A ghetto safari

1. A Toyota Corolla is not exactly a Landrover

Yesterday, we got to take a break from sitting in on classes and engaged in a few tourist activities. We wanted to visit the local National Park - 117 square km of wild Serengeti animals.  There are many safari companies that do half-day safaris in the park but these options were a little pricy for the likes of cash-strapped students.  We spoke to one of the locals that we have been working with to see if there were cheaper options available. Luckily, he arranged a driver to drive us through the park at a significantly reduced rate.  The driver pulled up in a circa 1992 Toyota Corolla. Initially, I did not think much of the car, but when we arrived at the park and saw that most of the other vehicles were 4 wheel drives, I was slightly concerned.  We had quite a bumpy and dusty day in our little car.  At one point we had descended into a canyon and were trying to get back out on the other side.  The driver had to make a few attempts but, finally, after he backed up, reved the engine and charged up the hill, we made it. 

Our Toyota Corolla - see the more common (and rational) 4 wheel drive Safari vehicle in the background.

2. Don’t assume the driver knows where he is going

Beyond having an appropriate vehicle, it might have also been somewhat beneficial to have a driver who actually knew his way around the park.  We got lost several times and for some reason, the driver thought we (the tourists?!) should have been paying attention to where we were going.  We were in a bit of disbelief when he asked us if we knew how to get back to the gate.  He just kept shaking his head saying “How are we lost - we are four?!”  With less than a quarter tank of gas left, the prospect of being stranded on the Serengeti in a Toyota Corolla with broken windows was a bit frightening, but eventually we navigated ourselves out of the park. 

My heart stopped a few times and I am fairly certain that the driver’s suspension is completely shot after the journey but I would not change a thing.  We have a story to tell and saw more wild animals close up than I could have imagined.  The baboons were my favorite; they swarmed one of the picnic sites and found their way into the trash.   Some were licking paper plates and others were trying to get any type of crumbs out of empty bread bags.  Suddenly, two males began fighting over a female that was obviously in heat as evidenced by her “fancy butt.” I may have screamed a little and run back to the car but I enjoyed the experience nonetheless!

3. For some, I am the most exotic thing at the zoo

After finding our way out of the National Park we visited the nearby “Animal Orphanage.”  The so called orphanage was really nothing more than a zoo designed to draw in tourists that do not know better, but I am still glad that we went.  We saw a lion try to attack a boy who had found his way over the first of two fences to take a closer picture.  He screamed and ran as the lion charged up behind him.  Somehow the experience was both horrifying and hilarious.  Later we found a group of naughty school children that had given a monkey a sucker – seeing a monkey eat a lollipop is one of my favorite images of all time.  Finally, our guide introduced us to a monkey who was not in the cages and enticed him to mount our heads and shoulders with peanuts.  Again, a horrifying yet hilarious experience. 

Although there was a plethora of exotic and entertaining animals in the orphanage I found that most of the patrons were much more interested in staring at me.  I venture to guess that they have probably seen a lot of monkeys, lions and hyenas in their time but very few white girls. Unfortunately, none of them asked for my autograph.

4. Kikuyu is not a term of endearment

There are a total of four teaching associates here from UCLA, three of us are white and one black.  It is clear that three of us are a bit out of place in Nairobi but my black colleague just might be able to pass for a local (assuming she changed her fashion habits and was mute). One of the men in our program told her “I almost thought you were Kenyan but then I saw you walk”, then someone said “Just tell them you are Kikuyu,” and everyone around giggled.  We know that Kikuyu is the largest tribe in Kenya, but she shrugged the comment off for a couple of days, not really knowing what was meant by it.  Yesterday, she finally asked our driver and he got a very embarrassed look on his face.  Trying to be as nice as possible he said, “the Kikuyu women stand on corners.”  So basically, they called her a whore (and all before she had two beers and a cigarette), nice.

5. Ignorance really is bliss

After breaking the ice with her question about Kikuyu, our driver decided it was his turn to ask some hard questions. He asked her if white people were angry with her in America.  Somewhat confused, she said “not really angry…” and then he responded with “Everyone is angry here.” It was somewhat surprising to hear this because most everyone seems quite cheerful most of the time. 

This question came on the way back to our hotel as we drove past the Kibera slum.  We did not go inside the slum for obvious reasons but just viewing it from the outside was completely overwhelming.  The poverty was striking although somehow orderly; the shacks, constructed from mud and sticks, were organized and the streets seemed mostly clear.  We were shocked to learn from our driver that Kibera had been in existence for almost 100 years.  Here, homelessness is not something that happens due to bad luck or poor decisions; it is a permanent structure and way of life.

Our driver’s comments and our brief look at Kibura made me realize that we are experiencing only the surface of Nairobi.  We are taking in the sights but we may never really understand what the people are going through here, but I am not sure that I could handle it if we did.