We Want to Be…. in Nairobi!

We’re in Africa! Nairobi is Kenya’s capital and largest city, with a population of over 4 million, which is probably an undercount since slum censuses are not politically nor logistically expedient.

Lucy is 3.2 million years old, and looks great for her age!

Most of the family was excited to visit the Nairobi National Museum, home of an extensive collection of hominids and early human fossils. I still remember learning about Lucy back in high school biology, and her reasonably intact skeleton (40%) is the oldest and most complete ever found. Her original bones are locked up tight in Ethiopia, but since I can’t tell the difference between real fossils and copies, I’m thrilled to see this display.

I liked the different exhibits very much. Dwayne and I went on our own the first day so we could linger as long as we wanted, and to plan how to best use it as school when we returned with the kids. Human evolution was an easy one, as well as divergent and convergent evolution in mammals and how sickle-cell anemia interacts with malaria to become adaptive rather than maladaptive. And learning the history of Kenya was a great springboard into a discussion of colonialism, independence, corruption, and short- and long-term effects of racism, and how clearly these are not just African (or American!) problems. Kyla, especially, connected many of the science and social-historical lessons to her course load at home.

Part of the museum campus was the Snake House, which was way more fun than it should have been for a snake-aphobe. (It helps enormously that I know they are there and they are in cages. It’s the snakes that slither unexpectedly in front of me that make me wet my pants.)

Probably the coolest part of the park was a center enclosure of many reptiles, with (non-wall climbing) snakes, tortoises, fish, lizards, and turtles.

Can you see all 6 (two tortoises) animals?

We watched a small tortoise tumble into the pond, and one of the keepers went in with his snake-corralling stick to help the tortoise regain its footing.

The tortoises were especially amusing this day. Anthropomorphizing this, I assumed the one was giving the other a belly rub, along with attentive grooming. Nope, a battle for dominance. You can probably guess the winner.

This American alligator was donated by the US back in 1967. His BFF is a tortoise, as he has never been around another alligator here. Unlike the neighboring crocs, this guy looks like if he wanted to eat you, he’d have to slowly stretch out, yawn, think about putting on his tennis shoes, all the while knowing he’s just going to go back to sleep.

And as a special treat, the family was offered to hold a boa. But, ya know, someone’s got to take the pictures! I found my own reptile, who was feeling a little shy.

Kenya’s history as both an international trading post and many generational home of many Asian people shows up smack dab in the menu. We ordered Chinese noodles, traditional pilau (rice dish), snapper in a curry sauce, collard greens, naan… and french fries.

Tree mosiac in the botanical gardens, part of same campus. As we walked though the garden and the river walk, a thunderstorm came up suddenly and soaked us. But being drenched and warm is a completely different experience than NW rainfall!

We stayed in a part of town we were comfortable walking around, getting groceries, and going out for drinks and dessert. Ubers took us the 10-15 minutes to explore up- and downtown Nairobi, generally costing us less than $3 a ride (times 2 cars, as families of 5 always have one more person than can fit). This has been my first taste of Africa, outside of all my reading, and I am thrilled!