June 15th, 2012 
Emily 
Public Transportation
We’ve been told that we should never, ever use public transportation in Kenya. Westerners say that the buses are accident-prone, while the bus stations are bombing-prone. (A Somali group has bombed several Nairobi bus stations in the past year in response to Kenya’s invasion of Somalia.) So for now, we take taxis, which are expensive, and which drive on the same dangerous roads as the accident-prone buses. I rode buses in Ghana, and South Africa and have fond memories of using chaotic public transport in foreign countries.
Safety vs. Integrating into the Community
For me, there are two issues at stake with safety. One is staying safe, which is always a priority for us. But everyone we talk to has a different level of risk tolerance, so it’s hard to figure out what’s safe enough for us. Some people would never travel to Nairobi because they wouldn’t feel safe enough here. Others live like the locals, eating, drinking and traveling in the same way the locals do. We fall somewhere in the middle.
The second issue at stake is integrating into the community. We can’t choose where we live here (my spouse’s company arranges everything); nor can we change the fact that we are American. But we can choose to eat at local restaurants, instead of eating at the Italian restaurant at the hotel. We can choose to learn Kiswahili. Right now, we are trying to figure out how safe our choices are.
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Safety would certainly be a major concern for me as well. I’m sure Nairobi is similar to big cities in the US in that there are places you can walk and place you don’t even want to take a taxi through! I live right outside New York City
. When we lived in a remote area of mainland China, my daughter and I always seemed to attract a crowd. The people were totally non-threatening, but it was quite frightening, especially for my little girl. We soon learned that it was our hair: mine long and red, hers long and blonde. From then on, we tied our hair up under a hat similar to those worn by the locals and no longer attracted so much attention. Sometimes going “unnoticed” is an effective safety measure.
Great point about going “unnoticed” as a safety measure– I totally agree. I bet it was a really neat experience for your daughter to be in China when she was young. She probably even remembers wearing those hats!
What a fascinating adventure, Emily. Do be safe, but I understand the need/desire to really learn the country and the people. You’ll figure it out, I’m sure. Meanwhile, I’m so enjoying your posts and living vicariously.
I think you’re right, it may just be a matter of time before I figure out the right balance. I know that I’m personally pretty risk-averse, so if staying safe means sacrificing some experiences, I’m ok with that. Thanks again for reading!
You’re definitely right about everyone having a different level of tolerance when it comes to risk – I’m not sure how safe I’d feel in Nairobi. It sounds like you and your husband are doing a pretty good job of adapting out there – and glad that that guy didn’t turn out to be trouble. Let us know how the Kiswahili classes are going, too
I’m one week into Kiswahili classes, so expect a post soon!
I have lived in a rural village in Kenya and had a love/hate relationship with matatus but highly recommended them to everyone as part of the experience (despite the high accident rates). In Nairobi, I agree that it’s a bit different. The drivers are even crazier (is that even possible?) and not only have the brakes gone out on one of my buses but they aren’t afraid of hitting people who get in their way. In the city, I avoid matatus and stick to the big buses like the City Hoppa or the KBS. But even me, who leans on the side of uber-immersion, will never take public transport at night (again). You seem to be figuring it out just from your walks you mentioned! Hope you continue to enjoy the city- how long are you there for? I will be moving to Nairobi in a few months
Hi Laura, We will only be here a few more months, so I might miss you.
It’s funny, I’m more scared about taking the matatus outside of Nairobi, because that’s where I see all the accidents! In Nairobi, I feel like we never drive fast enough to do much damage. I prefer the big buses too though, they feel a bit less claustrophobic.