Friday, August 17, 2012

Carnivores Supreme


With our work in Shiru completed we set off for the return trip to Nairobi.  Kevin and Tom found us a slightly larger bus for our return trip and, without our extra duffle bags of medical gear, we had more than enough space to spread out.  We departed Shiru around 7:00 a.m. and were in Nakuru for lunch at the Canaan Restaurant (a reprise of chicken and chips) by 11:00.  Climbing out of the Rift Valley we ran into dense fog and joined a long line of vehicles with four-ways flashing.  Halfway up the long hill we passed an accident site where a bus had been hit.  Jenn, Andi and Kevin asked the driver to stop and hopped out, EMS kit in hand.  They quickly determined the accident had happened a while before and two injured persons had been taken to hospital.  We arrived in Nairobi around 1:30 p.m. and checked into the Nairobi Youth Hostel, located a short distance west of the city centre.

Once checked into our dorm we enjoyed a quick lunch in the hostel restaurant Many of us ordered the B.E.S.T. breakfast, which advertised bacon, eggs, sausages and toast, but to everyone’s disappointment there was no baconL.  Once finished with our meal we set off to a nearby supermarket for snacks and found, delight of delights, chocolate. After almost 3 weeks we were all craving it. We also found Pringles.  All in all a good afternoon.

The hostel, while basic, had internet (although there was a 1.5 KES charge per minute to use it).  This provided the first opportunity for many without cell phone data plans to contact their families and satisfy Facebook cravings. Kevin headed out to look for another bus for the Nairobi-Mombasa leg while David led the discussion on where the group would go for dinner.
           
We decided on a restaurant that is best described by its name and rated by the UK magazine Restaurant as being among the “Top 50 Restaurants in the World in  2002/03.  Its motto: “A Beast of a Feast.”  It is the one and only Carnivore Restaurant.  After clearing the tight security at the gate we were admitted to a cavernous establishment that centred around a large cooking pit on which skewers turned.  We were treated to 9 different types of meats: chicken, pork, beef, lamb and turkey, ostrich (meat and meatballs) and crocodile. There were also chicken gizzards.  The bravest tried sliced ox testicles.  There was something for our vegetarians as well:  the Herbivore menu, which served some fantastic pasta.

There were two hollow legs in our group:  Mark and Michael.  After one hour and thirty minutes of skewers being taken to the table, most of us were ready to head onto dessert.  These two souls, though, had a meat tooth and continued to pack it away for a few minutes more.  Dessert was great, although Jenn questioned the serving of Tomato sorbet, which arrived as the third flavour in her bowl.

by Mark and Michael

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