Nairobi, revisited (September 23, 2006)

The first time I came to Nairobi, you will recall, I slept the entire time and took a bus to Busia the next day. On my flight to/from Delhi, I got to spend about 10 (non-sleeping) hours in the capital city, just walking around and exploring. First and foremost, Nairobi is huge. I walked over 6 miles and did not even clear all of downtown/center city. I did not make it near Kibera, and Westlands was an entirely different universe full of posh shopping and an amazing Italian restaurant. I ate food that I will probably dream about for weeks, had good pastry, and drank good tea. I did not find lactose-free soymilk, despite reports otherwise, and I spent more money in 2 days there than I do in an entire month paying for cost of living in Busia. I also ate strawberries - not the shrivelled kind in Kisumu that are dwarves, but real, juicy, red strawberries. I know I will salivate every time I think about it.

It's hard to imagine what this city was like when it was smaller. I don't know the exact estimates, but an obscene proportion of the Kenyan population lives in the city alone. There were so many amenities that I honestly felt like it was my first time in a big city. I had even forgotten, for a moment, how to use normal toilets. I found myself deeply intoxicated and intrigued by the City; the thought of returning to rural Kenya was a bore compared to Nairobi. It didn't seem worth the 10 hour bus ride; why not stay there forever? Except for the fact that this would be financially impossible, I realized something I've suspected about myself for a long time. I am a city person. There is something strange that I enjoy about cities. I know that they are filled with paradoxes, that they are bounded with inequalities and extremes, but at the same time there is something satisfying about exploring a super diverse area with so many resources and so much access to the "outside world." I knew more about current events in the 10 hours I was there than I have in the 3 months I have been in Busia.

Also, as far as crime goes, I didn't find the city so scary or crime-prone, but perhaps I am being a bit Pollyanna'ish about it. I definitely did not go out after dark, and the one night I was semi-stranded waiting for my taxi in Westlands was definitely nerve-wracking. During the day, there were rougher areas, but nothing seemed too scary. Maybe I am being too flippant, or maybe I am more used to being suspicious of pick pockets, etc. Sometimes I wonder if the danger of Nairobi is also relative and based on people's experiences, or if it is just a bit overexaggerated. It fits neatly with the idea of a lawless and corrupt Africa where everything is dark and evil and black faces watch your every move silently. That said I thought the stereotype was generally a bunch of bull during the day, and equally as ignorant as the aforementioned imagery. The same conditions, in any other place in the world, would not necessarily be described the same way (unless of course you were in Washington, D.C., or New Orleans, or any other city with a sizeable African-American population).