HOW TO: wait for a friend in Kenya in cool, chilled place without paying a cent

Have you ever been to one of those hot and humid towns in Kenya and someone asks you to wait for them for five minutes then 15 minutes later they are yet to show up?

Well, you don’t have to worry about standing out in the scorching heat of Mombasa, Kilifi or Kisumu. Neither do you need to be concerned that you will spend your money to buy a cold soda and sit in an equally hot restaurant — definitely you won’t be in the mood for tea or coffee in such a boiling surrounding.

The solution is very simple.

There are many free cool places you can spend your time as you wait for your friend, probably checking your phone or just watching people if you are afraid your phone could run out of charge.

Just walk into one of the banks —their weakness of having long waiting time is you saviour.

For instance, if you are in Kisumu, that bank at Kampala Street has some serious queues, and comfy chairs, so you don’t have to worry that you will be standing.

Proceed confidently to the token vending machine, take any service; cash withdrawal, cash deposit or customer care, whichever, you are assured of waiting for more than 30 minutes before your names is called. By that time your friend would have called you. If they haven’t sit tight, punga unyunyu from those nice air conditioners.

Listen to that automatic voice calling numbers, “Ticket number 1134, proceed to counter 13”. Watch people scamper, bounce or dash to find the counters, others who are using the same trick as you will let their numbers pass without them going to the counter.

If you happen to be in Kilifi, go to that bank next to the hospital, yes, that one with fig trees in their compound, they take their sweet time serving people. Do the same in Mombasa and anywhere else you find yourself in the same situation.

That way you wouldn’t need to be out hyperventilating in 35 degrees while you can chill inside enjoying the AC blowing 22 degrees at you. At such temperatures, you may be forgiven to think that you are somewhere in the suburbs of Eldoret or Kericho.

Next time we look at how to wait in a cold environment without feeling cold.