Advertisement
Published: January 30th 2018
We left Jinja on the morning of the 17th, and crossed the border into Kenya at Malala. It took four hours to reach the border crossing and the only incident was the refusal to let us use their bathrooms. According to one stocky female security person, all the facilities were for staff only. Eventually we were herded across the dusty lanes of traffic, side stepping the many convoys of petrol trucks, to a public toilet located behind the animal holding cages. One had to take a deep breath before entering - sucking in any of the fumes from inside made the animal cages seem aromatic. One hour at the border - lining up first to leave Uganda and then again to enter Kenya - followed by another hour, heading due east, on the road before we reached Eldoret. This city is the fourth largest in Kenya with a population of 220,000.
Our safari was winding down and we could see the end in sight. We had eight days left including this one in Eldoret. After that we have a two night stand in Nakuru, another two days at Lake Naivasha, two more at the Masai Mara Park and finally a
single night in Nairobi. Since the gorillas, Monica has starting to get 'upgrade' fever, (a few in other tents were beginning to comment on my snoring - I asked them to thank me for scaring away any potential predators in the night), however the price was too steep for a single night and we had arrived too late in the afternoon. Once we 'tented' ourselves it was time for dinner. The Naiberi River Campsite, however, was really something to behold. The park was extensive with forest paths winding about leading to a pool and a wonderful bar. We.are still in the mountains so the nights cool off quickly - excellent for sleeping. The bar sported a huge and fantastic fireplace that was open on all sides so a large group could sit around it. It also had a pool table in the back corner which quickly became the hangout for our entire group except Monica and I. Rather, we sat around the fire sipping our drinks, (Monica could even get her red wine) chatting with a couple of guys from New York. They were young, in their thirties, and professional photographers. They were staying here to get shots of the
elite Kenyan runners who practice here in the mountains to prepare themselves for the many marathons around the world. As a group, Kenyan runners rank as the world's best. Politically, they were getting tired of being asked to explain the political mess at home. They detested Trump and really were as dumbfounded as us as to how he got into power. Our discussion shifted as to where they should do their photography next - either the Serengeti or the gorillas. We sipped our drinks - being in a new country I was taste testing a new beer. It had been Primus in Uganda and now it was Tusker in Kenya. At three dollars for a sixteen ounce bottle, it was still a good deal.
Speaking of money, Kenya also represented an easier calculation of exchange rates. One hundred Kenyan shillings pretty much equals one US dollar. Much simpler than Uganda where it is 3,636 shillings to a dollar; or Tanzania where it is 2,246 shillings to a dollar; or even Rwanda where the exchange sits at 855 francs per dollar.
The next day we drove out of the mountains on relatively smooth roads down into the
Great Rift Valley. Where Uganda is known as 'the pearl of Africa', Kenya calls itself the 'cradle of humanity'. For it is here in this valley, that some of the earliest evidence of our ancestors can be found. Bone fragments estimated at over 3.3 million years old have been dug up in the Rift. The valley itself supposedly extends from well south of us in Mozambique all the way up to Israel. We pulled into the Punda Millias campsite and Monica immediately snatched up an upgrade. We had a kind of guest cabin all to ourselves with a wonderful bed and firm mattress. We were also the closest cabin to the toilets and showers. This definitely lead to what I will call the 'coffee incident'. After sleeping well, I awoke relatively early and wandered over to the truck where Chris was busy setting up for breakfast. The kettle was hot so I made two coffees and then walked back to our guest house. We had a kind of front porch with two comfortable chairs so I presumed that it would be an ideal place to enjoy our morning coffee. Upon finishing our java, I marched to the showers while Monica
went to the breakfast area. Upon seeing Monica with a coffee cup, our guide Chris asked how she had gotten a coffee since he had not seen her earlier. Monica explained that I had made and brought her the coffee. Suddenly, all the females in the camp turned on their male partners demanding to know why they did not have a coffee brought to them each morning. When I emerged from the showers and became aware of the situation, I apologized (with tongue securely lodged in cheek) to all the guys for getting them into trouble. I did point out that the second cup was Monica's responsibility, as I dangled my cold and empty mug.
Nakuru is slightly bigger than Eldoret - around 260,000 - and is dominated by Lake Nakuru, home to a myriad of pelicans and flamingos. When we arrived, a good portion of the campsite was taken up by another Absolute Africa group, doing our same safari but in the opposite direction. They were a larger group, 21 I believe, and very young and noisy. Where our group meals were usually quiet and solemn affairs, with intimate conversations going on with the co-hort next to you,
this group sounded like a flock of flamingos, all yelling and laughing at the same time. Oh well, they were just starting their trip while we were winding down. And while we had started our safari with the worst campsites and poorest accommodations, steadily getting better, they were going from best to worst. It would be interesting to see how frisky they would all be towards the end.
On our second day, we set out in 4X4s on a game drive through the reserve by Lake Nakuru. The highlight was at the end of the day when our guide drove us to where the rhinos do their daily crossing. We witnessed eight of these endangered beasts shuffling past us. Our guide explained that each rhino in the reserve has two rangers to supervise and protect them from poachers. Earlier we had found a giant flock of flamingos on the shore of the lake and found them again when we got out of our jeeps after driving to a viewpoint known as the Baboon Cliffs. It was here that we ate lunch and fed our apple cores to a rock horax who showed little fear of people. The
other high light was seeing many of the Rothschild giraffes. There are only around 1600 of these - representing one of nine giraffe species in Africa. The Rothschilds have smaller sized brown patches, stand slightly taller at around twenty feet, and have the best eyesight. It is said that with their height, they can see predators from miles away. It was a great experience seeing the rhinos and flamingos and, coupled with our guest cabin, made this stop a very enjoyable one.
I should mention that, as I write this, Kenya's political situation is in disarray. Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta, has been in power since 2013. The election that year was contested as being rigged but nothing was pursued. This past year another election took place and Kenyatta won that with 50% of the vote. However, the courts ruled that the election was corrupt and that a revote must take place. The opposition, lead by Raila Odinga, boycotted this second election on the grounds that nothing had been done to ensure an honest vote would take place. Kenyatta retained power with no opposition. However, a wave of criticism has overtaken this government due to
many of its economic policies and now supporters of Odinga have claimed he actually won the election last August. Raila Odinga had fled the country to avoid arrest and today he is flying back in from Germany. His supporters have gathered at a large park in Nairobi and are hosting a swearing in of Odinga as Kenya's new leader. Officially, Kenyatta and his government have remained mute on most of this, however as I sit here in Mombasa, all news coming from the television or radio has been blacked out. There will be no live media coverage of Odinga's swearing in. There is a drought here in Kenya and estimates say that around twelve million are starving or in need - about one quarter of the population. Yet oil was discovered in Kenya only a few years ago and the people are wondering why the money from this oil has disappeared. We feel safe here on the tourist laden beaches of Mombasa but many of the locals seem tense, waiting for the first shot to be fired.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.154s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 11; qc: 51; dbt: 0.0785s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Heather and Norm
non-member comment
learning a lot
Your trip is opening up eyes about Africa. Whoever researched this trip did a great job. Although I squinted when looking at that photo, Marty, you did not appear. And Monica, I'd be wanting upgrades by this time, too. What was that old ad line...."take me to the Hilton...?"