Time for the weekend update. Saturday and Sunday were days off so I was on my own. Saturday morning, I set out to visit a couple of places here. Uber is the preferred mode of transportation and it works quite well. My first stop was the Karen Blixen Museum. If the name does not ring a bell, think Out of Africa. She is the author of that and a number of other books. She and her husband came from Denmark to start a coffee plantation. Their story is quite interesting and worth reading about if you don’t know it. Anyway, the museum is the house that she lived in for almost all her time in Kenya. It is a beautiful one level house with porches and patios, set in several acres of lawn with some lovely plantings.
The ticket price included a guide so this very nice young man took me around, filling me in on history and interesting facts about the house itself. The house was such fun to see – paneling in many rooms and most of the original furniture is still there. The rooms were all set up, as of someone had just walked out. I kept thinking of the movie as I wandered through and there are a number of references to it. After seeing the house, we walked the short way to where the factory had been. The original one had burned down but a replica was built for the museum. On top, sat a couple of capybara like animals. They were so still, at first I thought they were stuffed, but then they moved a little.
After the tour, I had to visit the museum store. I’m a sucker for those and found a couple of little things. Next stop, a craft market. I had gotten the name from the internet so probably not the best source. The place was lovely, with many little shops are under one roof and run by the same organization. The most telling thing about the place was that there were only white people shopping there! I guess they saw us coming! I first had lunch at a very nice cafe and kept it simple as I was still trying to be careful with my system. But it felt like a real meal and the best I’ve had here so far. Leisurely and relaxing except for all the broth drops I slurped on my white shirt from the pho.
I did do a little shopping but knew I’d be paying premium prices here. Found my Nativity set, so was happy about that.
Sunday, I had hoped to go to church but was informed that traffic could be a problem as the Nairobi marathon was being run today. Wiser heads suggested I stay put. So, except for a walk to the mall for lunch and a couple of odds and ends, it’s been a quiet day.

Some observations – I love signs in Africa! I’ve always wished I’d taken more pictures of them but usually I’m just driving by. A few examples – God Exists Beauty Salon – Think Twice Second Hand Clothing – and my personal favorite – Butchery and Hotel – shades of Sweeney Todd!
Along the streets, there are always people walking, going about their business. The streets where I am are fairly narrow so when the huge trucks come along, everyone has to shift but only as much as necessary. Right of way is determined by who gets there first. A turn signal means I’m coming so watch out. Motorbikes zip in and out at will and if the road is too crowded, I’ve seen a few on the “sidewalk.” A safe distance is inches.
Views on temperature are different than mine. The weather has been good since I’ve been here – days up to high 70s or low 80s and it cools off some at night. So I’m walking around in shirt sleeves while many people have on coats and jackets and sometimes knit caps. The little children are especially bundled up. At the clinic, where I saw all the babies, almost all of them had hats and jackets and were bundled up with blankets. This is quite typical and I’ve seen this in other places. When our African friends come to visit us in Oregon, they absolutely freeze unless it’s high summer.
There are so many sounds on the street – loud vehicles going by, singing and chanting from schools and churches, the banging and grinding of metal shops. It calms down at night, for which I am grateful.
And car washes here involve a high pressure hose and a bucket of suds. Does the job.
Tomorrow, Monday, should see me back at Friday’s clinic. However, I am also going to switch lodgings to be closer to that clinic. I will do that in the morning.
And that’s all the news that’s fit to print today.