Kenya believe it? We made it!

---

---

OK, been a long time since we blogged from the school at Christmas and the weeks since then has been split into three main parts:

1) Awassa Ethiopia was lovely, escaped the dust of the school town to a nice lakeside setting where we gobbled fish, watched the birds and drank freezing beer. We chilled for a couple of days and got used to being back on the road. Celebrated a non-New Year, it being the 22/04/05 or whatever it was in Ethiopia then be headed off for the road to Kenya

2) The road to Kenya. Now I don't mean to moan or being ungrateful as I know we're lucky to have this time away enjoying ourselves but the road to Kenya wasn't the most fun we've ever had. It took us basically 5 days to get from a nice part of Ethiopia to a nice part of Kenya.

Day 1 - to Dilla, short journey, noisy hotel, no water

Day 2 - 4:30am bus to Moyale, 10 hours, quiet hotel, no water

Day 3 - Crossed the border on foot 50 dollars each, scorching heat, quiet hotel, no water

Day 4 - Road of stones (our name for the A2) to Marsabit - 6am bus, 10 hours, all unpaved, dust inhalation, quiet hotel, no water

Day 5 - 11am bus to Isiolo, 8 hours, 6 of which unpaved. Quiet hotel - WATER! SHOWER!

So we survived it, very dirty, very mucousy (sorry), partially deaf and generally battered but, damn, a cup of sweet milky Kenyan chai never tasted so good.

3) Kenya itself. It was a revelation to get into the central highlands. Green, cool, Britishey, mugs of tea, chips, school dinner like meals, amazing English, newspapers, more than just Toyota cars, supermarkets and endless lion king / jungle book views.

We have loved it here so far, got soaking wet at a big waterfalls with a man who missed his old job in a slaughterhouse!, been amazed by supermarkets with more products than in the whole of Ethiopia put together, been on a cycle safari in the (largely) predator free Hell's Gate national park, slept in a hut under beautiful stars and been back to two places we were eight years ago when it all began.

All in all Kenya is great, the people are disarmingly friendly and you can't argue with seeing hippos, giraffes, zebras, colobus and vervet monkeys, warthogs, buffalo and antelope without putting in a whole lot of effort.

We are both well, likely be in Uganda within the week, enjoy the snow.

Love to all. C&A. x x x

---

Photos

Lake Awassa
Rickety restaurant

Fishy treat
The best (and only) thing on the menu. Fish, bread, hot sauce - 90p

Lake Awassa
The last nice place in Ethiopia

Marabou Storks
The (up to 5 foot) undertaker bird

Kenya achieved
Looking back at Moyale, Ethiopia from Moyale, Kenya

Kenya day 1
This, multiplied by ten hours

Post day 1
Feeling a bit wonky

Salvation
No water in the hotel but a chapati and kipper tie does wonders

Kenya day 2
Multiply this by 9 hours

Downtown Samburu county
Amazing place, nightlife is something else

And we're in
How to celebrate getting off the road of rock.....mmmm...popov

Thompsons Falls
The beauty of this place was appreciated a little more after the endless dust

Getting it done
Colonial surrounds, Tusker beer...boom

Comments

[Hazel]

Great to hear from you. Makes you appreciate water I guess. We have more than enough of it here. Scenery looks fantastic. Made a snowman today! Lots of love from the Wotton crew xxxx

[chris]

great pics and writing. more plz.
enjoyed reading about the post-travel relief. photos awesome. keep them coming. travel well & stay safe. r& c x

[Lynne, Phil, Alex, James]

Happy 3rd Wedding Anniversary!
Hi Guys, Been enjoying your blogs thus far. Just been listening to Love Songs on Radio 2 and wanted to send our love to you both for your wedding anniversary on Wednesday. Keep safe and well xx