Had another early start in the freezing cold up in the mist. Amazing Mdula produced sausages, spanish omelets and eggy bread despite what I’m sure was very little sleep with rain and wind and freezing cold. Set off down into the crater.As you descend you get a feeling this is a special place – a self-contained ecosystem. Unfortunately lots of cloud and pretty cold but didn’t stop us standing to view what we could out of the top of the vehicle. Saw cheetah, lion and hyena in first half hr. Cheetah apparently not common but we actually saw 2 during the morning.Got to see herds!!!!! Zebra and wildebeest. Not sure where they migrate to – 1 side of the crater to the other – but there were thousands. As we’d missed them in Serengeti and others not keen to do Masai, that might have to be the herds we get to see.
Ngogogoro was really an awesome place – so different. Got to see some interesting sights – waterhog fighting and zebra scratching. Don’t sound that interesting but they were very entertaining. Beautiful climb back out of the crater through the forests.Back to camp for hot lunch. Poor Mdula had had a tough time as the elephant with the 1 tusk had raided the camp and he’d taken refuge in the loos. So the beautiful set tables were messed with sugar strewn all over the place. But the beef noodles veg and pancakes were as good as we’d come to expect. On 1 gas cooker, braving dangerous animals and the elements he really did perform marvels. Packed up and headed back to Arusha. Bought a Masai blanket and T-shirt on route.
20July
Mark serviced the car and we did a shop at Shoprite before heading for Nairobi. Got another glance of Kili, better than those on the way in. Not much snow on the northern slopes. Mount Meru looks like a fairly recent volcano. Rd between Arusha and Nairobi is under construction so spent more time on the dirt diversions than the rd. Clearly not good relations between Tanz and Kenya. Terrain is very dry – almost desert-like.
Took Doris’s (GPS) “short cut” round outskirts of Nairobi so we didn’t have to go through at rush hr. Turned out to be a tour of Nairobi’s slums with bumps all the way and loads of potholes. If you think Pmb has gone mad with speed humps, they have nothing on the rest of Africa. If they used the tar they use for humps to fill the potholes, the rds could be quite good!. On meeting up with Margs and Keith a day later, they said Nairobi took 3 hrs to get across, so maybe it wasn’t that bad.
Beyond Nairobi we climbed up into the mountains (2760 m at 1 point). Conifer plantations – may have been cedar pines with what looked liked mown lawns below. View down towards lakes looked pretty but was dusk so not clear. Found camp at Lake Naivasha at about 7. Was a long day!
21 July
Woke to drizzle, hadedas and smoke from the donkies and the incinerator. Lake Naivasha was disappointing - reeded surrounds and no real way of seeing the lake. Learning some real differences between us and them – very different views on hygiene, “hot” showers, loos with seats and privacy. Tiny shower cubicles open onto communal quart yard. Not sure how u are supposed to get dried and dressed. You live and learn.
Left Sharon with the kids on the jungle gym to see if we could find a better camp. Had some differences of opinion on what made a “better” camp. Decided to just move tents at Crayfish Camp where we were. Couldn’t find phone card and even buying veggies was a mission as no-one speaks English here. Tried to find Internet but the only lodge with access wanted R10 per minute for dial-up! Caught up with washing and decided to try the famous baby crayfish at the restaurant for supper. M&K arrived about 7 after a harrowing day in Nairobi – air in fuel, and Doris taking them on circular routes round Nairobi. Food took forever and was more like tiny tinned shrimp than baby crayfish!
Thurs 22 July
Rained during the night. Gee we have had our share of foul weather. So much for no wind or rain and only cold in Serengeti. You live and learn.
Packed up a wet camp. Headed north from L Naivasha. Lake Elementia (or thereabouts – I don’t have the map book with me right now!) looked quite pretty. Can see patches of flamingos from far. Headed off on dirt rd to L Bogoria and Fig Tree Camp spoken about in Holgate’s book. Rd pretty shot. Fig tree camp had the most beautiful fig trees but not much else. The long drop loo was inhabited by bats and hornets. Set up camp. Actually the camp turned out to be one of our best. The figs were lovely and provided welcome shade from the heat both from the sun and the heat from the numerous gysers around the lake. The fresh and cool stream running through the camp was divine and the girls spent most of the afternoon swimming.
The stream water had an amazing feel and left skin and hair soft. It became our bath and, close to the bubbling hot lake, the loo too. – Sorry for those of you who are squeamish. The lake is covered with green algae and then a layer of flies. A few flamingos moved along the shore. The gysers were amazing – bubbling out of the hill all over the place. Quite disconcerting walking along and hearing the mountain above you literally boiling. Baboons kept their distance in the trees. Very camera shy!
Fri 23rd July
Woke to a beautiful day. Went for a walk along the lake shore. We discovered a baby rock python lived in the stream just past the loo, so that was a little alarming especially after various trips to the “loo” in the night! The joys of Africa.
Was a really hot walk with sun and gysers but saw lots of flamingos in one bay. They seem to like it right where the gysers are. The hotter the better.Even where we where and the cool stream ran in, the water was too hot to put your hand in, so they must be able to withstand enormous heat. Read that they feed on the algae which feeds on their poop.
Got back to find Keith and Margs had had a tough time with the baboons.Clearly they had decided the odds had changed in their favour and 2 people couldn’t defend the camp! Got to speak to Ab – was great. Wished I was there in the final ball preparations.
Had quite a big storm during the night.
Sat 24th July
Packed up wet tents. Headed up the lake. Were some other nice camps with grass, but no stream, so I think we had the best site and got to have it to ourselves which was great. More and more flamingos as we headed up the lake. Top end was amazing. I have never seen so many flamingos in my life. What an amazing place.
Moved on to Lake Baringo. Felt rotten again, so don’t remember much of the trip. Passed a hot springs spa at $150 pppn. Lake Baringo was pretty dirty from all the rain. Rivers and streams running in were all very full and muddy. Stayed in bandas with a great shower and kitchen to the 3 rooms. We all enjoyed just mellowing for a while.
Were pleased to have made that decision as it rained all night.
25 July
Packed up and went to the lookout – last view of the rift valley.
Got to lodge – was obviously a beautiful place with house and gardens in its day – but that was 40 years ago. Nothing been done since. In the rain a run down room with own shower and loo and a possibility of hot water was worth the $69 for the room. Beats camping in the rain. They botched the dinner order but not too much of a surprise! Got rooster drum sticks again. This is Africa! Slept well but poured all night. Glad to be under a roof!
Mon 26th
Woke to thick mist and drizzle. Run down hotel seemed even more depressing in the morning. Set off on the 115km trip to Sipi Falls in Uganda. German guy at L. Baringo had said it took him 5 hrs…… he lied!
As it had poured all night, the rd was like a bog. Seeing Mt Elgon was out of the question – covered in thick cloud – probably down to the foothills. Everything was flooded – every stream, rice paddy and ditch along the side of the rd. Rd got worse as we progressed. Water everywhere – wet rd, huge dongas in the rd and on either side. Eventually we slipped off the rd into a donga.
down deep ravines on either side and our heavy vehicles really didn’t want to stick to the tracks – back wheels kept wanting to overtake the front ones! Was really hairy in parts and for a non-mud lover it took nerves of steel (Mom you’d have been proud of me). Thank goodness Erin eventually fell asleep in my arms as I’m sure my nerves were transferring to her even though on the surface I looked calm. Holding her up and holding on at the same time, took as many muscles as Mark needed to drive. Mark did amazingly. I was glad to be with him. Not many people have his driving skills in those conditions.
Along the way the Ugandan people were really friendly. The children particularly, were really excited to see us and then when they saw Erin and Sarah they were over the moon. Lovely people. We couldn’t believe how many schools there were each with really bright uniforms – bright pink, yellow then blue and the girls wear long dresses and the boys shirts in the same colour – maybe it is so they don’t get lost in the mist – but you have never seem such bright uniforms -and mostly clean too! Not sure how they get teachers to come here. I’m not sure I’d come back to live here once I’d experienced other, more accessible parts! Dedication!
While the rd was shot, and very stressful, the scenery was spectacular – well what you could see through the clouds. It felt like we were on top of the world. The mountains , plains and lakes beyond were hazy in the far distance, and every piece of land on these mountain so was cultivated with all kinds of crops. It seems as though you could stick anything in the ground here and then sit back and watch it grow – fast!
Keith also had his turn at getting into a precarious position and with help from Margs, Mark and 5 / 6 locals he eventually came out without rolling over.
Uganda was beautiful – horribly muddy but beautiful. The rd was shocking – mud and puddles as deep as the car and river crossing where the slushy path veered
Had tried to take the side rd but it got steeper and steeper and we didn’t reverse far enough back. We got stuck in a rd rut. We didn’t ask the tractor that passed for help, so Keith had to come back reluctantly and get past us. That took several attempts but then he pulled us out fairly easily. Erin was petrified.
There were even green houses along the way. Have no idea how they got there produce out! Eventually got to the Kenya-Uganda border post. Amazing to see acacias with moss and epiphytes growing on them. Other than the siff little girl with some disease on her hands insisting on shaking our hands, all was well (Thank goodness Erin is shy!). Think we got ripped off with rd taxes too – but hey this is Africa!!!!
Eventually (113 kms in 8 hrs) we reached the tar! At Kapchorwa. What a welcome sight! We could even draw Ugandan Shilling there. Sipi Falls lodge was also a very welcome sight. Reed huts were clean and had their own showers and long drop loos – luxury!!! There was even a TV in the room but of course , due to the storm, there was no power. Had lovely sun downers overlooking Sipi Falls and a great dinner.
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