How I Remember Nairobi…
Due to an increase of terrorist attacks Kenya’s tourism industry begun to be negatively affected. Therefore, for few seconds, I want to think how I remember Nairobi.
Having a father who is a captain for an Airline, I can say that I was, and still I am, lucky enough to see many different places since a young age.
But one of the places that really took my heart was Nairobi and its two natural parks: Nairobi National Park and Lake Nakuru National Park.
I think I was only 10 years old, when my father moved to a bigger aircraft, the B767.
To celebrate his passing to a new and bigger aircraft, my brother and I had to choose the two first destinations to fly with him. Since I was the youngest, my brother had to choose first and he chose Boston as city to see, therefore, I was left with Nairobi.
And I am very glad that I had Nairobi as destination to go to.
The flight was not too long, 7–8 hours from Rome, and I remember just after our arrival how impressed I was for the colourful cloths that the people were wearing. For me all those people seemed very happy.
When we arrived at the hotel, the amazed feeling started to be part of me during that short holiday.
The hotel was Safari Park Hotel, and I think it was the best hotel I ever been to. It was not the usual looking hotel with a big building and the classic rectangular swimming pool. No, no…
Try to imagine a sort of safari/jungle park, with little buildings with inside the rooms for the guests, and with peacocks walking around, and ostriches behind a fence trying to bite you just for their curiosity.
And last but not least, the swimming pool, maybe the best part of this hotel, whit an unclear shape, it looked more like a river passing through the gardens to finally arrive to the fun part: the ‘natural’ slide. The slide looked like an assembling of rocks, which were giving that slide shape. It was very fun climbing it and then sliding down, probably I did it more than 100 times.
We had two days to visit the safaris, therefore we chose to visit first the Nairobi National Park.
When we arrived by the entrance gate of the park I remember there were so many little monkeys jumping from one tree to another and over the cars parked. Since I was only 10 I obviously wanted to touch them and give something, but one of the guards, very friendly, told my father to be careful not to give anything valuable (even the map, or a hat) to them as we wouldn’t see it never again.
We finally started our tour, and the initial part of the safari was dedicated to the rescued animals.
There was this young British woman, probably a vet, feeding a leopard puppy. You could see her love towards that puppy and her passion for her job.
We stopped by and we asked her the story of the young feline. But with a sad sound she said that he lost her mum and now they were trying to save him for then one day let him free again in the savannah.
After the animal rescued side of the park, we were assigned with a local guide, who with a friendly and patient manners he drove us into the savannah on a jip, showing us the wildlife.
I was so amazed to see all those beautiful creatures free to move in an open space. I was so impressed by the height of giraffe, and the size and colours of the zebras, and that power look of rhinoceros. At that time, for me it was like being in the Lion king cartoon. It was so emotional, that already at that young age I decided not to go ever again to a zoo, but only to natural parks.
Lake Nakuru National Park
At the third day, we went to the Lake Nakuru National Park. What to say about this park? Oh, yes, it was very pinkish!
It was possible to reach the lake by walking down a hill and I remember from the hill seeing one side of the lake pink, so I asked my father: ”why is the lake pink?” and my father “all that pink stripe are flamingos”.
Once we were down the lake, it was not possible even to do a step towards the flamingos, even from 200 metres away, that they were flying away, or just doing a step more far away from me.
Dear Nairobi, you stole my heart…