Gurudumu ya tano - the fifth wheel in Slovenia

The one at the front chewing on the bar was probably 9th wheeling

We finally moved to Hostel Celica – the prison turned hostel that we had been dying to stay at. The prison turned hostel was a real work of art and it was a pleasure to stay there. I can't see any context in which Kamiti or Kapenguria could be turned into cozy hostels for tourists....Never ever.  We had to leave our previous hostel early, but when we got to Celica, they told us that our rooms would not be ready till 3pm. We had all been looking forward to napping before heading out to explore the city. We were so worn out that we slept in the lounge at Hostel Celica – not caring for who saw us.

In the evening, The BARacuda and The Reluctant had dates with cute boys they had met the night before at the club. For some strange reason, they invited me along for the double date thinking it wasn’t really a date, but a partying plan. I love partying and I wanted to see some more the nightlife – I went along with them. That was a very silly plan. All 5 of us finally got to the location and it was an isolated romantic rooftop restaurant in a swanky part of town. We were the only people in the restaurant. Feeling sufficiently awkward, I took on my new role as official photographer of the night.

All in all, I can say that this is the last time in mylife that I will be 3rd wheeling or 5th wheeling with couples..It is sucky to say the least. There are more palatable ways to punish yourself:-)

Pretending to look detached while fifth-wheeling

Some comedy for the night was the fact that The Reluctant had picked the one guy in Slovenia who did not speak a lick of English. It was entertaining watching their google translate love grow - as they handed his phone back and forth with lovely sweet nothings:-)

Early the next morning, we began our long long train ride to Copenhagen via Germany. You’re probably wondering why we went to Denmark – given how far it is. By this time we had made good Danish friends in Nairobi, some of my colleagues were Danish (based in Denmark, but at our company retreat in Naivasha, they had pitched Copenhagen really well.) Having left Ljubljana at 7am, we got to Berlin in the evening. We were to sleep over, do a Berlin city tour the next day and then leave for Copenhagen at 3pm the following day. Our hostel in Berlin was annoying – A&O Mitte – they charged us for bedsheets and towels. Of course we are going to need bedsheets if we are sleeping here! Such dodgy behavior. 

Five Kenyan chics in Ljubljana

Let it never be said that we are not adventurous. We left Slovakia for Slovenia. The journey was lovely and we had the most stunning views of the Austrian countryside as we passed through it. I had seen pictures of Slovenia online, decided it looked like heaven (with stunning lakes, mountains etc.) and decided it had to be part of the trip. The hostel I really wanted to stay in was a former prison – online reviews indicated that it was the best hostel in the city….plus there is something exciting about staying in a former prison. At the very least, it seems like the type of place that could inspire art. The hostel was not going to be available on the first night. We therefore stayed at a different hostel called Zeppelin Hotel. I don’t recall much about it other than the fact that it had the world’s most annoying showers. One turned on the shower by pressing a button. Water would only come out for five seconds – after which one would have to press the button again. How anyone thinks this is a good idea I don’t know. It must be good for economizing water though – trust you me, you get so bored of this shower and end up showering really quickly.

We heard about a karaoke bar and walked to the place. We found it closed. We were unsure what to do next until we walked by a bar called Parliament bar. This place drew us in. It was a lucky encounter. The place was fun, had lots of young people and everyone was really friendly. We clearly stood out (by this point I had not yet seen any other black people in Ljubljana – by the time we left – days later, I had only seen one). There is always that moment in a foreign country when you are not quite sure how you will be received. Luckily for us we were so warmly received. In no time at all, we were taking shots and selfies with strangers. People’s English in Slovenia was near perfect (if not perfect.) I was pleasantly surprised. I had thought that given its distance, it would be similar to Slovakia – where English was sometimes very heavily-accented or basic.  We got home late and passed out.