It started at the base of Kilamanjaro. My best friend invited me to a safari in Kenya as he just got an internship with the U.N.. I said yes! Arrived in Nairobi, ladened down with heavy 35 mm cameras and a romantic idea about photographing Kenya. We were booked into the Norfolk to prepare for our adventure. The bar was crowded with British x-pats who taught me the true pleasure of Gin & Tonics. We slept and the next day began shopping for our adventure. Picked up our two rental cars.

A Peugeot station wagon and a little “Le Car.” The wagon was packed with wine and groceries. I was excited to drive a 5-speed on the wrong side of the road, the station wagon gear shift was in the dashboard—another new experience.

We left Nairobi heading Tsavo National Park – half way to Mombasa. We pulled into Tsavo & our camp. Camp was 2 cement block cottages with thatched roofs. I was a little insecure (not much for “roughing it”) and I said, where is Killimangaro?

I was then informed that is only visible at dawn and dust as it is engulfed in its own rainforest. Loved that. 

We sat for about an hour and waited for our our bedding- the cottages were very empty- two beds in each. The beds were simple wooden frames with woven slings instead of a mattress. I was nervous. From the ceiling of thatched roof …I thought a lot about the barbed wire between the roof and the walls of cottage- then I thought about the 2 mosquitos nets from the ceiling that dropped to the floor on each bed.

Our people arrived on the horizon line with bedding on their heads, scratchy wool and old linen- By then the sun was beginning to disappear. Beds made- wine open, a campfire started. One fellow was our Askari (Swahili for “guard”). The other fellow was our cook and storyteller.  We gathered around the campfire and he made us the best omelette of a lifetime. After dinner we stayed and talked and I watched him clean up and then he took out a bag of Kenyan coffee and put into the omelette pan. Slowly ….he roasted the beans gently turning until a beans a rich dark color. He put the pan on the edge of the fire and cooled down the beans. When cool he put them in a rough looking mortar and pulverized the beans. I watched with fascination. Then he went to the pump filled a bucket water, tied the ground coffee in a cheese cloth like material then threw I coffee into the bucket. He smiled and said, “coffee for breakfast”… I thought …what?

Next morning he was making toast and cutting up fruit and asked if I wanted coffee? Yes! He then took a ladle and scooped up coffee from the bucket and poured into a camp mug—then added hot water heated up on our open fire.

I was dazzled.  

It was delicious.

I knew little about coffee, then learned with him to make cold brew and how delicious Kenyan coffee is.