I have to say that the drive itself is definitely an experience. For those of you who have visited China, just imagine that China with even more chaos and worse roads and less patience! Except for Steve of course, who kept me perfectly safe and seemed to keep his head when all around us everyone was losing theirs... A massive amount of roadworks (a major initiative of the government) - and I mean miles and miles and miles at a stretch - and everything all two way with heaps of trucks, buses and crazy matatus (vans that carry around 12 passengers and are a cross between a taxi and a bus, well known for their crazy and reckless driving) all made it something very different to sit back and enjoy...
Matatus pass a truck on both sides in the thick dust - and yes, the road is two-way! At least the roadworks keep the speed down.
You are out of Nairobi very quickly - Steve tells me that if from the centre you drive in any direction for around 20-25 minutes you will be out of the city - a very concentrated city of an estimated 4 million. The trip down the escarpment gives you a brilliant view of the valley itself and we made a stop part-way down at a viewpoint for me to take some photos. The areas for snapping the view are all filled with small shops and businesses and the walkways built to stand on might not quite meet our idea of building regulations.
The viewing platform...
But the people are friendly and informative and all trying to survive however they can (there's no welfare in Kenya) - it all adds to the experience.
This is Patrick who was selling fruit at the view stop and who told me lots about the area and insisted that we have our photo taken together.
After a long and winding road we arrived at the spectacular Lake Nakuru and its surrounding national park. The sight of the flamingos is just awesome - maybe a million, who could possibly count? And pelicans - the large white pelican, very lovely - gulls, Egyptian geese, cormorants, all sorts of water birds. As you drive down to the lake edge you might pass zebras, buffalo, monkeys - lots of game, quite a bit of which has been introduced but is very much at home here.
The flamingos with buffalo in the background... and without buffalo...
Splish splash I was taking a bath....
After I had my fill of the flamingo experience (the sound and the sight are really very spectacular and it was hard to tear myself away) we went on a game drive and I saw some new species including some white rhino. Then came an exciting radio call to say that a LEOPARD had been spotted so we raced across a fair distance and joined all those who had heard the word. By the time we arrived the TWO leopards had come down from the tree and were in the grass but it was still an amazing thrill to see them and they are truly magnificent. Steve tells me I am a very lucky lady, it is rare to see one leopard and extremely rare to see a mating pair like this as they are not at all social.
A very tasty late lunch at the Sarova lodge in the park and then a sighting of a rare (and endangered) Rothschild's giraffe and we were back over the roadworks and headed for Lake Naivasha on the road home. We were able to take a boat trip there and we spent about an hour out on the water with birds and hippos and watching the animals on the island in the lake (the place where the movie Out of Africa was filmed). Steve only told me after we got back on land that he's "water phobic" so he was very brave to come at my invitation.
I guess that when I asked Steve to come with me on the boat trip and he said "that would be lovely" it was something in the way of the guide being very polite to the client....
The African buffalo and the white rhino...
After the boat trip we headed back up the escarpment and home. It was a wonderful day and only helped by my guide - Steve is one of the most interesting and knowledgeable people I've met anywhere and is excellent company. His company, Kenya Wildlife Tours, are lucky to have him and I'd happily recommend him to anyone who is thinking of visiting Kenya as a guide.
Better go, it's getting late and I've another big day tomorrow
lotsa love to all
Lyndall
PS - I spent Monday getting photographs copied and sorted and bought myself another laptop - the prices are good here and I couldn't get any other sort of storage device so I bit the bullet. I had another wonderful young Kenyan man help me out - thanks Kiprono - and also thanks to Dennis who loaded the software. It's easy to make friends in Africa. I'll tell you more about Tuesday's fascinating day (mostly spent with Steve again) later - tomorrow I head northeast out of the city about 165 km to visit my World Vision child Kathele and his community which will be another day to remember I'm sure.
PPS - I'm going to add two postings that I will update on a regular basis, one about the people that Lonni and I met, and that I meet and enjoy, and another about incidents and images that could only happen in Africa. I'll update them fairly regularly so keep and eye on them...
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