Kenya - Part 5

Saturday 15^th December

We have been back on the road since last Tuesday after Don returned from Durban late Monday night with a few life savers: chocolate, biltong, mosquito repellent and hair dye. It felt like Christmas had come early this year.

Before Don left for Durban we had already made the decision to go back to Lake Turkana once more even though it meant a round trip of about 1400 km. Crazy for sure, but not only did we all hugely enjoy that remote part of northern Kenya but there is clearly some unfinished business up there as far as Don and Ian’s ‘bucket list’ is concerned. Decided to up our travel insurance from silver to gold (only joking!) just in case of more ‘extreme fishing’. Perhaps sky-diving into the lake with a harpoon will finally hook that Nile perch!

With the front shock absorber fixed (again!) we first headed south to spend a couple of days in two of Kenya’s most famous game parks, Tsavo East and Tsavo West. The reason for doing that was that we plan to enter Uganda via Lake Turkana which is in the north west of the country so we wanted to see these game parks before leaving the south of Kenya for good.

Even though both parks are right next to each other they are famous for very different reasons. Tsavo West has an uninterrupted view of Kilimanjaro and  if you are lucky you see that classic postcard picture view of the mountain in the background and a  herd of elephant strolling in the foreground. As bad luck would have it Kilimanjaro was almost totally obscured by clouds and there were no elephant anywhere near the mountain.

Tsavo East is best known for it’s large elephant population (12,000) and winning it’s fight against poaching which had reduced the numbers from 30,000 in 1967 to as low as 5300 in 1988.  At that time it looked like the elephants would be wiped out completely. Luckily the international ivory trade restrictions, in place since 1989 had an immediate effect on the numbers of new elephant corpses being found in the park. Another important new but less publicised policy was brought in at the same time which meant that poachers were shot on sight. When you see the photographs of elephants lying on the ground with their tusks literally hacked off their faces covered in blood it does seem justified.

Anyway, we had a great day having many sightings of elephant. To me, Kenya and elephant are synonymous and I just love them. Kenyan elephant are by far the largest in the world and their presence is awe inspiring especially when you get close to them like the ones in the pictures below.

We left the Tsavo East yesterday at the crack of dawn and started to head back north, crossing the equator a third time in four months.  We had no idea how far we would get or what was ahead in terms of overnight camps, but at around 4pm our ‘Tracks for Africa’ GPS showed ‘the only camp in the area…’ , clearly an entry made by some previous travellers on this stretch of the road.

Anyway we decided to give it a go and of course there was no camp, just a  clearing in the bush with shady acasia trees and lots of fresh elephant droppings so we knew we were in for a treat. 

It turned out to be the most beautiful bush camp we have stayed in so far and by the time we had cooked our tuna pasta we were surrounded by elephant on all sides although it was pitch black dark so we didn’t see them but certainly heard them.

We had bought fresh fruit that day and found ourselves in a predicament of not knowing where to store it. Ian & Heather have previously been in a situation where an elephant came right up to their truck and searched for fruit with its trunk whilst Heather was fast asleep and oblivious to it and Ian watching on from a distance not knowing what to do next. So we decided to put all the fruit in a cooler box and leave it well away from our trucks. It turned out the elephants didn’t feel like fruit on this occasion and we had a very peaceful night. 

Monday 17^th December

We arrived in Marsabit in the Kenyan far north on Sunday and decided to spend a day in Marsabit National Park before heading west towards Lake Turkana.

This park is totally different from any other we have seen so far, it consists mostly of impenetrable wild forest with two beautiful volcanic crater lakes. It also is home to long-tusked Marsabit elephant as well as lion, cheetah and buffalo.

The dirt road through the park is mostly steep and it is not advisable to enter the park after rains. Unfortunately, the park office had run out of maps but we were reassured that it was impossible to get lost because '...there is only one road'.  Well, guess what?

It was sunny when we entered the park and we had a magical day driving through dense ancient forest with an abundance of birds, butterflies and spiders in webs stretching right across our track. 

By mid-afternoon we hit trouble. Ian was driving  a few kilometers ahead of us and it soon became apparent that we had taken a wrong turn (remember there is only ONE road in the park!). The track became very steep and narrow and in places totally overgrown with long grass seemingly heading nowhere.

In parts trees were leaning heavily towards the track or obliterating it altogether. We were just trying to avoid one of those tree branches by driving almost on the bank when there was a terrible noise coming from our roof and it turned out that the tree had sliced straight into our rooftop tent.  We immediately radioed Ian and Heather who were out of sight but luckily within radio range because we were totally stuck. The branch was deeply embedded in the tent and the one tool we don’t carry in our truck is a saw.

At this point Ian and Heather had also realised that we had gone wrong somewhere and had already started to head back. Out came the tools and Ian started to saw the branch which was no easy task since the wood was very tough.

This all happened on a slope with I & H’s truck facing ours and suddenly the branch was cut loose and our car started to roll since the only thing holding it in position had been the tree branch. Ian was still sitting on top of the truck holding the saw,  I was trying to jump in from the passenger side to pull the handbrake but it was Don who managed to jump in on the driver’s side to swing the car round and hit the brake to avoid a collision with Ian’s.

All this happened it a split second and someone somewhere was watching over us! Phew!

We turned back and found the ‘right’ track to the volcanic lakes, relieved that we had a lucky escape. The crater lakes are beautiful and you get a real sense of the forces of nature when you see the size of them as well as the volcanic rocks strewn all around, this time more the size of a small cars.

We started to head back and then, guess what…? It started to rain!

We were already halfway to the gate so we didn’t worry too much since it was only about an hour’s drive to the exit, but after crawling up a particularly steep hill we came around a corner and saw Ian’s truck stuck in ditch. The sandy track had become so slippery due to the rain that with each attempt to drive out he was digging himself in deeper and deeper.

Out came all the big toys: ropes, winches, spades etc. Heather and I started to collect stones and wood to create friction under the wheels, ignoring the third bit of advice we were given at the entrance gate: don’t get out of your car!

Eventually, an hour later and covered in mud we managed to winch Ian out by securing the winch to the large tree and off we went. Or so we thought!

Next, it was our turn to get stuck. Whilst we were all busy getting Ian out of the ditch the slope we were on had become increasingly more slippery and as soon as we started to pull off the car started to veer into the ditch no matter what we tried to do to prevent this from happening. At this point our tyres had become covered in deep mud and there was no effective tread  left to provide any traction. So we started our third rescue operation for that day and eventually Ian managed to winch Don out.

We managed to get to the gate by driving/sliding/slipping at 5km/hour but at least we made it out before the gate closed. Back at our camp we were relieved to find that only the tent cover was ripped but the structure of the tent was intact.

That night the cold beers tasted better than ever and hey, guess what?

                                         Another tough day in Africa….

Kenya - Part 4

Where is that Nile Perch?

Monday, 26^th November,

yes, I know you were all expecting to see that picture of the Nile perch here but guess what? It turns out there aren't any Nile perches in Lake Turkana after all. Plenty of other fish like this little ugly thing Don managed to hook: It is called a Nile puffer’. Immediately after it comes out of the water it blows itself up into the shape of a small balloon but after a while it deflates itself again. It is inedible so we put it back.

The boys certainly tried their very best to find a perch. Yesterday we took a boat onto the lake thinking that might be a good way to avoid the crocodiles on the shore.

The little fishing boat was very old, and so was our captain actually, so we were relieved when he was joined by a younger deck hand, only to discover that the latter's job was to scoop water out of the boat with a plastic container which started to pour in as soon as the boat left shore. He kept pace well, so we didn't worry.

The lake is absolutely beautiful, it changes colour continuously, depending on the time of the day but is predominantly a rich jade. The part charcoal, part biscuit coloured landscape surrounding it forms a beautiful contrast. 

On the lake are three islands, the most interesting is 'central island' which is actually a 'triple volcano' poking out of the water. Two out of the three volcanoes are covered by lakes and are the breeding ground for the largest crocodile populations in Africa. The island can be visited by boat and if you ever happen to be here in March/April (just saying...) you can witness the newly hatched baby crocs running down to the crater lake.

Two hours into our boat trip it became clear that we weren’t going to catch that perch today.  To give the boys credit, our deck hand also had a line in the lake and he didn’t get a bite either. Tomorrow Don and Ian will try fishing from the shore if we can find a suitable spot.

Monday, 26^th November

Today the boys did what can only be described as ‘extreme fishing’. First we found a spot which we had been assured by people living in a local village ‘doesn’t have any crocodiles’. There was a little island about 200 meters in from the lake shore and Ian decided that he would wade there. WADE THERE!

Ten minutes later, the boys were first waste deep, then shoulder deep, fishing in the lake.

Don

Ian

Heather and I watched the whole thing for a while then Heather decided that if the boys can fish there then she can swim there, so in she went. Oh well, I guess that is the difference between being European and African; there was no way I was in the least bit tempted to go in. So I kept watch from the safety of the shore instead, trying to recall whether our travel insurance covered this kind of activity.

After about an hour or so Don caught the 'nile puffer' in the picture above. Ian hooked several Nile Tilapia and a tiger fish. So some result at least.

Tuesdy 27^th November,

Today we received the very sad news that our Granny B has passed away. She had not been well since we left her in July and had even suffered a fractured hip recently, so whilst it was a relief that she is no longer suffering, it is nevertheless sad that she is no longer part of our lives. Granny B was our kids’ last surviving grandparent so it also marks the end of an era for us.

Don and myself are pleased that we managed to spend some quality time with her before her stroke back in June and we have many fond memories of family holidays with her.

Monday, 3rd December

We are back in Nairobi after another two day journey south from Lake Turkana. The landscape and the track were very similar to the drive to the lake, with one major difference: it had rained and this time the river beds weren’t dry and empty; there was mud everywhere. Luckily we didn’t get stuck but we passed several lorries which were really struggling.

We are now back at Jungle Junction in Nairobi where we stayed twice before and it looks like the rain is going to continue for some time. Most of the camp is ankle deep in mud and we now need to plan our next move accordingly, since many roads become impassable after heavy rain. 

We have also made the collective decision that Don will fly to SA this coming weekend to represent us at Granny B's funeral. This means we will be here for at least another 10 days. Enough time to sort out our shock absorber once again (one of them was wrongly fitted in Addis!) and to catch up on lots of other things. 

Thoughts are naturally turning towards Christmas now and I heard my very first xmas carol on a radio this morning :(:(:( I think it will be difficult for the four of us not to be able to see the kids this year but to join up with them somewhere here would have been logistically impossible; even at this stage we still don't know where we will be.

Kenya - Lake Turkana

Tuesday 20^th November

This morning we crossed from Ethiopia into Kenya through the ‘back door’ in that the border post is not actually shown on any of our maps. The 'border' itself turned out to be a piece of string with a cloth in the middle. We had decided on this particular route because even though it is remote and at times impassable, it has some of the most stunning scenery in Kenya.

With the lake on our right, the track crossed numerous large pans and dry river beds and at times it was almost impossible to follow, being hardly discernible from the surrounding countryside and littered with obstacles such as rocks, branches, trees and potholes; hard to imagine how people navigate through this when the pans are under water (which they are after the infrequent rains that occur in this desert region).

Much of the landscape comprises a mixture of volcanic rock and desert, not too unlike Sudan, and temperatures are very hot. We were doing fine until lunch time when Don thought he heard the right front shock absorber make a strange noise and pulling off the road and having a quick inspection confirmed that it had displaced once again and the central shaft was hitting the chassis.

Out came the tools and what we thought would be a quick job turned out lasting all day and as the sun went down (phew!) it was obvious that we would be bush camping “in situ” right there for the night.

We managed to knock up a Macaroni cheese and ended up having a lovely evening sitting under the stars. From our roof top tent we caught our first sunset over Lake Turkana.

Friday 23^rd November

It took us two full days of driving to complete our 250 km long journey along the east shore of Lake Turkana. Amazingly, we did not come across a single other vehicle on the entire  trip and apart from seeing the odd camel or a herd of goats with herdsman guarding them, no people either.

Lake Turkana is the biggest desert lake in the world and due to the high prevailing ambient temperature, loses about tree meters of water through evaporation each year. It is home to the largest population of crocodiles in Africa and it’s prehistoric connection to the Nile accounts for the presence of the enormous Nile Perch (some weighing up to 100kg). Guess what the boys are planning to do here?

We spent a second night camping close to the lake edge and even though it is incredibly hot and the lake is the colour of jade you cannot  swim in the water due to the large number of crocodiles perched on the water edge. Heather did make an attempt to have a wash in the lake, but only after Ian chased the crocs away with a stick.

This really is the most isolated area on our trip so far, the landscape ranges from desert to large flat surfaces carpeted with volcanic rocks (the kind you buy at garden centres for your gas BBQ but much bigger) with the occasional dry river bed here and there and Lake Turkana on our right. Driving conditions were tough with constant stop/starting, gear changes, in and out of river beds, standing on the bonnet to make out the road ahead but hey, guess what?... 

Actually us girls also enjoyed it enormously, we are well aware that this may be the closest to ‘getting away from it all’ on our entire trip. Unlike in Sudan, we also know that we have a cold beer waiting at the end of the day (thanks to our fridge!).

Saturday, 24^th November

We have now found a nice camp at Lyongalani on the southern tip of the lake where we will spend a few days. Ian and Don are planning to do some fishing here whilst us girls do what we always do after having been on the road for a few days; wash our clothes, get rid of the dust everywhere, plug our eye brows, shave legs etc.

Lake Turkana has been Ian’s number one priority destination of the whole trip since he is a very keen fisherman. I am reserving this spot below for the picture of the Nile Perch which he and Don are going to catch:

Ethiopia - Part 6

Saturday, 17th November

We are still in Ethiopia but only just. We have just arrived in the Omo River Valley which is the most south western corner of Ethiopia where Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya meet on Lake Turkana. The Omo Valley is widely described as the part of Ethiopia most untouched by outside influences. The plan is to spend a couple of days exploring, then travel south along the eastern shoreline of Lake Turkana before entering Kenya. 

This part of Ethiopia is so remote that there is no official border crossing here and the area is largely inaccessible in the rainy season due to the number of river bed crossings but we have heard from people travelling up that it is currently passable.

Our shock absorbers finally arrived after 10 days of emails, phone calls, frustrating visits to the custom offices and patient waiting. Luckily we couldn’t have been in a nicer place than Wim’s Holland House in Addis. By the time we left, we felt like part of the family. We also used our time to catch up on a number of things: Heather on her blog, Ian doing an oil change and Don even making a start on his tax return.

Anyway, two hip replacements later (the car!) it was nice to be on the road again and we arrived late last night at Paradise Lodge on a lake near Arba Minch where we had stayed on our way up a few weeks ago. Sadly, they had dug up the camping area so we spent the night camping in their car park. Not quite the paradise it was first time around!

We left early this morning and had another great day of fantastic scenery travelling through the mountain pass of the highlands to the plains of the Omo valley.  As we reached the highest point of the pass we stopped and looked down into the valley where the Omo river snakes through indigenous forests as far as the eye can see.  Due to massive deforestation in the rest of Ethiopia there is almost no forest left and all four of us realised how much we have missed this very African landscape.

Looking down into the Omo River Valley

Sunday 18^th November

We are staying in a nice camp by a river shaded by Acacia trees. Today we need to decide whether we stay here for a few days or head straight on into Kenya.  Ian and Heather’s Ethiopian visa runs out in a couple of days and Ian wants to leave enough time in case we have to backtrack  and exit Ethiopia on the more official border crossing should we hit trouble by way of finding impassable roads. Us girls want to go to the local villages and markets and are hoping to witness one or two of the traditional tribal celebrations.

There are several tribes living is this region but the most famous are the Hamer and the Musi. The Musi woman are best known for their tradition of wearing plates in their lower lips (a custom thought to date back to the slavery trade period when to be disfigured meant being save from being sold!) and the Hamer are famous for a tradition involving young males jumping over a row of bulls as part of an initiation ceremony. Only once they have completed this ritual are they allowed to marry. This event happens once a week and if we happen to be here on the day we will try and see if we can witness it.

Tuesday 20^th November

We managed to watch the bull jumping yesterday and it is an event which has left a deep impression with us.

The actual bull jumping only lasts about five minutes and is the culmination of a three-day long celebration. It is preceded by a particularly brutal practice lasting several hours. The ceremony starts off with chanting, singing and dancing mostly by the woman of the initiate’s clan – sisters, cousins, aunts and the mother. To show their support the woman then break from the dancing circle one at the time and offer themselves to be whipped by the peers of the young male.

We had read about this practice beforehand but what you witness is totally unbelievable. The woman implore the men to strike harder and harder and line up again and again to have their backs struck to the point where they have open wounds and are bleeding. If they feel that the strike has not been hard enough they will get hold of his hand and not let him go until he strikes again. Apparently it is a great honour to bear the scars and it is custom to rub ash into them afterwards to discolour them permanently.

The most extraordinary thing is that the woman don’t flinch as they are hit, they don’t even blink. Once they have been whipped they stand around casually in a circle laughing and joking with each other.  The whole event has a jolly party atmosphere!

It is difficult to describe how it feels to witness such a brutal custom. The initial reaction is quite sickening and even when it is obvious without any doubt that the woman seem to entice the men who at times look quite reluctant, it is difficult to watch.

We spent the evening back in our camp pondering over what kind of cultural pressures make a woman feel honored to be treated in such a way. 

The actual bull jumping which followed was a much more acceptable affair. Several bulls were chosen by the young male and then held in a line by other male members of his family. He then jumped on top of the first bull and ran across the line up several times to the cheers of everyone present.

                                       a walk in the park in comparison!

Ethiopia - Part 5

Friday, 9th November

Well, we certainly never thought we would still be here at this point but Ethiopia keeps having a hold on us.

We left Harar last Monday for Addis Ababa. The plan was to wait here for Heather and Ian who were going to follow on as soon as Heather was better. We drove into Wim’s camp where we had stayed before and were greeted by a couple of new overlanders, Shelly and Luke who are on their way north having travelled pretty much the whole of the west coast of Africa and are heading to the UK via Egypt/Turkey.

As soon as we drove in Luke could hear that there was something amiss with our suspension and a visit to the local Toyota garage the next day confirmed that our truck had two damaged shock absorbers L Now almost five days and several phone calls and emails later we have managed to get the company (Iron Man) to DHL the spare parts to Addis and if all goes well they should be fitted on Monday. Meanwhile Heather and Ian arrived back only a day after us and we are all pleased that Heather has made a full recovery.

So what is there to tell you this week? Well, until yesterday pretty much nothing but then Don & I went to have a haircut and I just have to tell you about our experience. 

I was finished almost within 20 minutes so I sat with Don and watched a ritual which had me in stitches...

First there was the hair cut lasting about 40 minutes. Next, his hair dresser took off the drape to give it a shake and as Don tried to get up he was firmly pushed back into the chair and the drape put back on. Out came a warm damp facecloth and the guy proceeded to wipe Don’s head, face, eyes, ears and neck. Then another taking off the drape-Don-getting-up-being-pushed-back-drape-put-on, out came a special tool to clean out nasal hair, ear hair and the bits where the hair line joins the neck. Drape off for a shake, Don trying to get up, Don being pushed back, drape back on. Out came a special kind of gel which was massaged into Don’s face. The above picture shows how Don reacted to that one!

Massage finished, another taking off of drape, Don trying to get up…you get the picture now!

Out came the HAIRSPRAY! Hair spray goes on, hair gets ruffled Bart Simpson style, drape off for a shake, Don trying to get up, agitated at this point…..

Back in the chair the guy starts cutting again….., then combing....then ruffling but settles on combing for the final result. The whole procedure lasted about one hour but it was priceless in entertainment value. Anyway, here is the evidence:

The face wash

The ruffle

The massage

The hair spray

The hug

                              Another tough day in Africa!

Ethiopia - Part 4

Saturday 3^rd November

Well, we never made it to the Danakil Depression, much to Don & Ian’s regret. We were in the middle of negotiating a price with a guide when news came in that there had been flooding in the area and it was impossible to get to the depression unless you took a detour which would have added two extra days to a three day trip and been very expensive. Just so you know what I am talking about the Danikil Depression is a vast, largely unpopulated desert region close to the Eritrean border, and is officially the lowest point of earth. It contains ancient salt lakes (since it was once submerged in saline water) and active volcanoes, the sort where you can climb up to the edge and peer over the top and take a look at the molten lava. You can see why the boys really wanted to go!

Volcano Erta Ale in the Danakil Depression
(Don wants me to point out that I did not actually take this picture myself! Haha..) 

Anyway, instead of what would have been a very exciting but tough excursion we spent five days in our hotel. Heather had been feeling unwell for a while and a doctor’s appointment confirmed that she needed to rest and take a course of antibiotics to get her better. Actually, the rest did all of us good. The hotel had a ‘European’ as well as a local food menu and I had four spaghetti Carbonara in a row (spread over two days mind!).

Now we are on the move again, having spent last night in probably the scruffiest hotel courtyard so far, with cockroaches the size of small sausages, goats and sheep sleeping in the toilets and a cockerel starting his early morning call at midnight and going on through the whole night. By four in the morning I was ready to get up and kill the thing with my bare hands! Now blurry eyed and shattered, it is easy to imagine a nice day at home with friends having a bonfire party tonight.

We are now on the road to Harar which forms the southern border of the Danakil desert and this area is inhabited mostly by the Afar tribe which claims to be  the oldest tribe in Ethiopia. The Afar are traditionally nomadic living in flimsy houses made out of palm leaves which they simply pick up and transport on their camels.

Afar 'mobile homes'

The Afar look very different from other ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Both men and woman are highly decorated with beads and colourful clothing. The men carry a 40 inch long curved dagger which up until a few decades ago was put to use for chopping off male genitals if they didn’t like the look of you.

Sunday 4^th November

We are now in the most eastern part of Ethiopia in Harar. This city is to Islam what Axum (in the north of the country, where we were staying a few days ago) is to Christianity and is considered by the Muslims to be the fourth holiest city in the world after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. At its heart is an old walled city housing 90 mosques and 22,000 inhabitants and a fascinating street market. Sellers come from the nearby villages and camp on the pavement for the day having brought with them (apart from their produce) their children and animals and they cook, eat, sell or simply lie around chewing chat (the local kick).

We are leaving for Addis Ababa tomorrow and then off for our last leg in Ethiopia through the Omo Valley back into Kenya.