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Day 2 - Sunday 22nd June
After an early morning 3am wake up call by our next door neighbours phlegm hocking, we got ourselves organised, bags re-packed, and said goodbye to our luxurious single beds, as today our adventure 'actually' begins.
We head down to the Truck we will call home for the next month and are surprised to find that our lockers are a little on the small side. Luckily we were fairly organised (bags within bags), so rearranged yet again, and managed to fit everything into our new wardrobes.
There is a good mix of 20 people on our overland tour, an even ratio of young and old (although all young at heart), but of course it's 'Population Australia' - with 2 Brits, 2 Americans, 2 Swiss and 1 German ... leaving 13 Aussies - mainly Queenslanders Ay. (And for those playing at home, negative on the single hot guys). Our Intrepid Crew are all African, our tour leader Jakob (Kenyan), Driver John (Kenyan) and Cook Jumo (Tanzanian). All of whom seem pretty cool, have good English and no doubt a wealth of knowledge (apparently 12++ years).
The truck is quite big, with room
for about 24 or so. Most seats facing forward - but some facing each other with a table in between. I know what your thinking, perfect for UNO. As mentioned there is lockers and electricity at the back, and the windows are huge and are a drop down latch, so game viewing will be easy.
After a quick run down of the days adventure and what to expect, we hit the road out of 'Nairobbery' heading North West (correction from previous post).
The weather in Kenya thus far is pretty cool, roughly 10-15c. The sun has been out in the afternoon and I've still managed to get sun-kissed, even whilst wearing pants and long sleeves.
First stop is a view point overlooking The Great Rift Valley, which sits at 8000ft Altitude (2500m high).
Quite an impressive outlook, but fairly green and mountainous - so don't start imagining The Lion King just yet.
Back on the bus, and we travel through Kenyan countryside for roughly another 100 odd kms (approx 1 hour drive).
Jade and I have stocked up on all the necessities - TP, Water, Curly Wurlys.
We've discovered this delicious snack called Chidwa, it's like a mix of peanuts, Lays French Fries, puff rice and cashews, covered in a spicy blend of curry leaves, turmeric, and assorted naughties such as oil, sugar and salt. New fave.
After an hour passing through towns and roadside business' (most famously the funeral home that has "the best refrigeration"), we arrive in Gil-Gil at a children's home named Saidia. Their work was fairly impressive, but of course, nothing could melt the stone cold hearts of ours - not a maternal bone in our bodies!
Back on the bus and we drive another hour or so to Lake Nakuru NP, where we stop for lunch just inside the main gate. We are introduced to our process of camp cooking - how to keep the truck kitchen clean etc. Pretty impressed with the hygiene. We all made a conscious effort to help out chopping salads and prepping. Sandwiches were on the menu - with tomato, cucumber, carrot, cheese, meat and the most amazing massive advacado's. All really nice and fresh, with the exception of the brawn beef which I would liken to Spam, but every one seemed okay with it. **
**Grandma, that paragraph was just for you, I know how you feel about documenting Holiday Meals!!
Of course the Baboons were keen to get in on our feast, so we had to pack up fairly quickly as they had surrounded us, looking for scraps. We jumped back on the truck and started our Game Drive through Lake Nakuru NP, and within about 600m inside the gate, we spotted a Lion just chilling in a tree above her dinner she had just hacked into. Pretty stoked with our initial finding we continue on, past the robust African Buffalo, Zebra and Impala which are so commonly seen. Our drive takes us up to Baboon point, where there is an fantastic look out over Lake Nakuru itself. The parks major (original) draw card is the Pink Flamingos, but because the rains have been so high the last few years they are rarely found here. Pretty disappointed by this - Damn you ToTo.
We continue on toward our campsite and spotted some rare giraffe called Rothschild, known for it's very distinct colouring, and white legs.
Just up ahead we find 2 more lioness lazing about on a hill and just above them the male lion - which is awesome as I've never seen one in the wild.
We pulled up to a camp site, which is really just a clearing with 2 drop toilets, and a few fire pits. There is a nice waterfall around the corner from the campsite though, which if the water was clear, would be perfect for swimming.
Tonight is our first night camping (of many), and I was nicely surprised at the quality of the tents, which are canvas/shadecloth tall dome style - definately better than the old KMart Spin-fx ones that snap in the heat!
I wouldn't say they were a breeze to set up, but give us 28 more nights, and I'm sure we will be able to do it with our eyes closed. The camping mattress' are perhaps 4cm thick, so again, better than the yoga mat I was expecting.
Tonight is also our first night 'Bush Camping', so no fences or shower facilities. We've been warned not to take food into our tents, or even toiletries, as Baboons can smell them and WILL open the zips to get in.
We set up our site quite quickly, really only with the bare essentials. (I think) Jade and I are pretty organised as we have one shared duffle bag with our sleeping bags, pillows, pjs and tent light, and everything else stays on the Truck, so I am certain we really will have this down to a fine art come Tanzania.
Dinner was really nice tonight - clear vege soup for entree and then rice, veges and chicken in this nice sauce for main, plus crispy baked eggplant. Yum yum yum.
Bed soon after dinner dishes were done, as it was pitch black anyway.
No wifi reception out here Mum, so you'll be happy to know I'll turn my phone off and go straight to sleep!
Day 3 - Monday 23rd June
Woke up this morning around 4am, after a really solid sleep. Decided I was way too scared to have to face the possibility of needing to walk 500m to the washrooms in the pitch black with the Big 5, so I took 2 Advil before bed, just to knock myself out!
But as I was saying, I woke at 4am and laid waiting for everyone else to wake up, busting for the toilet. That hour was not an easy feat with a nearby waterfall loudly thundering to it's depths! Ha.
Eventually Miss Jade arose, turned on Hyslop FM, and we started packing up our tent, as breakfast was at 6am.
After our cereal, fruits and fried egg breakkie, we made the Game Drive journey back through the National Park, headed toward the main gate.
We were really lucky this morning as we were driving. We started with a trio of lioness (again just lazing in the sun), followed by a Rhino!! Jakob our guide thinks it was most likely a white Rhino, but could not be sure as it was a few hundred meters away, and grazing in the grass. We learned that Rhinos are the most endangered animal in the world, and this is due to the poachers killing them for their horns. Apparently, the Chinese believe that the Rhino horn has a very strong aphrodisiac, and are happy to flip the bill for that over Viagra. Jakob said that Rhinos Horns are worth close to US$50,000 so you could imagine why people are willing to poach and sell, especially if they are from such a hard economical environment.
We continued on only a km or so towards the edge of Lake Nakuru itself and managed to spot the ... Flamingos!!
They were in a distance too far for a clear snap, but we could still catch the sea of pink along the banks of the Lake. Flamingos - tick! We actually hoped off the bus here for a few photo's, as we were also in the presence of nearby Buffalo, Zebra, Impala and a pretty amazing backdrop. As we were mucking around taking photos, along came a Hyena! It was jogging towards the group of Impala and we were all ready with Video, hoping for a kill, but the stupid thing just ran straight past them. Anti Climax.
As I mentioned earlier, Kenyan National Parks (and general landscape so far) has been really green. The landscape has swapped from wide open spaces but with lush green grass and small waterholes, then to Bush-veld, then to almost rainforest density, and then out on the roads, to Pine forests.
After stopping for an early lunch in yesterday's spot, we drive into the nearby town of Nakuru. As soon as we stopped the truck, we had a group of hawkers there ready to sell us their wares. We had about an hour or so to go for a stroll and check out the local markets etc. I had sat on my sunglasses earlier and luckily came across an Optometrist in the 1 block we walked, so got them tightened. Wrapped!
Being the start of the trip, and also on a budget (banks and backpacks) we are not overly keen to shop and put up with the overly irritating "Aussie Aussie Aussie". We found the nearest supermarket instead, and went straight for some supplies like bottles of water, chips, nuts, MANGO AND PASSIONFRUIT SHAMPOO!!! We prepared so well for this trip (at least I think so in comparison to some people), so we tried to keep toiletries at a low, but after only 3 days, I know that shampoo will be like a delicious fruit salad to our hair after nights of camping filth. Also, just an FYI, Machetes retail in supermarkets (on very low shelving) for about KSH2500, which is about AU$32, but that was probably just a cheap one.
We made our way back to the bus, to find the same group of hawkers still trying to bargain with our fellow campers. I ended up buying an East Africa Map, so we can track our trip ala-no-gps style, but also frame it when I'm home as it's quite colourful. Got him down from US$13 to US$2, as I was hanging out the bus window with the map in one hand, money in the other, and as the bus started to pull away, I gave him the ultimatum - Map, or Money?
I also forgot to mention that I am wearing some pants that are currently sporting a hole, almost the size of my ass, in the crutch. They only had a small ladder in them this morning but then I squatted down to wash my breakfast dishes, and it's gotten worse ever since. I figure I may as well use them until both cheeks pop through. Waste not want not, This Is Africa after all.
So using my new wonderful map, I can tell you that we are currently heading North West to the Kenyan town of Eldoret, made famous by the Kalengans Tribe, who have the fastest athletes in all of Kenya!
The drive is taking approx 4 hours, but there are towns we are passing that we are only traveling possibly 40-50kms/h through, as locals are selling their potatoes and furniture on the curb, and then other parts of the highway are not sealed, so quite bumpy. We should arrive tonight around 6pm, and I'm pretty excited to have a shower and flushing toilets. Bring on the Shampoo!
Day 4 - Tuesday 24th June
So last night we arrived at our River Camp on the outskirts of Eldoret. Such a gorgeous little lodge, with camping facilities and even hotel rooms. It was set on a green leafy hillside, and had a swimming pool, bar and restaurant (none of which I used though). The shower and toilets were like gold - you really do learn to appreciate a flushing toilet after using drop toilets. We had the opportunity to pay to upgrade to a hotel room, but decided to save our money, as we are comfy in our tents anyway. The hot shower and hair washing was all we really cares about anyway, and it certainly was everything I hoped for!
We had our first group participatory duties last night - Jades group prepped dinner which was so nice - Mash Potato, Beef Stew, green beans and carrots and kidney beans. My group had to clean the bus, which didn't take too long - it was super dusty from the Game Drive through Lake Nakuru.
Our tour group had been divided into groups of 3-4 people and 3 jobs, so you only do every duty once a week which is pretty good. Most people will help with cooking and cleaning though, which just means we all get spare time and on the road etc quicker.
After dinner we head to bed, as it is dark and the days are pretty long.
Woke up through the night and it was bucketing down rain - but it was nice.
This morning we woke up early as we needed to leave by 6am. Packing up the tent was a massively muddy un-enjoyable experience, as the rain had turned the dirt to clay.
We start our 9hr journey to Kampala, Uganda this morning. Jade and I have lucked out and scored the table booth seats for today and tomorrow - both big travel days.
As daylight hits, Jakob begins to give us some history and info about Kenya. We learned that there are 42 different tribes in Kenya, all with hugely contrasted dialects, lifestyles etc. He told us about a few of the tribes, but of course the one that stood out to me, was the tribe that pays a 'very special' man to sleep with the dead body of a widowed or single woman when she dies - so she is "well rested". Apparently he is generously reimbursed. He'd want to be.
We make a quick petrol stop, at a small Kenyan town about half an hour from the border - and as we hop off the truck everyone is busy about their day, but the Kenyan music is blaring over the speakers, and suddenly I feel happy, as it has such an infectious vibe.
An hour later we hit the Kenyan-Ugandan Border Post. The process is to depart Kenya at one building, drive 5 minutes up the road and arrive in Uganda. Sound pretty quick, but pretty much all of us have different passports or Visas (there is very mixed reviews on how to do Visas for these countries), so it ended up taking ATLEAST an hour or so. For those Aussies planning to do these countries, the East African Tourism Visa is the easiest way - Jade and I stamped in within minutes, and it saved so much confusion.
Jakob tells us that Ugandans are quite different to the Kenyans, and it's etiquette not to take photos of the Locals or in general Public. I think it's more of a privacy thing they have.
As lunchtime hits, John finds a suitable place to stop for us to make our sandwiches (which I'm quickly becoming bored with). They tell us that they are finding it more and mor difficult to find places to stop on the road, or a 'friendly tree' in Uganda, as they have had Ugandans come out of the bushes with guns and machetes telling them to get off their land!!
The countryside view from the bus is so far different to Kenya. Whilst it still looks like 'Africa' (that vision in your mind), the subtleties are the architecture and the flora and fauna (10 points). The houses here are all brick and mud cement, quite square and grid like in formation. Kenyan buildings were more cement or render and painted a moisture of bright colours and advertising. There are also a fair few thatched huts here, backing onto crops of Maize and Tapioka. The people do look darker in skin colour and Jade thinks maybe shorter too!
The roads are so far nice and sealed, and not too bumpy. Jakob tells us this is a big improvement in the last 5 or so years, as the country has regained more peace, after the cruel dictatorship of Idi Armin. That being said, we have passed more 'shanti' houses here than we did in North-Western Kenya, but by the looks so far, only smaller communities of them. These houses walls and roofs are mainly made of corrugated iron, and very small.
Whilst it's obvious these areas are in poverty, they are all walking around with smiles on their faces, music blaring and kids waiving at the bus, so things have got to be on the up for Uganda!
We crossed over the Nile River, but again, no photos allowed. We are told there is currently a disagreement between Egypt and Ethiopia about The Nile's ownership rights. Ethiopia want to build a dam from the river on their land, but Egypt beleive that because the majority of the Nile is on their territory, it belongs to them.
[The base of the Nile actually begins in Burundi, and then runs North and ends in the Mediterranean Sea.]
Jakob is certain this could potentially turn into a war in Africa, given Egypts all ready volatile state - with Egypt and Sudan against Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.
We make yet another supermarket stop, and it feels like I'm only spending money on food. But to give you an idea of the value of our money here in Uganda... Jade and I just bought 2 x 1.5l bottles of water, 2 x 500ml bottles of coke and a box of saladas and it's only cost us US$4 total.
We have just arrived at another lodge style accommodation here- surrounded by banana trees, and I've found wifi at the sports bar. We have a super early morning tomorrow, so we are staying in dorms instead, so no complaints!
Xx
- comments
Josh Fantastic second post Nieshy!
Mary You have a wonderful style of writing Niesh. It is just so interesting and makes it feel as though we are actually there with you. I do appreciate your documenting your meals - but what about the showers. Oh yes, you did mention one!!
Louise Gill Brilliant Niesh ,I feel like I'm there with you x
Chantal Yay for blogs! Im living precariously through you and your adventure as ill be 87 before i get to do this (better stop popping babies) - sounds amazing & i too love your style of writing. Look forward to the next installment XX
Helen You're a great story teller Niesh. Love. Xx