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KENYA
'Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.'
Kenyan Proverb
13th December
Mount Elgon was still hidden by cloud when we crossed into Kenya from Uganda and headed for Naiberi Campsite at Eldoret in the Western Highlands.
Naiberi was 5 star luxury for rooms or camping, in a beautiful setting by a river. Natural, local materials had been used for all the buildings so that they blended with the environment and everything was beautifully finished to ensure every comfort. This was certainly a place to be recommended. We got into the Xmas spirit by decorating a tree for Raj (the owner) in the huge bar and dining area.
We visited Raj's factories, Ken Knit and Rupa Mills, both incredible places. At Ken Knit, rows and rows of local men and women were cutting, sewing, pressing, folding and packing and there was a constant background noise of sewing machines whirring, knitting machines following intricate patterns, reels of thread being wound and the hiss from the pressing machines. And all this stretching back as far as the eye could see! We were given a guided tour and it was a fascinating process, providing many jobs for the local people. The sweaters and cardigans, many sold for school uniforms, are sent all over the world, as well as sold locally and to neighbouring countries.
We were given another very interesting tour of the Rupa Mills, just over the road from Ken Knit. We began with a room full of wool straight from the sheep, followed by a large machine where it was washed 4 times. The different processes continued until the final products of blankets, Maasai shukas, baby shawls and table coverings were completed, often with beautiful designs and patterns. Many thanks Raj and to all those people who showed us around, it was a fascinating and interesting process to follow.
We got our first puncture of the trip and discovered a nail had gone into the wall of the tyre...... it was time for a new set, as our present ones were quite worn down. Heavy rain had been falling in Kenya, famous for it's black cotton mud and we still had a long way to go! We opted for another set of Michelin mud tyres, as these had done us proud so far. Raj kindly helped us get these changed through his company. He will use our old set for a Land Rover that he is doing up at his work.
We accompanied Raj for lunch at the Motor Club in the suburbs of Eldoret and were introduced to Nelly and Christian from France. They were hoping to obtain a plot of land in Eldoret and build a new home. Good luck to both of you.
17th December
We said our goodbyes to Raj, Ashe and all the dogs at Naiberi and continued toward Nairobi. We took a minor road to see more of this very beautiful area of the Western Highlands with its hills, forests, lakes and rivers and attractive black and white Colobus monkeys leaping across the road.
From Nakuru the road drastically deteriorated, from just avoiding potholes, to a road full of heavy traffic and looking and feeling as if it had never been repaired since being built. Diversions from this created clouds of thick dust, mixed with fumes and smoke from the many lorries. We passed Lakes Elmenteita and Naivasha on our right, the latter in an attractive setting of hills and mountains. From here the road was tarred, funded by the fuel levy and heavy rain helped to settle the dust.
Into Nairobi and without the GPS, Jungle Junction (JJ's) would have been hard to find. We discovered it to be a private house in the Lavington suburbs with a large garden used for camping and a really friendly overland crowd, most of whom had travelled down the east coast from Europe on motorbikes as well as in vehicles. Chris and his wife were both welcoming and helpful. They had opened up their home for everyone, so there was use of the kitchen, living and dining areas and bedrooms if you were not camping. The food was excellent, it was a real home from home, another place to be highly recommended. We found messages on the board for us from Torsten and Christina (now back in Germany) and also Rielle and Jeroen (soon heading North).
18th - 21st December
It felt strange to be in a big city again but great for finding well-stocked supermarkets and fast Internet. Another place to recommend to other Land Rover owners is Land Marque run by Paul and wife Lucy. We had new, rear brake pads, a new oil seal for the front diff, new half-shafts and caps for the rear diff, oil and air filters and all oils checked and changed if necessary. All work was done at short notice and very efficiently.
At last, some more overlanders from the UK at JJ's! Brits have been very few and far between on our journey so far! Carol and David from Southampton arrived in a Toyota and we also met Martin who was travelling alone on his motorbike. He had many interesting stories to tell about his trip so far.
22nd December
We left JJ's today to visit Gill, a teaching colleague from Pluckley School who is now living in Kenya with husband John. They are managing a luxurious, new lodge set high up in the hills in the Laikipia area in the north, overlooking the beautiful and very remote Rift Valley. Turning off on to a dirt road in the town of Nanyuki, we drove through spectacular scenery, which reminded me of remote parts of Namibia. We passed numerous Maasai villages and finally arrived at Kijabe Lodge built high up and with wonderful views across hills and mountains that followed one after the other as far as the eye could see. A beautiful setting and very green after all the rain.
Thank you both for making us feel so at home at such a busy time. You have such a beautiful place to wake up to each morning and we are sure that your lodge and work with the Maasai community will be very successful.
24th December
We returned to JJ's for a great Xmas Eve dinner, with excellent food and wine set out in the garden. We sat around a camp fire before the meal, exchanging stories with other French, Spanish, German, English, Polish, Irish, Japanese, Austrian and South African travellers! We had a great barbeque and just managed to finish in time before the rain began!
25th December
WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR!
26th December 2006 - 10th January 2007
The rain now continued for some days, the camping area had become flooded and people with ground tents were beginning to have a real problem. Travellers arriving at JJ's reported heavy rain and very bad road conditions in every area, Mombasa, the north and in the south and west. Tracks have become impassable in both Amboseli National Park and the Masai Mara, where the black cotton mud has claimed many vehicles and helicopters were being used to rescue people. Many campsites have also had to close. As we want to visit all of these areas we can only stay put in Nairobi until the roads and tracks in the parks become passable.
There has also been very bad flooding in the swamp region of Southern Sudan and where Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya all meet at the northern tip of Lake Turkana. We read in the local newspaper that British Airways had donated 10 million Ksh to support victims of the floods in Northern Kenya.
At JJ's we were fortunately able to get inside from the rain and there was plenty for us to do in Nairobi, which we were really beginning to enjoy.
We got our visas for both Ethiopia (very easy) and Sudan (very difficult), and spent many hours looking at maps, books and listening to other people's stories of routes, good/bad roads and where to stay etc.
We were able to update our website and spent hours in a wonderful bookstore in one of the shopping malls.
We are both devastated though, by the news that our dear friend Andy whom we had stayed with at Exafrica for some weeks in Durban, whilst waiting for our Land Rover to arrive, had suddenly been taken ill and died. I shall always remember and still have, the note he pushed under our bedroom door on the morning of the big day - 'The ship has docked. Your Land Rover has arrived!' Andy looked after us so well. He really had a heart of gold and we are both terribly sad.
We said goodbye to our Dutch friends Rielle and Jeroen who had been staying at another campsite nearby. They were ready to travel north along the Lake Turkana route and on into Ethiopia. We had hoped to travel with them but still have places to visit in Kenya first.
11th January
We are off again at last after hearing that tracks in the parks are now open.
We are going to visit Amboseli National Park, where if you are lucky and have a clear day, you can be rewarded with a wonderful view of the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Once out of Nairobi, we turned off the Mombassa Highway at Athi River on the road for Namanga, a town which sits right on the border with Kenya and Tanzania.
The road took us through the endless Kapiti Plains and distant hills. Little did I know that when I once read the lovely book 'Bringing the Rains to Kapiti Plains' to the children at Pluckley School, I would one day be driving through them!
12th January
We entered Amboseli through the Mshanai Gate. This is a small park covering an area of approx 390 kilometres and has a typical savannah ecosystem, including acacia woodlands, rocky bush lands, swamps and marshes. The big, geographical feature however, is snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro that can clearly be seen in the park when not covered by cloud! Unfortunately, during the 2 days that we were there, we only got a glimpse of its peak once, similar to our view from the Tanzanian side some weeks ago. It must be wonderful to see it on a completely clear day but we were not to be lucky. Had we not camped overnight at Namanga, we would have seen it, as we were told it had been clearly visible all that day!
The weather was very hot, making the baked, white dust areas dazzling in the sun. There was however, still plenty of evidence from the recent rains and flooding and much of the swamp areas had been transformed into large lakes, providing plenty of bird life and a home for hippos. Lake Amboseli, usually dry except in prolonged wet seasons, was vast in the distance. We saw a lot of game as we drove around the park, including large herds of elephant for which the park is renowned. A climb to the top of Observation Hill formed by volcanic activity, gave a panoramic view of the plains and the emerald green of the Narok Swamp, one of many swamps in the park, owing its existence to underground seepage of snowmelt and rains from Mount Kilimanjaro.
We camped under a beautiful, Flat-Top Acacia in the public campsite, now fenced so no longer over-run by wildlife. Elephants however, were eating just the other side of the fence until after dark. A group of Maasai came over and looked at our map of the park and pointed out different areas and hills near to their village. They shared some interesting facts about their culture and we hoped to visit their village tomorrow if time. A sky full of stars and a strong breeze that we hope would blow away the clouds.
13th January
Happy Birthday Debbie, we hope you have a very special day!
A disappointingly overcast day, so no hope again of seeing the mountain today, in fact we wouldn't have known it was there! We have to be out of the park by 12 noon when our permit expires and so took a drive around some of the areas not visited yesterday, before leaving by the Iremito Gate on the Eastern side of the park. We will have to wait to visit a Maasai village when in the Mara National Park.
The long, dirt road from the exit gate to Emali on the main, tarred road to Mombasa, seemed endless. It had suffered badly from the floods but traffic still travelled at considerable speed, slewing from side to side. From here we travelled to Voi, passing through the Tsavo National Parks and camped at The Red Elephant.
14th - 19th January
We left Voi for the journey to Mombasa, caught the Lukoni ferry across the short stretch of water that took us back on to the mainland and headed south for Tiwi Beach, camping at Twiga Lodge right on the beach amongst palm trees. This stretch of beach was particularly quiet and beautiful. We bought freshly caught fish and prawns from the local fishermen and coconuts, fruit and vegetables from the 'Mango Man' who would arrive every morning on his bicycle, with a basket on the back full of fresh produce to sell. What a life, we could live off coconuts, fruit, vegetables and fish and not even have to go and shop for them!
Five relaxing days, swimming in the shallows at the edge of the beach, looking for shells and chatting to the locals. Friends from JJ's had also arrived and made good company around a campfire in the evening. Strung along the beach, colourful rectangles of cloth for sale, blew in the breeze and none of us could resist the temptation to buy.
When we left Mombasa, we followed dirt roads through the Shimba Hills and on to Samburu where we joined the main, tarred road that would eventually take us back to Nairobi again. We camped at Sagala Lodge in the foothills of the Sagala Mountain Range, close to the boundaries of Tsavo National Park. We visited the historic Sagala Railway Station, where the machinery for controlling the signalling system and points, still had to be done manually in the same traditional way since the building of the railway in 1898. During the construction of this East African Railway, two lions from the Tsavo National Park, killed and ate a number of the Indian workers and terrorised many people, until they were finally caught and killed. The famous story of the 'Man Eaters of Tsavo', led to the Hollywood film 'The Ghost and the Darkness'.
20th January
We left Sagala for Nairobi, passing along the main road through Tsavo East and West National Parks. We saw elephants not far from the road but no longer grey, as they had been rolling in the red dust and were now the same colour!
About 50 kilometres before Nairobi, the road began to deteriorate with large potholes and deep ruts worn away by the many, heavy lorries. The very green, Kapiti Plains looked beautiful again each side of the road but the traffic was horrendous. Lorry after lorry passing in front of us, matatus squeezing in and out, coaches piled high and travelling much too fast. A lorry had jack-knifed blocking the road, spilling its load of black tar and so everyone cut in and out on the dusty edges of the road, scattering people and covering the Lyons Maid ice cream guy standing in the middle of all this chaos, in a dust bowl! Hats, television aerials, bags of apples and nuts, fire extinguishers and warning triangles were all offered at your window when the traffic ground to a halt. We were back in the city with clouds of black fumes and dust!
Back to JJ's and as it was barbeque night we joined in the fun!
26th - 28th January
We left for the Masai Mara, a vast area of undulating grassland, watered by the Mara River and an extension of the even larger Serengeti Plains, that we visited whilst in Tanzania. After the recent, continual and heavy rains, we have heard the park is looking very green and the tracks are finally beginning to dry out to make a visit possible.
The Masai Mara is of course, also famous for the annual wildebeest migration. They arrive in their thousands in July and August, as the Serengeti Plains dry out and the Mara River then becomes their biggest obstacle. This river claims many lives, not only because of its depth but also because of the many predators lying in wait, including massive crocodiles!
Once we had left Nairobi, the road opened out to reveal wonderful views across the Rift Valley. The long drive across the valley floor and out again, took us on to Narok, a small, dusty town that seemed to be a popular and final stopping place for safari vehicles before reaching the Masai Mara. Soon after Narok the road deteriorated badly and it was a game of trying to manoeuvre around the potholes and fight your way through the clouds of dust created by vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
We camped at the Old Polai Safari Campsite, about 2 kilometres from the Sekenani Gate at the eastern end of the Park. It was run by Maasai who looked after us very well and heated up a big bowl of water for us every morning, as there was no water in the showers. There were lovely views from the site across to Maasai villages and at night we often heard lion and wild dogs.
We have paid for 2 days in the park as we are so hoping to see our long awaited, adult, male lion. We were rewarded early afternoon, when we spotted a large group of lions sleeping in the shade at the edge of some bushes, two large males, four females and some young, all very beautiful. The adult males had penetrating, yellow eyes and brunette coloured manes and the young males looked so cuddly with huge paws and dappled markings on their legs. We were able to get very close and they were obviously the highlight of our visit....... just wonderful!
On our second day we met up with Martin from JJ's and made an extra seat for him. As he had been travelling by motorbike he had been unable to enter National Parks before and so we wanted this to be a really special day for him. We saw a lot of wildlife but sadly no lions. By late afternoon we decided to try one more last track and before we knew it, had sunk into a stretch of black cotton mud. The wheels quickly became thickly coated and slick and no longer turned. The sun had set and we had chosen a very remote track. We had tried different methods to free our Land Rover and were in the process of using the high lift jack to raise the front wheels, when a vehicle suddenly appeared, having spotted us from higher up on the main track. We hope it will be the last time that Moby has to be pulled out by a Toyota but we were very grateful, as this was not the place to be after dark!
29th January - 1st February
We returned once more to JJ's where we met two other Dutch couples. Cissy and Marcel, returning home from Rwanda where they had been doing VSO work for 2 years and Sandra and Frank who had travelled down the west coast similar to ourselves and also in a Land Rover! We decided to join together to travel the remote, northern route into Ethiopia, via Lake Turkana. Claude and Alain from France will also be joining us.
We went into the city to get our carnets stamped, as when we leave Kenya via this route, there are no border controls at the crossing with Ethiopia.
We had an excellent Italian lunch at The Trattoria whilst waiting for the Immigration Offices to open to also get our passports stamped.
We said our goodbyes to friends at JJ's, particularly Werner and Barbara from Germany and Andre and Lila. We wished them safe journeys and Andre luck with his photographs for the new Canon calendar.
2nd February
We began our journey today to reach Ethiopia via the eastern side of Lake Turkana and then through the remote Sibiloi National Park, in the far north of Kenya. We will be travelling through some wild and very desolate country but we have heard that tracks have improved since the rains and with 4 vehicles and plenty of supplies, we are hoping for a safe and very interesting journey.
We plan to meet up with our fellow travellers at Bobong Campsite at Rumuruti, as first we have to visit the city to pick up our new insurance cover for the Land Rover. We finally left Nairobi on the Thika road and it felt strange to be saying a final goodbye after spending so long there.
To Nyeri and then Nyahurura, where black clouds had gathered with thunder and lightning in the distance. It wasn't long before we had torrential rain, which made life even more difficult for people in some of the villages, which we noticed were already full of water.
The tarmac finished at Rumuruti and it was dry but the campsite there was without water and the famous, tame cheetah that we had heard about and were all looking forward to seeing, had disappeared into the bush!
3rd February
On to Maralal where the dusty streets were full of colourful Samburu people. Young warriors were naked to the waist with long, red hair and decorated with beads. The young girls were particularly colourful, draped in bright cloth, plain and patterned, often in the brightest of lime greens, pinks, yellows and orange. They also wore many rows of colourful, plastic beads around their necks.
We all stopped to buy bread, fruit and vegetables and waited for Marcel to get the springs tightened on his Toyota. An interesting town and where apparently, Wilfred Thesiger made his home until 1994, adopting some orphaned boys and finding companionship amongst the Samburu as he became older.
Once out of town, we climbed higher through the Matthews Range, densely forested, wild and remote and a National Reserve area. From there we descended with spectacular views out to the Elbarta Plains, stretching flat and far away to the distant, hazy, blue Ndoto Mountains. We had not seen cattle, goats or people for some time now. We found a lovely flat area to bush camp, shaded by acacia trees and enjoyed an evening around a campfire.
4th February
From our campsite, Baragoi was only a short distance along the track, set in the heart of the Elbarta Plains. The river here looked completely dry, only occasionally being fed by water from the nearby Samburu Hills and Ndoto Mountains. In the middle of the town, we had to skirt around a 'house removal'. A large group of men were carrying a complete hut on their shoulders, but still managed big smiles as we slowly passed by!
We stopped for lunch in a very wide, dry and sandy riverbed and were soon surrounded by Samburu. Young boys with a black skin around them like a blanket, dressed as such because they were soon to be circumcised, young warriors with their long hair, young girls, small children, older women and grandma.
From South Horr the landscape became semi-arid and the track turned to white, powder soft sand, winding down between the Nyiru Range and the Ol Doinyo Mara Mountains, much easier to drive on but very dusty, so we all kept our distances from each other. It was now considerably hotter and the landscape looked to be a perfect home for snakes and scorpions amongst the rocks, hot sand and bushes. This soon changed however, to a coating of drab grey, strewn with stones and volcanic rocks, some resembling hundreds of smooth, black snowballs. A harsh and bleak landscape, devoid it seemed of humans or animals. We drove across numerous, dry river beds, full of smooth, grey boulders and gradually began to see goats and camels and scattered settlements amongst the featureless landscape of black lava. What a desolate environment to adapt to!
As the road dipped and we turned a bend, Lake Turkana came into view, grey and silver in the late afternoon sun. Not the expected blues and greens which have given the lake its other name.... The Jade Sea, but perhaps we will see its true colours tomorrow.
We followed the rocky track toward the lake, where it curved into several bays. We could see the odd figure down by the water's edge, a few domed huts of sticks covered with skins and palm and a lone fisherman still in his boat. We continued through this desolate landscape of black lava, until we reached Loiyangalani, a collection of dome-shaped huts where a crowd of people had surrounded the vehicles from our group, that had already arrived.
We found our way to El Molo Camp with palm trees looking a little dry but with large, brown clusters of a hard fruit amongst the higher, greener leaves. We were shown a grassy area for camping and there were hot showers that were wonderful after such a long, hot and dusty journey.
5th February
We made arrangements with one of the local guys at the campsite to take us to the village of the Elmolo people, a few kilometres north of Loyangalani, where they now have more permanent settlements on the edge of the lake. They are known as 'the smallest tribe in the world' (in number, not in size). After reading about this interesting tribe of people, it was a little disappointing to arrive and greet the chief and other men all dressed in western clothes, with one guy wearing a snazzy pair of sunglasses! We knew we would have to pay for the privilege of entering their village, to hopefully learn more about their culture and be allowed to take some photographs, however the amount that was demanded individually was quite a shock. Another offer was refused, so we politely left apologising to our guide but telling him that in the future, he should inform other travellers of what they are expected to pay before taking them there. Cissy and Marcel gave an Italian traveller a short lift. He told them that he had come here especially to see this tribe of people and that he was very disappointed after having made his visit. Sadly, influence from the West and their diminishing number, is taking its toll and slowly changing their culture.
We were able to buy diesel from The Mission before leaving Loiyangalani and from then on were relying totally on our GPS compass points to keep us on track for Sibiloi Park. We wanted to avoid having to follow the track shown on our map for North Horr, as we had been told that there was a 'short cut' by a group of men that had flagged us down needing brake fluid for their Land Rover. However, they also warned us about tribal cattle rustling in the area and asked if we had heard or seen anything. Theirs was the only vehicle that we had seen in days but what a stroke of luck, as their advice would save a lot of extra driving if we could find the track.
6th February
We had found another peaceful place to camp wild for the night and opened the flaps of our tent to the early morning sun and a group of camels, silhouetted against the sky in the distance. It had been another wonderful, quiet night.
A clear sky which soon became hazy as we moved off, travelling across a semi-arid desert alternating between rocks, gravel and scrub. We crossed many dry riverbeds and our journey was without sign of life, apart from a few antelope which ran at great speed, butterflies and numerous large grasshoppers, that would even occasionally fly through our windows. We doubted whether vehicles would pass through here in days, so it would not do to break down out here if you were on your own with the searingly hot wind and scorching sun.
After many kilometres, we sighted a ribbon of palm trees. Could this be Gajos, a camel watering place mentioned in Lonely Planet? No sign of any settlements however, although the palm trees stretched away into the distance. The riverbed that we crossed was completely dry, pulverised over thousands of years into tiny, dusty grey particles of stones. When we investigated further however, we found the area to be full of large baboons, barking to each other at our presence and swinging down from the huge, dry leaves of the palms that rattled and rustled in the wind. Some of the palms had large clusters of the same brown fruits that we had seen at the El Molo camp. The outer shell of the fruit was rock hard. Could there still be water somewhere? Baboons are usually close to water.
We arrived at the Sibiloi Park gate, the most northerly park in Kenya and not far from the border with Ethiopia, $20 each plus 300 Ksh for the car to drive through. We drove to a campsite at Kobi Fora right by the edge of Lake Turkana and looking across to North Island where fishermen lived. There were showers with water pumped from the lake but the most surprising things available, were the cold beers and bitter lemons! Not a breath of wind however and thousands of small insects descended on us from the lake once it was dark, just like in Tanzania at Lake Victoria. Giant moths and grasshoppers also kept landing on us and cooking became a nightmare. We finally had to remove all the lights and do everything in the dark.
7th February
The insects have gone from around us, although we found hundreds on a wall making a high-pitched, whining noise. The lake was looking very blue and Bill saw crocodile heads in the water when he walked down to the edge. By 8 a.m. the temperature was soaring with barely a breeze. We were shown a puff adder that had been killed in the scrub yesterday. We decided to visit the little museum and took one of the local guys with us sitting on the Land Rover, to unlock it. It was only 2 kilometres from the camp, set up on a hill with views of the lake, now turning slightly greener in colour. There was a lot of information and photographs and I was glad we had visited.
We took the piste for Ileret at the northern end of the park. We continued to see herds of Topi and Gazelle and a beautiful, lone Oryx, all fleeing at incredible speed. The lava fields and rocks disappeared and the track soon became sand with kilometres of dry, yellow grass, scrub and low acacia bushes, many of them full of white butterflies that scattered like snowflakes as we brushed by.
We stopped under a shady acacia tree to have lunch and soon after met another overland couple, from guess where? Yes, Holland of course. Are there any Dutch left in Holland, they are such keen travellers!
Frank had a puncture as we passed through a settlement and we were quickly surrounded by many people all eager to watch, admire themselves in the Land Rover side mirrors and of course ask for many things, mainly pens, T-shirts and soap. Many of the young girls and women were naked to the waist apart from colourful beads, the men also and some children were completely naked. All the men however, carried a stick and their little, carved, wooden head or seat rest. Their skin was very black and their facial features with high cheekbones, made me think that perhaps we had driven into Ethiopia. It was difficult to know however, without an official border post on this remote, northerly route.
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