East Africa Day 100 (Sun Aug 21): This is It

... my last full day in Kenya and the end of my East Africa summer. It was full of last minute errands, photos to document every-day memories, and a visit to the University of Nairobi campus near my apartment compound.

The University of Nairobi campus is right down the street from my compound. While I'd intended to walk around campus and meet with University staff members, I didn't get there until today. Unfortunately it was a Sunday, so there were few students on the grounds. My road and this part of town is pretty noisy, so it was amazing how quiet it was on campus, once I passed through the arch and entered the inside of the compound. I wish the bookstore had been open - would have been fun to have seen what the students are reading in class.



Before I left for East Africa, I didn't know what to expect of Nairobi. I had heard that it wasn't that different from London. It is indeed a city! This is the view that I saw every day, when I walked down my block towards the city center.



I posted a photo of University Way, yesterday - as seen from the City Center, heading back to my apartment. This is another view of University Way, from the other direction - crossing over into the City Center. The road that was under construction all summer. I remember my first time crossing it, and how it intimidated me. Now? No sweat:)



I continued on into the City Center, and then down to the Hilton shopping mall near the Kenya National Archives building, to pick up a few things from some of the area shops. Doing my best to leave Kenya without any shillings to exchange into dollars! I then jumped on a bus, and went out to Ngong Road to pick up one last medicine from a pharmacy, that I needed to bring home with me.

There's a big bus terminal (of sorts) between the Hilton complex and the Kenya National Archives building. I used to go here to pick up one particular bus, because that bus was always full by the time it got to the terminal on Kenyatta Ave, which was a shorter walking distance to my compound. I knew that I would miss the buses, so I snapped this photo before jumping on to head out to Ngong Road.



I stopped off at the Yaya Centre for the last time, and happened up on the Maasai Market! Apparently it's there in the parking lot outside of Yaya every Sunday, but I never happened upon it. Fortunately I had very little currency left at this point, so I managed to walk through the Maasai Market without spending anything. Amazing!



I then headed back to the apartment, packed up, cooked my last meal in the kitchen, called local friends on the phone to say goodbye, and caught up on my blog from my mosquito net-enclosed bed.



I used to sit on my bed with my pillow behind me, surrounded by the mosquito net, on my netbook listening to usually Taylor Swift, the Zac Brown Band, or Sara Bareilles. This was my view!


And so ends my last day in Kenya.