Having fun with family and friends need not be a complicated affair, not with many entertainment spots offering memorable outdoors experience, writes KIUNDU WAWERU
The first thing that catches my eye is remarkable; surprising even. Women are sprawled on lessos, mattresses and chairs as their men cook. The children are playing nearby. On one side a man is roasting sausages with all the seriousness he can muster while another one is stirring stew on a jiko.
A few metres ahead, another man is busy making a mountain of ugali and his colleague is busy turning pieces of goat meat roasting on a barbecue jiko. Their spouses are chatting gaily as they sip merrily on an assortment of drinks. Yet the men seem not to mind this new world order.
This is Evergreen Park and Garden, a getaway picnic site along Kiambu Road, about six kilometres from the Muthaiga Roundabout. The park is about a kilometre from Kiambu Road, a drive through a coffee plantation lined private road. Now, coffee plantations are infamous for thugs waylaying travellers, but here, security guards man the road and you will find one a guard every 200 metres.
Evergreen Park joins a rising number of alternative entertainment spots for people who love outdoors and loathe the Kenyan culture of patronising nyama choma joints with lots of beer and a mere sampling of children’s play things for good measure.
For a minimal gate fee, you are allowed to use the grounds and bring along your own food and stove, thus the sight that greeted me.
Evergreen is situated on sprawling land, initially an agricultural farm, remnants of this is in form of fruit trees, which together with other trees, provide a shade for people unwind under.
Recreation centre
On the land is a dam. Somehow, they shelved agricultural ambitions and let the farm grow wild. Then what followed, according to Lawrence, a staffer, was pure accident. Wahu Gakunju, who runs the recreation centre with her husband Kimemia Gakunju, would host family gatherings here and liking the serenity, the family urged them to clear the bushes and make the site a recreational centre.
This they did and Evergreen joined the many entertainment spots along Kiambu Road. The dam came handy and two boats are at hand to offer visitors a rare experience. The lake is also home to various species of fish and you are likely to see revellers trying their hand at fishing. The proprietors wanted to offer an all-round experience for those celebrating birthdays to corporate functions. Certain sections of the park are flat and slopes in other sections. The latter gives it a ‘theatre’ feel and is ideal for events like garden weddings. The beauty of this set up is ideal for everyone. From the young and old, to picnickers and campers.
This is my first visit here and brings to an end our hunt for an ideal place to host a party. Looking around us, everyone is having a ball this Sunday afternoon. It is easy to fall in love with this place. Everybody seems to have set up their small ‘kitchens’ in different corners of the park.
Corporate functions
We managed to get a barbecue jiko and settled down to roast meat. I stealthily left my buddy to burn his fingers as I ventured further into this lovely paradise. Further ahead, I bumped into Mital Shah, a director with a paints company. He is here with his team for a day out and enjoying every minute of this place.
"We are having so much fun here, in the middle of nowhere. Cooking for yourself is such a five star treat," he says.
But why are men cooking as women relax and chat?
"You see, women work so hard the rest of the days. A day out is a ‘woman’s day’ and they should just sit back and be cared for," Mital’s colleague, Bobby Patel, says with a lot of emotion.
Close to them, sitting under tree shades is another group of young men and women. Here, too, men are burning their fingers while the women humour them along. These, I’m told, are regular visitors who love to unwind and have fun. Cheerfully, it seems like a couple’s day out and I curse why I didn’t bring my spouse along.
Ann Gitari, a reveller, is here for fun and says the outdoor set-up brings memories of her rural life.
Therapeutic treat
Indeed, as the trees sway, the mood soars. The children’s joyous shouts add to the cacophony of whistling birds. Children’s attractions here are diverse with horse and camel riding taking prime positions. The staffers guide the children along giving the parents time to relax. By this time, my buddy has done a good job turning our chunk of red meat into a yummy golden brown over the fire.
After the calorie adding indulgence, we lay down our mini mobile bar at the banks of the lake. Being near a body of water felt so relaxing. A beautiful soothing effect, therapeutic even.
The two boats on the dam row in different directions. Close to us, some guys try fishing and seem to be having fun, though the fish are proving elusive.
"Can I try that?" I asked one of them. I held the fishing rod clumsily, like the novice that I am. Jani Chiraq is the name of the guy who hands me the rod.
Kindly, he shows me how to handle it correctly. Soon, I’m in the world of fishing, a willing student as Jani patiently explains about the different fishing rods, types of fish and how great fishing as a sport is.
"But we do not fish for food but for research," he says. He is a conservationist with the Kenya Wildlife Service. It so happens this group is into conservation and research and they come here often as it is near the city.
Jani’s friend, Muffabel Shabir, who also does fishing as a sport, tells me there is a dwindling number of fish in our waters and if nothing is done, then we will lose this precious part of our ecosystem.
Well, who would have thought that I would be taking lessons in fishing on these days of all days? The boat ride is tempting and it reminds me of the ones I had at Uhuru Park as a small child.
