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.

To Lake Bogoria and further

Wednesday, 6.11.2013
At six in the morning in Nakuru we were woken up by a Muslim morning prayer, which began with a melodic chanting for an hour, then it moved to a prayer till his voice had got completely hoarse. Quick breakfast, grocery shopping in a Europe-ish supermarket and once again road, road ……

After an hour of driving we crossed the equator for the nth time. We tried to stand at the same time both in the northern and the southern hemispheres. My feet were a few centimeters too short to do it, but I tried to stretch the legs very much and managed fifty-fifty. I was saved by taking photos at a globe, as realizing that I have a weakness, souvenir sellers surrounded me and I would have broken. During the photo time I gathered all my soul’s forces to not buy everything I liked. Other members of our group are strong since birth and did not-exaggerate with shopping, except Ilgonis who bought three African drums, but it is probably his unrealised dream of childhood.

Further the road leads to Lake Bogoria. Plain landscape – hills overgrown with shrubs, in places there are cactuses. Local houses once again are poor. There are also houses of corrugated tin. I do not like them – they clash with the surrounding landscape. There are also cactus hedges, even quite high, nobody will get through them. Again the architectural masterpieces of the old friends, termites.

Lake Bogoria did not excite me too much. Yes, there were both the greater and the lesser flamingos, there was the African black stork. All the joy was suppressed for me by the bird corpses lying around the lake. Excitement was caused by the hot springs and the possibility to cook the eggs we have taken with us. One needs to know how to cook eggs here, as the strong bubbling of the springs can bring them to the gods the springs.

There was a plan to see at the Thomson’s water fall in the village of Nyahururu, height of which is 170 meters. Unfortunately, one hour can change everything. We arrived in pitch black darkness; the waterfall could only be sensed by ears and skin. Still we should drive of 100 km to the arranged accommodation.

We searched for the accommodation for a long time and thoroughly- nothing. Then we captured a talkative person, who took us to the another site since the-old was closed down. As Agnese had strong documents, which showed that the old site was booked and deposit paid, we got some great 2 and 4 person rooms in the new place for a very good price. Later it turned out that the 4 person room has two beds for four men.

We could order a dinner in the motel. Me and Vitolds 4.8LVL for both ate each two sausages with cabbage salad and ugali, drank beer. Great! This was followed by a fantastic night – a cool fresh air, good beds and warm, warm blankets.

Going back south

Monday, 4.11.2013
We have squeezed out (agreed on) 15 minutes of additional sleep from Agnese. The news arrive that a Russian eclipse observer has outpaced all. He had gone 50km in the direction of Sudan and seen the full eclipse phase. We are a little bit envious. Many enthusiasts have arrived for the solar eclipse. We meet a traditionally obese American lady from Dakota. A meter thick layer of snow has fallen in Dakota. Here in Lodwar though, the temperature is 35 degrees Celsium.

After breakfast the first activity is restocking of food. We are looking for a shopping center with a sweet name of Kilimanjaro supermarket. Moving through the bumpy streets of Lodwar we find a humble one-storey building with this vibrant title. Having bought the products we head out. In the streets of Lodwar one can see both modern people dressed in jeans and ones dressed in the traditional tribal costumes. Colorful ethnic palette.

Past the window a semi-desert with few trees is sliding. It seems a person can not live here. But suddenly, in this abstract environment appears a figure, dressed in a cloak, thin legs with a stick and seat under his arm, going somewhere in a direction known only by him. The existence of humans is shown by goat herds. Goats are the main means of living for the people here. They give milk, blood and sometimes meat. How many goats are needed for a family to survive, remains a mystery. The number of goats is a measure of a family’s wealth. Ilgonis reads pieces from the Kulik’s books on Kenya. How to control a donkey. To stop the donkey it should be pulled by the tail, to accelerate should be hit under the tail with prickles. But what are the camels doing here? I did not see that anyone using them. Maybe they are wild?

The people living in this desert earn some money by gathering stones for building and burning charcoal for grill and selling them to city dwellers. For the most part, these desert people live in small huts of branches. In places here called cities, probably the government, builds more serious houses with tin roofs. Will these desert people feel good in those?
One stretch of road is considered to be dangerous. So a guard with a machine gun joins our company for 2000 shillings again.

Our driver has become quite energetic. The car runs jumping on the scary road potholes. Once in the end, we see our suitcases hanging in twines. A little more and they would have been lost. We have come to the accommodation unusually early. Marich pass field studies centre. We have decided for comfort and are renting double rooms. Since there is plenty of time until the darkness we are going on an excursion. We are accompanied by great horde of children and are giving them souvenirs – pencils. The local village. House size around 6 square meters. Arrangement is poor, without a chimney. Only the small children are sleeping with their parents. Big kids get their own house built. We are talking about the local weddings, beer from sausage tree fruits, poligyny (several wives).

Past our accommodation a fast river is flowing. During the day we noticed women rinsing something in the river. This is gold apparently. We try out swimming in the river. The kids are very pleased that such a stout uncle as me goes swimming. River is shallow and the water is rapid. A very refreshing feeling. A beautiful sunset on the river. Dinner and then off to sleep in our beds.

To Lodwar

Saturday, 2.11.2013
Early morning, we are waking up and starting to bustle around. Some are preparing breakfast, others taking shower or organizing belongings. As normally we are trying to get everything done faster, to get earlier to the other end with almost a snail’s speed. Then morning jobs are finished, we pack the car and leave for the trip.

The trip is long, especially with such a speed. Road conditions do not become better. I do not know how to describe the road – rather a bumpy one with pieces of asphalt. Shaking continues and Karioki is trying to find a less shaky part, especially avoiding the big washboard parts and potholes which there is no shortage. We go out of the hilly terrain, and later will enter a plain, which has mountains on both sides. We go near the side of the left side hill and see several waterfalls in the mountains, at least for us they looked like ones. Around there are many rather green trees.

We stopped at a bridge and got out to stretch and take photos of the river. Behind the bridge there was a village with a traditional shop / store/ market view. Children came and we gave them some notebooks and colored pencil sets, and they were happy for that.

We continue along the road, and as commonly, there have been speed humps built in the villages. There is a variety of formations and materials for them based on asphalt or soil. Holes are not enough to deter the racers :D Here and there a long asphalt strip in the middle of the road can be seen, which is about a meter wide and can be used for one side of the car, but then we must face a tilt. Trucks drive so that the asphalt is between the wheels. Looks like the road itself has been made much wider than the original. Potholes unfortunately don’t get reduced and the speed also does not rise.

Around there are scrubs with yellowish lawns which are greener closer to the roots. We are moving away from the mountains, closer to the middle of the plain. Along the way animals and birds can be observed, mostly small animals or livestock. Of large animals, a camel can be occasionally seen. In the car it is sometimes quiet (or hard for me to hear in a rattling car), and sometimes conversations as the trip is long.

At one moment Karioki decided to increase the speed, because we often complained that we are maundering slowly and others are traveling much faster than us. It did not last long as when the speed was increased, the car rattled even more and the front panel was shaking so much that everything fell out of it. At one moment I thought that soon the whole panel will be in my lap since I sat in the front.

We came to a part which reminds of rather a desert with thinning trees. The road goes through it, and on both sides of the road there are other paths created, as they are much smoother than the main one! Also, the speed could be increased slightly. Road has been rutted narrower or wider, sometimes it splits into a number of bands bypassing obstacles or passing other cars depending on what is more convenient. It does not matter to which side of the main road one descends, one should follow the same principles as on the main road.

At one point we stopped for a lunch break to eat instant noodle soup and to stretch. We go further and at one moment we arrive in the village with a barrier, which is not uncommon, but this time it does not get risen and we are not let further. Karioki greets and talks with a police officer who came up in the local language. Then we were told that a bandit attack zone starts here and that it is dangerous without a policeman in the car. Knowing that this is unlikely going to be for free and asked how much we need to pay, and those were 2000 KES. Splitting among all of us, it actually is not that much, and we should take him. He must sit next to me in the front as two can squeeze and sit there. I gave my bag to the rear, as there’s not that much room, then he sat down beside me with a gun, the AK-47, if I remember correctly. He put a gun between his legs and we went further.

The stretch of the road is so horrible that the bandits can reach the car with such a speed. There are only bushes around where they are said to be hiding. They are supposedly coming from the neighbouring country. Ilgoni’s question arrives from the back on how many bullets does he have after all. I looked at him and noticed only one magazine. He himself is thin ad the most of the local people. He didn’t speak English, so with the help of Karioki we found ot that he has 30 bullets. Should be enough. The dangerous area stretches 88km ahead. We started a discussion whether he is a member of police or army – turns out that he’s a policeman. Also we were trying to find out whether the army here is mandatory or not, and it sounded like it is voluntary. Karioki himself had not served.

We go a while and stop, and the policeman also gets out and moves on
of the car in order to better see us and the surrounding area. Soon we continued our way.
Neighborhoods are still bushy and the road is probably one of the worst
roads. Along the following roads riding at high speed is not sensible, unless you are very sure of your car’s reliability, including tires.
We are driving for a long time. Rather tedious road, one can just rattle along. We
stopped at the control which was the end of the danger zone. We paid and I again could sit in front in the sun and heat.

Lodwar was not far anymore and we soon arrived. We start to look for our
accommodation. We were inquiring locals and navigating, but it did not work well. We criss-crossed the area and only later finally found the place.
As it turns out, we were close, but not that close.

We parked the car and Agnese went to talk about places to sleep and Ilgonis also joined. A campsite was planned, but when they found out that there are free houses with three beds in each, Ilgonis convinced that it’s better to stay in the rooms as we’re staying 2 nights and leaving bags. So we do. We found out about the biggest shops to buy some groceries. The driver also needs to check the car.

Some of us stayed and the rest came along. It was agreed that the driver throws us out at the shop and drives to the workshop, and if he manages to check everything then he picks us up, otherwise we are walking. We got to the shop, but one couldn’t tell from the outside that it was a supermarket. From inside it looked like a wild west store, all dusty and organized as someone had managed to. Not all we need is available. Therefore we have to do with what we can buy. There was frozen mince meat, but the ice cream was not worth it since it had been melted and incompletely frozen again. At least e had such an impression.

We found out that the driver won’t get out of the workshop soon enough, so we walked. The people are kind, greet us. We were walking on the street’s empty side and people walked on the other side. Only later we understood that we need to go on that side as well as the one we were walking along is used by cars. So we had people around and some of them started a conversation with us. We chatted and walked. The children, however, mostly have one saying “How are you?”. We reply that we are good and how are they themselves, but they are usually not answering that.

Agnese talked to one student and the conversation topics were diverse. So we got to our lodge together with him and invited for dinner. While they were chatting, others were preparing dinner. There is the frozen mince meat for the dinner tonight, we thaw it on a frying pan and clean the unfrozen part off. Pasta goes with it. When everything is ready, it is time for dinner and everyone is coming at the table under a roof. Vitolds came, didn’t bend enough, hit his head at the edge and moaned. We come around, start to flash the light how does it look. It is bleeding, all the forehead in blood. He goes to the sink, I run to fetch my first aid bag. I start to nurse him as well as I can and as a result there is only one small wound for which a plaster was enough.

In a moment all gathered at the table and we started to eat dinner and there was even a toast. We discussed several topics with the student. The conversation lasted long. Then gradually everyone started to scatter and go to sleep or do something else before going to bed. At last we all went to sleep so we could wake up for the main event of the trip – the solar eclipse!

*Agnese’s note- we had the policeman in car between the towns Kainuk and Lokichar.

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.

Nairobi to Maasai Mara

Wednesday, 30.10.2013
Last thing I heard the previous evening was that we should meet at breakfast at 8:30 with all the bags already packed so that we could leave Nairobi as early as possible. It was planned to travel by two 4WD. It was agreed that the cars will arrive at 19:00 the previous evening. But when we went to sleep there was no sign of the cars. In the morning only Ināra, Vitolds, Rūdolfs and Anders. Turns out that plans changed at 2am since there was still no sign of the 4WD. In morning our colleagues had gone for groceries shopping by the lodge owner’s car. They returned after 9am with news that instead of two 4WD we will have one 8-seater Toyota Landcruiser with a driver. The owner of the cars, found out where we are planning to go and knowing the quality of roads, was afraid that the promised cars won’t be able to withhold the route.  

We were waiting for the driver and the 4WD for a very long time. Finally we left Nairobi shortly before 12pm. We should go for around 230km. In Nairobi suburbs apparently is a criminogenic situation as the houses are as small forts – windows with grills, a fence around territory with strong metal gate. At first we were going along a highway of not the best quality, but still a highway. Along the route  we saw tea plantations. Later something like a semi-desert. When Suswa mount appeared in sight, we stopped at a sightseeing place. It was interesting for me to see the sand whirlpools in the semi-desert scenery.  

At Suswa mount started the Maasai lands. Our destination was Maasai Mara. To get there, soon we turned left on the highway. That was a shame since soon the tarmac road finished, but we still had more than 100km till our destination. We made them almost offroad. There was a gravel road, but so bumpy that the drivers had made new paths on the sandy ground. From time to time we met some Masai person who was grazing goats, in some places also sheep and cows. In the bushes we also noticed their miserable homes – clay huts.  

At 17:30 we reached our campsite “Acacia camp”. We were shown places for tents with a fireplace nearby. Since there was no firewood and we had prepared to make dinner on gas stoves, fireplace didn’t interest us that much. There were toilets and showers in the camp. When we started to prepare the dinner, two Maasai people visited us and brought firewood for the fireplace. That was a friendly gesture for free. After the dinner Ilgonis and Agnese introduced us  to the stars of southern hemisphere. The Maasai people offered to guard us in the night – a friendly gesture again.