Freedom ...

... at last. Here I sit in the Nairobi Serena hotel:

http://www.serenahotels.com/serenanairobi/default-en.html

dealing with a few last bits of business. I know I shouldn't but better to deal with a few points now than get clobbered when I get back to the grind. I arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport earlier today, to find it pleasantly cool. A warm summer's day, for the UK, but compared to where I've just come from, really comfortable.

Sorted the visa, through immigration, and emerged into the sunshine to be met by a friendly guide - James - whose main effort was to get me to the hotel in one piece. Given we saw 4 accidents within a mile of the airport, I'd say he did pretty well. I was a bit slow getting the camera out - missed some good shots (will get into the habit over the next few days) but one things that struck was almost I was back in Dubai - the rate of building on parts of the route was frantic.

Anyway, I arrived at the hotel in one piece, thanks to James' good offices, and now have the evening to myself. I had thought to go to

http://www.tamarind.co.ke/restaurant.php?id=1

but having been told I'm leaving this perfectly good hotel at 7:30 in the morning, and had precious little sleep over the last few days, I may think better of it - I'll report on that next time. In the meantime, I'm heading to a number of game reserves, staying at lodges and tented camps in the Serena chain, so you can see most of them from the link at the top. First stop is the Maasai Mara, staying at the Mara Springs tented camp for a couple of nights, so expect more pictures, and less verbiage from here on (unless I can't resist the urge to pontificate about something, which is quite likely!)

In the meantime, one picture I did manage to take in Nairobi, since it tickled my fancy, was



You'll have to click on the picture to download it and see the sign more closely, but it looks like something we could do with in a few other placees I know!

Anyway, I have an appointment with dinner and drink (somewhere), and then an early bed to make the most of tomorrow. Don't miss the next thrilling episode ...