Kenya
Not driving but flying back to Europe
20 / Dec / 2010
At 4:30 the alarm woke us up, it was time to get ready to go to the airport in Nairobi for our flight back to Europe. The dogs of Jungle Junction, Pipa and Pumba, were lying in front of the door and were sad to see us leave. After having been in Kenya and spending a lot of time with the dogs at JJ, it was somehow difficult to say goodbye knowing we wouldn't see them for a long while this time. Every time we used come back to the campsite from a short trip around the country, they were always so happy to see us and us to see them, it was almost as they were our own dogs. As soon as we were at camp, the dogs used to settle down around our car, it felt like family!
The taxi was ready and we jumped in, without coffee in the morning as usual, 45 minutes later we are standing in line to get into the building to check in. Only after finally making it to the checkin desk we are told that we are in the wrong building and that after many people checking where we were flying to! Kenya, it is a beautiful country and well developed but sometimes you wonder why these situations are happening over and over again.
Landing at Schiphol Airport is like a breath of fresh air. Yes there is snow everywhere and it is cold but the airport itself is amazing. The signage is clear, it is spacious and all runs smooth, the people at the counters are very helpful, and despite the situation created by many flight cancellations and delays everybody seems to be in a good mood. To all people working at the airport, thank you for keeping the good mood!
When going through customs we met several Japanese travelers that either forgot their boarding card, passport or luggage when going through security. A short search and we found them making them smile when handing over the passports etc. A quick check with the rest of the group and they were on their way with all their belongings and necessary documents.
Holland wasn't Holland if it would not be flexible and customer oriented. Smoking in the airport has been forbidden for a few years already to the frustration of many smokers. It is the law in the Netherlands, as in many countries, that you are not allowed to smoke in public areas/buildings including the airports. Since many smokers kept smoking and created dangerous situations, designated smoking areas have been created. This way the smokers can have their last cigaret before flying or immediately after a long flight and the dangerous situations no longer exist: everybody happy.
Before jumping on our connecting flight to France we run into one of the tourist shops to buy a big piece of 'Old Amsterdam' - wonderful old Dutch cheese - we missed it so much on our trip. Once ready for boarding we find out that there is delay for our flight - quickly to the sportswear to have a drink, cheese sandwich (of course) and a last smoke!
The taxi was ready and we jumped in, without coffee in the morning as usual, 45 minutes later we are standing in line to get into the building to check in. Only after finally making it to the checkin desk we are told that we are in the wrong building and that after many people checking where we were flying to! Kenya, it is a beautiful country and well developed but sometimes you wonder why these situations are happening over and over again.
Landing at Schiphol Airport is like a breath of fresh air. Yes there is snow everywhere and it is cold but the airport itself is amazing. The signage is clear, it is spacious and all runs smooth, the people at the counters are very helpful, and despite the situation created by many flight cancellations and delays everybody seems to be in a good mood. To all people working at the airport, thank you for keeping the good mood!
When going through customs we met several Japanese travelers that either forgot their boarding card, passport or luggage when going through security. A short search and we found them making them smile when handing over the passports etc. A quick check with the rest of the group and they were on their way with all their belongings and necessary documents.
Holland wasn't Holland if it would not be flexible and customer oriented. Smoking in the airport has been forbidden for a few years already to the frustration of many smokers. It is the law in the Netherlands, as in many countries, that you are not allowed to smoke in public areas/buildings including the airports. Since many smokers kept smoking and created dangerous situations, designated smoking areas have been created. This way the smokers can have their last cigaret before flying or immediately after a long flight and the dangerous situations no longer exist: everybody happy.
Before jumping on our connecting flight to France we run into one of the tourist shops to buy a big piece of 'Old Amsterdam' - wonderful old Dutch cheese - we missed it so much on our trip. Once ready for boarding we find out that there is delay for our flight - quickly to the sportswear to have a drink, cheese sandwich (of course) and a last smoke!
Tiwi Beach, Kenya
13 / Dec / 2010
Days pass by too quickly this week unfortunately, it's often the case when you're in paradise! Because Tiwi Beach, where we currently stay, looks very much like a little paradise, this beach South of Mombasa offers the authenticity of African beaches, far away from modern hotels and over-crowded touristic centers.
We rapidly get into a daily rhythm in the gentle private atmosphere of Coral Cove Cottages where we rent a comfy self-catering cottage for a reasonable price. Up early in the morning, a slow waking up on the veranda with the sun coming up quietly on the horizon. Some fishermen and fruits vendors pass by to offer their catch of the day and here is how we only eat fresh fish, fruits and veggies every day. A proper boost of energy!
Mid-morning, we go down to the immaculate white-sandy beach (about 20m from the cottage) to dive into the Indian Ocean, still in high tight in the morning. Turquoise transparent water, shelves and corals of thousand colors and shiny small fish, all protected behind the coral reef standing at about 200m away from the beach where the waves come and go strongly, the reef blocks the bigger 'fish' to access the lagoon - for our happiest and safest bath! Later, in the shade of coconut trees, we enjoy the sun while talking with locals who sell souvenirs on the beach like Becca, a 21-year old boy who offers some hand-made neckless and bracelets during his free-time from school or from helping his mother in the family's fields of Tiwi. Oh by the way, so far we still haven't seen a single tourist around…
Back to the cottage, it's time for our fresh fruits salad as a light lunch. In the afternoon, the water becomes to hot to swim (true!) so we stay and read on the veranda, while some monkeys, ducks, dogs, cats, parrots are passing by, a friendly zoo which has lots of fun in this luxurious vegetation thanks to the tropical climate with temperatures rarely bellow 35 degrees and humidity level constantly around 80%. Palm trees, papaya trees and other tropical trees reach gigantesque dimensions here, some let down multitude of white frangipani flowers covering the grass and enchanting the atmosphere with their entrancing smell at sundown.
Internet and mobile phone connections don't work from the cottage, for our greatest peace, so once in a while we go and check emails and missed phone calls on the top of the hill, close to Kerstin's house, the owner of the cottages, a 10 min-long walk to catch a weak signal. Considering the effort to get there, we quickly conclude that it's not such a drama to be disconnected from the rest of the world for a few days.
Sundown comes quietly, offering us a panel of intense and exquisite colors before the rise of the moon and thousands of stars. Time to prepare the fish of the day - or lobsters depending on the catch - along with some exotic veggies. One last look at the ocean and we slide under the mosquito net (essential) to have a peaceful night before starting again another day in paradise the morning after…
We rapidly get into a daily rhythm in the gentle private atmosphere of Coral Cove Cottages where we rent a comfy self-catering cottage for a reasonable price. Up early in the morning, a slow waking up on the veranda with the sun coming up quietly on the horizon. Some fishermen and fruits vendors pass by to offer their catch of the day and here is how we only eat fresh fish, fruits and veggies every day. A proper boost of energy!
Mid-morning, we go down to the immaculate white-sandy beach (about 20m from the cottage) to dive into the Indian Ocean, still in high tight in the morning. Turquoise transparent water, shelves and corals of thousand colors and shiny small fish, all protected behind the coral reef standing at about 200m away from the beach where the waves come and go strongly, the reef blocks the bigger 'fish' to access the lagoon - for our happiest and safest bath! Later, in the shade of coconut trees, we enjoy the sun while talking with locals who sell souvenirs on the beach like Becca, a 21-year old boy who offers some hand-made neckless and bracelets during his free-time from school or from helping his mother in the family's fields of Tiwi. Oh by the way, so far we still haven't seen a single tourist around…
Back to the cottage, it's time for our fresh fruits salad as a light lunch. In the afternoon, the water becomes to hot to swim (true!) so we stay and read on the veranda, while some monkeys, ducks, dogs, cats, parrots are passing by, a friendly zoo which has lots of fun in this luxurious vegetation thanks to the tropical climate with temperatures rarely bellow 35 degrees and humidity level constantly around 80%. Palm trees, papaya trees and other tropical trees reach gigantesque dimensions here, some let down multitude of white frangipani flowers covering the grass and enchanting the atmosphere with their entrancing smell at sundown.
Internet and mobile phone connections don't work from the cottage, for our greatest peace, so once in a while we go and check emails and missed phone calls on the top of the hill, close to Kerstin's house, the owner of the cottages, a 10 min-long walk to catch a weak signal. Considering the effort to get there, we quickly conclude that it's not such a drama to be disconnected from the rest of the world for a few days.
Sundown comes quietly, offering us a panel of intense and exquisite colors before the rise of the moon and thousands of stars. Time to prepare the fish of the day - or lobsters depending on the catch - along with some exotic veggies. One last look at the ocean and we slide under the mosquito net (essential) to have a peaceful night before starting again another day in paradise the morning after…
Mombasa, Kenya
11 / Dec / 2010
Good morning Tiwi Beach! You are gorgeous but what happened to our morning cup of coffee? Last night, we arrived just before midnight at the cottage that we had booked for the last few days in Kenya and at this time it is of course dark. For once, we did not drive in the dark ourselves, we were dropped off by our shipping agent. Some weeks ago, we decided to ship our car back to Europe after having been on the road for 11 months. The initial idea of settling down somewhere in Africa along that trip has changed for us. We still love Africa, no doubt about all it has to offer as a unique destination, but we came to realize we couldn't live here. Yesterday was then the day we had to say goodbye to our trustworthy Land Cruiser.
On the day of the shipment in Mombasa, we arrive around 14:30 at the office of our shipping agent and meet a few nice people in there. After a fine cup of coffee, we take off to the harbor of Mombassa to have the car checked by customs in order to get the Carnet de Passage stamped. After the usual questions by the customs officials, it's time to go to the container depot, not far from where we are. But traffic by now is crazy and making us arrive late at the depot. A few phone call and the people that had already gone home come back to work and provide us with a steel box aka 20ft container to squeeze our car in.The tent, spare tyre and the tool box have to be taken off the roof-rack before we can drive the car in. All our personal belongings that we want to take back with us to Europe are on the street now. Around 21:30 we are saying goodbye to our car: it was a painful and difficult exercise this shipment. It's still feels strange and unreal. The car has been our home with all that we own in it.
When packing for a relaxing week at the beach before jumping in a plane back home we forgot to take the coffee with us and wake up this morning with 2 questions: how is our car and how could we forget to pack the coffee when going to a self catering cottage on the beach South of Mombasa? The lady at reception quickly solves our problem: 2 cups of coffee are made and 2 hours later a taxi arrives that would take us to Nakumatt supermarket in Diani Beach, only a few miles down the road. A complete shopping done in about 30 minutes that will last for the rest of our stay on the beach.
On the day of the shipment in Mombasa, we arrive around 14:30 at the office of our shipping agent and meet a few nice people in there. After a fine cup of coffee, we take off to the harbor of Mombassa to have the car checked by customs in order to get the Carnet de Passage stamped. After the usual questions by the customs officials, it's time to go to the container depot, not far from where we are. But traffic by now is crazy and making us arrive late at the depot. A few phone call and the people that had already gone home come back to work and provide us with a steel box aka 20ft container to squeeze our car in.The tent, spare tyre and the tool box have to be taken off the roof-rack before we can drive the car in. All our personal belongings that we want to take back with us to Europe are on the street now. Around 21:30 we are saying goodbye to our car: it was a painful and difficult exercise this shipment. It's still feels strange and unreal. The car has been our home with all that we own in it.
When packing for a relaxing week at the beach before jumping in a plane back home we forgot to take the coffee with us and wake up this morning with 2 questions: how is our car and how could we forget to pack the coffee when going to a self catering cottage on the beach South of Mombasa? The lady at reception quickly solves our problem: 2 cups of coffee are made and 2 hours later a taxi arrives that would take us to Nakumatt supermarket in Diani Beach, only a few miles down the road. A complete shopping done in about 30 minutes that will last for the rest of our stay on the beach.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya
03 / Dec / 2010
With its objective of protection and preservation of endangered species, especially elephants and black rhino, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is an obvious 'must see' for us. Barry knew the place from a previous stay in Nairobi, and visiting again their elephant nursery in the Nairobi National Park is for certain spending a fun few hours. Watching the young elephants running for their morning bath in a mud pool - not before having stopped over for another milk bottle with their keepers - gives us a real blast. Joyful and still wavering on their legs, they throw themselves in the mud with a clear smile on their face of pure enjoyment! Get too close to these 'puppies' of 100kg at less than 1-year old and you might get mud splashed at you, but all this is nothing else than fun. The keepers tell us all about the personal stories of each elephant, aged between 2-month and 2,5-year old. Each one of them had a dramatic start in life, losing their mother from poaching in most cases, but had the chance to be rescued by the Sheldrick Trust some of them at a very early age, requiring even more care and attention from the keepers.
After such an entertaining moment watching the elephants bathing, how could we resist to not adopt one of these orphans and therefore to support the Sheldrick Trust? The fostering program is really appealing and to have seen with our own eyes the dedication of the keepers and the life-long commitment of the Sheldrick family, you can be sure every donation counts well.
If you'd like to support the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, see: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/fostering.asp and www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/html/help.html
Some complementary information: the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a small, flexible charity, established in 1977 to honor the memory of a famous naturalist, David Sheldrick, the founder Warden of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, where he served from 1948 until 1976.
The Trust has played an extremely significant role in Kenya’s conservation effort since it was founded in 1977, speaking out when necessary on controversial issues and stepping in unobtrusively and rapidly to bridge a gap or meet a shortfall that jeopardizes wildlife during times of Governmental economic constraints. Dr. Daphne Sheldrick (David's widow) was the first person in the entire world to successfully hand rear newborn fully milk dependent African elephant orphans, something that spanned 28 years of trial and error to achieve.
The Trust has trained a team of competent Elephant Keeper who replace the orphans’ lost elephant family until such time as the transition to the wild herds has been accomplished, something that can take up to l0 years, since elephant calves duplicate their human counterparts in terms of development through age progression. Elephants have a rapid metabolism, and need regular feeding 24 hours a day, initially on demand, but after the age of 5 months, gradually encouraged to slot into a 3 hourly routine during their first fully milk dependent year of life. The second year is also milk dependent, but is a gradual weaning off milk stage as the calf's intake of vegetation increases. If the orphaned Nursery Elephants are doing well when they reach the age of l year, they are transferred to Tsavo National Park, to be absorbed into the older echelon of orphans and begin their long and gradual period of re-integration back into the wild community.
By the year 2008, the Trust had successfully saved and hand-reared over 82 infant African elephant calves, two from the day of birth. Currently, over 40 of the Trust’s hand-reared elephants are fully established and living free amongst their wild peers in Tsavo, some returning with wild born young to show their erstwhile human family.
To know more about the Sheldrick Trust, please visit www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
After such an entertaining moment watching the elephants bathing, how could we resist to not adopt one of these orphans and therefore to support the Sheldrick Trust? The fostering program is really appealing and to have seen with our own eyes the dedication of the keepers and the life-long commitment of the Sheldrick family, you can be sure every donation counts well.
If you'd like to support the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, see: www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/fostering.asp and www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/html/help.html
Some complementary information: the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a small, flexible charity, established in 1977 to honor the memory of a famous naturalist, David Sheldrick, the founder Warden of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya, where he served from 1948 until 1976.
The Trust has played an extremely significant role in Kenya’s conservation effort since it was founded in 1977, speaking out when necessary on controversial issues and stepping in unobtrusively and rapidly to bridge a gap or meet a shortfall that jeopardizes wildlife during times of Governmental economic constraints. Dr. Daphne Sheldrick (David's widow) was the first person in the entire world to successfully hand rear newborn fully milk dependent African elephant orphans, something that spanned 28 years of trial and error to achieve.
The Trust has trained a team of competent Elephant Keeper who replace the orphans’ lost elephant family until such time as the transition to the wild herds has been accomplished, something that can take up to l0 years, since elephant calves duplicate their human counterparts in terms of development through age progression. Elephants have a rapid metabolism, and need regular feeding 24 hours a day, initially on demand, but after the age of 5 months, gradually encouraged to slot into a 3 hourly routine during their first fully milk dependent year of life. The second year is also milk dependent, but is a gradual weaning off milk stage as the calf's intake of vegetation increases. If the orphaned Nursery Elephants are doing well when they reach the age of l year, they are transferred to Tsavo National Park, to be absorbed into the older echelon of orphans and begin their long and gradual period of re-integration back into the wild community.
By the year 2008, the Trust had successfully saved and hand-reared over 82 infant African elephant calves, two from the day of birth. Currently, over 40 of the Trust’s hand-reared elephants are fully established and living free amongst their wild peers in Tsavo, some returning with wild born young to show their erstwhile human family.
To know more about the Sheldrick Trust, please visit www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/
Tsavo National Park, Kenya
31 / Aug / 2010
"Val, wake up! I think somebody is breaking into the car. I hear noises". It's 4:30 in the morning and we look down from the tent trying to see what is happening. Not even 10 meters away is a huge elephant enjoying the grass under the palm trees. We are in Ndololo public campsite in Tsavo East National Park and are woken up by an elephant, unbelievable!
An hour later, the alarm goes off so that we can enjoy the morning light in the park when going for the first game drive of the day. At 6 we finally drag ourselves out of bed and make coffee. We take a seat on the bonnet of our Land Cruiser and enjoy the yellow baboons climbing out of the tree while sipping from our coffee. Meanwhile, 6 giraffes slowly walk through the campsite and there is the elephant nearby again. I can't help but enjoy the moment so much that I start singing:
"Happy day after my birthday, Happy day after my birthday, Happy day after my birthday, We woke up with the elephant!". Yesterday, we already concluded that Tsavo is an amazing park. We entered with the late afternoon light making the scenery even more beautiful and dramatic. Now waking up with wildlife just outside of our tent makes it even better. What a wonderful start of the day!
As if watching wildlife during your first coffee is not enough, we see lions killing a zebra not even 2 hours later. We spend a couple of hours watching the pride having their breakfast. The killing happened so quickly. One of the lionesses disappeared from the pride earlier, we could not see her anymore. Then we noticed that the herd of impalas and zebras started running wild. There she is, the lioness that disappeared earlier drives the herd straight into an ambush. The rest of the pride gets up and finishes the hunt in a matter of seconds. A zebra goes down and breakfast for the pride of lions is served, 3 adult females and 4 lion cubs eat their bellies full. We can't help it but the young ones look so cute with their red faces from the blood!
This side of the park is totally dry, not a single drop of water in the area. The dam which is supposed to create an artificial lake for animals to drink from and so to attract more animals is empty. We decide to head North to reach the Galana river. On the way, we take a short track that leads us closer to a small river and meet a large herd of elephants with many youngsters playing around the matriarch that has enormous tusks (as long as her trunk). Reaching the Galana river, a wide natural stream of blue and green water, we see the first Nile crocodiles in the park. Nearby, the Lugards Falls offer a great scenery with some more elephants in the middle of the river on the background.
Tsavo National Park is as far from Nairobi as the Masai Mara is, approximately 5 hours but on a very good road. The Masai Mara is known for the migration and the amount of wildlife you can see there. It is not know for the amazing landscapes. That is exactly what Tsavo has to offer you: breathtaking and diverse landscapes AND wildlife. The bush can be dense at areas in the park but that does not make it less interesting. We have seen a few parks over the years, from Kenya to South Africa and have to admit that Tsavo National Park is probably one of the most beautiful parks out there. The tracks are good, the landscape is gorgeous, the wildlife is there, and the campsites are spacious. If you have time, Tsavo is absolutely worth visiting!
Following the river for a few hours, we finally leave the park, after 10 hours of game drive, on the east-side to go to the Indian ocean where we are planning to spend a few days in Malindi. We need a holiday in our so-called "holiday trip". Life is tough when you are on the road!
An hour later, the alarm goes off so that we can enjoy the morning light in the park when going for the first game drive of the day. At 6 we finally drag ourselves out of bed and make coffee. We take a seat on the bonnet of our Land Cruiser and enjoy the yellow baboons climbing out of the tree while sipping from our coffee. Meanwhile, 6 giraffes slowly walk through the campsite and there is the elephant nearby again. I can't help but enjoy the moment so much that I start singing:
"Happy day after my birthday, Happy day after my birthday, Happy day after my birthday, We woke up with the elephant!". Yesterday, we already concluded that Tsavo is an amazing park. We entered with the late afternoon light making the scenery even more beautiful and dramatic. Now waking up with wildlife just outside of our tent makes it even better. What a wonderful start of the day!
As if watching wildlife during your first coffee is not enough, we see lions killing a zebra not even 2 hours later. We spend a couple of hours watching the pride having their breakfast. The killing happened so quickly. One of the lionesses disappeared from the pride earlier, we could not see her anymore. Then we noticed that the herd of impalas and zebras started running wild. There she is, the lioness that disappeared earlier drives the herd straight into an ambush. The rest of the pride gets up and finishes the hunt in a matter of seconds. A zebra goes down and breakfast for the pride of lions is served, 3 adult females and 4 lion cubs eat their bellies full. We can't help it but the young ones look so cute with their red faces from the blood!
This side of the park is totally dry, not a single drop of water in the area. The dam which is supposed to create an artificial lake for animals to drink from and so to attract more animals is empty. We decide to head North to reach the Galana river. On the way, we take a short track that leads us closer to a small river and meet a large herd of elephants with many youngsters playing around the matriarch that has enormous tusks (as long as her trunk). Reaching the Galana river, a wide natural stream of blue and green water, we see the first Nile crocodiles in the park. Nearby, the Lugards Falls offer a great scenery with some more elephants in the middle of the river on the background.
Tsavo National Park is as far from Nairobi as the Masai Mara is, approximately 5 hours but on a very good road. The Masai Mara is known for the migration and the amount of wildlife you can see there. It is not know for the amazing landscapes. That is exactly what Tsavo has to offer you: breathtaking and diverse landscapes AND wildlife. The bush can be dense at areas in the park but that does not make it less interesting. We have seen a few parks over the years, from Kenya to South Africa and have to admit that Tsavo National Park is probably one of the most beautiful parks out there. The tracks are good, the landscape is gorgeous, the wildlife is there, and the campsites are spacious. If you have time, Tsavo is absolutely worth visiting!
Following the river for a few hours, we finally leave the park, after 10 hours of game drive, on the east-side to go to the Indian ocean where we are planning to spend a few days in Malindi. We need a holiday in our so-called "holiday trip". Life is tough when you are on the road!
The famous road from Moyale to Isiolo, Kenya
19 / Jul / 2010
What can we say? Yes it is a bad road and yes it is hell to drive on and yes we broke something on the car. Actually, 1 out every 3 cars brakes down! We mainly lost 4 leaf springs, which we had replaced in a specialized factory just outside of Nairobi (3 leafs broke on the road and the 4th in the factory when re tensioning).
The road is luckily under construction at the moment. The stretch from Moyale to Marsabit is in very bad condition. The bit between Marsabit and Isiolo is getting better and better as days go past. 130KM out of Marsabit the new Chinese tar starts and by the end of 2011 it should reach the Moyale border post. See the video, a nice part of the road btw, and decide for yourself if you would drive that road twice, we won't!
The road is luckily under construction at the moment. The stretch from Moyale to Marsabit is in very bad condition. The bit between Marsabit and Isiolo is getting better and better as days go past. 130KM out of Marsabit the new Chinese tar starts and by the end of 2011 it should reach the Moyale border post. See the video, a nice part of the road btw, and decide for yourself if you would drive that road twice, we won't!