And the rest

Perhaps the train from Kenya doesn't really offer comfortable seats, at least not in Economy Class, but being able to see zebras, elephants, and antelopes from the train is something that no other country can easily provide.

So we're currently on the last day of our Kenya trip. Since the flight from Nairobi was cheaper than from Mombasa and we wanted to take the train ride from Mombasa to Nairobi, we decided to embark on the 5-hour journey. The train only makes one stop in Voi on this route, is very affordable, and is accompanied by the beautiful, wild, expansive Tsavo National Park. Therefore, it's not uncommon to observe wild animals from the train.

Security checks are taken very seriously here at the station, specifically at the SGR terminal in Mombasa, where our train started.

There are two baggage checks, ID verification, and several personal checks. A sniffer dog also got to sniff our backpacks once. Well, it didn’t bother us that much. Except for the fact that we had to give up our 4 cans of beer. The security lady didn’t hesitate long and quickly made it clear to us that we could keep the cans for a little cash. Well, that's just how it goes here; it's all about the money.

Ultimately, we left the cans behind. Firstly, we didn't want to engage in that, and secondly, the same thing would have surely happened again during the second check.

Our first stop at the coast was at Galu Beach in a small but very charming accommodation with a really nice beach bar.

After two days, we took a few steps further to the next accommodation. This happened as both places were only available for 2 days each.

Galu Beach belongs to the larger Diani Beach. The coastline stretches over 20 km and is divided into different beach sections. Galu is considered a bit quieter, wilder, and less visited. So, that sounded good to me when booking.

After 4 nights at Galu Beach with very laid-back accommodations, nice beach bars, and a cozy time at the last section of Diani Beach, we finally headed back to the beginning of it.

At this section of the beach, most tourists seem to vacation, but we also chose a hotel that was very quiet and idyllic. Next door lies the Congo River, and after that, nothing of tourism could be felt.

And I have to say, it was dreamy. We were very satisfied with our hotel and location choice.

The section at Galu Beach was very wild and peaceful and beautiful, but not as beautiful as that of the Jacaranda Indian Ocean Hotel. There, there were significantly fewer seaweeds and consequently cleaner waters. Here the sand was genuinely white and the ocean displayed its colorful splendor as soon as the sun shone on it. One palm tree after another. A very nice hotel with small bungalows and a pool. However, there was no high-rise hotel in sight but rather everything was discreet and hidden in the bush. We both really felt at home there and could truly let our souls relax.

But be careful, we quickly noticed that the sun so close to the equator possesses a different strength. This is probably because the sun shines almost perpendicular to the Earth there.

At Jacaranda Indian Ocean Hotel, we met Chanze. She works as a waitress there. When she invited us to go to a “snack bar and the market,” we were immediately excited.

We looked forward to some traditional snacks and sweets.

In the end, it quickly became clear that she didn’t mean a snack bar but rather a “snake park.” And wow, what a situation we found ourselves in. Of course, it was anything but animal-friendly, and this experience was almost traumatizing. Well, we regret it, but we draw the positive conclusion that we can warn others and write bad reviews. Perhaps I’ll even send a message to the animal welfare organization there. We learned from it; such a thing won’t happen to us again.

The market was also rather disappointing, as we become aware of the harsh reality again. This is also a significant issue that occupied me during our Kenya trip. We live as tourists in a different world, and honestly, we can hardly cope with the reality there. We live in a resort; our backpacks are carried everywhere, we are served from start to finish, everything is cheap for us, while the locals live in tin shacks in dirt without running water and electricity.

5-year-old children who cannot simply be children but must herd cows. Although Kenya now has some schools, these often require payment. Probably some families cannot or do not want to send their children to school.

During the drive through the villages, I often had to take a deep breath. Sometimes it became very quiet in the car. Hardly bearable.

And sometimes I was shocked how even small children opened their hands and asked for money or wrote “can I have some sweets?”. What poverty does to people is truly very sad.

When distributing our leftover food, however, there were some children who just beamed and thanked us.

When asked how difficult it is to find a job here in Kenya, Chanze replied: “only through connections.”

She earns 700 ksh for a workday, which is roughly about 5 euros.

Taxes are probably also deducted from that.

She was really very kind to us; she didn’t ask for money for the tour. We still gave her a decent tip.

Kenyans are very friendly people; “polle polle,” which translates to “slowly, slowly,” is their highest principle. We embraced this and quickly adapted to it.

However, we often weren’t sure if it was just friendliness or if they were hoping for a tip. Also, it was hardly possible to trust anyone completely, which is very unfortunate.

Nevertheless, we had very nice encounters; people would always ask how we were doing or if we needed anything. Sometimes a gardener even climbed the palms to get us a coconut to drink. Of course, we also gave a tip for that, which was thanked with a smile.

And that is definitely a better option than giving money to a “beach boy.” That's one of the most uncomfortable things at Diani Beach—numerous beach vendors trying to sell stuff. Usually, not with the quality they promise. Sometimes they can be quite pushy and always use the same tricks. Well, you learn here too and politely but firmly say no. There’s even security on the beach to ensure the vendors don’t come too close to the hotel beach. It’s somewhat funny, as if there really were a boundary at the beach.

In general, that was the most exhausting thing. Everywhere in public, someone wants to sell you something, asks for money, or follows you. You only have peace on the beach (behind the hotel boundary) and in the national park.

Well, I know we are relatively rich compared to many others in this country. I found it quite terrible. The more one appreciates being born in Germany.

Going out alone at night was unthinkable, and I would never have dared to do so. Everyone advised against it, and we also did not do it. Of course, this is a significant disadvantage in Kenya or all of Africa? It certainly does not contribute to a sense of well-being, at least not for me.