Having recently finished the film “Out of Africa”, I thought I would share my visit to the Karen Blixen Museum. Close to the Oloolua Nature Trail, the two could easily be combined in to one day. I arrived at the museum on a day when parks were free-so that was a pleasant surprise not to have to pay to enter. I signed in and waited for a guide to be assigned to me. I was greeted by a young man who had the information memorized-probably as it was written for him to study. He was nice and informative, but questions in the middle of his presentation would throw him off-I learned quickly to wait until the end. We sat outside the house of Karen Blixen and learned some of the history and about the machinery used for planting and harvesting coffee-some was sitting there to view. The Ngong Hills in the distance behind the house set the scene for the thousands of acres that Karen occupied for her coffee farm.

You are not allowed to take pictures inside, but most of the furnishings are original (according to our guide). It is remarkable the things she was able to accomplish as a woman and in a foreign land. Although, if you visit Africa, you will soon find out that it is not foreign for long-it becomes a part of you, the same as it did for Karen. I visited the kitchen, which is outside the home, and then went for a short walk to see one of biggest machines used on the coffee farm.

It’s a nice visit to learn history and the importance of why that area of Nairobi is named Karen. There is a case of all the books she has written and in different languages. The grounds are beautiful and perfect for a picnic spot or sit on a swing and share a shake with a friend! The day I went, there was a vendor selling little keepsake treasures to bring home-I left with a couple of them after using my bargaining skills. I would plan for 1 to 1.5 hours to spend here.