From: kautaj@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (kauta)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: Experiences from Kenya and Tanzania
Date: 18 Aug 92 21:21:38 GMT
Distribution: soc.culture.african
Organization: Indiana University, Department of Mathematics.

In article <JWA.92Aug18010213@vipunen.hut.fi> jwa@vipunen.hut.fi (Jyrki J Wahlstedt) writes:
>  In June I enquired in this forum about Nairobi as I was going to
>  spend three weeks in Kenya and Tanzania and just then a finnish girl
>  was shot in Nairobi (she is still alive but paralyzed). Then I 
>  promised to share my experiences, so...

[Evil number one. A *finnish* girl shot]

>  In general we were in no dangerous situation, not one of us was robbed or
>  threatened or anything like that. I think that is mostly due to our 
>  friends with whom we travelled. They have lived five years in Tanzania,
>  so they know quite well what one can do and what one must not do.

[Evil number two. The locals good at robbing. However, this didn't happen
                  due to your "friends"]

>  Their experience could not protect us from one thing, the diseases. None
>  of us got malaria, but most of us, especially the children, had various
>  combination of fever, vomiting and diarrhoea. The worst of it was that
>  my wife got sick the day before we were supposed to leave and she had

[Evil number three. Diseases. Boy! Those diseases!!]

>  to stay behind in Nairobi Hospital (she had some experiences there also).
>  Well, I got back on Saturday and my wife arrived on next Tuesday, so that
>  was not too bad.

[Evil number three. A man leaving his wife behind. In a world full of evils]

>  The prominent feature in Kenya are the guards and police officers. They
>  are everywhere. On the roads there were now and then police checkpoints,
>  in shops there were guards with sticks and probably with other arms also.
>  Another prominent thing is that the president is everywhere also. All
>  shops have his picture on the wall. He is not very popular there, however.

[Evil number four. Political oppression]

>  Kenyan days we were in Mombasa and in a hotel (Diani Beach Area) there.
>  It was really nice, though we met a problem when leaving as the reception
>  clerks didn't let us go. They said they were not sure whether they had
>  received the money we had paid to the travel agency that had made the 
>  reservation. We had to talk and talk until we asked the resident manager
>  to come and talk with us. Well, he was German and we settled the problem
>  nearly immediately. It just came to mind that there might be some racist
>  attitudes amongst the africans (just like when you arrive at Nairobi
>  Kenyatta Airport and you have to look up at the person who checks your
>  passport and sits about two meters above the floor).

[Evil number five. Racist attidudes among the locals. A fellow European has
                  to come to ones assistance]

>  Tanzania is in general a lot poorer, the roads are incredibly bad and
>  there are not so many things in the shops as in Kenya. But it has its
>  own fascination, the land and the animals and the people also. The
>  corruption is quite bad, however. We planned to sleep one night in
>  Lobo Lodge, but it was closed when we arrived there. The manager said
>  that government people had reserved the hotel and we had to leave for
>  Seronera (we had a puncture on the road near a place where when we were
>  coming we saw two lionesses on their kill). A waiter in Seronera told us,

[Evil number six. Corrupt officials. Maybe even racists!]

>  In general I am quite satisfied with the journey. If I had the opportunity
>  and the money to make a new trip, I would not hesitate going, even with
>  my family!

Going back? Man! You are an angel! I cannot see how you got satisfied with this
journey! With all its corruption,racism,robbery, etc....Why don't you just 
come to Disney Land instead?? Or maybe you really like all that so you can 
come home and write this shit??



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