Waking up early after a short night i was craving a coffee and went to the lobby. Besides me i only found another guest, who had some nice looking breakfast. Asking for a coffee triggered the waitress to hand me a menue and it seemed there was no coffee availible, except in a Menue. Since i didn`t eat anything besides the food on the plane i opted for some scrambled eggs with tomatoes and toast with coffee. When i asked how i want my coffee, i responded “with milk” which got me a weired look and a cup of hot milk with some instant coffee powder. Not what i expected, but almost as good as the rest of the breakfast, whichw as freshly prepared in an open kitchen.
Afterwards i packed my bags and ordered my uber to the assumed Dreamline starting Point, which was more expensive then the Bus from Nairobi to Mombasa. When leaving the Hotel, i was asked if my uber is already there and when i negated, i was accompanied by the Hotel security guy, until i was sitting in my uber. The ride was intense and the first time i saw Nairobi during daylight: Piles of trash next to the street with cows walking freely through it looking for food next to some sheds similar to the ones in the picture and people napping in small stripes of grass besides, gated and walled of buildings and properties, beautifull parks and a university parralleling crowded and busy streets. The sun shining bright and intense at 8 am.
Arriving at the Dreamline starting Point (the correct one, yes!) i took place in the waiting room until my Bus was there and ready to go.
The ride took 10 hours and was leading to all facetes of landscape, from City to urban and rural areas until we left Nairobi areas. The green of the trees and gras was so intense, i could hardly believe it. Soon some green and rocky Mountains came across and the landscape changed and changed, it never became boring.
The road itself was rough, at several occations i felt like i jumped like 20cm in the air while driving over a speedbump or pothole – while the road was intended to have one lane in each direction, it felt like there was a middle lane that was used by the one with the bigger balls from each direction -only centimeters apart from cars on both sides we overtook and where overtaken, only changing lanes to give way when needed. I can’t believe, i didn’t see a single accident all day.
We drove all day, having one lunchbreak, which i used to fill up on water and 2 short breaks to let people in and out and to go to the bathroom…first time i actually used a whole in the floor.
Arriving in Mombasa felt like a complete shift in surrounding…from green and rural to poor and dirty. Among the first things i noticed was a intense smell that, how i later figured out came from a giant pile of trash in a valley – burning.
In Mombasa the area changed again, it was dark and Matatus with shining lights pimped to the max with horns on by default almost everywhere interrupted by some Tuk-tuk`s.
I was tired and exhausted, scared to not figure my Matatus to Diani Beach, so i opted for an Uber again to have a smooth and relaxed ride.
Arriving at my Villa i realised, i did not see a single white person the whole day the first time in my life and went to bed after having some peanuts and taking a salty shower.
