When we checked in at the Panafric last year we were told by the lobby
staff not to leave the hotel after 4pm and by no means go anywhere
unless you are in a taxi. We wanted to go to the 'Hard Rock' in Mombassa
too but it had recently been shot at in a drive-by. From Mombassa we
wanted to take a bus up to Lamu but were discouraged when we read the
newspaper which reported on a bus doing the same route the day before
guerillas ambushed them by strafing the bus with machine gun fire, then
making all the passengers get out, strip and have . with each other.
Kenya was one of the saddest places I have ever been to- it is so
beautiful, Nairobi included as it is surrounded by a wildlife park, has
great architecture etc, Mombassa has so much history, the wildlife
parks, lakes, the list goes on. There are so many natural resources;
fossil fuel, fruit, tourism, foodstuff, Tusker Beer :), the list is
endless. And yet the country is piss poor and corrupt to the hilt. It is
incredible that the people there are so educated, speak English so well,
but are forced to rip off tourists and each other.
It is certainly not 'like any city', I have parked an open top Jeep
Wrangler (no doors, roof etc) in the parking lot of a busy shopping mall
in Oman and left my wallet on the passenger seat and come back an hour
later and it is still there. Even in Hong Kong taxi drivers return
suitcases of cash to their owners for no personal reward.
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