According to the sign the safest street in Nairobi is Bishop's Road. I'm assuming it's the safest street in Nairobi because of the 24/7 'friendly' checkpoints along it. The check points consist of two armed guards who open your trunk look in your car and then, with their guns, wave you through the maze of nail beds and road blocks that force you to slow down to 10 km/hr. The guards don't smile, don't say please and are in no way companionable so I'm not sure what exactly about these checkpoints makes them so friendly. My taxi driver informs me that the street is poorly named. The 'friendly checkpoints' exist because across the street from our hotel is the Israeli Embassy. So really they're not that friendly at all, and with what is apparently a serious terrorist target on it i am clearly NOT on the safest street in Nairobi.
Nairobi is an interesting place. It is much cooler than Dar, and more developed. The lights stay on all the time, the roads are paved, the cars are new. But no one walks around outside. People are still friendly but even the shopping mall we go to has armed guards wandering around inside. Rebecca went to the Hilton downtown while I was in the hospital and they checked the car for bombs before letting her in. Security is a serious issue.
I returned to Dar late last night, and am waiting to see the doctor's will consider me safe to remain or if I have to return to Canada to recover. Here's hoping they let me stay!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
That's One Way to See Kenya
What's that you say? Kenya? I thought you were in Tanzania? Well you are correct, my internship is in Tanzania but I discovered an interesting way to get to a new country this past Monday: it's called emergency medical evacuation!
I have been having some stomach problems for about 8 weeks, and lately they had started to get much worse despite having been on every antibiotic under the sun. Monday I went to the doctor because the pain was much worse and suddenly everyone had decided that all the drugs had been masking a case of appendicitis so off to the Aga Khan hospital I was rushed for an ultra sound, which they couldn't fit me in for of course. Unfortunately the pain continued to worsen and my condition weakened so my fabulous French doctor decided it was time to call in the flying doctors and med evac me to Kenya where they have better medical facilities and where it would be safer for me to have surgery. Thankfully it was NOT appendicitis, I just had some drug resistant acute typhoid, so after a week in the hospital I have been discharged, but I must remain in Nairobi for a few more days as a day patient so the doctors can monitor my recovery.
Now that I am out of the hospital Rebecca and I are going to see some of the sights of Kenya ( in between my naps, I'm the least fun travel buddy right now). We are hoping to go to an actual Shopping mall to get some sweatshirts since Kenya is cold. I'm looking forward to the culture shock. It's already weird being in a country that manages to keep the power on all the time and has safe tap water and paved roads everywhere and where people don't yell at you because of the colour of your skin. We may also go to the snake park since it is close by. WE are also staying in the nicest hotel because it is right by the hospital and has rooms available, unlike many of the other places we tried to stay. The rooms that are available however are the executive suite! So we are staying in luxurious accommodation, for a price that in Canada would get you an economy room at a three star hotel. Not a bad place to rest up and recover in if I do say so myself.
I must say that I am the luckiest person around because I have wonderful friends who graciously packed up a bunch of stuff for me and them and flew with me to Kenya. Flora left a very important work meeting she had been preparing for for weeks to get my stuff, and Rebecca flew to Kenya with me and has been by my side the whole time. She has had the exciting task fo trying to deal with the medical insurance this whole time since I have been in bed stuck to an IV. I am now an even bigger supporter of public health care because the insurance was such a hassle. Everyone at MEDA in Waterloo and Tanzania has been spectacular as have all my friends and family. So thank-you for the support and the good wishes.
Now everyone go and do the following: buy a membership to AMREF, they run the flying doctor's plane that took me to Kenya and helps save hundreds of lives every year. I am buying mine after I publish this post.
I have been having some stomach problems for about 8 weeks, and lately they had started to get much worse despite having been on every antibiotic under the sun. Monday I went to the doctor because the pain was much worse and suddenly everyone had decided that all the drugs had been masking a case of appendicitis so off to the Aga Khan hospital I was rushed for an ultra sound, which they couldn't fit me in for of course. Unfortunately the pain continued to worsen and my condition weakened so my fabulous French doctor decided it was time to call in the flying doctors and med evac me to Kenya where they have better medical facilities and where it would be safer for me to have surgery. Thankfully it was NOT appendicitis, I just had some drug resistant acute typhoid, so after a week in the hospital I have been discharged, but I must remain in Nairobi for a few more days as a day patient so the doctors can monitor my recovery.
Now that I am out of the hospital Rebecca and I are going to see some of the sights of Kenya ( in between my naps, I'm the least fun travel buddy right now). We are hoping to go to an actual Shopping mall to get some sweatshirts since Kenya is cold. I'm looking forward to the culture shock. It's already weird being in a country that manages to keep the power on all the time and has safe tap water and paved roads everywhere and where people don't yell at you because of the colour of your skin. We may also go to the snake park since it is close by. WE are also staying in the nicest hotel because it is right by the hospital and has rooms available, unlike many of the other places we tried to stay. The rooms that are available however are the executive suite! So we are staying in luxurious accommodation, for a price that in Canada would get you an economy room at a three star hotel. Not a bad place to rest up and recover in if I do say so myself.
I must say that I am the luckiest person around because I have wonderful friends who graciously packed up a bunch of stuff for me and them and flew with me to Kenya. Flora left a very important work meeting she had been preparing for for weeks to get my stuff, and Rebecca flew to Kenya with me and has been by my side the whole time. She has had the exciting task fo trying to deal with the medical insurance this whole time since I have been in bed stuck to an IV. I am now an even bigger supporter of public health care because the insurance was such a hassle. Everyone at MEDA in Waterloo and Tanzania has been spectacular as have all my friends and family. So thank-you for the support and the good wishes.
Now everyone go and do the following: buy a membership to AMREF, they run the flying doctor's plane that took me to Kenya and helps save hundreds of lives every year. I am buying mine after I publish this post.
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