Day 15 - 15th July 2011 - Camp Tsavo and Safari!

Jambo! Habari? (How are you?) Mzuri Sana (Good thank you), just so I don't forget it!

It seems like ages since I last wrote a part of my blog, as well as ages since I last had a hot shower, wore clean clothes, bit my nails and wore gel! Kenya is doing weird things to me! Anyway for the past few days I have been at a different camp called Tsavo. Tsavo is a private ranch about a 6 hour journey in land from Mombasa which we endured in rain, wind and on the most uncomfortable truck ever! When we arrived at Tsavo as soon as we passed the entrance gate we bumped into a Giraffe! A pretty good start! We then joined the 2 month project people, which is when the mood in camp changed, the less said the better. Put it this way, I'm glad I'm only doing 1 month! I think this is when my group realised how lucky we have been that we all get on really well and how good our time in Kenya has been so far! Anyway after a few digs, evil looks and putting of people in place we set off on our first game drive! I swear that this was a set up. We turned out of the camp gates, drove 200m and there stood two Elephants, casually drinking from a water hole. One of them was defiantly a male!! During the rest of the drive we saw more Giraffe, d*** d*** (Small deer), and Gazelles. So far so good! In the evening we played party games around the fire to celebrate Tom and Ollie's 19th Birthday's and was then rudely interrupted by a s

Scorpion which only just had time to pose for a camera before seeing the bottom of a boot!

The next day was the big day! A 6am start was followed by another 4 hour drive to the Tsavo National Park. By this time we were all fed up of sitting on hard seats and getting numb bums! Once inside the park it didn't take long for us to see our first wild animal! A herd of Elephants kindly plodded towards us at a very slow pace allowing me and the gang to hang out of the truck, use Grandma's binoculars and take a million pictures on my camera which somehow fixed itself just in time for Safari! J After this we went on to see more Giraffes followed by Impala's and Baboons. 2 of the Baboons treated us to a show just before one decided to reveal all and go to the toilet. Very funny! Next I found my new favourite animal after my beloved gold fish! Zebras were the pick of the day for me. After expecting not much more than a horse with a funny pattern I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved chasing after Zebra, still on the very uncomfortable truck! Then came the see of the day, unfortunately for the other truck and not mine, 2 Cheetah's chasing after their prey followed by a pose for the cameras before b*****ing off just as I arrived. Gutted! This I'm afraid set the tone for the rest of the day, what could have been! We did however enjoy lunch, not the food, by the side of a natural waterhole watching 30 Elephants drink water, spray their bodies with mud and charge at one another before being joined by a line of Buffalo as long as the eye could see! There must have been over 200!! After this the only highlight was of all things a flat tyre! In a safari park where you are not allowed out of your truck because of somewhat imaginary Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Rhino etc.., we had a blow out and all played watch man as the driver and friend changed the biggest tyre ever! After a delay our chances of seeing anything else had faded and we headed back to camp, another 4 hour truck drive away!

Back at camp, alcohol was flowing and ring of fire was in motion. At 2am I was woken up by Dan, aged 19 from Huddersfield, projecting vomit directly at me! The only thing saving me, all Mat's clothes and the rest of the room was Dan's mosquito net! Although now it isn't in the best condition! After a 2 hour midnight teacher act, looking after lightweight pre university and inexperienced drinkers I got some well earned sleep!

The following day, our last at Tsavo, was our Bush Adventure day! Another 2 hour truck drive just about wound everybody up to the max so it took a climb to the top of a hill, a great view and lunch to get everyone going again. Oh and by this time, I had been introduced to 'Planking', a craze where you take pictures of yourself lying flat on your stomach facing down in the most imaginative places possible. I think a water hole in the middle of Kenya was a pretty good place to start! So…. The bush adventure consisted of a number of activities. We constructed a shelter out of maily wood and palm leaves in a competition against 2 other groups. I am proud to say 'Muhaka House' designed and build by my team won! We then made fire using wood the traditional way before taking a few shots at using a bow and arrow! The whole day was a lot of fun and was rounded off nicely with a visit to sunset rock where we enjoyed yet more fabulous views, a beautiful sunset and took advantage of the scenery to get another planking photo along with other group shots!

The return to Muhaka camp was welcomed by all as it felt as though we were going home. With civil war nearly breaking out between the two groups I really do feel like I am in Big Brother! Its great! After a day of rest, today (15th) we have just finished the shaft of the toilet, reached ground level and levelled off around the edges. I don't think we will get chance to completely finish the whole toilet and use it but we have given it a good go and its looking great, especially as it now has a path way to it from the main road as a result of a lot of back breaking work by myself, George and Matt today! The day ended on yet another high as we returned to the football field against the local lads for another match. Boosted by the lads from the 'dark side' we managed to field an all male team! After a shot of mine hitting a random cow, and another going just past the post, Ollie managed to score the worst possible goal ever! Thay all count though and it resulted in a 1-0 win of us! Get in!

Gossip alert! (Just so I remember) - Lois is trying it on. Not happening. Tom J, Dan. Meg and Leanne have got some weird love triangle situation. The Dutch girls are really getting fed up of me speaking German to them! Charlie and I get on great and have had some nice convo's and sleeping journeys. Ollie and Charlotte, watch this space. Most of the girls are ill! Me and Matt are 'KINGS' (Mitch)

Anyway, tomorrow I'm going Scuba Diving! Cannot wait! That's followed by another day a the beach! It's a hard life :-) Night x