July 16
After 3 wonderful nights in the
Maasai Mara we left this rich wildlife wonderland and headed for Nairobi.
We had arranged to visit a Maasai
village just outside the reserve and this was interesting as well as a bit sad.
This tribe still lives a very traditional life. In Kenya they have huts made of
timber daubed with cow dung which dries to form a reasonably sturdy shelter.
The 'house' has a small entrance leading to a tiny room where the family cooks
their meals. There are two other small rooms for sleeping accommodation. This
particular hut had about eight people living in it!
Outside a grandfather sat in the
dirt with his back to the sun, warming himself, as he 'cared' for the young
children. The children were covered in flies and did not look at all clean.
In this tribal system the women
build the houses, care for the children, milk the cows, prepare the meals,
fetch water – just about everything in fact. Oh, except care for the cows and
goats as they graze outside the village- this is the man's responsibility, and
the boys!
We were entertained with traditional
dances and singing. Of course the jumping is part of this. Then it was the
obligatory hard sell and we came away with some trinkets. I have to say their
traditional dress is very attractive and they adorn themselves with lots of
beaded necklaces and bangles (also made by the women!)
After negotiating the dirt road out
of Maasai Mara to Nerok once again, we stopped at a supermarket in Nerok for
toilets and a supermarket to buy some bits and pieces for our lunch that day.
The supermarket is in a new complex and we thought the toilets would be fine.
We followed the signs across an empty room (presumably to become a new shop at
some stage) and found the toilets. 3 cubicles – two labelled ladies and one
labelled gents – the doors were new and sported fancy brass handles. This
looked promising. However, no toilet seat and no toilet paper – ah, this is
Africa! A big improvement on the squat toilet we were faced with, in the game
park mind you!
We went to the supermarket which was
up a grand staircase. We were scanned before entry! This shop to us seemed like
a combination of a mini Costco (selling everything) to a combination of a
supermarket with Bunnings (hardware store) – they sold just about everything from food to
clothing to barbed wire! We headed for the bakery and bought two huge pieces of
pizza, some bananas and mandarins for the next couple of days – cost? $A6!
Leaving Narok we descended back into
the fertile Rift Valley. Farms everywhere growing wheat, maize and vegetables.
Nearly at Nairobi we pass on the hill from Maymayu a church built by Italian
POWs in 1942. They built the steep road out of the valley and as they had
nowhere to pray they built the church as well.
It was a steep climb with trucks
galore in both directions. We managed to pass lots of trucks. At one point
trucks were overtaking other trucks under the most dangerous circumstances.
Around one bend was a family of baboons grazing on the side of the road. One
was nearly cleaned up trying to cross to join the rest, but as I have said
before – this is Africa.
Our accommodation in Nairobi (on the
south side of the city this time) was phenomenal. It looked like an old
colonial home or something, but apparently it was built by a government spy.
The rooms were massive – larger than our living area at home – and upstairs
there were grills to cut off the stairs in case the place was invaded. There
was an escape hole too! Fascinating.
 |
| Sunrise over the hippo pool, Keekorok |
 |
| We hadn't see too many elephants during our stay. This group we just caught before exiting the park |
 |
| Visiting the Maasai village was an experience to be remembered |
 |
| The roof inside the Maasai hut |
 |
| The small 'living' area. No natural light. I lent my phone, with it's light on, to Nicholas our Maasai guide |
 |
| The Maasai are a tall race, but even Ian had to duck to get through the door |
 |
| Just amazing |
 |
| A proud, good looking people. |
 |
| The women marry very young, around 17 or 18. One of this group was 24 already with 3 children |
 |
| There is no power in the Masai Mara. Poles are being erected to bring power to the lodges. A dangerous and difficult task |
 |
| So many interesting sights when driving through the villages and towns |
 |
| The church built by Italian POWs during WWII |
 |
| This narrow road winds its way out of the Rift Valley |
 |
| A very hazy view, but you can get the idea how far we climb out of the valley |
 |
| Road works were being done on this winding road - a dangerous job |
 |
| Not just on the dirt roads, but also on the main routes too we see these donkey carts |
 |
| Our hotel room in Nairobi! |
 |
| The outside of a Maasai hut - no words |
July 17
Travelled from Nairobi to Tsavo East
NP to stay at a town called Voi. This route took us on the main route from Nairobi
to Mombasa (on the coast). We had been warned it would be busy and an early
start was required.
As we skirted Nairobi on a by-pass
road, we came to the intersection of the Thika Road (another major route) where
we passed under that road via a roundabout. Routes skirting Nairobi are always
congested. The traffic was solid and at a standstill. We gradually made our way
through the roundabout, but there was definitely something happening because
men were running from everywhere to a spot at the other side of the roundabout.
Abraham asked later and apparently there was an armed robbery happening! We had
heard gunshots and police were coming through on foot (no way could an
emergency vehicle get through). President Obama was visiting from July 24-26. Can't
imagine how it would be in the city, the whole place will be shut down!
As Abraham had warned us the Mombasa
road was thick with trucks travelling in both directions. He did a super job
overtaking and getting through busy settlements. A short distance (just over
300kms) took over 7 hours! We appreciated his knowledge and the need to leave very early in the morning.
We made a brief stop to look at the
old railway bridge which featured in a movie called “Ghost in the Darkness” a
true story about 120 workers and several locals who were taken by a lion. Now a
new railway is being built with Chinese investment money. It will run from Mombasa
on the coast to Uganda and Burundi to the NW of Kenya.
 |
| An extraordinary place to stay the night, but rather over the top |
 |
| Water was continually sloshing over the top of the truck |
 |
| Now we are further south we see more baobab trees |
 |
| The railway bridge made famous by the deaths of the workers |
 |
| View from our lodge balcony |
 |
| Down at the restaurant the elephants have gathered in numbers |
 |
| Lots of places from which to view the waterhole |
 |
| These youngsters try out their strength and fighting skills |
 |
| Trunk up - I'm coming for you! |
 |
| This pair finds a way down to a leaking water pipe |
 |
| We sit at the bar watching the coming and going - awesome |
July 18
Game drive today we saw
Long tailed fiscoe shrike, Dik dik, red billed buffalo weaver, banded mongoose, Grant's gazelle (this with very long
horns), Southern ground hornbill, golden breasted starling, Verreaux's eagle owl, Eastern pale chanting goshawk, kori bustard, ??? lark or grassland pipet, SA hoopoe, lesser kudu
No comments:
Post a Comment