Calendar   Home
Previous Day

January 5, 2002

Next Day
At 7 AM we landed in Nairobi. Last year we described this place as a dingy city without charm. Our tastes have changed. Nairobi looked clean and comfortable. After a few months in bush, dust, tents, and mud huts we felt like simple villagers in awe of the big city. Today we enjoyed the simple pleasures of first world living. We ate our meals at a table and sat on cushioned seats. We took long hot showers, bug-free, and stepped from the bathtub onto a dry floor mat; no gymnastics were needed to cleanly get into our clothes and shoes. The bathroom provided toilet paper. We watched a movie and slept in a bed. Will we take these things for granted later?
We waved goodbye to our West African Dragoman group and crew.
We fought our way, literally, through Douala's airport. Even worse, we didn't have spare clothing, so we had to wear these sweat-soaked outfits onto the plane. Where's a duty free shirt shop when you need it?
To our eyes, the modern and comfortable streets of Nairobi.