Nairobi
Our final day in London started very early with a trip out to Heathrow from Greenwich. Things didn't start well when our train was delayed, and then our Oystercard wouldn't work. When we finally arrived at the airport we quickly learnt why we were unable to do the online check-in the previous day. As it turned out the flight was overbooked and we were possibly going to be delayed until the following day. As compensation we would be offered €600 each plus a night in a hotel to fly the next day. By the time check-in closed we had started to look forward to another day to relax at BA's expense and thought about how to spend the bonus money. After an hour or so, the check-in assistant then told us there were some spare seats for us, and that they were in Business Class. Woo hoo!!! A quick run through security and duty free. We made the flight and settled us and our purchases into our fully reclining seats to prepare for the five star food menu and select our meal options while having a calming glass of champagne.

Then we arrived in Nairobi. Organised chaos is the only way to descibe it. Considering we were off the plane first, we managed to be at the end of the customs and immigration line. After buying our visa we found our prebooked transport and made it to the hotel only to be told they were out of rooms. We were then transferred into a another hotel within the same chain and finally we got to bed around midnight, some three hours after landing. The US$90 per night seems very expensive for what you get.

The most confronting thing that we noticed so far is the amount of security around. There were security guards on the front door of the hotel and armed security on each floor near the lift exit. He escorted you to and from your room. I don't know that safe was quite the feeling we had.

We had one day to explore the city before our tour started and we began with the National Museum. After seeing all the security we were a little on edge but decided to be brave and walk there anyway as it was only 500m around the corner. The brand new Lonely Planet that we had bought was a bit behind on the prices so if you are using one, expect to pay a bit more for entry and food then what it states. The museum was a bit expensive for what it was. There wasn't much history of Kenya but more of a display of wildlife, particularly birds. There were also life size representations of The Big 5. One in particular was Ahmet, the only elephant in Kenya to receive government protection due to the size and symmetry of his tusks. The best exhibit was a photographic one of Kenyan people. The photographer had built his own camera and used a single sheet of photographic paper to capture the image instantly. The emotion seen in the expressions of the people was quite incredible.

The entrance to the photography exhibition

After lunch we braved the street again and headed into town to see the National Archive. After the morning walk Claire had noticed that none of the women wore much jewelry so the wedding rings were removed. There were alot more people about in the afternoon and it took us an hour to weave our way around the sidewalk stalls selling mobile phones as well as the takeaway chicken places. Nearly every shop/stall has very loud music blaring out of it and makes for an interesting atmosphere. The Archive was really good. Each of the Kenyan tribes has a section and it is filled with weaponry, pottery, artwork, carvings and explanations of their lives. If you only had time to choose one I would return to the Archive. The staff were also very helpful and you could have paid for a tour guide as well.

Back at the original (booked out) hotel we were kept entertained for the rest of the afternoon by the numerous wedding parties that came past. It appears that the hotel gardens are quite sort after for photos. A wedding party here also consists of at least 15 people, including 5 bridesmaids, 5 groomsmen, 5 children all in quite extravagant matching outfits.
That night we met our tour guides and fellow passengers for the next 43 days on our Acacia Africa - 'Nairobi to Cape Town' tour. It was at the meeting that we discovered that we would be changing vehicles and getting new tour guides/group for the last 20 days. The group was a good mix with ages ranging from 21 to 40 and singles, friends, and couples.