You Can't Get Anything in Africa 2/16

January 26, 2003

Ok, I know I just sent an enormous email but this always works as my own travel diary so please bear with me.
Someone pointed out that I forgot to mention London in my first email....this was not done intentionally. It's just so much happened in such a short amount of time....

London was a ball. I spent 4 days there, staying with my friend Damien, whom some may recall, I met in Damascus, Syria while looking at Spiderman watches. Good way to start off a friendship. I also got to see my friend Scott, who many spag Torontonians know, and love, as well as Steve, my mate in Budapest. It was really the first time I spent money in London with very little care. Picked up a SFA cd for nothing and a vespa t-shirt (blue) since all I had was black clothes and 'no one wears black in Africa' (load of crap #1). We consumed much ale and did much shopping, taking in very little, if any, sites. Had a big night with Steve starting with excellent Japanese food, where Scotty showed me up with his use of chopsticks, then moved to a pub or 2 until we ended up at The Shadow Lounge. We got a nice discount on a bottle of champagne since Steve used to work there and then soaked up the eye candy. Well, at least I did. Being a gay bar it was packed with absolutely beautiful men. Steve pointed out the best ones to me who just happened to be, like, Gucci models. Yummy. He even pointed out a royal; I think she was a duchess or something. Anyway, his boss saved us from certain despair by showing up and paying for all our drinks as well as a taxi back to Steve's place, which he shared with about 3000 Vietnamese women who all got up at 6 am. Joy, bliss. It was a very good time with much money spent and I even got an escort to Heathrow (thanks Steve!). Happy now, Marty? :)

So I'm still in Nairobi, which I have to admit is kinda growing on me. After I finished my email on friday I ran some errands and then grabbed a taxi to Upper Hill Campsite where I was to meet my dutch friends, Elma and Mark. They were waiting for me at the gate with another dutch couple, Manno and Alette to take in James Bond and some dinner. Ok. We went out to the Village Market in the rich area of Nairobi, near the United Nations. It was astounding the difference. First, so many white people. Second, wow, the houses. Shit they were huge.
Anyway, dinner. We went to Carnivores. Very well known because you can eat any type of meat here. Not recommended for vegetarians. So for about $30 CAD you get a soup followed by, geez, how to explain....ok, these guys walk around with spears of meat and slice them onto your plate. If you need them to slow down you place a flag that's on your table on its' side. If you've had enough you take the flag out of its holder. The various meats we had were: spareribs, pork, chicken, beef, zebra, eland, impala, and ostrich. Yup, I ate a zebra. It was a bit gamey. Now, the only animal you cannot eat is any from the cat family. But everything else is free game, so to speak. Oh, you also get a dessert and tea. Not to bad.....

Before I left Toronto, I, as usual, stocked up on way too many things. This was a problem because Africa called for a lot more medication than any other country but I was told you can't get it in Africa. What a load of hooey! I went to the supermarket and was amazed. Everything and then some. Shit, they even have my feminine hygiene products. Europe doesn't. So, just so you know, Africa is not some backwater, hick, 1959 hole. Well, at least Kenya, and from what I've been told, Tanzania, isn't. You can buy vitamins, a thousand kinds of toothpaste, black clothes, contact solution (not that I need that anymore, but eye drops then), get your film processed well, batteries, you frikin name it! And for a hell of a lot cheaper than home.

I think that's all....lord knows a million things happen that I want to remember and tell all of you but my memory sucks. I do know that, if you ever need to take an antimalarial, know that doxycyclin will screw up your skin at first....well, I hope it's just an at first! :)

Love thi
PS Thanks to all of you for your emails! I love to hear the gossip and what's going on in your lives.
PSS Does anyone remember the point system for Nada? We're getting bored of Yahtzee aka OmniScore.