On Valentine’s Day 2015 my pal Kirstin and I satisfied George out the front of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Nairobi. It wasn’t some kinky Valentines arrangement, but relatively a incredibly insightful and entertaining strolling tour of Nairobi’s CBD.
From the Hilton, we walked to Kimathi Street the place a statue of the war hero Typical Kimathi stands. When this statue was remaining erected, there was considerable controversy about no matter whether Kimathi was deserving of a statue or not. Right after one particular yr of deliberation he obtained his position. Kimathi was a leader of the Mau Mau rebellion which has been considered by some Kenyans as the terrific rise up that gave Kenya its independence and by other Kenyans as a group of rogues who caused needless hassle even though far more formal endeavours ended up getting spot.
Up coming we headed up to Kenyatta Avenue where by the outstanding Sarova Stanley Resort dominates. Within the lodge is the Thorn Tree Cafe in which an acacia tree made use of to stand. The acacia tree held a message board exactly where colonial settlers left messages for a person a different. Nowadays, you may possibly have read of Lonely Planet’s online travel discussion board dubbed “Thorn Tree” – that’s wherever the identify arrives from!
Also at this intersection, a statue of Lord Delamere applied to stand. It marked the division of Nairobi – to the west of Delamere was the aspect of the city for the white colonialists and to the east was the rough and tumble of Indian merchants and Kenyan sellers. However nowadays you can see the distinction involving the east and west sides of the metropolis.
Together Kenyatta Avenue, we stopped to admire Cameo. Not simply because it’s a popular night spot, but since it is the oldest developing in Nairobi at more than 100 years previous. Ironically Nairobi’s most recent store is situated inside – Subway, the sandwich chain has built a foray into the Kenyan current market. Upcoming doorway is the Bank of India which has experienced fairly a background. It has been the Parliament Household, ahead of the present Parliament was developed, and also the National Archives ahead of those way too had been relocated to their present household on Moi Avenue.
Turning off Kenyatta onto Wabera Street we found the McMillan Countrywide Library. It truly is not difficult to obtain just about anything if it is really address is Wabera Street, as the avenue is only 100 metres extensive! Next to the library is Jamia Mosque and continuing together with the mosque to the close we arrived at Chai Home and the City Marketplace. The market place sells all the things from meat and fish to greens and souvenirs. Inspite of all the retailers nevertheless, the industry was vacant of consumers. Exterior on the other hand, the rose sellers were accomplishing a booming Valentines trade!
Our last quit was the Kenya Global Meeting Centre (KICC), the tallest creating in Nairobi at 28 flooring. The 2nd floor from the prime was a revolving cafe, but the big vacant house was today a spot for young couples to hold out. On the roof is a helicopter landing pad and for a cost you can stroll close to for 360 diploma sights of Nairobi.
On weekends there is an open air market that George provided to acquire us to for some memento shopping. But it experienced started off to rain and Kirstin and I figured this wouldn’t be our one and only likelihood to obtain souvenirs, so we skipped it and went to a cafe as an alternative. Around a cup of tea we learnt a lot more about George who experienced been taken in by Mathare Kid’s Fund (MCF) when he was a kid and received assistance from the community organisation to total university. MCF also offered him with the education to grow to be a city tour guideline, facilitated by the Countrywide Museums of Kenya. George is also attending college, finding out economics, and the guiding will allow him to earn some revenue to enable him as a result of faculty.
MCF have qualified many young persons to be guides on town going for walks tours. Even nevertheless I have lived in Kenya for more than 4 a long time, there was a whole lot we saw on the tour that I experienced under no circumstances observed just before (even if I had walked earlier it a dozen periods!). And items I experienced seen, I hadn’t identified about. The tour lasts two hours (not which includes the cup of tea at the conclude!) and costs 1000 Kenyan shillings (approximately US$10) for each person as well as 400KES to go to the major of KICC.