sound. The trip was long and tiring but eventually, after 27 hours we finally made it. Aside for KLM messing up with my baggage, the service was great (they told me I was able to take 32kg when we called to check on Wednesday, but at the airport they only let me take 23kg – thankfully Robin had room in her bag to fit everything that I had to take out). I had been so tired that I simply expected crash immediately upon getting onto the plane. Somehow though that didn’t happen. On the first 10 hour flight I might have slept around two hours so when we arrived in Amsterdam I definitively was not feeling refreshed.
But Amsterdam was amazing. We arrived just before 1pm their time and headed out into the city. Customs was hilarious. I have never seen such lackadaisical customs officials as there. Their only question to me was why I was wearing an orange shirt. When I said it was due to the Queen’s Day celebrations that were taking place the guy smiled, said that I gave the correct answer and could pass. Robin on the other hand, wearing a red shirt, had to stay behind. Eventually though he let us all go.
Amsterdam on the other hand was simply overflowing with orange. It was one giant party. Probably close to two million people were arriving in Amsterdam on that day just for the party and almost all of them wearing orange. It was a sea of orange; a sea of dancing orange continuously moving to the beat of music. We just roamed all the streets sandwitched amongst all the 2 meter (7 foot) Dutch people. I swear – we looked like midgets amongst all the Dutch. I thought I might be able to spot a Dutch friend of my since he was 2.04 meters tall but quickly realized that that was not the exception but rather the norm.
We were too tired to party too much so after 4 hours of roaming, some beer and a hotdog we headed back to the airport and awaited our next 9 hour flight. By now I was completely exhausted. According to Vancouver time it was nearly noon on the next day and I had slept just under 2 hours. Yet once again after we boarded the next flight I could not sleep. Ended up watching 2 ½ movies before being able to fall asleep for a few hours. We arrived in Kenya at 6am local time with no adventures. Were picked up and taken to our homestay family which is super nice. We’ve been spoiled rotten by them over the last two days. Tones of food and they’re always asking what we want to eat, what we like and preparing everything for us. But unfortunately we will not be staying here in Nairobi. Today we’re heading out to Nakuru and will be placed in an orphanage 30km outside of that city in a rural orphanage. There we will be staying directly at the orphanage rather than with a guest family. We’re supper excited about it since everyone keeps on telling us how beautiful Nakuru and the area is (it’s right in the Rift Valley).
Other than that there’s been absolutely no culture shock. If I experienced culture shock in Cairo then Nairobi so far has been heaven in comparison to that. Supper friendly people. Definitively dressed differently than what we dress like back at home and the look of the city is different too, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s just a big city with it’s own problems, high rate of poverty and bad roads.
I don’t know how often we’ll be able to email. Nakuru definitively will have an internet connection, however since we’ll be placed 30km outside of it, it’s unlikely that we’ll be driving out to Nakuru that often. So please don’t expect too much. We’ll do our best.
Take care,
Kasia and Robin
But Amsterdam was amazing. We arrived just before 1pm their time and headed out into the city. Customs was hilarious. I have never seen such lackadaisical customs officials as there. Their only question to me was why I was wearing an orange shirt. When I said it was due to the Queen’s Day celebrations that were taking place the guy smiled, said that I gave the correct answer and could pass. Robin on the other hand, wearing a red shirt, had to stay behind. Eventually though he let us all go.
Amsterdam on the other hand was simply overflowing with orange. It was one giant party. Probably close to two million people were arriving in Amsterdam on that day just for the party and almost all of them wearing orange. It was a sea of orange; a sea of dancing orange continuously moving to the beat of music. We just roamed all the streets sandwitched amongst all the 2 meter (7 foot) Dutch people. I swear – we looked like midgets amongst all the Dutch. I thought I might be able to spot a Dutch friend of my since he was 2.04 meters tall but quickly realized that that was not the exception but rather the norm.
We were too tired to party too much so after 4 hours of roaming, some beer and a hotdog we headed back to the airport and awaited our next 9 hour flight. By now I was completely exhausted. According to Vancouver time it was nearly noon on the next day and I had slept just under 2 hours. Yet once again after we boarded the next flight I could not sleep. Ended up watching 2 ½ movies before being able to fall asleep for a few hours. We arrived in Kenya at 6am local time with no adventures. Were picked up and taken to our homestay family which is super nice. We’ve been spoiled rotten by them over the last two days. Tones of food and they’re always asking what we want to eat, what we like and preparing everything for us. But unfortunately we will not be staying here in Nairobi. Today we’re heading out to Nakuru and will be placed in an orphanage 30km outside of that city in a rural orphanage. There we will be staying directly at the orphanage rather than with a guest family. We’re supper excited about it since everyone keeps on telling us how beautiful Nakuru and the area is (it’s right in the Rift Valley).
Other than that there’s been absolutely no culture shock. If I experienced culture shock in Cairo then Nairobi so far has been heaven in comparison to that. Supper friendly people. Definitively dressed differently than what we dress like back at home and the look of the city is different too, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s just a big city with it’s own problems, high rate of poverty and bad roads.
I don’t know how often we’ll be able to email. Nakuru definitively will have an internet connection, however since we’ll be placed 30km outside of it, it’s unlikely that we’ll be driving out to Nakuru that often. So please don’t expect too much. We’ll do our best.
Take care,
Kasia and Robin
posted by Kasia Koltunska at 12:29 AM
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