I feel now as though I have two homes, both rural, but worlds apart in the Midlands of England and the Mid Rift of Kenya. Arriving back here to Bogoria I was given a warm welcome by a host of friends and as I started my second round of research in the area. I felt that I had built up the sort of trust that makes things go well. The group of five women that had made films with me came to visit the day after I arrived, walking in the burning heat for over an hour from their village to [View Full Entry]

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A wide smile and clear bright eyes smiled at me from a dirty torn patterned shirt as the young boy curiously watched me talk to the women. As I showed my colourfully dressed group the video camera and encouraged them to try filming each other the boy was ever-present, laughing and pointing at everything that was going on. This was Geoffrey. From the first day that I had visited Sandai he had been around, following me when other children withdrew. He was accepted everywhere and at first I had been told that he was crazy but it soon became evident that [View Full Entry]

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This blog is rather overdue as I arrived here at the beginning of April, after all the election troubles had died down. At the time people were relieved that life was getting back to normal and were glad to see visitors returning. I soon found that the basic lifestyle in Bogoria also means that internet connections are sporadic so I have found it difficult to complete my blog regularly. But now, two months on, I have just returned to Nairobi for a few days to collect some data and catch up a little on writing so I will upload a couple [View Full Entry]

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On 27th December Kenyans turned out en mass to vote in democratic elections. Excitement was high but good natured. Many of the people I met in the preceding weeks had expressed a wish to be Kenyan first and to build a new nation. However micro-politics live just below the surface in a country with boundaries drawn on a map in the colonial era that paid little regard to the many indigenous societies that it encompassed. The poles were indicating a close tie between the president, Kibaki, and the opposition leader, Odinga. Odinga appeared to be in the lead on the day [View Full Entry]

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It was a case of deja vu as, through the steaming mist from the hot springs of Lake Bogoria, I watched the pink lesser flamingoes parading up and down along the shoreline. Two years ago I stood here just as I was starting my round the world journey and it brought back memories. This beautiful lush green valley in the heart of Kenya is a birders paradise and the tallest and smallest antelopes of Kenya ( Greater kudu and dik dik) are also easy to spot along the road. It is easy to visualise the stereotype Kenya as wide open savannas [View Full Entry]

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The young brightly coloured morans crowded round as I showed them my digital photos and videos that I had taken of their dancing. They excitedly laughed and were amazed at seeing their pictures. Although I felt that the Samburu ‘cultural show’ was too staged and far removed from the gentle acceptance that Karen and I had received at the Maasai manyata a few weeks earlier the appreciation and enjoyment of the photos was the same. The moran danced enthusiastically and showed off to the group of young girls in beaded collars that stood shyly nearby. The Maasai and Samburi come from [View Full Entry]

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The tea was scalding hot, sweet and smoky from the tin mug in my hands as I sat crouched by the fire in the small poorly lit Maasai banda. The beaded ornaments around our hostesses arm and neck brought colour to the dark interior of Salaash’s mud built home in the Selengei group ranch north of Amboseli. Rebecca, Karen’s three year old daughter swung from curious excitement to childhood shyness as they tried to make friends. I felt privileged to be in this Maasai banda and have the opportunity to communicate with them and learn about their life. Karen is another [View Full Entry]

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Sitting in my five star room in Nairobi watching CNN news about the earthquake in Japan I felt secure from the mad bustle of Nairobi. Then, in tandem with the news broadcast, I felt my room shudder and groan. Was I just tired or was it real? Concerned voices outside my room suggested that the earth really had moved. During my first week in Kenya I got used to the series of tremors which shook the rift valley and were scary at the time but apparently caused no serious damage. I also eventually got more used to big bad Nairobi. It [View Full Entry]

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As I flew into Quito and gazed at the long built up area under the drizzling grey curtain, I wondered briefly why I had moved on from the life and vitality of Bolivia. Mostly it was to visit the Galapagos, but after that I did not know. In my heart I was wanting to be home again, in my own cottage and to see old friends. At the airport I phoned a hostel recommended to me by a traveller I met in Lima en route. When I got to the Secret Garden hostel it was friendly, lively and bussling with other [View Full Entry]

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Cachalote means sperm whale in Spanish but the boat was far more elegant than it´s namesake. Our group of 16 passengers arrived on the keyside to be greeted by Galapagos sea lions idling on the benches and Cachalote, our beautiful motor/sailing vessel, moored just offshore. A couple of pangas (dinghies) raced out, lifejackets were distributed and within an hour of getting off the plane we were making ourselves comfortable in our floating home for the next seven days. Sailing around the islands, walking across the volcanic landscapes and watching and learning about the abundant and unusual wild [View Full Entry]

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