Flight to Mombasa

The evening before, we unfortunately heard another chilling story from the nightlife in Nai-robbery. A car with locals had broken down – engine failure – a couple of nights earlier. Everyone in the car was found dead – stabbed. It’s important to remember that we’re in a developing country, where there isn’t the same respect for life, as for some, it’s just about survival. We decided to try and get plane tickets instead of taking the train. The old colonial train ride through the countryside was supposed to be beautiful, but it also takes 14 hours. After our safari, we had enough transport for a while, so we preferred a flight that would take just under an hour. We were lucky. We managed to snag plane tickets for $155 per person roundtrip, departing that very evening. We spent the day shopping – first at the Masai market in Westlands and then at City Market. We had to haggle hard over the prices. They were stubborn, but we think we got some good deals. We picked up a wooden rhinoceros for 750 shillings and a silver and copper bracelet for 100 shillings. Our flight to Mombasa was at 7 PM. Before heading to the airport, we stored some of our luggage at Nairobi Backpackers so we wouldn’t have to lug it back and forth. When we got to the airport, we were in for a bit of a shock. Instead of a departure terminal, we had to check in at a table on the "sidewalk." The gate was under a canopy, so we could watch everything happening on the runway. Our flight was delayed due to engine problems – definitely not what you want to hear before flying. Once we arrived in Mombasa, we were greeted by a bustling crowd, all shouting, "You want taxi..." We had chosen to stay at the New Palm Tree Hotel, which was recommended in Lonely Planet. It cost 2100 shillings for a double room. What a difference in humidity there was here in Mombasa compared to Nairobi. We could really feel that we had come down from the heights and out to the coast. Nairobi isn’t scorching hot, but just right. Mombasa, on the other hand, was pretty warm.