Kenya > Arrival in Nairobi

It is still dark outside when I am driven to the station. It’s raining. With my hood over my head, I quickly walk to the covered platform. More travelers appear with suitcases—large and small—for what are probably longer and shorter trips. Where could everyone be going? At the airport, there are even more people heading to even more destinations. At check-in for the KLM flight, however, there is no one ahead of me. I can even choose which counter to go to. The staff are just chatting with each other. I hand over my passport, show my COVID vaccination certificate and visa for Kenya. Everything is in order. With my boarding pass in hand, I walk to security. Again, there is no line. A staff member remarks that she’s surprised too, especially for a Saturday morning. I’m well on time, so I’m not too bothered that my backpack is selected for an extra check. This seems almost standard whenever I have my DSLR camera with me. The staff member reviews the scan and says everything is okay. Before nine o’clock, I have completed the entire check-in and security procedure. I still have over two hours to wait before boarding starts. Interestingly, there is quite a long queue for coffee. I just had coffee at home and decide not to join the line. I stroll past the shops and watch the planes taking off. Around eleven o’clock, I join the queue at gate F03. While boarding passes are checked, the announcement is made that the flight is fully booked. Passengers with a lot of carry-on baggage are asked to check their bags. I just manage to fit my backpack in the overhead compartment and take a seat by the window. Next to me sits a Danish couple. They are going on holiday to Kenya. They have booked a private trip with car and driver. Nice too. I haven’t met any fellow travelers on my trip yet, though I have seen a few who fit the profile. I’ll find out in Nairobi if that’s true. We fly over the Alps heading south. I see Croatia passing beneath me. Meanwhile, the meal is served. I choose chicken with rice, a dish I will probably eat more often in the coming weeks. Together with a glass of red wine, it tastes surprisingly good.

Kenya - Night falls on the way to Nairobi

Approaching Egypt, darkness sets in. A beautiful orange glow on the horizon accompanies the flight. In the dark, I see the lights of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Around half past nine local time—two hours later in Kenya—the captain warns that it is not allowed to bring plastic bags into Kenya. Even tax-free purchases may not be packed in plastic bags. I had already taken this into account and did not bring any plastics. Immediately after landing, African life begins. There is another plane at the gate, so we must wait ten minutes. In the arrivals hall, a long queue forms for transfer destinations. I bypass the long queue for customs. It turns out that the long queue is not for transfers but for the final customs counter for non-residents. There is no choice but to join the back of it. In line, I meet my first fellow travelers. We inch forward very slowly. Once all local passengers have been processed by customs, these counters can also be used by us. After over an hour of waiting, a customs officer takes my passport with a smile. It is almost midnight. The luggage has been circulating on the belt for some time. Outside the airport building, I meet Patrick, the local guide for the trip. Other travel companions also arrive. At first glance, it seems a nice group of various ages. At the ATM, I withdraw local Kenyan currency. How much will I need? I take out 15,000 Kenyan Shillings—about 120 euros. That should keep me going for a while. The safari truck for our transport arrives. The truck is a combination between a lorry and a bus—a sturdy chassis for Kenyan roads and comfortable seats with large windows for us. In the dark, we drive about half an hour to the hotel in Nairobi. Tall buildings form the city center of the capital. Some skyscrapers are lit up. The hotel lies on the edge of the city. The staff are still awake to welcome us. They quickly unload our luggage and hand out a welcome drink. At the bar, I order another drink. This is a great way to get to know the travel companions. At two o’clock, I go to bed for a short night.