15 May, Sunday
Isiolo to Mountain Lodge We have a relaxed morning and by noon we pack to drive closer to Mount Kenya, which we can see in the distance. We had a wonderful stay at Gaddisa and will recommend it to anyone who needs time out. Our drive to Mount Kenya takes us to breathtaking scenes over the Rift Valley. We cross the equator which is exciting and reach our destination in less than 2 hours: Rock Mountain Lodge at the foot of Mt Kenya. The campsite is beautiful: green grass, exceptionally clean bathrooms, hot water showers and a small barbecue contraption on which I’m going to make a real ‘potjie’. Hugo has helped me to put our meat in a marinade, we have fresh veggies – it is going to be delicious…and it is! We finish, between the 4 of us, a chock-full potjie - I have to fight to save some for Sammie - who still does not have dog food. It is a beautiful, windstill evening. All of us are getting more excited and ready for our last stretch home. Lighter travel days make such a difference and now, in retrospect, we realize how hard and grueling the trip from the Kenyan border was, but we did it! See Gallery: Photos: crossing the equator 14 May,
Saturday Samburu to Isiolo, Kenya We are ready and packed at the crack of dawn – our sunrise game drive. We have a 24 hour park permit, so we do not want to waste time. We see many antelope, giraffes, elephants, zebra, baboons and birds. Willie takes stunning pictures. (See Gallery: Photos: Samburu Day 2) There are several tourist game drive vehicles looping through the park and everyone wants to see, of course…lions, but they’ve been evasive. We find a big herd of elephants and it is wonderful to watch them kick up grass with their front legs, use their trunks to pick it up and stick in their mouths. We spend a long time watching the activity and interaction with one another. The tranquil environment and beauty of nature also thaw out our emotions and harmony is restored. 11 am Willie finds a secluded picnic spot by the river and we can let Sammie out to run. We have oatmeal for breakfast and enjoy the break from sitting in the car. Our seclusion, like so often before, is short lived: young children herding goats from across the river spot us and a shrill one-way conversation starts between us. 45 minutes later two older brothers arrive decked out in colorful traditional attire. They wade through the river and join us. Hugo tries a conversation with them, but their understanding of English is limited. They are friendly and I am sorry that I did not take a picture of them and Hugo, but all I want to do at this point is pack and leave. I am tense about Sammie especially after one of the guys pulled out a mobile phone from where in his attire I do not know, because he did not wear clothes with pockets and makes a call. I am so nervous, often unnecessarily, and I make life difficult for myself and others with me… We leave and have 3 hours left, before we have to leave the park. We drive along the river and see many animals in the most beautiful setting of lush green vegetation under a canopy of thorn trees – truly a scene from ‘out of Africa’. Willie and I wondered if it was worth spending all the money for the park, but feel different after this drive. We watch how a baby elephant crawl-stumble over a fallen tree in an effort to do what mama was doing – the kind of scenes you often only see once in a lifetime. This was a rich experience and we agree that we can head out to the gate. Willie stops by the river where we watch a troop of monkeys feed, fight and frolic through the Marula trees. Their behavior change in one splitsecond: loud alarm calls and monkeys scatter around, jump and disappear into the trees from where they join the wild angst-chorus. What can it be? “There’s a lion!”, and Willie points across the river and we all see her for 30 seconds before she disappears in the shrubs. We are excited and Hugo wants Willie to g look for her a.s.a.p. To do this we have to drive across the river and thanks to Dolla, our GPS guide, Willie can mark the spot, but it will be a 40 minute drive. “Let’s do it!” Hugo climbs out on the roof of the car when we approached the area where we saw her – thick scrubs and trees – typical lion country. It will be difficult to find a lion here, because she can lie behind a bush and we will not even know. Willie takes several loops and then I see her lying in the shade under a tree! He backs up and we commit all ‘the watch-animals-in-the wild’ faux-pas: we talk loudly; point and all of us frantically want Hugo back in the car! Those yellow eyes looked at us and then immediately switched focus to Hugo on the roof! We finally have Hugo back in the car, but by this time she’s decided this circus is too much for someone who needs an afternoon nap, so she slowly gets up and saunters away! Aaagh! We have to see her again, so Willie starts to circle and we do see her under a bush, but a fallen tree obstructs our view and we cannot get close enough – so we have to try a different approach: Willie pushes the car over shrubs and we finally have a good enough view of a very drowsy, lethargic lion so that we can take pictures. (Gallery: photos: Samburu Day 2) We watch and take pictures until we are satisfied. We’ve seen our lion and are so happy for Andrej. We leave the park and drive to Isiolo 1 hour away where we have the waypoints for Gaddisa Hotel. It looks inviting with big, shady trees, a swimming pool and we are welcomed by a friendly Danish lady. We pitch camp behind the hotel and the happiest of us all? Our stow-away, Sammie, released from his car-prison. He runs up and down with a big smile on his face! Water has become one of the most important luxuries on this journey, so very soon all 4 of us are in the cool, refreshing water of a swimming pool. What more can you ask for? We have one of the best meals on our trip – unanimous decision: chicken and the ‘best fries, north of Mt Kenya’. We crawl into bed verycontented and thankful for all the unexpected small, but important, luxuries ofwater, grass, clean bathrooms, food and kindness of people. See Gallery: Photos: Samburu Day 2 13 May, Friday
Marsabit to Samburu National Park We start our trip with trepidation. The overlanders in the camp came with the road we are venturing on and according them it is extremely bad. The one Kenyan guy broke 2 shocks in the process. So here we go again, but can it be worse…? It starts out good. As Willie keeps on saying, “I am holding my breath, but if this is what bad is, then they do not know what bad is.”Unfortunately, they were right. It deteriorates over a short distance to something very familiar to us. What will we do to be on one of the Chinese built Ethiopian roads? The one good thing is that we have done more half of the distance. At places the road is so bad that other vehicles have veered off what should be road to make their own in the softer sand beside the road, so that is what we do as well. Willie hands the wheel to Hugo and he drives for more than an hour – through dust, over rocks, through potholes and he did well for someone who has not been behind the wheel more than 4 times, maybe. We finally reach the tar road that we’ve heard of and it is bliss! We decide that we will go into Samburu National Park. We know it is very expensive, but it is our first national park and also Andrej’s very first time that he will experience Africa in the wild. We hide Sammie, because usually pets are not allowed in parks, although nothing about pets are posted on the General Park Rules at the gate. Andrej and Hugo climb on the roof and our first animal is a zebra, but a different one – the Grevy or Imperial Zebra. They only occur in Kenya and Ethiopia and compared with other zebras, are tall, have large ears, and its stripes are narrower. It is more donkey-like in appearance as compared to other zebras, which are more horse-like. On our way to our campsite we see Springbok, Red Buck, Giraffes, Kudu, Gemsbuck, the Gerenuk antelope: a long-necked species of antelope (also called Giraffe-necked) found only in East Africa; elephants in the distance; many birds and baboons. Our campsite is right by the Brown River – home for many crocodiles. We have guards and wardens in the camp and trying to hide Sammie is quite nerve-wrecking for me; it results in high tension and we are not happy campers when we finally settle down around a fire. There are baboons everywhere and they are not afraid to jump on the car and stick their hands through the window, so we have to be vigilant all the time. We take Sammie out after dark for a few minutes, but then stick him back in the car. He has no idea what is going on and all the strange smells and sounds make him nervous as well. I’m not sure I can do this again. Our first night in the real wild Africa is not a relaxed and enjoyable one. I hope tomorrow will be better. It was a long day with difficult driving conditions and all of us are weary and worn out. See Gallery for photos: Marsabit to Samburu road; Samburu National Park 12 May, Thursday Marsabit
We went to bed with the wind already strong, but I wake up with such fear. Not only does it feel as if the tent is going to take off, but the car shakes so violently at times that I’m afraid it will blow over and crash on the boys’ tent right next to the car. I wake Willie up to make sure the car will not tip over. He assures me that will not happen. We try to sleep, but it is really difficult – quite ironic: during the day we got tossed and turned and during the night the wind took over from the road! Marsabit, Marsabit…? We wake up thick-headed and still worried about Andrej’s stomach. It is not terrible, but not good either. We are not sure whether it might be the malaria medication or a parasite or still an aftermath of his ‘food poisoning.’ He had a terrible night as well and goes back to bed at 11 am. Willie makes the wise decision to rest another day. That will give Andrej and us more time to recover and get ready for the next rock-and-roll ride. Hugo and Willie turn the shelter into Marsabit movie theater when they watch a James Bond movie on the computer. I discovered popcorn which I pop in the middle of the Kenyan bush – a first for us as well! We do laundry, read about Kenya, watch birds and drive to the village to buy food supplies and fill up with diesel. Andrej feels better after his 4 hour rest and we have a pleasant evening doing nothing. The camp fills up when 6 vehicles arrive: some going to venture out over the potholes to the Kenya/Ethiopian border and others are going to visit the national park in the area. Sammie makes sure that he greets everyone and it is great to share some of our experiences and receive advice from the Kenyans who know the area and the parks well. See Gallery for photos: Marsabit 11 May Tuesday bump, shake, jiggle, wiggle, wobble, bob, sway, quiver, tremble, shudder, shiver...5/19/2011 11 May, Wednesday Moyale t0 Marsabit
We’ve heard about it; we’ve read about it; you can only do it with armed convoy escort : horrible, scary – the road from Moyale to Marsabit – the ONLY road into Kenya from the Moyale border. ‘No, you do not need an armed guard anymore. The area was declared safe for non-convoy travel,” the immigration official at the border told Willie and I guess they will know. So here we are – all 5 of us if we include ‘Jaws’ –ready as we ever can be. I do not feel fear, nor trepidation – a wariness, a guardedness because of the uncertainty. I almost want to use the words of the Bible: ‘nothing can prepare you’ for what is happening to us. They actually call this a road? We start out and it is not too bad – it is badly potholed, but tolerable. Willie is extremely careful, because this is where the rubber literally strikes the road – we shake along 25 km/hour as big trucks flew past us. It is quite breathtaking to watch them perform the truckers rock-and-roll as they grow small and disappear in the unknown. It is green and lush as we pass through a nature conservation area and we are on the lookout for animals. We pass several small villages and what is strikingly different from anything we’ve seen before is the traditional homes and clothing women and men wore. The clothes are very colorful with intricate beads and decorations around their heads and necks –beautiful and I wish I am in a position to take better pictures. The houses look like beehives, and although flimsy looking can sustain nature elements for as long as 60 years. The distance we have to cover: 150 km. It takes us 2 ½ hours to cover one third. This is going to be a long day. It is getting drier and desert looking and also warmer. The road has deteriorated to something you cannot explain – you can only experience it. We bump, shake, jiggle, wiggle, wobble, bob, sway, quiver, tremble, shudder, shiver into all directions. Our speedometer reads 20 – 25 if we are lucky! This is going to be a long day… The world around us has become as harsh and unfriendly as the road we are on – pure, unadulterated desert with dust whirlwinds springing up in the distance. The horizon starts to tremble and you are suddenly not sure anymore if what you see is actually what you are seeing – heat mirages. Uninhabitable…? I think so, but, No, as far as we go - intermittently, we pass clusters of beehives, but the inhabitants remain hidden. Where do they ge twater? Why do you want to live here? How do you stay alive? What do you do? We have become more travel-wise – the boys have filtered water for us and we have several bottles waiting in the refrigerator. We stop for potty breaks and to give Willie and the Desert Nomad brief reprieve from climbing over rocks and diving into powdered dust. 20 km/hour is max when we bump and thump over the halfway mark. We stop for another potty break in the shade of a courageous little thorn tree that is trying its best to provide shade. We stop with a wheel in the shade to make it happy. An awful smell greets us and Hugo immediately makes the diagnosis: “something is dead” as he wraps my purple scarf around his face. It is a cow in the ditch beside the road. I suddenly figure it out: this is a screening test to prove that you can enter Kenya – it is here that the chaff is separated from the corn…if you can survive this as a non-Kenyan, you have right of passage. Maybe I’m becoming delirious… We do see ostriches with their legs floating in the heat-haze. We stop to take pictures of the barrenness as far as the eye can see; of the ostriches; of the beehives; of the dust whirlwinds crossing our path; of the roadside rocks; of the vastness being swallowed by the heat and we have covered another 25 km. Loaded trucks whizz past us kicking the proverbial dust in our faces and Willie tells an inquiring Hugo – it is because they have 8 wheels at the back. We have 2 so our needle hovers between 20 and 25. The sun has crossed over us, and now torments the passengers on the right side of the car. We know the end is near – I mean not our end, but the end of the road when we start to see large herds of goats grazing on … (I don’t know what, because I cannot see anything). Humans start to emerge and 10 km later the first green appears. The sun is almost down when we pass a crater on our right and we know Marsabit is not far. Camp Henry is our final destination. We know that Henry is from Switzerland and that he has a campsite with clean toilets and hot showers. Marsabit is a town you visit, because you have no choice and Herny is there. We pass through the town with the faithful GPS leading us, “Turn right”, but there is no right – just a ditch and then after the ditch what looks like a road. ‘Camp Henry’ with an arrow pointing 1 km in a direction we eagerly follow. We reach Camp Henry when the sun sets as only an African sun can set, and we are happy for Henry’s vision: toilets, shower with a rudimentary, brilliant wannabee solar contraption, water, garbage bins, a sheltered area, friendly staff! What more do you want? The boys help me peel veggies and we concoct a really good meal – with meat and all - in no time! We are especially happy for the shelter, because quite a strong wind starts to kick up dust. We are in bed shortly after dinner. We made it! We passed the litmus test. We can travel through Kenya! See Gallery for Pictures: Moyale to Marsabit What a noisy night? A beautiful sunrise wakes us and within half an hour we have our audience: the goat herder, his friend and the sister. Our every movement is carefully watched, but we should get used to it by this time. I do not think they've ever been close to white people other than seeing us drive by, because they are actually afraid of us. Any movement towards them causes them to back away. We are back on the road - the last stretch to the Kenyan border. It is Hugo who spots the prize bird of our trip this far: The Red and Yellow Barbet! "It's the one on the front of the book!" are Andrej's words when he looked through the binoculars and yes, it is - the bird chosen to sit on the front of the East Africa Bird Book! We arrive at Yabelo by noon and stop at the hotel for a last meal in Ethiopia. Andrej and Willie have omelets, Hugo: spaghetti bolognaise and I have my last Tegebino and 'enjera' and this time I remember to take a picture of the jumbo sour pancake. It is so big it reminds me of a handtowel...! Last stretch to Moyale the split border town between Ethiopia and Kenya. I feel how the level of my anxiety barometer slowly climbs the closer we get to the end. We have no idea what to expect, but it cannot be worse than Syria or Sudan. Money changers and fixers are on us like vultures when we stop. All 4 of us march across the street to the immigration office. The 3 guys look like tramps: tattered shorts, dirty t-shirts, facial hair...Saying farewell to them should not be too difficult, but welcoming them into the new country...? I'm not so sure. We sit a long time in the office, because the computer is down or something and our exit is carefully recorded in a large ledger book. Finally, 4 punches in our passports and we have to go to the customs office where it goes much faster to deregister the vehicle. The officer checks the engine and chassee number and we are in Kenya - just kind of glided over the border! A sign reminds us to: Please stay left - left-hand driving in Kenya - remnant of the English colonial era, as is English as one of the official languages which will make life infinintely easier. Hugo and I switch to our Namibian passports, because it is quite a bit cheaper to travel through Africa. Here we are in Kenya! There is immediately a different feel. It seems as if we are less of an attention drawer as we make our way through the main road until someone spots Sammie! We draw and change money( the currency in Kenya is shillings), stock up on supplies, and find our long-awaited Samoosas. We go for dinner to a small local restaurant and all of us want chicken...We eat the toughest chicken I've ever had! I cannot believe that something cooked can be so tough - it is impossible to remove the meat from the bone or just move the meat, period. Sammie receives generous chicken donations from all 4 of us. Hopefully his fierce looking jaws will be able to do something? We find a camping spot at the Nature Conservation Headquarters and go to bed early. Tomorrow we will tackle the ill-famous road from Moyale to Marsabit. I am immensely thankful that we made it safely all the way from Germany to here - no big disasters or illnesses, but for the here and there stomach upsets and Andrej who is not 100% yet. Fierce jaws loved the chicken! 9 May, Monday Konso to Starling Paradise Bushcamp
We wake up in the middle of the night with thunder rumbling and lightning flashes streaking through the sky. Rain pours and we hope the boys are ok in the tent. It is still raining softly when we wake up and the world outside is a red, muddy mess! Clods of clay collect around your shoes that it feels like overtsized padded gumboots. The guys stayed dry in the tent during the storm. We are back on the road again after a delicious traditional flaky pastry egg kind of a dish. The next town after Konso on our way to the border is Yabelo. It is a corrugated road through a beautiful mountain pass and deep valleys. It is a remote area and the people in the valley are farmers, cattle - and goat herders. They wear traditional clothes: men a colorful robe draped around them and they all carry walking sticks; the women wear bold colored skirts and layers of beaded necklaces and bracelets – very different from what we’ve seen in the rest of Ethiopia this far Nothing is different though in the frenzy our presence creates amongst the yelling children running beside and after the car asking for money, water bottles or pens – the familiar, “yoo-yoo-yoo!” accompany us. I have to say we are getting tired of constantly dealing with this and fighting off hordes from the car, but we try to be as patient as we can, most of the time. It is beautiful landscape and nature we drive through and the further we travel villages become more scattered with fewer people on the road. Willie says more than once that he just feels like bush camping right here. We pull off the road and park under a big tree to have lunch. It is so peaceful and quiet that we embrace Willie’s idea of bush camping and he drives a little deeper into the bush where we pitch camp under a big tree –hopefully away from prying eyes. We will see how long it will last before we are discovered? Rain chases us back to the canopy, but not for too long. We see many birds and identify 3 new starlings of which one is a brilliant yellow and purple. Yes, our hiding place is discovered by a goat herder boy and his beautiful sister. They just stand and look at us with great curiosity for a long time and then leave. We do enjoy being in the bush. The guys make a fire and I cook an improvised ‘potjie’ with onions, tomatoes and pasta – never to be repeated again. It tastes really good and I have to fight to save some for Sammie who is without dog food since we left Sudan. The stars are bright and in the distance, not too far away, beating of drums with people singing and clapping hands drift towards us through the quiet night – some kind of festival or celebration. Hugo and Andrej decide to walk to the village to see what is going on when we go to bed. A strange, grunting/croaking sound pulls me back to consciousness. Willie is also awake – we hear it again and it now sounds as if there are 2 of this whatever? Hugo, who was sitting at the fire, gets up and tries to find out where it comes from. He shakes a few trees and branches and we finally realize it is in the tree under which we are parked. Our flashlights are not strong enough to see what grunts and croaks monotonously and almost non-stop…a sound we’ve never heard before. If it did not come from the tree then I would have thought it is a pig/boar/warthog…maybe a tree frog? The village party is in full swing with drums and singing, and the ‘party’ in the tree makes for a very noisy night! The longer I listen to this nocturnal duet, I begin to wonder if it could be owls? As if these annoyances are not enough the tent fills up with smoke coming from the smoldering fire and I finally get up, add extra wood and rekindle the fire…oh, what a night! Photos: Gallery: Starling bush camp between Konso - Yabelo 8 May, Sunday
Arba Minch to Konso – Strawberry Fields All 4 of us are ready to go to Kenya. We had a most amazing 3 week journey through Ethiopia and our memory chest is filled to the brim with unforgettable places, people and experiences, but we are ready to move on. Andrej is better, but not 100% yet and he has to be very careful with what he eats. All of us are hypervigilant about washing our hands and hygiene. Our next stop is Konso in the Omo Valley of South Ethiopia. It is not a big town and choices to stay are limited. We visit a few hotels to see what rooms look like and then we find the Strawberry Fields! Now what a name for campsite in the heart of Southern Ethiopia? It is an interesting and different place: eco-friendly with solar panels and home-grown veggies and fruit! We find the cleanest, odorless long drop-toilets ever encountered: sponsored by an environmentally friendly organization who wants to educate and create awareness of natural ways to maintain hygienic conditions in and under difficult circumstances. I never thought that I will rave about the conditions of a toilet - a long drop - but after 3 1/2 months of traveling my world has become strangely different... Strawberry Fields have quite a spectacular menu, unlike anything we’ve encountered this far: salads, soups, and traditional Omo-valley meals. Unfortunately, after drooling for fresh, crunchy salads, we discover that they only have a limited choice of what is offered on the menu! It made us excited for a few minutes, though! Willie and I sleep in a round thatched hut and the guys sleep in the rooftop tent in the parking area. We watch a James Bond movie on the computer – how is that for bringing technology into almost absurd places! See photos in Gallery: Strawberry Fields in Konso 7 May 2011 Saturday Arba Minch
We wake up curious to know what it looks like where we are camping as it was dark when we arrived last night. Our campsite is on a plato with a stunning panoramic view over the Rift Valley and 2 large lakes far below us. We soon have a few baboon guests very interested in Sammie’s movements andSammie cannot believe what he is seeing. We have to keep a close watch on him, because the baboons sit around ready to run over and grab what they can put their hands on. Willie took great pictures of the sunrise, baboons and birds. See gallery: Arba Minch Andrej wakes up, looking very pale, weak and washed out. He did not throw up again and we decide to take it easy to give him a chance to replenish fluids and recover. We drive down to the town to see if we can find a market where we can buy food. The prices of pasta and tuna are ridiculous and it is not worth trying to cook our own food. It is far cheaper to eat in a local restaurant, but now we have 2 non-Ethiopian-food partakers and in a town this small we are not going to find any Western food. Hugo enquires from several restaurants and they only have Ethiopian food. We decide we will eat at the hotel’s restaurant as it is the only place that serves ‘normal’ food, although it is pricier. Andrej gradually feels better, but one can see he is far from well, yet. We are still not sure what has caused this? I know one thing –I’ve never seen anyone expel poison from his body as violently as what happened to Andrej. |
AuthorCaren "There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne - bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive. One only feels really free when one can go in whatever direction one pleases over the plains, to get to the river at sundown and pitch one's camp, with the knowledge that one can fall asleep
beneath other trees, with another view before one, the next night." - Karen Blixen - Out of Africa, Kenya 'Of course as I am reading this, I know that you DO get your visas and the container DOES get released, but oh the internal struggle we face even though we should trust (as Hugo does) that God has His hands on all things and is constantly taking care of us.'
From a Friend: :) Crazy to think that we are ALL made of blood, bone and water yet we speak in so many tongues that getting along together becomes a massive task within itself. Archives
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"Julle sal dit maak! Opwindend, dis 'n geleentheid 1x in 'n leeftyd. Ons wens ons kon deel wees daarvan. Sterkte en ons bid vir 'n veilige reis!"
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