Up until now, every hostel and hotel I've ever stayed in that provides a free breakfast has a cutoff time, and if you snooze, you lose.
Fatigued from my bus trip from Nairobi, I did not rise until noon , and was not expecting breakfast. Heck, I didn't eve know that breakfast was included. Nevertheless, at the break of lunchtime, I found myself tucking into some scrambled eggs (Mombasa style), fresh fruit, and some very delicious coffee.
It would be the first of many indicators that I had chosen well, and that the Nirvana Backpackers Hostel in Nyali Beach was a different sort of place.
Satiated, I move in to my room with free wireless and private bath. At $38 cdn, this place is a real bargain in a fashionable suburb.
After cleaning up, I head out towards the town of Nyali Beach, a lovely place that is oddly reminiscent of the burb I grew up in, though the ethnicity is unfamiliar.
The town of Nyali Beach is really lovely. I find myself at a local pub watching an EPL game. I get peckish and order some food at a nearby joint packed with locals. The waiter brings some ceremony prior to my order. Handsoap, a pitcher and a bucket are presented, an unexpected Kenyan tradition.
I soap, wash, and rinse. The ritual is repeated after the meal.
I'm on the equator, my belly is full, it is getting dark. A wiser traveler than myself would grab a cab, but I am one of those men who refuses to ask for directions.
I walked in here, I'm walking out.
Given that a $3 tuk tuk ride would have provided the same service, I am still puzzled by my own obstinance. Nonetheless, I walked in the dark (no streetlights, and uneven surfaces) back from whence I came, the return trip taking at least twice as long as the original.
My jagged walk eventually finds me back at Nirvana Backpackers. I walk in tired and ready to sleep.
Unfortunately, Lesley, the owner has other ideas. She invites me to join her at a beach party. Fortunately, her ideas are way better than mine.
I may be exhausted, but it is time to say "yes to evereything".
As it turns out, I am on the cusp of a very memorable evening that I shall not soon forget.
