East Africa Day 10: In search of an Internet Modem

Pamela and I went into town today. I started at the official Safaricom store, where I tried to get my netbook (in hand) to work with the company’s modem. No luck. A store employee told me that Orange has an official store in Nanyuki, but that’s it. I went over there and although one of the young employees called his friend who Is a computer tech to come look at my netbook, we still could not get my netbook to work with the Orange modem. I then met up with Pamela at the Boulangerie. (The Boulangeerie is one of two restaurants in Nanyuki with free wireless, that cater to the international crowd – The Eatery a few doors down, being the other.) It was my first time there. The menu is not as veg-friendly as The Eatery, but the staff – Steve and Jon – were so nice! When I proactively asked our server, Jon what veg options were available, he offered a veggie burger. Now, I was a little skeptical, but this wasn’t what I was expecting – much more colorful and flavorful than the frozen veggie burgers I’m used to in the US!

I enjoyed my lunch and the wireless internet access for the rest of the afternoon. I love that the shop owner provides whomever is working the restaurant’s counter with access to a laptop connected to the internet. Having worked at a coffee shop (Columbia Heights Coffee) I can appreciate the value of having a laptop with internet access when the shop is quiet:)

The afternoon ended with the 30-minute-ish drive back to campus, netbook not connected to the internet in tow. The sun was setting, the scene was beautiful, and so I snapped this photo by leaning out of the passenger window in the back seat, behind the driver. (The driver sits on the left, and drives in the lefthand lane – opposite from the US.)