Here’s a taste of my first few days out and about in Nairobi. I’ve been meeting up with all sorts of old friends, visiting the markets, and making my way through the long list of restaurant recommendations a colleague gave me.

Bought a map of the city so I can plot out all the good restaurants etc to go to.

At Osteria, a very nice Italian restaurant, they served me the most mammoth glass of wine known to man!

And yes, obviously I watched the Lion King too

At the Maasai market in Junction Mall

Impromptu dance show at the market

It was very good, and distracted me from shopping for a full 10 minutes… (Have a look here to see a video of the dancing)

My gorgeous new maasai beaded shoes!

Look how pretty my feet are!!

My haul from the market – must get to the tailor soon!

At Carnivore – a Brazillian-style BBQ place.

They give you a little paper flag, which you have to surrender when you’ve had enough to eat.

Then I came home to find a lizard in my toilet – poor thing!

I called down to reception to ask if they could send someone up to help me remove it, and they sent this guy…

I couldn’t help but think “WHAT THE FUCK WAS HE EXPECTING TO FIND IN MY ROOM??? AND HOW BIG DO THE LIZARDS GET HERE ANYWAY??”

 

Then there were some more Maasai markets – look at these fab traditional necklaces, all made out of tiny beads on leather backing.

And I do kinda love these Dashiki hoodies!

And then there’s my most recent complaint – a truly first world problem…

I’ve been making an effort to get out and about, trying out new restaurants for dinner each night, and working my way through the list of recommendations my colleagues have given me. It’s so easy just to flake out and stay at home/in your hotel room and order room service, so I’ve been trying to really make an effort to get out and explore. But here’s the thing – I hate eating out in restaurants alone. I only eat out at home when I’m with other people – otherwise I cook at home or get a takeaway. Lunch isn’t so bad somehow, but dinner feels awkward and weird to just sit alone, staring at the wall, waiting for your food/wine to come.

And so I usually take my kindle out with me, tucked in my handbag, so I can enjoy delving into the Discworld and following Commander Vimes into yet another scrape (if you’re not a Terry Pratchett fan, stop reading my blog THIS INSTANT and go buy a Discworld book. It doesn’t matter which one, they’re all awesome).

Anyhoo, as I’ve worked my way around Nairobi’s best eateries, I have been astonished and impressed with the range and quality of food on offer – there are some truly fantastic places for the foodie here (try the Feta and Coriander samosas at Talisman and thank me later). Each place I’ve visited has had great ambience, from hip, to chic, to laid-back and bohemian, and almost all of them have had a soft, romantic, gentle atmosphere mostly accented by candlelight. Which is fantastic when you are looking for a little romantic fine dining and a jolly nice evening out with your loved one/s. Less desirable when you have to ask for more candles as you strain in the darkness to read your kindle in the semi-darkness.

So that’s what I’ve been up to lately.

More to come soon no doubt, so watch this space…