out of africa

It took over 30 hours of travel to finally get to Nairobi but here we are. The traffic along the one main road in and out of town was unbelievable. It gives the hawkers at the side of the road plenty of time to try to sell you everything from peanuts to world maps. We were both amazed at the amount of people walking everywhere. Apparently since petrol has gone up, more people walk as they can't afford the local taxis/mini-buses [matatu]. After dinner we collapsed into bed and slept like logs. The following morning we were on the road to head into the central highland area. It doesn't take long to get out of Nairobi and into the 'suburbs', if you can call them that. Lots of buildings/houses that have been started and then for whatever reasons, the money runs out and the shells are just left. Again the roadside is filled with people walking. It makes you realize how few of us walk to get from point A to point B. Every few miles there would be a roadside market set up with fruit, then a few miles on and the stalls would sell bags of charcoal, a few miles more and furniture would be displayed. You would continually be passing pushbikes, donkey carts, wheelbarrows loaded with all sorts of produce. People that weren't involved in the walking would be sitting on the side of the road (probably resting after hours of walking) or groups would be gathered chatting. The vast majority of these people immaculately dressed and their clothes exceptionally clean for such a dusty place. We wondered where they were going to be dressed so well, and it not being a Sunday, We stayed in a beautiful former country club, called Outspan. You could breathe in the spirit of the good old days of croquet on the lawns, g+t's and cucumber sandwiches without the crusts, Gorgeous grounds, colourful flowers and other plants, many of which we recognised from our own gardens, parquetry floors in all the rooms. In the afternoon we saw a tourist 'village' show which was great fun as Sheryl got to fulfill a childhood dream and dance on African soil with Africans. A fantastic way to spend our 2nd day in Kenya. The following morning saw us take a drive to our first wildlife reserve, staying at the Sarova Shaba, in the heart of Samburo country. The countryside changed from lush hilly land with dark ochre coloured soils, to flat plains in the shadow of the impressive Mount Kenya, with yellow sparseness, which reminded us of Australia, with stands of Eucalypts, which we didn't expect. Again, many people walking, occasional stalls, the sheer madness of the townships we passed by, or filled up with fuel in; the constant wariness of hawkers trying to sell you something, beads, necklaces, wood carvings, salad spoons, etc. If you intend ever visiting Africa, be sure to bring along Australian pens, coins, badges, anything that you could trade; we were repeatedly asked for something from home. From yellowed plains to roads being built, kilometer after kilometer, a fine, white dust coating everything including trees, huts, people. We passed into Samburu country, which is where our next accomodation and base was, the Sarova Shaba Lodge, next to the Samburu Wildlife Reserve. What an incredible place, built next to a river, huge wooden beams with thatched rooves, an oasis; bar, restaurant, swimming pool, the lot, including a number of traditional Samburu men who hung around the restaurant, ready and willing to have a chat about themselves, their family and their culture. Red sarong-like garment, plenty of beaded necklaces, armbands and headwear, truly exotic and beautiful.
Our first game drive this afternoon and we didn't view an abundance of animals but when you came across something it still took your breath away and to see them in their land which stretches for as far as the eye can see is pretty specky. We came across many gazelles and antelopes, a rather startled warthog, an aggressive looking buffalo, one lonely zebra, this fantastic large bird called the secretary bird (think pelican size but skinny) and then a magnificent herd of 17 giraffes that majestically and silently moved through the bush away from our vehicle.
Sheryl's favorite thing - speaking Swahili to the locals and them understanding her! Pier's favorite thing was seeing the giraffes and chatting to the locals. The best question he has been asked so far from a local, "How many tribes are there in Australia?"
Accommodation has been excellent, food fantastic, weather great! Love to all