AN ODE TO NAIROBI

We upcountry folk always hear the scariest stories about Nairobi. We hear of muggers, traffic jams, the crowds and of how expensive it is to live in Nairobi. The painted picture is usually gory in which makes us see only what we want to see.
 No one mentions that it a beautiful town with beautiful people. No one tells you of the magnificent grandeur of The KICC, that is one beautiful building. They always neglect to mention how the skyline looks at night to someone who had never seen so many lights before; Its hypnotic! Not to waste too many words trying to describe it! No one mentions the Heroes of Independence standing proud in monument! Dedan Kimathi,Tom mboya, All standing in proud defiance. All town, other statues stand guard, like those home guards on (I forget the street's name)... and the others.
There is a hidden place called Agha khan walk, I can never seem to find it though, I get lost every time. But I love sitting there! Why didn't anyone ever tell me how peaceful and quiet it is just be  sitting there, a stone throw distance away from the madness that is Kencom bus station?
Did I mention I love food? And the number of fast food joints in Nairobi to a guy who comes from upcountry is mind boggling. Every street u walk down has its own aromas calling to you. Not to mention the number of restaurants available all over the city. You can never find a burger upcountry, and then there it is, fat and succulent, you bite of a big chunk and chew slowly, an explosion of bliss shocks your taste buds. You pause and sigh in obvious pleasure, then you continue to chew, you add some ketchup to the remaining burger. If the first bite was bliss, this is better than that.
Have you visited Uhuru park on a cold June morning just for the thrill of it? Looked at the ponds, contemplated taking one if the boats out? Started feeding biscuits to those little adorable fish that come up grab and disappear?
Lets go downtown, shall we? Meja Mwangi has a novel called "Going Down River Road". I found myself on Grogan road, Someone once told me if you want motor spare parts that's the place to go, and I wanted to go to Ngara and visualize how Ben lived. A friend bought me soup in some shady hotel in Nyamakima. The soup was whitish! I dint like it but I drank it anyway. Down to the last drop. I stood at the fire-station and envisioned it in black and white, from a newspaper mug shot I'd seen. Then I went down river road, I dint get robbed, which was disappointing.  further down towards Jack and Jill. It no longer stands but I think that name will carry on forever! There it ended.
 I bade Ben Goodbye and went into Muthurwa. They were right though. It stinks! And everywhere you pass someone is trying to grab your arm forcefully in an attempt to convince you to buy their wares!The human traffic is stifling. Not to forget the innumerable number of mugger looking types who idle there. Did you know that as bogus as the market looked, a whooping 700 million was used to construct it? Or that the initial plan included a hospital, a banking hall and a police post?
Out to feel what a Nairobian faces everyday other waking day I got stuck in traffic for an hour and a half, just sweating it and wondering how much time was lost thus daily. It also reminded me of that No stress Nivea advert, (and I gotta try that perfume by the way)  . Which reminds me, the stretch between Jogoo road roundabout to Muthurwa is never without jam, Never have I used it and found traffic moving, its always bumper and bumper. On that part they were right.
I continue to get lost almost daily as I explore our Kenyan capital. All this is without regrets to say the least for I embrace the men do not ask for directions thing. Stop looking at me like that. Google maps on my Huawei Ideos seems to get me lost all the time too. The other day as I was coming from work, riding the company bus, I passed my stop and spent the better part of the evening touring Eastland. I alighted at my stop on the return trip and I have to admit I was impressed by the conversation the driver was having with the guys who work night duty. Those who were riding the bus back that is.
This is not a story about Nairobi.
This is an ode to Nairobi.