This morning I walked over the border from Zimbabwe to Botswana, and then caught a local bus into Kasane. Over the river I can see Namibia, but it will be weeks yet before I set foot there. I flew into Johannesburg last Tuesday, and stayed overnight at my favourite local hostel; Shoestrings. It's located close to the airport, in an area safe enough to walk about in, and the owners offer free pickups to and from the airport. There are a remarkable number of private rooms and dorm beds, plus a rather nice little pool in the back garden. The owner [View Full Entry]

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I spent the day wondering around Central Nairobi and am safely back in my hotel with no harm done. It can be done, but there is no doubt you have to be wary. Anyone spontaneously wanting to talk to you is after money, and there are some streets to stay well clear of, although those east of Moi Avenue seem to be generally safer. I'm staying in the aptly named Comfort Hotel. It is pleasant, with excellent staff, good security, reasonable prices, and a twenty-four hour restaurant on the first floor. Internet access is a little pricey at about 1GBP an [View Full Entry]

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Kisumu rests on the shore of Lake Victoria, the largest fresh-water lake in Africa. Once called Port Florence, after the wife of the chief engineer that completed the railway from the coast, it is now a bustling, friendly town. Men or women, locals or foreigners, can walk in perfect safety, day or night here. The only hazard is the potholes, mostly in the pavements, where surface slabs have collapsed into the subterranean drainage systems. I saw one partcularly huge gash today that plunged over ten feet down and was more than twice that in length! I'm not sure I'd want to [View Full Entry]

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My last day in the Mara started with an early morning game drive, supposedly to catch the predators still out hunting. The Maasai guards and cooks at the camp helped push start the landrover, since no garage had been open when we got back last night, and we were off. Still no leopards or cheetah, but we did see a group of Spotted Hyena! The Mara population contains animals much larger than anywhere else in the world and a research team is in the reserve to try and establish why. They certainly looked impressive. There were not many other vehicles about, [View Full Entry]

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I had a fantastic time in the Mara with a small safari company that shall remain nameless. The journey home however took rather longer than planned... The second day started late due to a change of vehicle, but I'd been well fortified by breakfast in a neighbouring camp. Unfortunately, until the new vehicle arrived we were lacking somewhat in supplies, but it did give me the chance to meet some new people and hear their experiences. Once the landrover arrived we set out, with me spending most of the time stood up in the back enjoying the feel of the wind [View Full Entry]

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Two years ago I didn't believe that the traffic in Nairobi could get worse, but how wrong could I be. We crawled along from the airport past broken down lorries and wrecked cars, through muddy streets flanked by muddier verges that only rarely sported actual curbs. Overhead the sky was gray and murky, and somewhere in between, Nairobi's giant 'pigeons' with their huge 5-6ft wingspans lurked while feeding on the ample rubbish discarded all around. Despite the excruciating pace however, it truly is great to be back. Nairobi is a bold, 'in your face' type of city. Not for everyone p [View Full Entry]

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