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Published: December 21st 2009
Hello all...
Where do we pick up from...? Oh yes.
From Kampala in Uganda we arrived in Nakuru and our Kenyan Masai, that we had met previously, picked us up. We had agreed to meet and discuss the possibility of him being our guide and taking us North into the depths of Kenya and into his village. He'd organized some accommodation for us in Nakuru which made life easier. While in Kenya previously, we explained to him about our travels and our need for budgeting and this communication had clearly been received as he took us to the cheapest accommodation possible. I would call it cheap value for money. At $6per night it was really amazingly cheap. The room was comfortable and we had an extra single bed if we needed it (arguments/ fights etc). The decor was best described as follows: Imagine a prison then add some lino flooring... on reflection we have a shower room. This was cunningly laid out so the toilet was positioned directly underneath the shower resulting in an ablution “an all in one”. This luxurious suite also came without water. We had to shower in another room on the floor below. This was
identical to our own. Lovely.
We went to dinner, after dropping off our packs, to discuss the next 5 days with Letina (Masai). The itinerary worked out to be 2 days at Lake Baringo then head further north to his village Maralall.. We agreed on pricing and timings and were headed for our new destination in the morning. The morning came and the night in jail passed smoothly. We got to the local minibus stand (matatu's) and waited for the carriage to fill. 2.5hrs later, at 12:30pm, we started the trek north. It was a stiflingly hot day in the rift valley, we reckon about 38degrees with the trip taking almost 4hrs. When we arrived at Lake Baringo we were met by Lucas, one of Letinas friends. We were taken to a place called Roberts camp, right on the lakeside. We really had no idea what to expect and when we found some clear ground to pitch our tent we were in complete awe of our surroundings. We pitched about 50ft from the shoreline, 30ft further into the water was our first sighting of a family of Hippopotamus. We weren't in a National Park here, we hadn't paid $60each
Water Pigs
They came out of the water and were only meters from our tentto enter, this was real nature. The hippos were sat in the water grazing and calling to each other. We set our equipment (tent) up and went over to a jetty to take a closer look and this was when we clocked eyes with our first Crocodile. They grew up to 3m in this lake and we could see the eyes an nose of an adult, very close to the hippos. It was quite incredible. While we were stood on the jetty Letina advised us to keep an eye on the water to our right. The bubbles and ripples we could see every now and again were crocodiles. They were tracking us as we moved. The year before, a man had walked that same jetty to take pictures. He'd not been aware about the ripples and bubbles in the water. When he was close enough to the edge one of the larger adults, using its extremely powerful tail, leaped into the air and flicked the photographer off the jetty and into the water. He was eaten by those that waited in the murky depths below. I was fascinated by this and made an effort to stay clear but at the
same time keep an eye on how many were watching me on the jetty. The water was very muddy and probably about 1m deep but the water was moving all around us.
Once the tent was pitched and we were settled we had the delight of watching the 3 ton “WaterPigs”, a family including a wee baby, make their way out of the lake and onto the shoreline/ intothe campsite. This is what happens every night. On entering the camp we had signed an agreement that the camp accepts no responsibility for injury or death bla bla blah. We weren't quite sure what to make of this but soon realized what they meant once we saw the Hippo Family just 10m from our tent. Hippos are renowned for being one of the most dangerous animals in Africa and also for not having the greatest eyesight when it gets dark. However, no-one had been trampled or charged since the camp had opened... about 3days earlier.
That evening we were invited to the local village with Lucas to have dinner and experience the local food. We were taken to a small thatched hut outside some very simple shops where they
were preparing some flour sacks for the next day. It was pitch black but the little hut had an oil burner for us to see what the dickens we were to be eating.... I've never tried dog stew before which was lucky as this was roasted goat. It came with a tomato and onion salad and ugali which is a corn maize mixture that looks like mash potato but has little flavour. In all it was good. The meat was little tough but you don't really get plump goats out there so any meat is a blessing. We were grateful for the food and we enjoyed eating traditional African (Kenyan) food. It's not something you'd see at the Gatsby in Berko! Afterwards we went to a local bar where Zuzana had the joy of meeting her first brown Scorpion. These feisty little buggers are pretty much a hospital job within 2hrs otherwise the outlook is quite bleak. However, she did manage to take a picture of the beast in action. Bedtime.
The next day we set off about 6:30am for our 4 hour boat trip around lake Baringo. Lucas was the guide for the morning and he turned out
to be an expert on all the wildlife and birdlife around the lake. We set off in the glorious morning sunshine and at 9am the temperature was 30+. He took us along the shoreline spotting birds and other little creatures coming out for their breakfast. There were also a few smaller crocs just enjoying the warmth from the morning sunshine. We stopped by some fisherman along the way and Lucas was given 4 Tilapia (lake fish), we assumed this was for his breakfast and thought nothing else of it. We carried on along the shoreline eagerly looking out for more of the 150 bird species the lake had to offer. Lucas was quick to spot a Fish Eagle basking in the morning sunshine no doubt eye'ing the lake meticulously with it's superhuman/ birdlike vision. We pulled up about 50m from the shore and Lucas killed the engine (stopped the boat). He told us a little about the Fish Eagle, how they find a mate and pair for life and their dining habits. He then picked up one of the fish from the boat and explained that once the fish is in the water, focus and on the count of 3...
2... 1... CLICK! At this stage we have little idea of what's about to happen. “Ready?” Lucas then whistled very loudly several times. We watched the Eagle and on Lucas' last blast we the Eagle turned to focus directly on us. Lucas launched one of the Tilapia into the air and it hit the water with a splash... a thud just wouldn't have been right. On impact, the Eagle with it's 6ft+ wing span dropped from the tree and with two light flaps began to glide straight towards us. It's one of the most amazing sites. The eagle draws closer, so close that we can make out all sorts of detail. It's an immaculate bird. 3... 2...1... CLICK! We had the perfect picture of an Eagle striking the water with it's bright yellow talons not 3m from the boat. A few more flaps and it glides back to it's feeding spot to devour it's prize. WOW! We had the opportunity to see this trick again later on in the day with an Eagle half way up a jagged cliff and it was just as spectacular!
We pootled around the lake and drew close to the campsite again. We catch
a glimpse of 4 Ostriches. 3 male and 1 female.. teasing all the boys. We then passed the Hippos by the campsite that had re-entered the lake and they were accompanied by the odd crocodile. What a lovely mixture. We docked the boat at a small jetty and headed off to our next activity at the Reptile Park. It was a sad little place, small and uncared for though the animals were happy as they'd all been rescued from the wild. Most of them had been injured in one way or another. Our first encounter was with a 12ft Python called Maggy. We looked at her in a 3ft x 3ft cage and before we knew it, the “Zoo Keeper” had lifted Maggy out of her cage and wrapped her around Zuzana's shoulders, arms and legs. She was beautiful and let Zuzana know that she was liked by squeezing her that little bit extra. I was stood taking pictures of my girlfriend the snake charmer, and Mr Zoo Keeper quickly filled both of my hands with 2 young Boa Constrictors. I love snakes. Snakes are just great. We swapped and I held Maggy for a moment and she gave me
a good squeeze around my leg and then ventured up my shorts to let me know that I made her happy. She was very heavy and incredibly strong. Quite a beautiful creature actually. We moved on and saw various other snakes. the Black Mamba, the Green Mamba, Rock Adder, Cobras.. there were quite a few. We saw about 20 tortoise in a pen and a family of Crocodiles again in some sort of make shift pen. I would imagine that they all wanted to get out and back into the wild. One day some of them will be set free into a National Park somewhere. That afternoon we headed back to camp and enjoyed a fair few hours in the swimming pool. It was just bliss as it was getting close to 38degrees again.
We had another evening of local cuisine only this time the goat was boiled and tasted just the same. We were however as always grateful for a good feed. Once we returned to the camp we sat around a fire and enjoyed rest of the evening chatting and sharing experiences with the Masai and Lucas.
In the morning we packed our tent early and
left this special place for Nakuru. We arrived around 2pm and again we checked in in the luxurious penthouse suite with jail toilets. But we were happy to have some privacy as Letina had been spending lots of time with us.
Sadly, Letinas attempt at being a guide was falling apart as we were spending more money that had originally been agreed and there were always hidden costs that would surface which he had forgotten about. We had a chat with him about it and said that if he really wanted to start his own Tourism Business he really needed to sit down, get some ideas together and be far better organised. We also had to explain that his 5day safari was financially spiraling out of control. The itinerary was to take us on to Samburu National Park for 2days. Again, this had not been thought through so we decided to inquire about car and guide hire. We had to take into account the car hire, petrol, National Park fees, accommodation and of course money for the Masaai. It was all going to be far too expensive. After discussing the pros and cons the car hire firm came up
with the idea to just go to the Masai Mara National Park on an organized Safari. This actually worked out cheaper and far less hassle than carrying on with Letina so..... I'm sad to say that Letina.... You're Fired!!! Sir Alan would have been proud. We did, however, leave on good terms. Us with a break away and a great trip ahead and Letina with much food for thought.
So... the Mara! We were collected a little bit late but that's Africa so we went with it. We were joined in our Safari minibus by an Australian couple, Lenni and Stanya. They explained that the driver had been late the day before due to mechanical issues..... Hmmmm. The drivers name was Moses and I will never forget that as we used his name often and never in a positive way! After 5hrs in the saddle we arrived at Camp Big Travel. We were offered Welcome Tea, but that's the last thing we all wanted so we ordered Moses to take us into the Masai Mara before sunset to get in at least 3hrs of animal spotting. Moses had a habit of disappearing whenever the opportunity arose. He'd already magically
vanished at lunch for 2hrs making us late for the park.
So we drove in and saw lots of beasts. Giraffes, Steve the Wildebeest, Agness the Gazelle, Cliff the Vulture and we had the rare opportunity to see two Lions having lots of intimate fun together. Apparently it's a rare sight to see Lions at it like rabbits... But they were and I must add without any trouble in front of at least 30 eager lenses. It was a little perverse but quite rare so watching was appropriate. Some Koreans/ Chinese added some oohs and ahhs to natures soundtrack... It was quite the spectacle. We drove around for a while longer and then headed back to base camp for dinner and cocktails.
The next day after breakfast we were waiting outside of the car at 7am as asked by Moses the previous day. He comes strolling in at 7.30am with cup of coffee and a cigarette in his mouth. So we all had a go at him for being late but he insisted on saying “hakuna matata” (no worries) and promised that we were going to have a fantastic time seeing lots of animals. The morning was just
Monitor Lizard
These guys can grow to several meters phenomenal.
We started by spotting two lazing cheetahs and the very elusive leopard, well.... for a brief minute. It disappeared into the bushes quickly to tend to its cub. We saw a mass of elephants, zebras (which despite their completely inappropriate black and white stripes are individually indistinguishable on mass... alone.. they're pretty much dead!), impalas, gazelles, lions, buffaloes, wildebeest, warthogs etc etc. We also stood at Masai Mara/Serengeti border. While I was still in Kenya, Zuzana was illegally in Tanzania, which was nice. For lunch we stopped at a picnic site on the Mara river. We were joined by velvet monkeys who took it upon themselves to steal our food. Some of the Monkeys had babies with them and they were so cute (Zuzana thought that.. I stayed well clear. Monkey rabies is rubbish)!!!
That afternoon we had a bit of a disagreement with Moses because he told us that we will be leaving the park around 4pm even though we paid for whole day safari which was until the park shuts, at 6.30pm. He called his manager and complained that we wanted to stay until late. The whole atmosphere turned very sour so to appease Moses'
massive hissy fit we all agreed that we'll leave at 4pm as long as he didn't behave like a spoiled child and we saw as much as we could. The best way to describe Moses was that he wanted Mzungu money but by doing the bare minimum. Something that became a bit of a theme as we traveled.
On the 3rd day Moses had really upped his game, he was only late by 15minutes. It was a pretty uneventful morning but we were first at the dinner table to witness a cow being torn apart by at least 30 massive vultures (including Cliff). The sound of vultures tearing the cow apart and the screeches was just amazing to hear if not a little bit morbid but that's just nature. All in all though we would not recommend the Masai Mara to anyone that asked us. We were thoroughly disappointed with our experience. It all depends on the company and your driver. The Mara felt more like a zoo than raw nature at work. However, seeing animals anywhere is at worst spellbinding.
We left the park around 11am and headed for Nairobi. Once we'd arrived we booked a ticket
to Mombassa with Lenni and Stanya. They turned out to be great company. We had a good chuckle about Moses and the safari. It was nice to exchange stories and we're hopefully meeting with them when we reach Australia. However, they do have a choice not to answer the phone!!!
In the early hours of the morning we headed to Mombassa. The trip took an extra 2hrs as the driver decided to detour through his village and collect his entire tribe at various points and then drop them off at their desired location while we paid the hiked bus fair. Again, not the last time we would experience this. It was a long journey and the temperature hit 39degrees at one stage but we were getting used to this by now... water off a ducks back. We finally arrived in Mombassa and said goodbye to our new friends and parted. They were heading North to Lamu. We took the first Matatu to the river in order to cross to the south side and get to the Tiwi Beach resorts. The crossing was fun. A massive barge collected about 2000 people with us being the only whites. I kept thinking
I had something in my teeth as people did not stop staring.
We reached our desired hotel and had a fantastically cool shower before hitting the hay, it had been a long day. The next morning we were greeted with beautiful sands and a cool India Ocean breeze. Sadly Mombassa can be a very dangerous place and you can't really venture away from the resort. Heading into town via the access road was a massive NO NO! So for four days we snorkeled and relaxed in the hot pools and lagoons before the tides came in as the wildlife in the ocean was amazing. In the evenings we would eat and drink heartily and ponder about what our families would be up to. It was quite refreshing and wonderful to be in the ocean. We both built up a great base tan!
After 4days of reading/ sunbathing/ reading/ having a beer/ swimming and doing all the things that lovers do we packed up and headed for Tanzania on a bus that played possibly the loudest Arabic music known to all mankind. Thank you Mr and Mrs iPod!
Next stop..... Dar Es Salaam.
We apologies profusely about
our lack of blogging. We've just not had the time. Travelling is a full time job! We're now in India and are still having an amazing time traveling and will post Tanzania soon.
Columbus and Scott
P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!
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Neil
non-member comment
Nice to see you are still alive!
Was starting to think you had been eaten my friend! Nice to see the great pictures and as always accompanied by your unmatchable commentary. Keep it up. Everyone in KPMG IT dept are looking forward to the next installment!