Late Night Chemists

I woke in the hotel after far less sleep than I needed. I ventured down to the gym to squeeze in a run before setting out on our first full day in Nairobi. I stepped on the treadmill and felt like I was flying! It wasn't long before I realized I was running in kilometers per hour instead of miles and was actually creeping along at a snail's pace. I somehow managed 10k, (yes America, that's about 6mi) before I was sufficiently wiped out.
I hadn't eaten dinner the night before so I was excited for breakfast but in a typical SB and Emily fashion, we missed it. Muffins and cappuccino instead. Dami and Mercy came to get us around noon with our cab driver that will be our semi-permanent driver for the duration of our stay. He waited for us at every stop while we purchased cell phones, SIM cards, internet service, and attempted to track down the elusive AMEX location for Dami to exchange her traveler's checks.
Along the way, we discovered some incredible marketing tools. Signs that read, “Late Night Chemists” and “Rehabilitated Public Restroom” and “Doctor Specializing in 7 diseases and Relationship Problems” were reminders that we were a long way from home. We grabbed some lunch at a local food court area where the choices were ranging from Indian and Swahili to American “Lip licking” fried chicken. All of the food was a hit with the exception of Dami's shawarma. Take-away fried rice made up for it.
To get home we opted for a public bus. Mercy did the negotiating and made sure we weren't the sardines in the way way back of a crowded mess. Instead, we hopped into a van that barely slowed down long enough to let us on. In fact, it started driving away while I had one foot in and one foot on the ground. Somehow I wasn't at all alarmed but could only smile.
We arrived back at Mercy's apartment where we had the rest of the evening to unpack and unwind. The place is perfect. Three bedrooms that Mercy shares with a housemate named Angie, another medical student. We are so lucky! We will begin at the hospital on Monday and extend our stay in Nairobi to about two weeks. There is an election coming up on August 4th and our hosts have expressed concern for our safety if we traveled to the rural area sooner. By the sounds of it, we will have more than enough to keep us busy at the hospital here. As for now, I have been struggling to keep my eyelids open all afternoon so it's time to snooze!