Saturday, October 15, 2011

Notes from Nairobi-finding the perfect safari car

Most of the newbies at the 'w' place have now got wheels. It takes a while to sift through the cars on the boards at the Sarit centre. But fingers crossed, we have got cars that will last. Cars are really expensive here, more so than Uganda,but they are full of 'character'.

For example, (I haven't told this to my parents yet)-my Surf can only turn left. I didn't realise this when I took it for a test drive, (I also didn't realise it had no handbrake...!I think I was too excited about my built in cool box!) - so when we discussed going on a road trip to Watamu, everyone laughed in the staff room, apparently the drive there will not be a problem, but I would find it hard to come back!

My friend just bought his first car, a 1984 Range Rover that was a gap-student's project. It ha no windscreen wipers (it has rained ALOT in Nairobi recently...) so you may spot him leaning outside with his boxer shorts in hand ...he is designing a new contraption which involves a spring and some string! The dashboard is a Discovery's so doesn't fit the car; you have to open the door to wind down the windows etc. It also has no locks-at all, not even a place for them to be fitted. My friend loves it (as he is a born-again *KC..)...but the group decided that his 'Simba' wouldn't be so good for our road trip tomorrow.
 
(PS- my steering is getting fixed so that I can make my return journey!)


*Kenyan Cowboy


2 comments:

  1. Haha. A car that only turns left is funny! So if you pass something you have to just go around again, like Chevy Chase in "European Vacation" (look kids, Big Ben!)

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