Sun 24th. Had b’fast at the usual place in Shimoni. Then another tea at the restaurant by the matatu stage whilst waiting for my transport….and just observing life in general. The guy selling coconuts and ladies selling fruits and muhogo ( cassava). The 9 o’clock arrived before 9 but we didn’t leave until about 9:45. Good uneventful trip to the Likoni ferry. Waited to go down the gangway as usual…some attempt at social distancing then the mad rush to get on the ferry.
Got a tuk tuk to Equity bank on Digo road then popped in to a supermarket for some nibbles. Went to my usual deaf n dumb guy to buy water. Walked up Moi avenue and called into the Castle htl to ask if they had any special room rates. Went further up towards the Tusks to the Sheratton and checked in there. About £25, but with the rooftop pool.
I walked the 10 mins to mwembe tayari and booked my seat for the following morning. Back to the hotel for a swim, then on to Fantasy bar for a drink and watched some football. From there to Bella Vista for some dinner and again they were showing UK football. Disappointed there was no curry on offer so I just had a plate of masala chips to eat. I left 21:45 to give myself time to beat the curfew. Stopped for some water and got to the hotel with 8 minutes to spare. There were two armed police outside the hotel….I didn’t make eye contact and rushed passed them.
Mon 25th. Got up nice and early..well organised for 6 o’clock bfast and 7:00 departure to Taveta. At 6:20 I got a call asking where I was as they were nearly ready to go. Hadn’t even got all my b’fast….gulped down a sausage and my tea…had my omelette wrapped in foil…abandoned my toast…and rushed off. Got to the stage at 6:32 And left at 6:40. So we were early…unheard of in Africa !!!
I had seat no. 1 right at the front….perfect for game viewing but hardly saw any animals..a couple of giraffe and some zebra. At the least the ticket was only 1000ksh, compared with 1500 the previous time, but that was just before xmas. A great trip to Taveta and only 4 hrs 45 mins. Chatted with Mercy and checked into the Market View.
A quiet week in Taveta catching up with lots of friends. Met up with Maina and Nyambura a couple of times as they were visiting from Kilifi. I picked up my bike, and after fixing the usual couple of punctures, just went on very short rides.
Tried a new place for kitimoto but it was terrible….mainly fat and skin from the pig, hardly any meat. The mnazi that went with it was ok. It’s annoying that I can’t cross the border to Holili to eat Mamka’s kitimoto…the best. Met up with Joseph for a drink on Sat and he treated me to a kitimoto on Sun. A different establishment and a bit nicer.
Big news of the week was the search for a rented room in Taveta. Had phoned George a couple of weeks ago to say I was back in the country….just sowed the seed. On Wed I was offered a very large room for 6000..reduced from 8000..after some negotiation by Mercy. Went to see it but it was dark and near a church. Was going for it, but then on Thurs another room became available….right next door to where I was before. It was a bit bigger than the one I had before and at the end of the ‘corridor’ so more private. Mercy offered to clean it, and I moved in on Friday. The most difficult part was carrying the sections of bed up from Dad’s house….having said that, it’s only a minutes walk. Of course carrying the heavy headboard took longer !! I’m very happy with it, and saves me paying 1000 every day in a hotel. I plan to buy more fruit whilst there and eat more healthily. Ok , I could still hear the church service at 6 on Sunday morning, and I’m sure the mosque loudspeakers are louder these days !!
So, on Sunday I bought my ticket to Nairobi to depart Monday morning. Cost 1500..just over £10. And I had the front seat.