Latte Oasis

Jack and I had spent the last five days in the Kenyan Bush. Sleeping in tents, walking with Maasai, following cheetah tracks. This was the adventure I had always dreamed of – everything was perfect – a dream come true. Good simple food made with love, a gin and tonic at sunset, watching elephant families turn to tiny dark specks on the horizon, the sharing of two different cultures over a good fire. Abundant game to watch over the endless Kenyan savannah. Perfect, and yet…..my addiction started kicking in…Even though there was good strong Kenyan coffee every morning and afternoon tea, british style with cream and sugar, I couldn’t help jonesing for a latte. Damn you, Starbucks – your siren song encroaches even in the middle of my Out of Africa fantasy. I mentioned this nagging sensation for frothy milk to Jack- he looks at me like I’m a complete and total nutbag and says “no Starbucks here, my love” with a hint of glee in his eyes. Sometimes I think he would rather be married to a raging herion addict than the starbucks beast that he just legally attached himself to (hey a girl has her flaws – at least I use deodorant and shave my legs)…
I try to quell this latte fever by drinking lots of coffee. We are getting ready to fly to the Masai Mara this morning – it’s a two hour drive to the airstrip where we will get the prop plane to the Mara. We get to the airstrip and are told that our plane is having some mechanical difficulties and we have to wait for the afternoon flight…would we like to wait at the café? Café? Café? Did I hear….cafe?
Well shut my mouth – at this particular airstrip in Nanyuki, Kenya on the Equator there is a coffee bar and café named Barnie’s – respendent reggae music wafting from speakers and an entire menu of coffee drinks. Turns out that the British Royal Airforce has a location on the other side of the airstrip so this little Nanyuki airport is quite a busy hub. I order a latte and savor each rich frothy delictible sip. Ahhh….sometimes the Oasis comes to you….