The end of the dirt roads

We relaxed at St Andrew’s for a couple of days before catching a ride on their school bus to Nairobi. The day before we left (5th of Feb), we finally cancelled our flight to Cairo (scheduled for the 7th of Feb) and booked new flights to Istanbul with budget airline Air Arabia. They were at least $500 US cheaper than other airlines. You can buy a lot of on-board snacks and drinks for $500!! We had arranged to stay with Edwyn & Edna Kiptinness in Nairobi. Edwyn is the chairperson of A Rocha Kenya’s National Board. I had been in frequent email contact with him during the National Director recruitment process, so it was nice to meet them in person. They had a full, busy house, with three boarders and two older children still at home. But they somehow managed to squeeze us in (I think some people got kicked out of their room!). We had calm, peaceful days in Nairobi, travelling only once into the city centre with Kimutai, their youngest son. He was successfully managing to juggle research for a Masters in biochemistry and an ever-growing cake making business at home. He kindly showed us around and took us to where I could get my lenses replaced. For $2 I had my eyes rechecked (my left worsening just a little) and POWW! I had new lenses installed 3 hours later for only $35. We were happily surprised not to be mugged or beaten during our stay but only narrowly missed being conned by a laundry powder scam and smooth talking, sob-story telling Zimbabwean.

Spotted when we arrived last year, I had to get a photo of this Nairobian chemist

Before we knew it the time to leave Kenya had come, two days shy of six months. At the airport we used up our remaining credit calling Henry and Colin who were on their way back from a birding adventure at the Tana River Delta. I had hoped to have one last Bitter Lemon soda before we flew out. Bitter Lemon is like a mixture of Lift and Tonic water or a bit like liquid marmalade – refreshing and delicious. However, the only store in the terminal didn’t stock it and we weren’t allowed out of the terminal. We munched on our stack of chapattis we had brought with us. At least we had those ‘very sweet’ oily rounds to savour as we waited for take off. Kwaheri Kenya!!

In the Jungle..

There was no time for rest for these weary travellers. The next morning we set off from St Andrews again, this time heading further west to Kakamega Forest – the largest remaining rainforest in Kenya. As we approached Kericho, we entered into tea country. Field after field was covered in a well-manicured sea of green. Hundreds of workers were out picking tea leaves into their woven baskets. Surprisingly beautiful. We continued west to Kisumu and Lake Victoria. As we climbed our way up from Kisumu, we pulled over to confirm we were on the right track and stalled the vehicle. It was here on these steep slopes we experienced the beast’s unwillingness to restart after it had been driven for any length of time. After my attempted reverse hill-start almost got us into further trouble, we had no choice but to wait for the car to cool down.

Ohhh, I'd luve a bush of tea

We wondered across the road to a store outside an orphanage and cooled ourselves down with a larger Bitter Lemon. Anna had a good opportunity to try her Swahili on the locals as we waited. Finally after about 20 minutes the engine kicked in and we were on the road again.

As well as visiting the forest, we hoped to visit Joanne Moyer. She had been conducting research about how people learn in faith-based development and conservation organisations. She began at A Rocha for three months before going to Kaimosi to research the Rural Service Programme of the East Africa that is run by a group of Quakers. We had become friends and we had missed hassling her since she had left. As usual, time was running out and the sun setting so we had to cut our visit short to make to the forest in time. We, however, missed the turnoff (because the sign faced the other way) and drove an extra 20 km in the wrong direction. It was almost dark, we weren’t actually sure where the camp grounds were and didn’t like the idea of setting up camp in the pitch black, so we headed back to Joanne who was most happy to have us stay. The next morning we were meant to be away by 6:30 AM to meet up with a guide who would take us around the forest. We slept in! We packed up supper fast, ate chapattis with bananas for breakfast on the road and ended up only 30 minutes late. Our guide, Job, took us for a 4 hour walk through the forest showing us four species of monkey, loads of birds, butterflies and plants. The definite highlights were super tall trees and Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill. This huge bird taps on branches causing chameleons to change colour and thus reveal themselves. Very clever! Joanne had left her head-light at a guesthouse a few weeks earlier so we decided to be kind and drop it off to her on the way back. A good thing too, as in our rush to get away that morning we had left behind our pillows!

That bill means business

The ants go marching one by one million. Safari ants pack quite a punch if you mess with their march

We farewelled Joanne for the last time and headed home determined to arrive before dark. On the long drive back we discovered another quirk with the beast. If you hold the clutch in too long, the gear box seems to ‘fall out’ and the engine turns off for a few seconds before the momentum kick-starts it again followed with the smell of burning oil or rubber. Was a bit scary the first few times but I soon learned how to avoid it. We also decided to pick a couple hitchhikers on the way back. Before we knew it, four people had crammed in the back. They were grateful to get a lift to the next town in their search for work.

And what would you know; we arrived back in Turi 30 minutes before dark. We had travelled over 1000 kms in the past 5 days, all made possible by the generosity of the Johnsons!

Caving in

Anna and I are generally cautious characters. We usually play it safe and stick to what we know. But occasionally we step out and take a risk. It was one such time that Wednesday morning. Rather than choosing to climb the popular and well-marked Mt Longonot we decided upon Mt Suswa, a double-crater peak with caves on its lower slopes. There are no marked roads to Mt Suswa, which is surrounded by private Maasai land. The only way to get there is to ask for a guide in one of the surrounding villages. We summoned the courage and asked some guys hanging out at a cobbler’s shop. It took us a few goes before we successfully communicated our request and one of the men took us to a general store. He didn’t speak any English and we little Swahili, but we got the idea that we would need to wait for the store owner to return and sort us out. Indeed, the store owner spoke excellent English and arranged for her younger brother to be our guide. Their family lives and farms up on the plateau between the two crater rims. Rueben must have been around 18 years old and had just finished primary school (Year 9 in NZ). He hoped to go to secondary school soon and guiding helped pay the school fees. In fact, he dreams of studying to be doctor to help care for Kenyans that live far away from any doctor surgeries or hospitals.

Parked on the precipice

We had no idea that we would drive for the next 1.5 hours on narrow, rutted, potholed and sandy dirt roads, up and over the outer crater wall. Without the beast we would have been stuck. We parked at the bottom of a ravine that marked the beginning of the inner crater and hiked up spotting some gazelle and rock hyrax along the way. Once we reached the first peak we realised we wouldn’t have enough time to reach the summit and visit the caves. After admiring the view we turned back. On the way to the caves we stopped at his brother’s inkajijik (house). It was so dark inside that I nearly sat on the baby! At just a short walk from their house, Rueben also showed us how they condensed steam from thermal activity into pure drinking water – a saviour in times of drought.

Summit of Mt Suswa in the background

Reuben and the water condensation device

The caves were created by volcanic activity and still display evidence of their past. They are now home to thousands of bats and baboons by night. As we approached the entrances we bumped into a group of Moran Maasai in their full colourful dress (possibly coming back from cattle rustling?). Down we went into the dark abyss armed with a windup torch and a clip-on book light between the three of us. From the onset these caves had our olfactory senses under heavy assault. First it was the Baboon Parliament (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00639mr), where baboons come to sleep at night and then it was the foot deep guano as we got closer to the bats. It was bad enough having to crawl through the stuff at certain points but when it started getting down my shoes and into my open blisters, I was not a happy caver. We explored the various rooms and caverns for a couple hours before returning to the fresh air.

Baboon parliament in the caves

Weird lava twists that look like tree roots

We dropped Reuben at the main road, wishing him all the best for his schooling and began the long journey back to Turi. As usual we didn’t give ourselves enough time and it was getting dark. My glasses lenses had also been etched by the dust, limiting the visibility even more. As we hoofed it home, I joined the ranks of crazy Kenyan drivers, performing manoeuvres that would cost me my license back at home. Anna feared for her life on a couple occasions (e.g. oncoming truck over-taking another truck on a blind-corner with a cliff to our left) and we tried not to think about the warning they gave us just before we left about the potential for carjacking roadblocks. But we made it back safe and sound even though we got lost on the last stretch. We were both relieved to be back at the Johnsons that night.

Camping on the Lake

Early Monday morning we were on the road heading south to Lake Naivasha. First stop was Crater Lake Reserve. After a drive around the crater walls, we stopped for lunch in the presence giraffes and black-and-white colobus monkeys. Down in the crater, a few flamingos fed at the edge of shore, whilst two fish eagles perched above looking for their next meal to surface. All around the edge of the lake there was evidence of buffalo. Thankfully we didn’t bump into them as we wondered around on the plains and the crater rim (we found out later that two people were killed last year by startling a buffalo with her calf). We did however get within 5 meters of a few giraffes and cute dik dik.

Black-and-white Colobus playing in the Acacia trees

Crater Lake as viewed from the crater rim

After our walk on the wild side we head to our campsite to set up before dark, stopping briefly at Lake Oledion along the way. This lake has become home for thousands of flamingos that are fleeing the increasingly toxic waters of Lake Nakuru. And best of all, it was free to visit. For the next two nights we camped on the edge of Lake Naivasha, with only an electric fence standing between us and night-grazing hippos.

Flog loads of flamingos

Chapattis and vege stew for dins

As you drive around Lake Naivasha you can’t help but notice the seemingly endless rows of hot houses. Flower growing is big business in this region, supplying flowers to all around the world. Before we left on our trip we watched a documentary called “A Blooming Business” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cW_Zp6dnrQ) about the flower growing industry at Lake Naivasha. It’s sad that the industry that provides so much employment causes so much damage to the environment and workers because of greed.

The hot houses cover much of the lake front and are slowly draining the lake.

We got up early the next morning to make the most of the cool morning. After chowing down our uji (a thin millet porridge) we loaded the landcruiser with two mountain bikes and head for Hell’s Gate National Park (named after the thermal activity in the region). Yesterday was the walking safari, now it was time for a cycling safari. We followed the Twiga (giraffe) Circuit through the open savannah. Giraffe, zebra and warthogs freely roamed around us – keeping a safe distance from the invading two-wheeled creatures. As glided down the side of a small hill, we startled a small herd of buffalo. We squeezed hard on our breaks, skidding as the buffalo charged across the road 10 meters in front of us. Hearts pounding, we waited until all the buffalo had scrambled away. Feeling safe I hopped of my bike to get a photo of the buffalo and bikes. However, just then a few buffalo started warning charges at us. Adrenaline pumping, we flew down the hill for 100 meters. The buffalo were happy with that distance and allowed us to take a few photos before we continued on our way. After 4 hours under the oppressive sun we were happy to give up the saddle.

Fresh-air safaris

Buffalo's are no match for our bikes

After lunch and a short rest at the campsite we went for a drive to other end of the National Park. On the way through a small town we came across a mob arresting a man accused of being a thief. This was the second time we had driven into such a frightening and unsettling event. With corruption rife amongst the police, locals often take matters into their own hands, sometimes beating, sometimes killing the accused. It is a very complex and foreign situation that is difficult for a westerner to comprehend and process. Thankfully(!?!), we didn’t observe a lynching, if indeed it did occur in this instance. I am certainly grateful that in NZ we have a police force we can trust.

Wednesday morning we packed up camp and set off for our next adventure on Mt Suswa.

Heading West

We travelled by overnight bus to Nairobi. Despite our fears of being robbed of our bags in the night, we arrived at 5:30 AM with all our gear and having slept quite a bit. This was to be first of many overnight bus trips in the coming months. Nairobi is no place to wander in the dark, so we joined the rest of the passengers in the office until the sun rose almost two hours later. Rather than risk our lives in Nairobbery, we promptly boarded the next shuttle heading to Nakuru. The shuttle broke down just outside of Naivasha – when Dad Bartlett called to warn us of the turmoil in Egypt, which we only had become aware of just as we boarded the bus. After squishing into another full shuttle we finally arrived in Nakuru and took our final shuttle to St Andrews School in Turi. My pack could not fit in the back and was strapped to the roof!! Several times on the journey I poked my head out the window to make sure it didn’t fall off as we hit pothole after pothole.

There is always room on the roof

We were on the way to stay with the Johnson family, teachers from St Andrews who had visited Mwamba early on during our time in charge. Before they left, Adrian and Carol offered us a place to stay as well as a behemoth vehicle and camping gear to borrow. We arrived on the weekend that parents and families of the boarding school were visiting and camping onsite. It was full and hectic, taking up most of the Johnson’s time. However, they made sure we were well fed (BBQ) and entertained (talent show) before an afternoon nap. In the evening we enjoyed a performance of the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe that left me intrigued about CS Lewis’s atonement theology (seems like Ransom Theory in LWW). After Chapel on Sunday, Carol and Adrian sorted us right and proper with all the camping gear we could ever possibly need (including a potatoe masher and chapatti frying pan), ready for tomorrow’s adventure.

Most of the Johnson family at St Andrew's School - little slice of England

Kwaheri Mwamba na Kenya

On Friday the 29th of January 2011 we left Mwamba Field Study Centre. It was quite an emotional time to farewell the unique place we had called home for the past 6 months. Not only were we leaving the beautiful Mwamba, we were leaving behind many new friends, most of whom we will probably never meet in person again.
Two days before we left they threw us a special outdoor dinner party with all the tasty Swahili food that I now miss – chapattis, especially. Kenya really left its mark on us, as we did ours.

Our farewell feast - volunteer corner

Lynton’s A Rocha Kenya Top 10 (in no particular order)

• Beach – magnificently warm and practically private white-sand beach. We swam with the fishes at least 3 times a week.
• Ringing – holding amazing birds in the hand, removing them from nets and releasing them back into the wild. I even got to ring and measure a few. My wing lengths required the formula: x + 2 mm to give the true measurement.
• Food – chapattis, coconut beans, michicha, pilau, kachumbari, coconut with green grams = delish
• Epilogue – active, faithful, worshipping community: our church.
• Sailing/Snorkelling – swarms of fish, piles of coral and the odd turtle
• Safari – Twice at Tsavo East NP. Camping amongst the wild animals was cool though a little scary
• Volunteers – hanging out, laughing, and as Francis would say 'chatting'
• ASSETS – experiencing the programme first hand and seeing the good it does
• Visiting Francis and Janet’s families out in the villages, especially staying at Janet’s house for one night
• Managing Mwamba over the Christmas/New Years – So much fun with our awesome guests. We certainly could do more of that

Home

Three weeks ago today we arrived back on Kiwi soil. It has been 74 days since we left Mwamba – a journey that took us through eight countries on our way back to the Land of the Long White Cloud. Rather than leave the story ending abruptly at Mwamba, we have decided to post some post-trip posts to fill in the blanks. Enjoy.