I had a farm in Africa...

Thursday, March 31, 2016
Nairobi, Kenya
Thiis is going to be a short one just to let you know about our week here in Nairobi before we set off in the morning on the final leg of our three month trip.


We have been very comfortable in this lovely old colonial-style house in Spring Valley Road which is in a very nice neighbourhood . We have been looked after by a staff of four who clean the pool, garden, clean and cook for us (if we ask), not to mention doing the laundry. We have been totally spoilt!


Our Hudson-hunting has involved going to Kilimani to find the house my uncle George built and my cousins, Carol, Malcolm and Tim grew up in. It is round the corner from Kilimani Primary School, where they were all pupils. The school has not changed much I imagine, and the head teacher was pleased to let me take a look round and take some photographs. He said he remembered the Hudsons! Finding the house was difficult because there has been lots of high-rise development in Kilimani and the name of the road has been changed. I have sent Carol pictures of various possibilities but because of the security gates and fences, it is very difficult to see into the gardens.


We also went out to Karen and found Three-D Lane where my grandmother built her house in 1957 . The road probably hasn’t changed much but again, it was impossible to locate the exact house because of the security gates. We have google-earthed Three-D Lane and think we know which house it is. Still, it was good to go there and feel my roots - I went to this house when I was 10! Karen is still a lovely are and we went on to the Karen Blixen Museum (Out of Africa). It is based in her house and although some of the furniture is original, most of it has been donated by the guys who made the film. It brought the movie alive for us both and the gardens were spectacular, with the beautiful Ngong Hills in the background.


On Easter Sunday we went to find All Saints Cathedral, where I was christened in 1947. It is a very imposing but beautiful church and the service was in full swing - seating room only left in outside tents with a video link. The vicar was in the middle of his sermon and there were video screens and microphones throughout the church so the eager congregation didn’t miss a word! I managed to take a few snaps but was soon told that photography was not allowed . Security in Kenya is taken very seriously. You, your handbag and your car is searched before you go into a mall - not surprising after the Westgate shootings last year (just round the corner from here.)


Afterwards we walked into the centre of the city which has a large park and lake (rather like Hyde Park and the Serpentine in London but scruffier) and the locals were having a ball - camel rides, boat rides, horse rides and fairground rides were all on offer. It was quite fun to be a part of it all, even though we were the only Europeans there!


Quite close-by is Karura Forest Reserve, which is one of the larges gazetted forests in the world, within city limits. The Nairobi Game Reserve also comes right up to the city boundary. We went for a VERY long walk in the forest and visited the Mau-Mau caves and a beautiful waterfall - all only 15 minutes from downtown Nairobi. Here we met a guy from Vietnam who had been educated at York University - small world! We really enjoyed an ice-cold Tusker beer at the River Café after our hike.


Unlike South Africa, Kenya is 99.9% black. It seems to work and individually the people are friendly but they can be quite sullen and unhelpful in the shops. Quite different from SA! Signing off on a warm,balmy evening in Nairobi - we’re both beginning to feel it’s time to go home!
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Comments

Mike Garside
2016-04-02

The diligence of all your unravelling of history continues to impress me no end, little sister. Well done, both of you.

Suzette
2016-04-03

Well done to both of you. We hope you take many wonderful memories back home

gillie.bowen
2016-04-04

We will never forget Africa and we will be back! Love to you both xx

2025-02-10

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