It's been a long time since I had a whiff of tear gas but I got treated to one this afternoon in front of the Stanley Hotel in Nairobi. With my usual knack for being in the right place at the right time (2:10 PM local time) I walked out of the hotel into a very small procession of demonstrators (led by Barara I think) just when the helmeted and shielded riot police let loose with the tear gas, the cannisters landing in the street in front of the hotel. Fortunately there was a slight drizzle and the wind was taking the gas away from me. I don't feel much different than with a bad hangover after a DSC party: red eyes and a sore throat.

I might also mention that I had no problem getting my favorite seat on the KLM 747 from Amsterdam, seat 11D. I believe there were about 50 people on Tuesday's flight.

Hi Wink
Your thread is perfect timeing.
I am just about to book my flights to Harare in July with rifle. The route will be London/Nairobi/Harare all on Kenyan Airways. You are obviously a regular traveller via Nairobi. Any comments or advice?
Love the Bob Hope quote by the way !

R.Jolly,

I have never taken that Kenya Airways flight so can't give any advice about aircraft type or cabin layout. I have no idea what Kenya Airways has as rules concerning firearms for that matter since I have always travelled on Air France when going to Africa with rifles. I think you would get better advice about travelling to Zimbabwe (another place I have never been) from one the many experienced AR hunters who have been there. From posts I read here London doesn't get high marks as a hunter/rifle friendly airport. It seems that Paris, Frankfurt and even Amsterdam seem to be preferred. Obviously, the best route is the one which has the fewest stops, minimizing the number of places where baggage might be lost or misplaced. But Kenya Airways has always treated me well and has never lost any of my bags. They now have a Paris-Nairobi flight which I fly when the flight dates correspond to my needs.

Wink
Thanks for that.

Wink, is that great bookshop by the Thorn Tree still in business? Spent a lot of time in Nairobi several years ago, but it has been a while.

Do you mean the bookshop which is off the lobby of the Stanley? It's still there and still has a pretty good selection of books, but not as impressive as a few years ago.

By the way, the message tree is no longer a message tree. A lot of the old charm is gone.

Too bad the tree is gone. The bookshop in question was out of the Thorn Tree onto the sidewalk to the left. Don't remember one in the lobby. Bought The Lunatic Express and a lot of other stuff, maybe some Capstick and definitely some Wilbur Smith there. Had Michelin maps, also.

Last time I stayed at the Stanley was around 1995. We based at the Nairobi Safari Club, the Intercon, the Stanley and occasionally the Norfolk. Had some good times in Nairobi. Had a guest pass to Muthaiga. Was never a golfer but the bar was reeking with history, like the bar in the Stanley.

The old store was called the Nation Bookstore and the new one is called the Stanley Bookshop. When they remodelled the hotel they enlarged the lobby (taking up the place of the old store) and moved the new store down the street by a few feet, with a new access through the Stanley Lobby.

I've got a friend who is a member of the Muthaiga, and that hasn't changed.

Thanks. Damned shame the way Kenya is coming apart, but that's Africa.