Paco in Nairobi

This weekend i went to go with lucas to Nairobi. He had to do on saturday a shoot of a play in the French Cultural Centre, in the centre of Nairobi. He had asked me to join him this weekend and I thought that i would liked that.

So on friday we left school around 1 o'clock and went to Arusha town to take te bus to Nairobi. The ride was bumpy because of al the work on a new roud an we had ride on some small stone, sand and mud (because it rains now a lot arround Arusha)
After 2,5 hours of driving we where finnaly by the border. By the border we found out that my visa was expiered 3 days earlier. So they say that i had to pay $400,- because i stayed for almost 3 days ilegal in Tanzania. After a long talk, they even took the passport of Lucas, we did get our passports back without having to pay. Then the bus was already gone and we had to get a stamp, and in my case a visa, at the Kenian boarder. Lucas run to the to try to stop it and, stupid me, run also to the bus but i crossed acedently the kenian boarder so i was agian illegal but now in Kenya.
Lucas and i run back, get out stamps and a visa toke a taxi and drove to a stop where our bus was. So the ride was not that good because also on the Kenian side the road was bad! A lot of people where working on it under supervising of the chinese..

After 2,5 to 3 hours we where finally in Nairobi centre. There we walked from the bus stand to the Matatu stands, DalaDala's but then with 9 chairs and you're not alloud to stand in the matatu. And those matutu's are crazy. Full of DVD screens, loud music, crazy lights and they drive fast my god!!
So after the matutu ride we were finally by the parents of lucas where we slept the weekend. They are really nice parents, so warm, good hostpitallity, good food and a nice bed.

On saturday we went to the town and walked a bit before we went the place of the play. Because it was a holliday, this day was the celebration of the independence of kenya, it was not crowdy on the street. So we walked towards the banks but we forgot that they were al closed so i couldn't get dollars for a new visa to get into Tanzania again. So after walking and talking at 11 we were back at the centre and the were preparing for the shoot.
I met good people of the Kenian film industry, cameramen and 1 women, soundmen, producers and the director of the play.
They had to shoot the play twice so we were al day in the centre, we only get out for tea and for lunch and between the two play's we get some fresh air.

After the show it was raining so one cameraman gave us a ride back to our place. We went also to his studio somewhere in the ghetto, his name is Pato and is company is called Ghetto Film, and we brought some equipment back to a big guy, Robert, somewhere else in the ghetto.
After we were back we had a good meal and we talked for al long time to the parents of Lucas. It was nice.

On sunday we had to go the another part of town for lucas to get a letter of his tv company to get acces to see satelite tv in his new hous here in Tanzania. His parents drove us there but not before we had a good breakfast, took a real african shower ( trow some hot water over your body above a bucket with soap and you're clean) and make some pictures (the first i toke in Nairobi)
I even get a present and Jaimie, mom and dad, you're invited to come over if you are sometimes in Kenya. She told me that i became one of her son's now and thats why she had to meet my Dutch parents and ofcourse my girl friend.
After visiting this company we went in to a mall and bought some grocery's, I toke some money and we took the bus back to the centre of town, also called the midlands. When we arrived there we went to a kind of postaloffice because Lucas had to sent 2 dvd's to Uganda and then we walked a to town and by a pizza place near our busstand we took a coke and pizza.

After that we went home on the same bumpy road. But this time a had no big problem by the boarder, i only had to wait 5 till 10 minuts to change Kenian Shillings to Dollars, and to get a Tanzania visa, we stayed this time only 45 minutes by the boarder instead of 1 hour.

So Nairibo. What a crazy town. By afternoon and night it's crowdy, big difference between the rich an poor, it can be warm but also chilly, chaotic, especially by the matutu stands, and dirty, there's trash everywhere outside the Midlands. But it was great! i really enjoyd it! And i go back for sure to see my new mom, brothers, co workers and more buildings, places etc of the big city that really never sleeps.

So asante sana lucas for this great experience we go with the 6 or 4 of us ( my family Jaimie and Meriam) again on this great adventure!!

see you badea!