Oh Boy! I thought we had experienced Nairobi traffic, but NOTHING was like yesterday. Here are some things I have come to accept. There are no stop signs or traffic lights (well there are a couple of large round abouts with traffic lights, which, if followed would keep traffic flowing, but the police usually man those round abouts). Matatu drivers are manic and never let anyone in. Traffic is heavy all day long. Traffic is better when school is out. Traffic is worse at the end of the month (which is about 5-7 days before and after the actual month end). This is due to the fact that people have been paid and can afford to use their cars.
Most mornings, William and I leave between 7:30 and 7:45. I usually get to work between 8 and 8:10. The best run we have made was 25 minutes, at night. Yesterday, we left at 7:20 and William dropped me off at 8:10. I left work early at 4:40, as William was going to drop me off 5 K from home so that I could walk/Run it. William is excellent at finding back routes and avoiding all traffic, however, it was impossible yesterday. It was gridlock everywhere. Roundabouts are great but once its jammed, no one can move in any direction. It took an hour to get to the Junction Mall, where we join Ngong Mall. Since I already had my gear on, I asked William to let me out so I could get in my exercise, as it was obviously going to be too dark by the time we arrived in Karen. After about 15 min, I kept my eyes out for William to go by. I was walking and running and only stopped at one garden centre to ask about the only petunias I have since since arriving. I walked the whole ‘commerical’ length of Ngong, just until I reached the construction at the flyover. It was after 6 and the sun had gone behind a cloud. I was regretting leaving my phone in the car, wondering if William had actually gone by me. After all, it was 35 minutes since I had left him. I started to walk back towards the traffic, looking for William. I was beginning to formulate my plan C. Plan B would be to use someone’s phone to call William or Gary, but I didn’t know either number. (All I do is hit “call”, so why memorize a number!) Plan C was to find a woman working at one of the ‘garden centres’ at the side of the road and wait with her. Til what I wasn’t sure. I knew that William wouldn’t go home without me, but I wasn’t sure where he might wait for me. And then, as always, William appeared. Sweet relief. He had been stuck in the jam all along. It had taken him 40 minutes to go 4 km. By the time we got home, it was over 2 hours! I was so glad that I had been able to get out and walk/run. It wasn’t a total waste!
Unfortunately, this morning wasn’t any better. As school starts at 8, I think we will try starting later tomorrow, to see if we can miss the school traffic. I will let you know how it works out.
So next time you aren’t moving at the speed limit, just remember, somewhere in the world (e.g. Nairobi) the traffic is worse, much worse.
Pole, pole.
Ahoy Africa 
As a fellow Nairobian, I couldn’t have written this better, first and foremost if you are using Ngong Road then you are in for a rough ride, many schools are places along Ngong Road making it THE busiest street Morning or Evening. Also the additional fact that its the longest single carriage road in Nairobi coupled with the population accessing the road doesn’t help. My advice leave early 5 in the morning, (no kidding) and head back home late in the night 9 p.m. might be one way of going about it.
AGHHHH. Shoot me now!
I’m guessing you met the traffic?
yes, an introduction I would have been happy to have missed! 🙂
Hey, its fun reading about your adventures on this side of the sahara(thanks to Sharon Crean). I hope you remember me, we met at the Crean’s house warming party.
Yesterday i left town at 7.45pm only to get to Karen at 9.30pm……its ridiculous. We three times the bus fare to get home.
Anyway, this is Kenya……Hakuna Matata
Joy! So nice to hear from you, though sorry about your traffic troubles! Gary and I both loved meeting you at Sharon’s. Such a fun night out and our first party in Nairobi. Hope all is well, take care
Dang girl .. guess I won’t remind you how long it takes me to get from my bedroom to my office — 15 feet away .. LOL .. the downside – no adventures along the way and no interesting colleagues to regale me with their wit or stories of their interesting lives.
How brave you are to run alone — you continue to amaze!!
As for Canadian jam .. we’ll continue to take ours on toast.
xoxox
JOB :))
Wow – the only jam we have here in the morning is trying to get down the stairs past 3 large dogs who all want their morning pat and ear rub – NOW please!
LUCKY YOU! We miss our little girl! So much so that I have been talking about going to the KSPCA around the corner to get a dog. Gary has been firmly putting his foot down and I thought I would wait until our shipment arrives (STILL NOT YET) until I heard that a colleague’s dog just had 9 puppies! He showed me a pic (I can’t see to copy and paste it here) and asked Gary and he said YES! Just like that. They are only 1 week old, so the audit should be well over and we will be back from vacation by the time they are ready to leave their mother! The three of us figure that Sydney will be so lonely without Rufus, she will need a friend! Crazy logic, I know, but I am delighted.
Hope all continues to be well you, Steve and the gang! take care,
Gary/Cynthia, so wonderful to read your posts. Life is full of adventures and it amazing to see what’s happening through you eyes, so far away. It certainly helps to not take things for granted. I recently came across this brief video from my fellow Newfoundlander and thought you might get a chuckle given a recent post I’ve read about “once” you get this and once this arrives and “once” you find that. Once upon a time….. you fill in the rest!
Enjoy,
Christine