Masai Mara Safari 27-29 December

Just back from this and 750 photos to sort through so more later. Great time and really well organised - not by me!!


Saw all the big 5. Had the joy of watching a 15 strong herd of elephants cross a river - little ones with just the tips of their trunks showing the water was so deep - bless!


We even got stuck in the mud and I had to help dig us out with an elephant 200m away!! made me work fast anyway!!


More detailed update later. 

Boxing Day Safari

Boxing Day we hired Peter the VSO taxi man for the day and went to the Nairobi Giraffe Sanctuary - you can feed them and if you really want put a food pellet in your mouth and they will take it!! - I declined the opportunity to "snog a giraffe!!"


Then the Elephant orphanage (sorry but they were so cute - not very manly thing to say but never mind!!) there was one that was just a month old. More photos to follow.


In the afternoon we went to Nairobi Safari park driving round spotting animals and generally having a laugh. The hippos sadly evaded us but the rest of the day was great. Back home for - guess what more food and a beer or 2!!

Christmas in Nairobi

Have internet in Nairobi so thought I would catch up. 
24th - Said my goodbyes at the orphanage over breakfast and then popped to Jane the Poly cooks family to give a few presents (crayons, paper, sweets, football etc) and have brunch. More photos and I showed them how to make hats out of newspaper and also paper aeroplanes. There was paper all over as I left but big beaming smiles from all. I insisted they leave the presents to be opened on xmas day but reports suggest they were very well received.


Their Christmas involves the family being together and dancing and singing. Few if any presents generally where I am living as paying for food and clothes takes most if not all cash. 


Then Matatu to Nairobi. I was meeting Catherine (an American volunteer who works out in the West of Kenya in Kisumu) at Nairobi Bus station and then getting a Taxi to Mountain View where we were gathering for Christmas. 


Harvey was housing me and Catherine was at the Girls house. We had home made pizzas and a "couple of beers" at Andrea and Nicole's house which was looking very festive. Andrea and Nicole did all the organising which was great. Nick, Nicole's chap was over from the UK too which was great. 


Christmas day started with a Phillipino breakfast at Harvey's early on then a full English (with Irish coffee too) at the Girls place. Presents, singing and a few games took us to early evening when we had a Phillipino Xmas dinner cooked by Harvey with the rest of us peeling and chopping etc. 

L-R = Harvey, Nicole, Nick, Andrea, Chin, Catherine

Sorry about the legs!!

Chin, Catherine and Nick

Skyped into the family Christmas in Milton Keynes which was good I was passed around all and had a quick chat and then left them to their feast at my Brother's house


All good and I ate far too  much. 

24 -31 December

Spent Christmas with my fellow [ex-pat] volunteers in Nairobi. Great to chat with family in UK on Christmas Day, thanks to Skype technology [it worked!!].
No electricity on Boxing Day [duh...].

Set off on Tuesday for three day safari in the Masai Mara - first day saw four of the 'big five' - WOW!!!
Full day tomorrow - can't wait. Will try to upload photos in early January with more details [watch this space....]. These last few messages sent via text to my parents for Dad to upload to the blog [thanks Pops]

17-23 December

Spent a few days completing paperwork before the Christmas break, and preparing for the various activities planned for the next couple of weeks away from Kandara.More details and photos later.
Friday set off for Nairobi - tried to stay chilled [?] while sitting in a broken down matatu in 30 degree temperatures...

13-16 December

Fairly normal week, meet lots of new and very friendly people on my new route on the dirt track to work. 

Meet new members of Jane's family who are visiting including George who is about 7 and walked half way home with me wheeling a plastic lid with a wire all the way until we turned it into a frisbee and had half the village playing. George was very popular on the return journey after he left me.

Wednesday I dropped into Thika to chase up my bank account and ATM card as my money was getting low before Christmas. Luckily and only after 1.5 hours, lots of queues and 3 different desks, 4 more forms to fill in I got my card and managed to get my card and some cash. Then is was in search of bicycle spares to try and avoid the orphans from using the nearest fence or bush to stop their unbraked bike. 400 kshs just under 3 pounds I had a complete back brake system and headed home to try and fix it. Not all the bits fitted OK so after a few adaptations and 24 hours all was well the bike was marginally safer. Over then next two days I also fixed 2 punctures and straightened out a wheel. Might become a new job of mine!! That should amuse those who used to come mountain biking with me and know how badly I used to maintain my own bike!!

More pictures soon.

Simon

12 December - Independance Day in Kenya

In 1963 Kenya gained Independence from Britain and today is a time of great celebration all over the country. It is also a bank holiday. I dropped into the Kandara Stadium (think UK council football pitch/rec ground) where there were large gazeebos up and one had all the freedom fighters and veterans the other had all the dignitaries. In between the parade of the police and inspection etc happened. Then there were a number (large number) of speeches. I got chatting to the usual random group on the banking sheltering under a tree from the sun - "the poor people" as they described themselves compared to the "wealthy" in the dignitaries tent! I stayed for a few but all were quite rightly in Kiswahili so I could only pick up snippets of it and left after an hour or so. On the way back I spotted a man selling chapati rollers so bought one to avoid having to shape them with the palm of my hand again like last time!! On my way home Irene the manageress at the children's home spotted me and the roller and though it was hilarious that I was going to make my own. She insisted I let her taste one. Later that evening she was very kind and polite and said it was very good. I think I still need a little more practise....