Anmut Hotel to Malindi

After yesterday's 10 am start, I organised an 8.30 departure. So at 9 we set off from the hotel. The guide arrived after 8.30 and then photos needed to be taken for marketing. Africa. Starting off was a climb up the dirt road that took us into the mountain villages. A decent climb to 1900m included more chameleon and the Colobus monkeys. They are notoriously skittish and scarper rapidly through the treetops as you arrive. The other side of the climb is the fecund soil of the Lukozi valley. The market garden to the region. It supplies an area down the coast through to Dar es Salaam, maybe further. Dark mocha-coloured soils, either tilled or planted, as far as the eye can see and beyond. It was pleasantly temperate with a covering of clouds. We wound through the fields on narrow tracks. Jumping the drainage trenches and walking across the sturdier planked sections. A tea stop with a serve-yourself approach was had, the proprietor arriving well after tea was served. Back on the trail the anticipated 2nd uphill never materialized. The rain did, however. Light at first it increased in volume just as we located a sheltered lunch stop around 2 pm. We stayed put until just after 3 when it eased sufficiently for the final 45 minutes to tonight's stop at Milandi. Where the power was out for the whole village. It came back at 5. Then dissappeared at 5.20, before finally coming back for the rest of the evening.Read more