In 1913, Karen Blixen left her hometown in Denmark to live in what was then called “British East Africa”.
Except for leaving for a brief time to recuperate from syphilis that she caught from her cheating husband of convenience, Karen worked the land trying to grow a coffee plantation.
She did so with the help and respect of the Kikuyu tribe in what is now known as modern day Kenya.
In the Ngong hills outside the bustling city of Nairobi, one can still visit the grounds of Karen Blixen, her home, plantation, and farm equipment.
Walk around the peaceful gardens and try to imagine what it would have been like 100 years ago.
I finally watched the movie “Out of Africa“, that is based upon Karen’s novel of the same name. To see Kenya portrayed so wonderfully in that movie made this heart ache.
It is hard to put into words, perhaps it is something only those that have been there may understand.
Karen was there for almost twenty years. She never returned.
I was there for six years, and who knows what the future may bring.
