In the beginning...

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I made it, just. Heathrow turned out it's usual fog which delayed my flight out of the UK (it's like she just didn't want to let me go). The delay meant my 50min transit in Zurich as a 0 minute transit....and I had to go through security again, and it was really busy and the Zurich airport staff were all grumpy, and they wanted to re-search my hand luggage for imaginary liquids! Stress stress, but they held the plane for me - the last passenger on board.
7.5hrs later and I had arrived in Nairobi. The line for visas was short but the visa officials were on 'Africa time' (slow) and the woman in front of me had gas....not great. A half hour, US$50 later and I was through. And, more miraculously, so was my luggage. My driver from Absolute Africa was there waiting for me and we started the rally drive to the hotel. Both lanes of the 2-way road, with the traffic, against the traffic, anything goes. Dodging the people, potholes, & animals my expert driver Jasper got me to the hotel in one piece. I was knackered after the long day & headed straight to my mosquito netted bed.
Met up with the crew and fellow tour mates first thing the next morning. We have George the Kenyan driver and Boris our tour guide (born in Sth Africa, grew up in Zimbabwe, living in Kenya for a few years, fluent in Swahili, animal spotter extrodinaire). At the moment we are only a group of 9 (11 with Boris and George) and it's great. Kiwis, Aussie, Saffas, English, Scottish. We're all equally clueless, excited, hot, dusty and are having a fantastic time. Today is day 4 and routines are starting to fall into place - I will be tent-putter-upper genius by the time I'm home. A back part of the truck fell off yesterday, spewing coal, empty bottles, and cleaning products along a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. We picked it all up, much to the amusement of the local tribes people, but we have a couple of hrs to kill in Nakuru today while the truck gets fixed. I am a bit unorganised and forgot to bring my connection to the camera, which means no photos this post. Apologies, I know the photos are the interesting bit! I will get organised soon I promise.
We did our first game drive yesterday which was fab. Saw loads of giraffes, impala (and various other antelope type animals that I'm yet to remember the name of), and managed to stay quiet and still enough for a herd of elephants to graze and stroll right by the truck! We also visited a local tribe, the Samburu, where our girls were made to pile on the necklaces and join in with some traditional dancing (I'm not sure those photos will make the post!!). The people here are stunningly beautiful and generally very friendly. The souvenir sellers can be a little tiresome but I'm learning strategies to deal with them. When we drive through the smaller villages the children pile out to the roadside to wave and jump up and down, which is so cute.
We drove through the Rift Valley this morning and are on the way to Uganda, where we will arrive tomorrow. We pick up another 10 people tomorrow too which will be interesting...........it's so great having a lot of space on the truck and we're a pretty tight group already, but the more the merrier and all that. I'll let you know.
Photos soon I swear.

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Comments

[Helz]

Woohooo!!!
Hey Shels, yay, you've had a chance to update your blog!!!!! I'll let the girls know! Sounds like you're having a blast and are right royalty with all the kids coming out to wave and run after the truck! Dubs misses you! Take care chicky! Helz