After 2 nights in Upperhill Camp we decided to move to Jungle Junction which is more of an overlanders camp than a backpackers place. We arrived and Chris the owner said 'oh you made it then without getting shot?' Apparantly two people had been shot dead a half hour before just around the corder. And from then on it just went worse. The elections to the Kenyans are a major business and indeed at the previous camp they had spent hour after hour sitting in front to the t.v. watching developments take place. At Jungle Junction it was a haven of peace and quiet as we all parked on the lawns with our various vehicles. there were 2 Spanish Nissan 4x4s which we pretty wrecked after travelling through the Congo. A huge truck with 4 young Austrians, a Spanish guy on a motorbike, an older Grman couple in a Toyota 3 young backpackers in tents, us and Jo and Jan and English woman and Belgian guy doing the same journey as us on foldaway pedal bikes with small 16" wheels!!!

We went to the supermarket and could sense the tension in the air as gangs formed on various corners many wielding big sticks. One of the supermarkets we wanted to visist was closed and as we drove buy we made a quick exit as things were definately out of hand with broken glass and stones all over the road and mobs outside. We moved on to the next one and were just at the checkout when they closed the place as the mobs were again outside. It was pretty scary really not knowing what to do the for best, stay in the confines of the supermarket carpark or make run for it. We made a run for it and found a different route back to camp. All afternoon there was shooting and smoke from fires either cars on fire or buildings.

We had a text from Nat & Stu who had chosed to stay in a hotel and they had had to get the Doctor our as Stu was ill and he had diagnosed Glandular Fever and a stomach upset. We had a text from Charlie and Renchee the 2 motorbikes we had travelled with previously and they were stuck in the back of beyond out in Marsabit with Henry the Swiss as fuel had run out there. Clive & Denise ont he 1954 Triumph had managed to get fuel and had left for Nairobi but that was 4 days ago and nobody has heard of them since as they don't have a mobile phone with them! They are making for Jungle Junction but haven't arrived yet.

On New Years Eve the atmoshpere was very very tense again and rioting, shooting and looting was common in the slums. The city centre had been a no go area since we arrived. However, despite everything we had a good New Years Eve BBQ at Jungle Juntion and by New Years Day things seemd calmer although the queues at the supermarkets for food (the ones that were open) were massive about an hour to get through the door and about an hour at the checkout that is if you could get that far.

It is now 2nd January and thankfully things are getting back to normal. Peter is out trying to get his tyre repaired. We have a but of a problem with a c.v. boot on the truck and are waiting for a part to arrive from the U.K. We may leave here tomorrow but we are not yet sure what the fuel situation is away from the capital so who knows. Anyway it has certainly been an eventful Christmas and New Year one we will never forget. After managing to be in Sudan when the mobs were shouting for the blood of the English teacher and now in Kenya during the rioting got only knows what will happen next please stay with us for the next instalment.

Jill Bardsley, War Correspondent, Kenya!!!!