The penultimate day in Kenya

Sunday, 10.11.2013

We wake up and all gather in the hallway of the same floor to make breakfast on the concrete railing. Today for breakfast we have muesli with or without yogurt for each taste. Shortly after having breakfast we start to pack to wait for the driver and move on, but soon we learn that the driver will be delayed due to arisen car problems. After a while the driver is here and were are able leave the most terrible hostel so far. We all rummaged the car to try to find my disappeared mobile phone. It still was not found. I was left for the first time without a phone, probably it fell out at some stopping place. I last used it in a shop. It’s a shame for the pictures that were on the phone. We start to pack everything in the car and soon are ready to leave Voi to go to Amboseli National Park at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The road is well paved and we can move quickly, so we can make it in a good time to Amboseli National Park. Soon comes the time for lunch and it was agreed with the driver to stop where there are no people around. Soon we turned to a less important road, drove a bit forward and found a good place for lunch. We take out the gas stoves and start to cook lunch. We boil water for tea, coffee and instant soup and for dessert we have a pineapple. No matter how desolate terrain it may seem to you, always some person will appear if you stay for a longer time. Two kids appeared. Me and Agnese went to give them pencils and a little later Anders treated them with some pineapple. We wash the dishes and pack things. Ilgonis meanwhile has found some stone. We get in the car and the next stop is Amboseli National Park.

The road was not paved to the gate and, as usual, was like a washing board, wet, and as normally the driver is looking for a better place to drive, and soon he slid into a ditch, and once again we tilted even though on the whole we have experienced sliding into a ditch in around 45-degree angle for several times. Every time it seemed that now it will be on the side as well. Fortunately the Safari version of Toyota Land Cruiser is not so easy to turn over. At least how it proved to us :D With us being in the car, the driver is trying to get out of the ditch and soon became stuck, and we decided to get out and push the car out. The locals walked past and also hurried to help. The car drove to and fro pretty much in the same place along the ditch, until it began to reverse and we pushed, then finally it began to move smoothly and went well; it drove in the reverse for some time, trying to get out, and where it was smoother there it finally turned out on the road. He drove to us, and we got in and continued way to the gate, which was already quite close.

We drove up to the gate, and there, as usually, merchants surround the car and want you to buy a souvenir from them. While some went to the cashier to pay for the ticket, vendors are trying to sell the goods with all their effort. They did not quite care that you have already shopped, but that you should buy from them. They called from high to lower prices, but when somebody is showing interest, then calling again higher prices.

Finally we have sorted out the ticket issue, then we were let inside the park where the annoying vendors did not go. We raised the roof and were able to begin to look around the last park. We have little time to darkness, and also the park is being closed, but we can also continue to look around tomorrow. Part of the road from Kilimanjaro mountain only the bottom could be seen, because the top was surrounded by clouds, and when we arrived in the park, then finally it was possible to see also the white peak among the white clouds that looked almost merged. While we drove around and looked at the animals, the clouds gradually depart from the mountain, and it was more and more visible, till it could be seen completely. Meanwhile, everyone admired the animals that could be seen around. A lot of zebras, when one arrives, they show their bums, that is, moving further away from us. Lots of elephant families. In short, the park is very versatile thanks to Mount Kilimanjaro, which regularly provides the necessary climate to the park . This park is worth paying a lot for and, more important, seeing :)

In the meantime I more admired the Kilimanjaro mountain. Me and Anders were wondering long ago about which mountain to climb – Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya. Choice fell on Mount Kenya as it came cheaper, although in reality did not work out much cheaper, but very shortly we were able to stay as one needs to pay for each day (that refers to both the mountains). There are certain days for which one needs to pay, then for each following day they are collecting much more and then wondering why many don’t get at all to the top, because there is such a thing as altitude sickness, to which one needs to devote one’s time, which in the Himalayas one can calmly and without hurry do. Yes, Africa’s highest mountains cost a lot.. Those we went to conquer two together before the arrival of the other members, because we wanted to be in Kenya for longer, but unfortunately, many could not afford to devote so much time/money.

But for us to conquer Mount Kenya also was not easy. I reached the tip of the easy-to-reach third highest mountain when we started to go at night, in time to see the sunrise, which was on the other side of the mountain, but unfortunately Anders’s state of health did not allow it and he really did not want to risk it. I with difficulty at that time got to the top by running behind a guide. This is an adventure, for which, looking at Kilimanjaro, I basked in the nostalgia, although it was almost 3-4 weeks ago. What for myself could have not end so well, but in collaboration with Anders, we jointly got back.
Looking at the Kilimanjaro mountain and thinking that it could be managed within 10 days is quite foolish, unless you are in a perfect health and can overcome the altitude sickness, or you have recently climbed as high a mountain, or eat pills, which is not the best option. For the joy, as a minimum, you pay $500. So taught settlers the locals about monetary system … But it does not deter me to conquer it in the future :)

While continuing to watch Kilimanjaro and wallowing in memories of mountain climbing, the sun begins to set and also the time is approaching six. Time to go to the exit and to find an accommodation. Leaving through the gate the planned accommodation is rather nearby in order to be able to continue viewing the park in the morning. While searching for the previously selected night accommodation we do not quite find any signs to it, but instead decide to find out how much actually costs the one close by. Talking to the guard, we found out the price and maybe also bargained a bit. We decided to stay here. He pointed us a parking space and showed what is located where. There are toilets, a shower – with hot water, which is heated with firewood, tents, tent houses, houses and a pool! Ināra and Vitolds went to find out how much a tent house actually costs and concluded that they will take it. Others decided to sleep in tents.

We pack out the car because bags already must be packed so that tomorrow we can go to the airport; and the driver will go to visit a friend. Camp arranging, raising a tent, cooking dinner, shower, everything that everybody wants to do, takes place. Of course we did not do without star and Moon watching, as the weather is favorable. Ilgonis used the field glass and a tripod and we looked at the Moon and the stars. Later Ilgonis with a camera and a tripod went around to take pictures of stars. At night Kilimanjaro mountain also looked majestic and perfectly cloudless.

While Ilgonis took pictures with a slow shutter speed, I remembered, how I with friends a long time ago wrote words with lights and mentioned that we need to make a caption. We decided that we will be making a group photo with caption and the camp in the background. Initially, we tested in all ways how long is required and how I succeed with mirror writing and light brightness. When this was ready, everyone came together and are having a rehearsal and looking how I do with the writing and the others – how with still standing. I decided to illuminate myself to be seen in the picture, and as a result I look like a ghost :D Errors happen with letters. Let’s make the last picture and I write Afika! Well let’s do the last one again and all is the way it should be :)

We can eat dinner, act in parallel and chatter. The driver also returns from visiting and we give him dinner as well. Later the majority went to Ināra and Vitolds to see how the tent house looks like. It was quite wide with two beds and with its own toilet and maybe also shower. Ilgonis already went to sleep because it was late. We ate chocolate, fruits at their place and chatted. Later we start to go to sleep ourselves or whatever everyone was doing. I chatted with Anders at the tent and we went to bed. The day was great.
Goodnight!

Mombasa

Saturday, 9.11.2013

The first event of the day was a breakfast around eight in the morning, to which all came at different times, depending on what time who got up, as the idea is to leave immediately after breakfast, so the bags need to be packed. Agnese’s original plan had failed, that is, suddenly there were no snorkeling goers anymore. For this she was obviously not happy. Breakfast is served gradually, starting with tea, then the sausage with egg. After breakfast, we’re collecting our belongings together and are planning to go to the beach, but there is no car. We’re waiting, waiting, the driver is getting contacted, it turns out there are problems. Well fine, we leave the belongings with the hotel administrator, the precious things – computers, cameras – are stored separately, and go for a walk around the city.

The first goal is a bureau de change because almost all of our shillings are over. On the way we see something like gates designed as crossed elephant tusks in Moi Avenue. Such gates are for each traffic lane. Next we find a money exchange point and just in time, because a short yet pretty strong rain arrives. We decide to look around the old town, and as soon as the car will be ready, to go to the beach. While walking around the old town, Fort Jesus, which is located on Mombasa port, cannot be overlooked of course. To be honest, the fort would require a reconstruction, because right now it is in a pretty bad state. The architecture of Old Town is different from the rest of Mombasa, you can just have a kind of a feel of antiquity.

Of course, like in a popular tourist place all kinds of souvenir shops are in abundance. We also get a guide, he is a local, who, in exchange for that we will have lunch in his family’s restaurant, undertake to show us round the old town. We see a port where one can spot some ships and fishing boats, we go to the fish market, which was empty in the afternoon, however. Here one must come in the morning. Well and then the lunch in “Rozina House Restaurant”, which was kind of our most expensive meal on this trip. Lunch was also very good.

Given that the car at that time was still not ready, we decided to take a matatu and go to Nyali Beach. Beach in Kenyan style, there is nothing superfluous. On the other hand, it is possible to ride a camel. At first, however, I did not get it, why all the locals cling along the very waterfront and are minimally going deeper into the ocean, but the answer could soon be felt by foot. Whether they had any sea urchins or anything else – as the warm waters are known to be rich in terms of coastal fauna species – but beyond a certain limit one could not wade into the ocean without risking impaling feet. While a part of the group was bathing, to the other part that is sitting in the shade under the palm trees a few locals arrive and offer coconuts. The offer is accepted and soon they bring a sack of coconuts, which also get opened on the spot. Coconut water tastes like the local Latvian birch juice, in my opinion, just as tasteless.

Then the time is over and we have to leave, the driver has collected our belongings from the hotel and we drive away from Mombasa. Along the way, we pop into the local Akamba wood-carving workshop, where a diversity of animal figurines and bowls get made from wood. Masters work in low wooden huts, each doing his job as on an assembly line, just there is none such. But the same principle, one carves a shape, another one paints or does something else. Of course as in all manufacturing processes there are also some faulty ones, which they try to sell to us on the spot. There is also a gift shop where one can buy all kinds of products without bargaining. So there we all shop. Then out of Mombasa and on to Voi, where the next overnight stay is intended.

We arrive in Voi late in the evening, as usual. The hotel, where we stay, is a three-storey building with a hole in the middle; the hole is surrounded by narrow hallways and rooms with completely incomprehensible numbering. There are two beds in the rooms, a shower and a toilet. Given that we arrived late, everyone is tired, so pretty quickly, without any special cooking or looking for dinner, we go to bed. The day is over.

Naro Moru – Nairobi – Mombasa. The long transfer

Friday, 8.11.2013

Technical data. The approximate length of the road:
176 km Naro Muru-Nairobi
+
136 km to the turn to Amboseli lake at Emali (but that’s for another day)
+
363 km to Mombasa
TOTAL approx. 675 km

Although this route is doable with a car that does not require special technical strength for rattling over potholes and off-road, it took us a long time, that is we started at 6:30am and arrived in Mombasa around 10:00pm. Mostly to blame are the lorries raging on the road, which we must overtake, and in this country it happens extremely impressive – past various sides of the cars. Because, it turns out, once you have an off-road car, why not overtake along a ditch? Although, dear reader, be assured, it can be done with any car. Don’t believe? Come to Kenya!

Parts of the day and details for stitching the events together:
• There is a craving for tomatoes. Thus we are buying them. With confidence in the face we are going to conquer the lowest prices among the tomato mountains on the roadside. We let ourselves away for 100 shillings in exchange for a good sized bucket full of tempting tomatoes. Part of the day we are over the Moon of the awaited moment only to conclude during the lunch that Kenyans are by far unable to match the tomato growing skill of Latvians. That’s because the tomatoes are wearily sweet rather than delicious as it should have been for Kenyan sun cured knobs. Our driver Karioki gets one more reason to visit Latvia while listening to our stories – to taste normal, delicious tomatoes.

• There is even bigger craving for pineapple. Thus we are buying them. In the tangle of roads of Nairobi suburbs Karioki brings us to heaps of pineapple. The men products grabbed in hands encircle us to find out that Latvians are hagglers, and we buy two large pineapples for 150 shillings. They smell great. They taste even better.

• In a small village not far from Nairobi we stop at a souvenir stall CurioShop. Damn expensive. Later, Agnese will take us to a craftsmen village near Mombasa, where everything is much, much, much cheaper. But that’s another day.

• In the Tsavo village of Voi the driver decides to change the oil. Meanwhile, we are behaving exactly as is required of us – bellies forward emptying a jug of cold beer. As always, a bottle of Tusker is 200 shillings. The attendant, like most of his colleagues in the country, works great, wonderful, brilliant. How can he be transported as a model to Latvia?

• Finally we realize (but actually Karioki advises) that pikipiki (motorcycles) who gather in flocks in many places, are in fact taxis.

• While approaching Mombasa, we are taking shots with baobabs along the roadside. Baobabs are standing, we are clicking.

• At sunset storm clouds are growing in the sky. Both dark blue-black and mud yellow, with the crepuscular rays and with a rainbow. Clouds are raining, we are clicking.

• When it darkens we arrive to a traffic super-jam into Mombasa. It turns out that Kenyans want to weigh every lorry that is departing from Mombasa, and so they also do it. Lorries lined up in tens of kilometers long lines, also are trying to drive on the opposite lane, so we have to take the vacant lane in the ditch. Our driver is trying to get back on the asphalt with a jump which skids and turns our car a lot. Further on we are driving wisely and are afraid.

• However, Mombasa suburbs cease to amaze. A heavy car traffic jam has developed, a tangle, which consists of five lanes in one direction, it swallows us, we get stuck. In resolving the situation the entire crowd living in the next few kilometers is involved. By knocks on the car roof and hood, we get informed in the system of a complex code, and we are driving forward, a little back, then more backwards, a little bit forward, to the side, and otherwise for about an hour.

• We have found our hotel “Josleejim”. It’s a pity the entertainment with cockroaches is absent, but there is a guard, who promises and promises and promises to bring mosquito nets, and finally arrives at midnight to wake us up and say that he does not have them.

• We fall asleep each with our own dream for the next day of entertainment in the city and on the beach. Life outside the window is in full swing throughout the night. It is always “cool” here.

Crossing the equator – the coldest place in Kenya

Tuesday, 5.11.2013
Today we have a long trip from point A (Marich Pass) to point B (Nakuru). It is interesting to watch how nature, climate and people’s occupation changes along the way. When we pass mountains, agricultural area begins. We see a lot of people on the roadside making and selling charcoal, gathering wood and maize, splitting stones and even welding steel doors. Here we buy bananas, mangoes and passion fruits.

Our car moves uphill very slowly because of damaged fuel filter. In Kitale mechanics successfully replace it and now we drive faster. Roads are also changed, instead of permanent holes now we have more or less comfortable ride. Except those crazy road bumps! In the afternoon we finally make stop for the lunch.

Soon we pass Eldoret that is quite busy town. We are constantly moving uphill reaching 2800 meters height and temperature drops from 24 degrees Celsius in the afternoon to quite chilling sensation when darkness comes. We use GPS to locate equator line. We cross it and enter southern hemisphere again. Unfortunately we cannot stop at that place. This is strange, equator is the coldest place in Africa we have met so far.

Finally we reach Nakuru that is quite big city but very noisy and crowded. We stay overnight in very modest place Care Guest House with prostitutes staying outside. Noise on streets continues all night. Most of our group go for dinner to eat meat and nibble bones.

Kisumu to Marich Pass

Friday, 1.11.2013
Morning, Kisumu, waking up at Lake Victoria. The technical data of the day: Route Kisumu-Marich Pass, the plan is to spend 3 hours driving, our reality 9h. The distance is around 250-300km. The condition of the road… it’s hard to comment THIS bad road with potholes which is also covered by speed bumps. Even though there are repairworks going on in many places,  there are no predictions that anything will seriously change during next 10 years therefore it is not advisable to go by a common car, but rather by an offroad vehicle.

The event’s of the day. We wake up under a sausage tree and walk to look at the bay of the lake Victoria. It is not advisable to swim here as there are parasites which get and start living under the human skin. We leave the campsite at 8:50, then shopping for groceries and beer, searching for a tyre for the car therefore we leave at 11am only.  

The route which is long and boring is made ornate only by the life bubbling along the roadside – people who are gathering here always wanting to be together, the small, tiny huts which are not anymore made from sticks’ carcass and clay , but from Marichno aereted concrete bricks, children who always smile and greet us whenever they see us. The area becomes more fertile and when stopping in any place local ladies bring some fruit they want to sell. We would like to buy, but we are just driving and driving. Life through the car’s window and dust since we MUST manage the planned route, otherwise we might arrive late to the place where we will be watching the total solar eclipse. We buy something, however -the only purchase is a long sugarcane which should be peeled and then chewed, and the mouth gets filled by juice as sugarwater. It costs 50 shillings, we buy only half of the cane for 25 shillings, and the length of it reaches over all the saloon of our vehicle.  

At the beginning of the day we are driving through Kakamega, we have flown past several possible sightseeing objects, but we manage to catch one – at Webuye village we turn to right and with an advice from the locals arrive at the opposite coast of the valley of Nzoia river. Strong, effervescent, muddy in a bald valley among stones -that’s how it looks.

It doesn’t need too long to look at, in half an hour we have lunch, and our driver Karioki tells about the leaves of Manuakou tree. We notice the tree because of its strange fruits, similar to sweet peppers, but the bitter tea is made from leaves only and it has helped against malaria in ancient times. But the young people nowadays are not using it anymore. The meadow and trees around are full of sounds, insects and birds are making all kinds of sounds.  

The big value of Kenya are its people. Kind, very, very kind, with a serious attitude and smiling, happy. On our way, whenever it’s possible they try to start a conversation, shake hands, especially children are trying to touch us for whom our white or maybe colourless ;) skin looks a miracle.  

Further our route goes through Kitale to Marich Pass, and along the setting of darkness in the saloon of the car come sharper feelings of potholes and lively conversations. Ilgonis tells about the Solar eclipse. If you would like to know what exactly, you should find out the answers to the following questions:
– how many times the Sun is bigger than the Earth,
– how many times the Moon is closer to the Earth than the Sun,
– why the totality of this year’s eclipse lasts only 15 seconds,
– how do you feel when you have never experienced sex, but know about it, have written about it, and then one day experience it…  

Anyway, our road among the potholes tumbles further, runs pat the sunset and the shadow games of sunset where especially beautiful photos get created, past the school children crowds in towns who are gathering on Friday nights, in different uniforms for each school, to go home somewhere by bus. We try to take photos of everything on the run since we cannot afford to stop for a minute, we must get to the designed place.  However, if also you go to this red chocolate country, stop for a moment to get a good shot, to have a chat with the bypassers and to greet the children which appear around you from nowhere. Because. It is important to stick to the plan, but a minute of feelings won’t crash it most likely. Much more than a good technical organisation is to feel a good mood and to take care about smile in the faces of companions.  

But we arrive in Marich Pass field studies centre  campsite and are sleeping in a classroom where beds have been brought in with mosquito nets. It’s the first time we sleep under them and it is very romantic and a bit scary as well. Maybe about the unknown.