Snapping hippos, batman

[Note: you can click on any of the photos on this site for a better image.]

We arrived in Kenya early in the morning when mist still covered the ground. Leaving the airport we immediately saw savannah and flat-topped acacias, school children and eclectically attired workers making their way across fields and highways into the city on foot. Weisie possible saw a zebra (could have been a plastic bag). It was the perfect start!

Our hotel was walking distance from the centre of town but we were initially hesitant leaving the compound because we had fallen prey to scaremongering - we soon realised Nairobi's notoriety (aka "Nairobbery") was underserved and everyone we met was, of course, lovely.

One person in particular stood out though, Mungai, a close friend of Katrina and Damien. Mungai was very kind, spending a whole day showing us his home town. We visited Maasai markets, gave mock speeches in the iconic convention centre, fed some lions and patted a cheetah at Nairobi NP.




For lunch, Mungai took us to the famous Carnivore restaurant where we sampled 7 different types of animal (including crocodile). Afterwards, we walked around traditional tribal bomas (villages) set amongst fragrant eucalypts, drank fresh coffee at the Karen Blixen café, and whiled the evening away sinking Tuskers with his friend, Paula-Louise.



The morning following our action-packed day with Mungai, we met with our fellow safariteers. We clambered aboard our Scania truck, "Wiley" (as in coyote), with Saskia behind the wheel and Lucy as our guide. We made our way out of Nairobi and up part of the Great Rift Valley with baboons, gazelle and zebra stationed along the highway to wish us well on our 5-week overland adventure.

Our first two camps were set beside lakes, Elementaita then Baringo. The first was a fragrant soda lake teeming with camera shy flamingos. The second was a freshwater lake filled with hippos, one of which nearly chomped our boat in half when we came too close to its young! Apart from the hippo experience, Lake Baringo was otherwise wonderful. There were numerous iridescent-feathered starlings, golden weaverbirds and swooping fish eagles. On the banks were ostrich and crocodiles, and in the centre there was an island apparently inhabited by one man and his 8 wives (but only some of their 26 children).



We visited a Pokot village near Baringo, surrounded by cacti and shrubs. Children ranging bare-foot over the dusty plain ran alongside our truck as we approached. The Pokots are farmer-pastoralists who keep cows, goats and sheep. Most of this village’s herd were out grazing with the men, leaving only four proud, young warriors, women and children to keep camp. The warriors were ritually scarred, wore loincloths and carried spears, knives and clubs, which they claimed to use occasionally on recalcitrant tourists.



Weisie sat with an elderly Pokot woman and her colourfully decorated but sad-looking granddaughter inside a thatch-roofed, mud/dung dwelling, as we learned about the Pokot's tenaciously traditional way of life. When she emerged back into the blistering sunlight, Weisie was carrying a child that had fallen asleep in her arms.



We joined in some traditional dancing (easy to learn: jump, wobble head, jump, wobble head, stomp, repeat). One of the warriors took a fancy to Lindsay, performing the "hey-smell-my-armpit" move at the end of each dance to communicate his affection. My dancing companions seemed to be keen too, occasionally flicking their hair with a coy smile!

We were slightly intimidated when we entered the village; by the end, we were reluctant to leave. It was an enriching experience but one that naturally left us thankful for our own lot. We left Lake Baringo, passed through Eldoret and out of Kenya, broadly following the northern coast of Lake Victoria, through Uganda and into Rwanda (more about that later).

When we returned to Kenya, we had two wonderful safaris: one in Lake Nakuru NP and the other in Hells Gate NP. We were in 4WDs for the first safari with Tom & Sarah, and the Punks (aka Oliver, Edward and William). Two lionesses chased a male waterbuck past the front of our vehicle. After the unsuccessful chase, the lionesses fancied a drink, but they had to share the waterhole...



You can witness one of the world's most wonderful natural spectacles at Lake Nakuru NP: flamingos in their thousands bathing, feeding, preening, squabbling and flying. The sound of so much life is absolutely amazing. Word of advice though: the lake is a bit soft around the edges.



We were based on the shores of Lake Naivasha for our second Kenyan safari in Hells Gate NP. Our campsite was green and open; great for a game of afternoon cricket. The next day we woke to find a hippo grazing outside our tent!



We did not have the benefit of 4WDs in Hells Gate NP. Instead, we set off on hired bicycles along the soft, dusty road as the sun climbed high in the sky. It was thirsty work just getting to the entrance. Once inside the park, we were virtually alone: no one to bother us, no one to point the way, no one to hear us scream.

Hells Gate NP is so called probably because of its impressive volcanic rock formations and sulphuric geothermal steam vents. The roads sparkled with glassy obsidian and were lined with sun bleached bones. We saw trotting warthogs, zebra, gazelle and dik diks. Thankfully, we only encountered a few treacherous buffalo (we were told to climb a tree if they charged, a practical joke played by locals - there were no trees).



The chain on my bicycle snapped shortly after leaving Hells Gate NP, fortuitously near to Elsamere, home of the late Joy Adamson of “Born Free” fame. We spent the afternoon there recuperating whilst surrounded by vibrant birdlife. The Wiley truckers later joined us for afternoon tea and a humorous video about Joy.

We left Lake Naivasha and made for Nairobi, where we stayed for a night. During the day, we visited Sheldrick's animal orphanage where we saw the feeding of a baby rhino and several baby elephants. Weisie was keen to feed an animal herself, which she had the opportunity of doing later at the giraffe park. What majestic, intelligent creatures.



Our final night in Nairobi was a corker! Some of the truckers were joining different tours and others were going home so a farewell dinner was in order. The ladies dolled up and the men used deodorant. The meal was lousy, but it was a fun and mischievous night out.



Other highlights: the cavernous bar at Raj's in Eldoret; and a fleeting glimpse of a slinky leopard at Lake Nakuru NP and braking down on the side of a hill.

Other images of Kenya:

• Zebra crossing (Hells Gate NP)
• Baby elephant (Nairobi)
• Baby baboons (Nakuru NP)
• Flamingos (Nakuru NP)
• Long-horned cows

Take a gander

Each country had perceptibly different scenery and people: in the case of Uganda, it was greener than Kenya and Tanzania, and the children waved with two hands instead of one. After a long drive to cross the border, we eventually pulled into the red dirt, riverside town of Jinja.

Our first night in Jinja was hot, showerless and plagued by insects. We arrived in the dark and departed early next day, so we were not keen on the place first time around. However, when we returned there from Rwanda, we had many wonderful experiences: we volunteered a day at a nearby school through SoftPower, watched some of our Wiley truckers take on the White Nile's rapids, had open air showers over the river, and were entertained by the Greenlight's wacky restaurateurs.



The Hairy Lemon is about 20 kilometres from Kayunga, off Jinja Road. It is an island camp, accessible only by canoe, run by an Australian couple who live there with their young son. We stayed only one night there.



We played water polo by day then cricket in the afternoon, and ate the most delicious spit-roast ever in the evening (not even Weisie could finish all her crackling).



The day we departed the Hairy Lemon, we visited Ngamba Island (a torturous three-hour return journey by Sesse canoe), which was home to some 30 orphaned chimpanzees. We ate lunch and played volleyball before watching the chimps being fed. They gathered up as much fruit and veggies as they could hold with their hands and feet. Some stood and walked erect; a baby rode its mother's back; skirmishes and screams were common. The juvenile chimps were separated from the older ones to avoid serious conflict. It was a happy spectacle, especially as the chimps looked well cared for.



Our first Ugandan safari drive was in Queen Elizabeth NP. A herd of elephants crossed right in front of our truck, one of which stopped and eyeballed me as if to say, "I'll be seeing you." Later, at the park’s lodge, we stopped for a few beers on the veranda and watched warthogs mow the lawns (they have to kneel to eat the grass, poor things)…



Suddenly, a rogue bull elephant appeared at the front doors of the lodge and charged through the building! People screamed as they fled - I was lucky to escape with my life.



In addition to that unreal encounter, we saw some really wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP: yawning hippos, crocs and buffalo. Probably the most daunting experience of the whole trip was our night spent camping in the park. Ciara, Kelly, Ollie and I were on cook group and had just prepared and served fresh fish and "flied lice" (seriously, didn't anyone notice the wings?) when the lions began to roar.

Allegedly, a lion's roar can be heard up to 5 kilometres away. Well, let me ask you this: how far does a lion have to be to hear it lick its lips? Anyway, Weisie simply drank some beer, put in earplugs and went straight to sleep, leaving me vigilantly straining to see into the darkness and listen to the roars exponentially increase in volume and frequency.

I must have eventually dozed off because the next thing I remember was someone saying, "Hey, look! Elephants!" Sure enough, the rogue elephant was back - this time with his mates. Fortunately, they passed by not seeing me and moved on to search other campsites. Exhausted, I settled down again for one final attempt at sleep. Then I heard the hippos approach from the river.

After a very long night, we made our way back to Kampala. Weisie's cousin and her partner, Katrina and Damien, live and work in the capital. We managed to spend one evening with them and several of there interesting friends. We must have been tired because we somehow let Damien pay for our dinner - something he will not get away with a second time (thank you). It was great to see them and how well they were getting on in a place like Kampala. We look forward to seeing them again soon.



Other highlights: snags and warm beer for Australia Day in Jinja; watching Sheng, Sarah, Ciara, Merran and Weisie dance to techno in Jinja; and views from our room over Lake Bunyoni.

Other images:

• [Duck-billed bird] - can anyone remind me what this one was called?
• Yawning hippo (Queen Elizabeth NP)
• School bell! (Near Jinja)

Valley of mountains

Rwanda literally is the land of a thousand hills, with numerous lakes and rivers surrounded by volcanoes covered in lush, green forest. Although it was the most beautiful of the countries we visited, Rwanda truly looked in parts like the most populace place on earth. Outside the national parks, nearly every portion of land, even steep hillsides, was heavily cultivated. The roads were challenging and beasts of burden were rare (people carried enormous loads in wheelbarrows, on bicycles or on their head).

The genocide museum in Kigali was truly saddening. How could anyone do what some did to their friends and neighbours? The stories we read and heard were horrific, but as the museum was intended to show, that phase of the country's history has ended and a more unified approach has been adopted for the future. They say there is no longer a tribal divide, just Rwandans.

We were in Rwanda primarily to trek in Parcs National des Volcans, home of the mountain gorillas. We were based in a Christian mission in Ruhengeri, a town surrounded by silent volcanoes. The night before our trek was electric. There was a hint of rain, but neither that nor our warm fanta could dampen our spirits.

Next day, we signed up to visit the Sousa group, the largest and most distant family. We climbed very slowly through terraced farmland, bamboo forest and dense jungle bristling with nettles. We ascended about 1,000 metres but even the rarefied air could not stop Dana from talking most of the way up the mountain. Several armed guides were leading and trailing us for the 6-hour return trip.



Our first sighting was unforgettable. We dropped our bags, climbed a crest and there he was - gorilla in his natural habitat - an enormous silverback sitting amidst the leafy foliage, eating wild celery. He was totally fearless and impressive. After a short while, he got up and ambled off on all threes (he had lost a foot in a snare trap) to find the rest of his group of which there were 32 at that time, including the first reported set of twins. We quickly and quietly followed this gentle giant through the undergrowth until we were in the middle of a section of jungle that moved and swayed with all the gorillas hanging from trees, foraging and rolling around.











We saw several baby gorillas being groomed and play fighting (one beat its little chest). We could not have hoped for more. All the while, our guide, Olivier, was making guttural "ha-hum" sounds (clearing throat sound) to put the gorillas at ease. Although they appeared content, a silverback reminded us we were in his home when he stood up, pulled down a small tree and swung it at us as he trundled impressively past. His display of strength was not frightening but made us feel totally in awe.



Before we knew it, our time was up and we were heading back down the mountain. Just like our hour with the gorillas, our time in Rwanda was too brief. The people we met were gentle and kind and we would love the opportunity to return there.

Curry inversee

Tanzania was a like a good curry in reverse: we had sore bottoms from the long ride getting there but finished with the wonderful taste of the Spice Islands in our mouths!

It was a quiet day for some following our night out in Nairobi. We made our way to Arusha with some new travellers on board. We camped at a snake park whose residents included a man-eating python, a two-metre long black mamba and a few sizeable crocodiles, which we fed after dinner.

On Merran’s 19th birthday, we left Wiley the truck behind and took 4WDs for the next stage of our journey: the expansive and unforgettable Serengeti.



Maasai tribespeople in traditional garb walked beside the road, often for miles between towns, or tended their herds. The men invariably carried spears and bows, getting on with a life apparently uninfluenced by the industrialised world - they still subsist primarily on meat, complimented with milk and blood (the latter for men only) - but they do wear sandals made from old tyres.

We visited a Maasai boma, which was fascinating. We had, however, been spoilt by our village experience in Kenya because, unlike the Pokots, we were seen by the Maasai we visited as a commercial opportunity (understandably, of course). We were still treated to traditional dancing; some of the men could leap nearly a metre in the air!



Apart from the gorillas in Uganda, the other overall highlight for us was our three nights in the Serengeti. By lunch on the first day, we had seen four of the (variable) Big Five: buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard.



We drove around the vast plains of the Serengeti with our heads out the top and the wind in our hair, past kopjes that looked like islands in a sea of grass. Probably the best part was spending nearly an hour with a pride of lions as they feasted on a couple of kills, whilst hundreds of wildebeest and zebra looked on (keep your friends close but your enemies closer?).



We sighted an elusive leopard, the most striking of predators, just before it dragged its fresh kill up a tree to avoid losing it to hyena. Other creatures of note were the secretary bird, Maasai giraffe and marvellous topi (a tan antelope with blue/black flanks).



For the duration of the trip, Weisie and I had been campaigning for a convoy to visit Oldupai (aka Olduvai) Gorge, a long, steep-sided ravine wherein grows the useful oldupai plant, whence the name. Its well preserved and conveniently exposed stratigraphy has made it one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world. Many different hominid remains and tools have been found there, some more than 2 million years old. Famous finds include the humanlike Australopithecus boisei and the first discovered specimens of Homo hablis (our ancestors). Being there, for me, was another dream come true (pictured below, next to where Mary Leaky’s celebrated australopithecine was found in 1959).



Our final day in the Serengeti was spent in the Ngorogoro Conservation Area, inside the soaring walls of the Ngorogoro caldera (an enormous extinct volcanoe). Wildlife was everywhere you looked. We saw a cheetah give chase and just miss an impala before returning to its furry little cub; wildebeest head butting; and a warthog wallowing in a puddle of mud. Truly memorable!







We left the Serengeti back along roads dotted with massive anthills and baobab trees (solitary, deciduous trees with exceptionally swollen trunks). We had just had the kind of experience that leaves you smiling for days. Back at the snake park, Wiley had gone walk-about leaving us to wait and drink beer in a bar wearing the same clothes we had been wearing for four days - phewee.



The road to Zanzibar was long. We had packed up our tents and were on our way just after 5 am, arriving in Dar es Salam 12 hours later. We passed several flamboyant beach weddings, each with energetic brass bands about 20 metres apart. Some of the guests were wearing fruit-bowl halls! A short car ferry later, we were at our camp for the night surrounded by the tallest coconut trees we have ever seen.

Next day, we said farewell to Wiley and said hello again to the unforgettable Niamh (“Oh, Louise!”) before taking the ferry to Stone Town, Zanzibar. After checking in to our hotel, we walked around Stone Town’s old-worldly, labyrinthine streets and admired its ornately carved wooden doors. We sipped sundowners at Africa House then haggled over cheap, barbecued seafood along the waterfront - a fantastic experience that provoked all of your senses.

We visited the old slave market site (now occupied by an Anglican Cathedral). Our guide was Morgan Freeman’s twin brother; the way he explained the site’s history was enthralling. Below is an artist’s installation next to the Cathedral (the chains are genuine historical artefacts).



Our final days were spent on Kendwa beach, reached on a packed minibus via a bumpy road lined with palm trees and villages. The hotel/resort was great. We stayed in an inexpensive bungalow on a volcanic wall overlooking the beach.


Apart from eating, drinking, scuba diving, swimming, playing volleyball, strolling, shopping and having massages - we did very little. The water was perfect: refreshing and clear. The sand was so white that in spite of the insufferable heat, it remained relatively cool (well, it wasn’t hot). The sun was relentless though, and we struggled in the heat of the day, often retiring to our bungalow to cool off on our emperor-sized bed under the ceiling fan.



We said farewell and bon voyage to the remaining truckers on Kendwa (apart from Taryn and Louis who were on our plane back to London). It was a great holiday and we sincerely hope to stay in touch with all of our new friends.



Other images:

• Lioness with cubs (Serengeti)
• Another lion! (Serengeti)
• Cheetah (Serengeti)
• Buffalo (Ngorogoro Crater)
• Zebra (Ngorogoro Conservation Area)
• Giraffe (Ngorogoro Conservation Area)
• Wildebeest (Ngorogoro Conservation Area)
• Hippo pond (Ngorogoro Conservation Area)

Wiley, the Mzungumobile

We were lucky to have so many interesting and easy-going travellers on Wiley. Having been back in the UK now for nearly a month, it is hard to imagine some of them are still on the road!

It is always hard to mention names and we do not want to offend anyone we fail to write about (you were all wonderful). However, there are a few people who we want to acknowledge.

Sarah and Tom, who sat beside us for most of the journey, were great fun and we would like to see more of them when we return to Australia. Being of similar background and nature we got on very well, although Sarah was prone to lead Weisie astray...

Lindsay and Sheng were also very kind to us and we hope to stay in touch. We want to see you both in the States later in the year.

Dana and Dan were two memorable characters. Dan kept us on edge with his narcoleptic karate-chop-and-kick routine whilst Dana amazed us with her ability to misplace things (like sunglasses down a long-drop).

Chris Poulsen, big and strong but scared of monkeys (and children), was always keen for a "bear" (beer). We are still keen to catch up for a night out in London so let us now when you return.

Merran was the youngest member of the troupe and probably the happiest person we have met - she was always smiling! Thank you for your lovely departing note, we have read it several times and will use the directions to find your cabin in Whitehorse.

And finally, here are a few photos:

• Lunch before diving (Zanzibar)
• Wash time (Lake Baringo, Kenya)
• Equator (Uganda)
• Lunch on a stick (Somewhere in Africa)