A Tranquil Oasis in the Middle of Nairobi

Yesterday I posted a number of pictures of Nairobi which show a pretty accurate representation of the city.  I only wish I could share with you the toxic air to give you the real feel.  That is the one thing I have a problem with here.  Each time I leave my hotel I return almost unable to breathe because the air is so polluted.  The traffic here is very congested and there are no emissions laws like we have back in the U.S., so there is a constant strong smell of gasoline and exhaust fumes always hanging in the air.  I’m not sure whether it is worse here or in China, but either way it is unpleasant.

However, the hotel where I am staying is a far cry from the polluted, crowded streets of Nairobi.  The Safari Park Hotel is gorgeous, but it is a complete contradiction to the rest of the city.  You see lots of green grass and flowers, and at night you can hear the sounds of crickets and frogs.  Though apparently there is a slight snake problem here as there are several small ponds on property.  I was walking across a bridge over one of the ponds last night and was soaked as one of the hotel workers was standing in the pond smacking the water with large stick.  It turns out there was a black mamba in the water!  Of course, I would rather get bathed in pond water than bitten by a black mamba, so I’m not complaining.

Here are a few pictures of my hotel.  Here is the room in which I am staying:

 

This is a view of one of the other buildings from my guest room balcony:

It is rainy season here in Kenya which is wonderful.  After being in Botswana where it is so dry and brown, I have enjoyed the wet mornings and the greenery:

And here is the lobby and reception area, along with a life size elephant: