Harry Potter, Ostrich Riding, Nyama Choma, and Hell's Gate

This was (yet another) packed weekend in Nairobi.  Friday night I went to the Village Market - it’s an open air mall - actually, it’s the nicest mall I’ve been to here.  On Fridays, the Maasi Market is at the Village Market, and I wanted to check it out.  The Maasi Market is a traveling market that goes from location to location across Nairobi.  There are lots of things for sale - bags, wooden carvings, beaded necklaces - and you bargain (haggle) for everything.  It’s like a sport :)  Often the first price quoted is up to eight times (or more) the price of the item.  I’m not a terribly good haggler, but I managed to get a couple of items - and I know I’ll be back for a few more before the holidays, now that I have a better idea of how the price structure works.  After shopping, V, Lidia, Jill and I sat and had tapas at one of the outdoor bars at Village Market (LOVE all the outside seating here) and then went to see Harry Potter.  

Saturday was - interesting.  A group of us took a drive out to an ostrich farm and resort about an hour and a half outside of Nairobi.  We spent the early afternoon relaxing and having a beer or two - there was also a buffet lunch (yes, there was ostrich on the buffet - I felt really guilty).  Then came the main event - ostrich riding.  Terrifying.  Those birds are really big - and they can MOVE!!  As most folks know, I’m a bit of a “marked target” in the bird community - we just don’t seem to get along.  Therefore, I was a bit nervous.  I was surprised to see that they actually put saddles on the birds!  You get on the ostrich’s back, and hold onto a handle on the saddle.  I have to admit, it was a bit “forced” - you (and the bird) get walked around the rink by the handlers, so you are never in too much danger - but it was still scary - you can definitely tell how strong those birds are.  Saturday night, we went out for a proper Kenyan dinner - one of the main foods here is called nyama choma.  Basically, you go to a restaurant/buchery (yes, that’s what they call them - it sounds like a place people get murdered) with raw meat (usually goat) hanging in the windows.  You order enough meat for your party, and they cut it off right in front of you and throw it on the coals - which is pretty much 10 feet from where the meat was hanging.  About an hour later, you’ve got dinner - you just tear into it with your hands.  The place we went was called the Citrus Inn, and it was definitely local - we were the only white folks in there.  There was live music, and the band definitely noticed our group...nothing bad, just joking and saying hi to all the folks that “definitely aren’t from Nairobi”.  Good to know that we’re noticed wherever we go!

Sunday was an outdoorsy day - we travelled outside Nairobi to a place called Hell’s Gate.  On the way, we passed the Great Rift Valley - stunning.  It’s so interesting to be driving on a highway surrounded by lush greenery - and look down into a very desolate landscape.  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again - I don’t know that I’ll ever get tired of just looking at all the amazing things to see here.  Hell’s Gate was very nice - it’s a combination of safari land an a gorge that you can hike through.  It is unique in the fact that there are no large predators, so you can bike through part of the park, but we chose to drive so that we would have more time to hike the gorge.  We did see some animals on the way though!  Warthogs, zebras, baboons, giraffes - still trying to get used to seeing them just out walking around like they own the place...wait...they do own the place :)  The hike was fun - definitely glad we had a guide though, as I’m quite sure we would have been lost on our own.  Saw the hot springs (water and air vents), views to die for, and so much more.  I’m not a huge hiker but it’s safe to say that I’ll be doing lots more outdoorsy stuff after the New Year.