Arrival in Kisumu

Nairobi wasn't my initial destination, though; my first real stop was Kisumu, in western Kenya. So after a full day's layover in Nairobi, I hopped on another small plane.

I had noticed the couple (who aren't actually a couple, just a guy and a girl who work together) when boarding in Nairobi. As it turns out, they were staying at the same hotel I was in Kisumu. We met at check-in and they immediately invited me to join them for dinner. I was thrilled.

Both live in Nairobi and have spent time in Kisumu before, so we drove to a place that apparently has good food and cold beer. This place was a typical east African hangout. A paved area between a supermarket and its parking lot, covered with a large tent and scattered with plastic lawn chairs and tables. Typical. And amazing. I immediately felt at home. We ordered a round of beers and started chatting right away. Before long, we decided to order dinner and soon we each had a huge plate with a whole tilapia, cole slaw and chips (fries, for you Americans). I felt even more at home. A DJ was playing awful east African hip hop in the background. The air was so thick and humid that we were all sweating, and I was thankful I had put on some Jungle Juice to keep the mosquitoes away. It was great.