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I had a rare opportunity to visit Kenya last week. It was the first time that I have ever set foot in Africa. I traveled the beautiful country for a week together with a group of reporters invited by the Kenyan Embassy in Korea.
Upon arrival in Nairobi last Monday morning, I found the weather a bit chilly. It’s winter in June in the country, with temperatures running between 5 to 21 degrees Celsius.
Two four-wheel-drive off-road vehicles were waiting for us at the airport. We broke into two groups. The driver loading my group’s baggage in the back of the van was very slow; the norm for a bunch of Korean reporters, who always work under extreme pressure, is to get things done as quickly as possible.
He had difficulty squeezing all the bags into the back of the vehicle _ he had to pull out all the bags to reload the luggage several times. Finally he somehow managed to squeeze all the baggage in the back and between seats inside the vehicle.
The driver was never in a hurry loading the luggage, while we were exchanging disappointing gestures at his leisurely work speed. His slow, unhurried handling of the luggage seemed an ominous sign overshadowing our journey ahead.
Our first destination was Mt. Kenya, about a five-hour drive from Nairobi. From the vehicle, I got my first glimpse of Kenyan people. Many of them, wearing winter jackets, were seemingly walking to their workplaces in the capital from remote villages. Many children in front of shoddy shacks were waving to us, with their pure smiles so infectious.
Most of the flats lining the countryside roads were far from neat and clean. Road conditions were not good, with a large part of roads unpaved. Even paved roads were bumpy with countless holes that are left unaddressed for long periods.
Our bodies were gyrating wildly, heads sometimes banging the ceiling and shoulders hitting the windows hard in the Land-Rover type vehicle that had little padding on the seat or good shock absorbers.
Whenever bumps sent our bodies into the air, the sounds we make when we ride rollercoasters came out of our mouths.
As we were tossed around, the driver, all smiles, said they call the bumpy rides the “African massage.” We all shared hearty laughs. It sounded so loving and there aren’t words that more aptly describe the bouncy ride.
While on safari and traveling to national parks, we had lots of strong “massages” to the point our bodies ached. It was quite an experience. But it added all to the fun of the trip.
On top of beautiful and graceful animals, the landscape was awesome ― repeatedly-emerging horizons, endless savanna grass and the stunning beauties of baobob trees.
And the Kenyans were welcoming, kind and positive about life. They always say “jambo,” hello in their language Swahili, to strangers.
Whenever I was getting off the jeep-like vehicle, the guide told me: “pole, pole!” meaning “slowly, slowly” in Swahili. As I got along with the guide after a few days, I realized that his unhurried loading of the luggage at the airport was an aspect of the way Kenyans live.
Unlike Koreans who seem always chased by something and do things “ppali ppali” or hurriedly, the Kenyans were leading a slow but happy life. But they are the people who work hard without complaints.
Like most other Africans, many Kenyans are poor. They don’t have fancy smartphones or TVs. But they looked happier and merrier than many of us who are more affluent materialistically.
Of course Kenya, one of the most stable and strongest economies in the continent, is aggressively attracting foreign investment. It is a nation with great potential. And tourism will remain as one of the main engines to power its economy. Kenya is beautiful as it has preserved its nature and tradition.
Wrapping up the trip, we had to take a flight out of Africa to Bangkok and stay in the city for 10 hours before transiting to Seoul in the absence of a direct flight.
On the plane to Bangkok, I struck up a conversation with a Briton who sat beside me. He enthusiastically praised various massage parlors in Bangkok and told me he could introduce me to a really fantastic one if I wanted.
I appreciated his kindness but said, “No thanks” as I had enough massages that were far better than those he would have in Bangkok. I already miss the African massages.
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