Blogs from Nanyuki, Central Province , Kenya, Africa
May 29th 2011
My fear of flying in small planes over, we connected in Nairobi private airport for the flight to Nanyuki. In a fertile farm belt, this was the area of the Mau Mau uprising, led by Kenyatta, then imprisoned, and like Mandela elected president when he got out of jail. He turned out to be hugely corrupt, funneling billions in foreign aid to his family and friends, while Kenyans starved. Nanyuki seems much richer than towns website have seen in Tanzania and Amboseli. Clean, paved streets, architecture instead of huts thrown together. Along the road are lovely estates left from British Colonialism. We passed many, many boarding schools, even a World Vision enclave. On arrival at Fairmont Mt. Kenya Safari Club, we were welcomed by some Masai, but a different tribe. We are staying right on the ... read more
January 29th 2010
Since I have been very bad at writing my blog and also my diary I dont have a very good summary of my days here in Kenya, its too much going on and I always have something to do or somewhere to go. I stayed with the organization for three weeks, but since there were not really any tasks for me and just occassionally something going on in the field I felt I was just idling around. It was actually not bad, the people were nice, I saw some interesting projects and met some of the farmers around in the area I, and the other volunteers were also fun spending time with. I have learned how to grow mushrooms, and the organisations factory producing biodiesel is really good, even though not very efficient compared to european ... read more
Naro Moru - volunteering with Help Self Help Centre
Published: January 18th 2010Africa » Kenya » Central Province » Nanyuki
January 15th 2010
I have now arrived in Naro Moru where I will stay with an organization called HSHC (http://www.hshc.or.ke). This is a Kenyan NGO working with themes like sustainable agriculture, natural recourse management and business management for farmers - among several things. They are also producing bio-diesel and oil for foods on a commercial basis. Naro Moru is based close to Mount Kenya, and is one of the most used starting points for climbing the mountain. I stay in a guesthouse in their compound 6 km outside Naro Moru town. It is a quiet place, maybe a bit too quiet, so I will do some travelling during weekends. There is also another volunteer staying here, and one of the staff. The people in the organization and the factory are friendly and helpful, and even though there is no ... read more
January 3rd 2010
Peak Issue in East Africa - The Environment (Taken from Laikipia Wildlife Foum website) The Laikipia Wildlife Forum or LWF brings the people of Laikipia together, to work together, to conserve the integrity of the Laikipia ecosystem by creatively managing its natural resources to improve the livelihoods of its people. The Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) is a dynamic, membership driven organisation conserving wildlife outside protected areas across the Ewaso ecosystem. Its motto: Conservation in Action reflects the spirit of the people who take part in this forum, which brings together local community initiatives, private ranchers, pastoralists, small scale farmers, and tourism ventures. They are united in the pursuit of a common goal - to conserve the integrity of the Laikipia ecosystem, by creatively managing natural res... read more
November 21st 2008
Tag #41 Der 6-Tages-Trip ist zu Ende und es geht zurück nach Nairobi. Die Umgebung wird noch schöner und noch fruchtbarer als bisher. Unterwegs halten wir praktisch an jedem Markt an und kaufen Früchte: mal eine Banane, mal ein Mango, eine Frucht mit dem Namen "Popo", Orangen, Wassermelonen, usw. Praktisch alles was diese Umgebung hergibt. Zusätzlich gibt es noch Avocado-Bäume, Mais-Plantagen, Ananas-Plantagen, ... Die Landschaft ist einfach von unglaublicher Schönheit. Es ist zwar "nur" eine Fahrt von ein paar Stunden, aber die Umgebung und die Leute machen diese Fahrt zu einem Erlebnis... Und bald bin ich wieder in Nairobi "Nimerudi Nairobi".... read more
November 19th 2008
# Tag 39/40 Am Morgen früh geht es weiter nach Nanyuki. Die Umgebung ist wie gewohnt voller Plantagen und sehr grün. Neben Agaven sind auch Kaktusbäume hier vertreten. Nachdem wir in den letzten Tagen mehrmals Polizeikontrollen gesehen haben, werden wir diesmal von der Nairobi Highway Police gestoppt. Da die Versicherungen abgeschlossen und noch gültig sind, können wir weitfahren. Ansonsten wäre jetzt ein Geldbetrag fällig geworden. Der Geldbetrag wäre nicht eine Busse gewesen, sonder ein bisschen Geld für den Beamten, erzählt mir der Fahrer. Jetzt erscheint der Mount Kenya vor uns. Die Spitze liegt hinter den Wolken... Am Fusse des Mt. Kenya werde ich noch einen Ausflug unternehmen. Bald erreichen wir die kleine Stadt Nanyuki, welche nicht mehr als 40'000 Einwohner hat. Die Stadt liegt am Äquator. Nach dem Checkin in einem Hotel geht es gleich los ... read more
Nanyuki Sweetwater Game Reserve
Published: January 25th 2009Africa » Kenya » Central Province » Nanyuki
November 6th 2008
It rained heavily all night, I woke up with my 2 feet in a pool of water. The fly sheet was touching the tent & water had seeped in that way. I took my sleeping bag & liner to the fire that Lucky lit to cook breakfast & dried them. We set off for Nanyuki, we were supposed to go to a campsite but it rained heavily on route & Kanyo decided to divert to the Sportsmans Arms Hotel complex where the grounds would not be waterlogged. We could see a cloud covered Mount Kenya from Nanyuki. The hotel wanted too much money for room upgrades so everybody pitched a tent. Our truck chewed up their nicely manicured lawn pretty good. I went with Dave into the town, he was having problems withdrawing money with his ... read more
January 29th 2008
Awoke at 3.30am after going to bed at 11.30pm. Left for Entebbe airport at 4am - the first time we havent seen busy streets in Kampala. Flight to Nairobi was at 7am. Due to shootings and violence in Navaisha and Nakuru over the last few days (approx 20 killed) it is not safe to travel to this area. Instead we will head north and campa near Mt Kenya for two nights and then go to Samburu National Park for further game drives. Brookes a bit annoyed that we wont see flamingoes but still a chance to see them when we get to the Crater in Tanzania. After doing some shopping we drove to two hours to our new campsite - Mountain Rock campsite near Nanyuki. Tommorrow we will hike a section of Mt Kenya to some ... read more
To Nanyuki . . . and BEYOND!
Published: February 13th 2008Africa » Kenya » Central Province » Nanyuki
January 26th 2008
Because of the discontinuity between night and day during the 48 hours it took me to get from my house in the US to a bed in Kenya, it's not too surprising that my mind perceived the journey as one day - one really, really long day with a 4-hour nap. Upon waking up at 05h45 this morning, however, I was pleasantly surprised that my body had apparently thought of the ordeal as one long day, as well. I didn't feel nearly as exhausted as I probably should have, especially considering all the hiking around central London and running around downtown Nairobi. Instead, after rolling out of bed this morning, I was ready and raring to enjoy the last couple legs of my long trip to Mpala: first a short flight to Nanyuki, then an hour-long ... read more
October 29th 2007
26/10 Hmm… Jeg må have vænnet mig til at bo her, siden der ikke har været mere pres på for at berette om forskelligheder fra andedammen derhjemme og “Min afrikanske farm”. Kan forstå, der er blevet udskrevet valg derhjemme, ligesom det er tilfældet her. Eller rettere, der bliver højst sandsynlighed udskrevet valg, da datoen ikke er blevet offentliggjort, men det bliver nok efter jul, efter sædvane. Håber ikke, det er den eneste forskel, da det hele formentligt bliver “rigged”, som pressen uden censur skriver lystigt om. Men med penge kan man nå langt hernede, hvorfor tilstandene ikke bliver ændret. Det ligger faktisk i sindet hos hovedparten af kenyanere; fra politimanden, der lader sig bestikke pga. overfyldte matatuer (Nissan-/Toyotavarevogne ombygget til små busser til 14 passagerer!) ved checkpoints’ene, til de øverste, politiske magtinstanser. Så er sort ... read more
