Day Fourteen
Today we started early, leaving the KUCC at 5:40am to head to the Kenya Railways train station for a six-hour ride to Mombasa. Mombasa is a historical port city along the Indian Ocean and a major site of maritime trade. It is one of the largest natural sea harbors in Africa, the oldest city in Kenya, and the original capital of the country. The language of Kiswahili was formed first in Mombasa through interactions between Bantu-speaking African coastal tribes and Arabs. Mombasa also houses the oldest mosque in Kenya and is the center of Islamic faith in the nation.
The sun was just starting to rise as we arrived at Nairobi Terminus, and we got to see it come up over Nairobi. The train station had quite a bit of security, two different pat downs, drug/explosive-sniffing dogs, passport and ticket checks, and luggage scanners. After successfully making it past security, we got to the gate and grabbed some coffee and a light breakfast at the Paul’s Caffe. We got our coffees and mandazi just in time to board. The train we took was called the Madaraka train. On the train, only about half an hour into the ride, the attendants came around with snacks and drinks available for purchase.
Two members of our group had never been on a train before, so it was exciting to ride, and we were surprised to see that, when we took a curve, the train couplings would shift enough for us to see out from between the cars. The seats were assigned, and the setup was similar to a dinner table with seats facing each other on both sides. The seats were pretty uncomfortable, but thin. Compared to the Roanoke Amtrak, this train was tall and spacious, and food was offered for purchase regularly. We saw lots of open land filled with trees and lush bushes, including both Nairobi and Tsavo National Parks. Dr. Jalloh even spotted a giraffe early on in the ride, and Dr. Breitwieser was fascinated by the termite mounds, which Dr. Nawiri said can decimate rural homes!
The majority of our group used the long train ride to catch up on some well-deserved rest to conserve energy for Mombasa. Around 11:30 am, we placed our order for a hot lunch after finding out they ran out of sandwiches. The menu options included chicken, beef, rice, potatoes and chapati. After we ate, we enjoyed the last two hours before arriving in Mombasa around 2:00 pm. We all quickly realized that we did not appreciate the cool weather in Nairobi until we felt the 93 ℉ (34 ℃) heat with high humidity of Mombasa. Once we found the bus, we loaded our luggage and settled in for the two-hour ride to the Northcoast Beach Hotel. On the ride, we noticed many of the women carry buckets, baskets, and other goods on their heads. They must have good balance and strong necks!
We received a warm welcome with a song and dance from the hotel staff, as well as a fresh coconut to drink the juice inside, refreshing us from the long drive. Drs. Jalloh and B broke open their coconuts to eat the meat (also called coconut jelly) inside. After we got to our rooms, we relaxed for a little in the air conditioning— our first air conditioned rooms in Kenya— before splitting up to either relax in the rooms or go to the beach to enjoy the Indian Ocean for the first time. Many of us went on a marine walk to see some of the creatures that live in the waters, including sea urchins, sea worms, sea cucumbers, spindly sea stars, and crabs. We were accompanied by local craftsmen who sell customizable woodwork and jewelry. One of the craftsmen said the beach was his office, and they all took good care of us as we navigated the seaweed, sharp urchins, and warm water. Most of us would buy some goods from them, including keychains with our names, necklaces, and waist beads.
At 7:30 pm we enjoyed a fantastic reception dinner provided by the hotel while listening to live music, mostly American jams from the 1970s and 1980s. We were all surprised to find the Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University was present, so there were introductions of the groups and celebratory dancing. During the dinner they invited Dr. Jalloh, Dr. Breitwieser, and Dr. Nawiri up onto the stage to talk briefly about what we were doing in Kenya and our hopes and goals for our study abroad program in the future. After all of the introductions they brought out a cake, and we all danced in a circle together before Dr. Breitwieser and the other group leaders cut the cake with the Vice Chancellor and toasted the start of our stay at North Coast Beach Hotel. There was more music and dancing into the night, and some of us cooled off in the night breeze by the beach. We are excited for the next few days!
By Riley and Charlie