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African Adventure

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  • Trip start
    September 16, 2019
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    Lonely baggage
    First Tuskers of the trip

    Nairobi

    September 16, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The start of our grand African adventure.

    We arrive into Nairobi airport, a little nervous as we don’t have visas, and are hoping that we can get them on arrival (information about the East Africa Visa in Kenya is very scarce). Luckily, after being sent to three different people, the immigration officer gives us the visa.

    When we were flying over Nairobi, we were struck by how beige and dry it looked. It was news to us then that our driver announced that it’s currently the rainy season. As proof, he points to what seems to be the only green bush for miles around and exclaims “look at how green it is!” Maybe it’s all relative.

    We didn’t end up doing much today. We had our first Tusker lagers on the rooftop of our accommodation, and watch the giant birds (which we later discover to be the disconcertingly hideous Maribou storks) circle the city. Afterwards we had an early night, pooped from our flights.    Read more

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    Never ending traffic
    Making friends at Snake ParkThe look of love

    The city of traffic: Nairobi

    September 17, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Started the day off early with a hearty breakfast on the rooftop. It’s clear the rest of the city woke up way before us as the streets below are already hustling and bustling.

    We decide to spend the day exploring Nairobi and decide to set off on foot. The receptionist has kindly given us a map to the big attractions in Nairobi: the National Museum and Snake Park. Thankfully it’s a two in one package so we manage to visit both in the matter of a few hours.

    Throughout the museum now stuffed animals haunt the hallways with their fake eyes and awkward poses. In snake park, we’re told of all the animals that are edible and inedible. Seems that the black mamba didn’t make the cut for edible but we were slightly grateful for that.

    Leaving the museum we are stopped by the security guard and informed that she can’t let her brother and sister walk around Nairobi. We simply must get a taxi she says! (Obviously in kahoots wifh the taxi driver). Reluctantly we get inside and are automatically filled with regret as we are stuck in traffic for almost an hour when the walk would have taken maybe 10 minutes.

    We arrive somewhat near our desired destination: Swahili Plate. But not before one of the “brokers” from the “Masai Market” spots us and offers his assistance to get us where we want to be. In return, he’ll help us navigate the market once we’ve finished our meal.

    Naturally, we take our time eating. We’ve heard the rumours that a fake market had been set up in the city centre and the “brokers” would take you around to buy overpriced souvenirs and take a cut out of the cost. No thank you.

    We think we’ve spent long enough eating our first of many beans and rice meals and can’t see the broker in sight. So we decide to make a start out of the restaurant. Within seconds there he is by our side attempting to lead us to the market. Picking up speed we essentially run away from him with some excuse that we need to get back to the hotel as we have no money. Thinking we’ve lost him, we head toward the nearest ATM to get some extra cash to spend at the real Masai Market. Unfortunately, our friend didn’t seem to get the hint and continued to follow us. Opting out of getting some money out, we continue our journey toward the God’s Corner to visit one of the local Catholic Churches. Nobody can harass you at a church, right?

    We end our walking tour of the day by visiting the true Masai Market and almost immediately regret it as we step in. It’s shocking how many vendors can sell identical merchandise. We spend all our money on a knockoff Kenya football jersey and a card with an elephant on it. Forced into trying on authentic Masai cloaks, we dress in these two but leave in an argument with the vendors as we refused to spend $150 USD on what looked to be a checkered oversized scarf.

    We escape the hustle and bustle of the city by returning to the hidden rooftop. As we clink our glasses to celebrate the end to our first day we hear a man repeatedly scream in the alley below. Welcome to Nairobi.    Read more

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    Our home for the next couple of nights!
    Cheetahs using the safari jeeps to huntThe circle of life

    Maasai Mara Day 1

    September 18, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today we’re off to the Maasai Mara, one of the great national parks of Kenya (IF NOT THE WORLD!!!). Our day starts early with breakfast at the crack of dawn as we’re told we need to be down in the centre of town for a 7am set off. Naturally, we arrive right on time only to wait there for another 2 hours before setting off.

    We’ve joined a low budget tour which means we are cramped into what looks like a small minivan has been transformed into a makeshift safari car. Our driver is Richie who never fails to disappoint us with his jazzy jacket.

    We arrive at the camp and are pleasantly surprised to learn that we each have our own tents that come equipped with their own private washroom and shower. The manager warns to keep our tents closed to prevent monkeys from burgling our things. Chris tries to make a joke, and asks whether the monkeys will take our camera to sell at the market, but the manager just responds by saying “monkeys don’t need money”. The warning quickly proves itself to be prescient, when one monkey storms into our tent, scaring Katie, and setting off with Chris’ banana. So it’s food that they want.

    This time of the year brings the Great Migration to Kenya, where millions of wildebeests cross from the Masai Mara into the Serengeti (the Tanzanian side of the park). Fortunately, this means we’ll be able to spot many animals during our game drives. But unfortunately, it means we’re joined by hundreds of other tourists who are here to do the same.

    Within minutes of driving into the park we are able to spot two cheetahs on the hunt for their evening tea. By tracking them with all the other cars (which means waiting in a long queue as well), we’re able to see them in action. They spend a good few minutes posing for a photo shoot (or maybe preparing for the hunt- I’m not David Attenborough), and dart into the herd of wildebeest and take one down. I’ve read about the sheer speed of cheetahs in books and on websites, but it’s another thing to behold in real life. There was no grand chase, just a 65km/h yellow blur, then a dead wildebeest. It’s nature at it’s most raw and exhilarating. And we can't wait to see more tomorrow.    Read more

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    Kids in a candy shop
    Lions, Hyenas and Vultures - Oh my!On patrol

    Maasai Mara: Day 2

    September 19, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Another early start. This is starting to feel like a theme to our African journey. But, we don’t mind the 5am wake up call since we’ll be spending the whole day in the park on safari and get to see the colourful sunrise over the Maasai Mara.

    Almost immediately after leaving our accommodation our van is surrounded by a herd elephants. Turning off the engine, we silently watch these magnificent beasts munching down on their morning grub, leafs. One lets out a big fart and we all giggle like school kids.

    Venturing into the park we come across a herd of lions also enjoying their morning meal. Unlike the elephants they’ve opted out of the vegetarian option and have instead selected a wildebeest from the a la carte menu. A pack of hyenas can be seen on the sidelines hoping to get some of the leftover scraps. Their joined by a flock of vultures that circle over head and hangout in the trees. Are we in the Lion King or what?!

    Richie is on the radio talking to the rangers about what animals they’ve found. It seems to be protocol that you let the other drivers know if you’ve spotted something big. He puts the car in drive and speeds through the dirt roads of the park. Something good has obviously been spotted and our adrenaline is pumping. As we rush to follow the queue of cars, we’re told there’s a leopard in a tree. There are hundreds of trees that are about 300 metres away though. So it’s a bit difficult to actually see this sleeping leopard without superhero vision.

    By luck, another leopard was spotted a few kilometres away in a dried up river bed. On our way there we are able to see hundreds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and impala. It’s quite impressive but hard to appreciate them as they’re literally everywhere and don’t appear to be quite as majestic as a leopard.

    After queuing up to see the leopard, we go on a mad hunt for a rhino. We spot something in the distance and drive forward to investigate only to find a decaying buffalo on the ground. Oh well. We’ve heard their quite difficult to come by in the Maasai Mara as they usually hangout in the Tanzanian side in the Serengeti, so we aren’t too disappointed when we can’t find one. This doesn’t stop Richie from going off road and driving like a mad man through the bush.

    As we bump along in the back, slightly concerned that Richie might hit a hidden animal, the radio goes mad. Could it be a rhino? As we speed through the bush we spot some other jeeps in the distance. Damn, we think. They beat us here. Richie tells us its unfortunately not a rhino but a bush leopard that is quite rare to see. Unfortunately, it’s laying down under a tree so it’s difficult to see. As we all try to lean our heads out of the car to get a glimpse, Richie proceeds to drive through the bush, right past all the other vehicles in the queue to get right next up next to the leopard. We can tell by the yelling at the radio that the other guides are not impressed by this maneuver that Richie pulled.

    Driving off to avoid any conflict, we pull up next to an almost-dry riverbed where hundreds of wildebeest are gathered. It seems they are trying to make their way down into the riverbed to quench their thirst and begin their trek to the Serengeti. Timid animals, it takes one to lead the herd down the hill into the riverbed. Any sense of danger or hesitation leads the pack to retrieve their steps and head back up the hill and away from their destination point. We watch this back and forth happen for about 20 minutes. All seems to be going well when a good portion of the pack make it down the hill and gather in the riverbed with their friends. It’s precisely at this time of confidence that another safari truck proceeds to drive through the pack, thereby causing a chain reaction of fear among the herd. All those who made it to the riverbed are now sprinting back up the slope to rejoin the pack. Better luck next time we suppose. But we can’t help feeling a sense of guilt as we saw first hand how safaris are disrupting nature and it’s wildlife.

    We’re starving by this point so we set off to the river to have our lunch. Here, we are joined by hippos and alligators that we watch from afar while enjoying our packed lunch (a bread roll with butter since that’s what vegetarians in Africa eat). The predators below aren’t half as scary as the vervet monkeys that want to get their hands on our food though. Thankfully, the rangers who are there to take us on a walking tour are also trained experts in scaring monkeys away so none of them get their hands on our plentiful lunch.

    The ranger that leads our group has a monotone voice and bears no smile on our face. He lets us know almost immediately that tips for the rangers are encouraged. As he leads us down the path and to a bridge where we can take some photos we are told limited facts about the wildlife and about his role as a ranger. We learn that you have to take a course for a year before coming a ranger and you must be from Kenya. This is disappointing news for Chris who is dressed in the same outfit as the park rangers and was hoping for an uncomplicated career change.

    Nearing the end of the day we set back towards the entrance of the camp. On our way we are mesmerized by the site of a dead zebra on the ground that’s attracted vultures from far and wide. They’ve managed to peck open the zebras body and one bird even proceeds to stick its head in so deep that half of its body disappears into the carcass. As disgusting as it was to see we couldn’t take our eyes off it. If only Sir David Attenborough was here to narrate this magnificent scene.

    Just when we think the day can’t get better we pull up directly next to a family of lions. Our presence doesn’t seem to disturb them too much as they continue napping. Richie turns off the car as silences the radio. Instead of letting the other drivers know of our discovery he lets us have this moment just to ourselves with the lions.

    A similar moment happens again not too far away when our car is surrounded again by a family of elephants. It’s amazing, yet terrifying, when they come within feet of the car. We all keep quiet and watch in awe as the elephants set off into the sunset.

    Our day draws to close sitting around the camp fire with a cold tusker lager in hand. Some men from the Maasai tribe join us and tell us about their cultural traditions. They reminisce about the days in which young boys were forced to live in the bush and could only return when they killed a lion. Returning to the village with the mane, they were officially transformed into men. Although this practice is no longer prohibited as lions are now protected, the Maasai still pride themselves on this tradition. When we ask them some questions about when this practice stopped or what they do now to become men, each Maasai had different answers. Instead they directed the conversation towards buying souvenirs from them.

    Although it’s not even 8pm, we decide to retire to bed to avoid this conversation. Tired from the long day, we fall asleep almost instantly.    Read more

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    The clear winner
    Inside the Maasai hut

    Maasai Village

    September 20, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today we are brought to the Maasai Village where we are provided with the opportunity to view up close the culture and lifestyle of the Maasai people.

    One of the members of the village, a medicine man, meets us at our camp to walk us there. On the way he tells us about the natural herbs they use for medicine and that we will have to make a donation to the village in order to enter. Don't worry he says, you can pay whatever you want but normally people pay 500 Kenyan Shilling per person (about 5 USD) which we decide to pay each. Another couple in our group tried to pay less, but were barred from entering until they paid 500 each. Guess it wasn't as optional as the medicine man let on.

    Our visit starts with a traditional dance where the Maasai men have a jumping competition. The men in our group are strongly encouraged to join in the competition as they are forced into the jumping circle and the traditional dress, a colourful cloth, is thrusted upon them. Chris manages to jump pretty high but unfortunately, misses out on being crowned the winner. A little aggrieved, Chris asks who the winner is. 'Him over there,' our guide says as he points into the throng of the Maasai men. It's left unclear who this supposed winner might be. However, we're left with the strong feeling that this 'competition' is rather a choreographed routine that is played out several times a day.

    We then get a tour around the village and are assigned a host who will show us their home. Since there is no electricity, we use the flashlight on our phone to guide us through the dark, narrow hallway that leads us to the cooking area where we find his wife (who is sporting a lovely Pikachu shirt) cooking. We sit in total darkness, and are told to take a picture of the interior. Chris reluctantly turns the flash on his camera and takes a snap. The picture, of a previously unseen boy, sitting miserably in the corner, is one of the most depressing photos we have ever taken.

    Eager to get outside, we follow our host to his 'backyard' where several of his other buddies join us. They proceed to surround us in a circle and show us some 'traditional' jewelry that we can buy to support their family. We tell them that we're not interested, and the circle gets tighter around us, blocking off the exits. A copper bracelet is clamped around Chris' wrist, and we are forced to negotiate for it, eventually buying it for an embarrasingly large sum, but at least we've bought our freedom from the backyard, and we are allowed to rejoin the tour group.

    A final stop on the tour is the school, the construction of which is funded by our entrance fees. We wonder, therefore, why the side says "FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA". We decide not to ask.

    Herded into the headmaster's office, we are invited to sit and sign the guestbook. Once we've signed it, we are invited to donate money to support the school. "But we've already paid our entrance fee to support the school!", we protest. "Ah," comes the reply, "but this donation is for the school lunches!". We stand our ground and refuse to pay any more.

    We leave with a tacky copper bracelet, a hole in our wallets, and no more of an understanding of Maasai culture.    Read more

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    This bat colony is Mombasa's only redeeming feature

    Nairobi to Mombasa

    September 21, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Another early start today and we're wondering if we'll ever get a lie in on this trip. This morning we are taking the train from Nairobi to Mombasa, a 5 hour journey. We decide to sit in the standard class with our new Australian friends, Sof and Clay, as we all didn't want to dish out 3x the price for a first class ticket. The receptionist at the hostel who kindly books the tickets for us lets us know there is a mandatory booking fee we have to pay extra for. We're happy to pay as we're booking the tickets incredibly last minute. It's only later we find out when booking our return ticket that there is no extra booking fee. Oh well.

    Before getting on the train, we have to pass through airport-style security. Chris is taken to the side and asked about the swiss-army knife that he has inside. The security guard suggests that he can hold it here for us, on the condition that we bring him back something nice from Mombasa. He then changes his mind and says that Chris can keep it now. "How much is it worth?", he asks. Chris tells him that it's worth about $20. "Well if you put 2000 KSh in your bag, you might find your swiss knife has been returned." Chris grabs the money, and plunges it to the bottom of his bag. The security then rifles through the contents, and returns the luggage. Sure enough, the penknife is where Chris left the money.

    The train ride is fairly hot and goes by pretty slowly. But we pass time along the way spotting big game in Tsavo National Park which the train tracks somehow go through. We spot red elephants which are native to the park and think we see some camels as well. We try to double check but the train is going by too fast. We decide that we definitely saw some camels.

    Stepping out of the train terminal we are confronted by the heat wave of Mombasa. Hot and sticky we say our goodbyes to the Aussies who are headed towards Diani Beach and we board our first matatu (shared bus-taxi) to the centre. We are awarded the last two seats on the bus and struggle to not hit any of the other passengers with our luggage. It's safe to say we definitely said sorry to far too many people on the bus that day.

    We've heard good things about Mombasa. But to be honest, those people are wrong. Our hostel, as recommended by Lonely Planet, consisted of a large room with spartan beds not covered by mosquito nets - a problem that is highlighted to us as large swarms of mosquitoes fly through the broken windows and prison style iron barred door. The bathroom was additionally shared with staff who took suspiciously long showers. At least it's only for one night.

    We decide to leave our charming hostel and venture into the streets to see what the hype was about Mombasa. After walking less than 100 metres we're approached by a man who asks us for money for medicine. We politely say no and try to part ways but not before he attempts to show Chris what he needs medicine for by unzipping his fly. Back to the hostel it is!

    We spend the evening watching the sunset over the roof. Overhead are millions of bats flying around the harbour which is quite mesmerising. Still, we can't wait to get on the road again tomorrow.    Read more

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    Shipyard and sunsetsWatching the tide roll in

    Wasini

    September 22, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    To put it simply, Wasini Island is a slice of paradise. It's a small island just off the Kenyan mainland, with just a couple of small villages and some guesthouses.

    We're staying at Blue Monkey Bandas, which is an off-grid guesthouse on the northern shore. To get there from Mombasa, we take a painless matatu to Shimoni, then jump on a boat to take us across the channel. The boat isn't quite able to take us all the way up to shore, however, so we are given water shoes to navigate the last 100m on foot. We quickly fins out that the water shoes are there to protect us from the legions of sea urchins underfoot. Amazingly, the local guys from the island don't wear shoes, and don't really seem to be paying much attention to where they are putting their feet.

    The place we're staying is incredible- it's completely off grid, so the lights are solar, food is sourced from the island, and we have bucket showers.

    We spend the first day hanging out on the shore, watching the waves gently come in, drinking amazing Kenyan coffee. When the tide goes out, we head into the water (in our water shoes!) and have a walk around the shallows. Not only are there thousands of urchins, but there are also small Brittle Fish, which are similar to starfish, but have long tendrils rather than stout arms.

    In the evening, We head to the western shore to watch the sunset. We walk through the village, and everyone waves at us, shouting "Jambo!", including one small child who is only wearing a tank top. We pass the local football club, decorated with the crests of all the major European clubs. We end up at a ship-breaking yard, full of old rotting fishing boats. Some fishermen are working on one of the ships as the sun sets.

    After dark, we have a delicious meal of local vegetables, including a sort of sea weed that grows in the shallows. We chat to the co-owner, a German woman who runs the place with her Kenyan husband, and she tells us hilarious stories about the place. One of our favourites was about an American couple who were completely unprepared for the off-grid nature of the place. They had no idea how to use bucket showers, and asked for cereal for breakfast (this was met by a deadpan "you do realise, we're on an island in the middle of the ocean?")    Read more

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    Blue Monkey trying to steal our bananas
    Not pictured: all the little crabs running aroundBit muddyFreshly caught crab & seaweed dinner

    Wasini- more adventures in paradise

    September 23, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We wake up in paradise and have another incredible, locally-sourced meal for brekkie, washed down with some more of that amazing Kenyan coffee. This morning we are joined by a blue monkey that keeps trying to steal food from the kitchen (and successfully manages to do so!)

    After breakfast, we head into the mangrove forests on the southern side of the island (the island is small enough that walking from the northern to southern side only takes ten minutes). The entire shoreline on the south side is flanked by mangroves, so thick that you can't see through. It's incredibly muddy but we head in and notice that whenever we move, tiny crabs run down into their little holes. There are so many crabs that each step seems to turn the ground from the greenish-black of the crabs to the beige of the sand.

    On the way back, we treat ourselves to fresh tamarind juice out of a cooler near the football club. It's made from the tamarinds from the huge tree looming over the central square of the village, costs about 10p, and tastes incredible.

    At dinner, we eat with some new arrivals, two groups of girls from Germany and Spain. The girls from Spain seem not to touch their giant lobster, caught specially for them that day, which is a shame. We, however, wolf down our delicious crab.

    The next morning, we hear reports that a pod of dolphins has been spotted in the channel. The groups of girls have decided to splash out on expensive boat rides to see them, but we opt for the more budget-friendly option of renting the kayak. We paddle out, and spot the tourist boats heading for the eastern shore. We pump our arms and try to head there, but it's still over half an hour before we reach the end of the island. By which point, the dolphins have moved just beyond the headland. Unfortunately for us, that would mean navigating the large waves that crash into the jagged headland rocks, so we decide not to risk it, and paddle back.

    With heavy hearts, we leave the island. We've really enjoyed our time here and are slightly reluctant to head back to the bustle of Kenya.    Read more

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    In da Indian Ocean
    Cave dining

    Diani Beach

    September 24, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    With heavy hearts we leave the beautiful Wasini Island. We jump on a matatu waiting in the nearest village and sit in it for about an hour before it departs. It's a pretty quick ride though and we get to Diani Beach in an hour or so.

    As soon as we step off the bus we are hard-pressed by drivers of all modes of transport, tuk-tuks, bodas, and taxis, who want to take us to our accommodation. We settle on a woman who seems friendly enough but won't tell us how much she charges until we've put our bags into the vehicle. We tell her our destination, Diani Backpackers, which is about a 15 minute ride away and is one of the most popular spots for backpackers in Kenya. She complains about the distance and quotes us a high price which Chris manages to haggle down to 500 shillings (about 5USD) and she sets off. Asking us for directions, claiming not to know where it is, but fresh on the scene, we don't know either. She turns this way and that seemingly asking people for directions all while complaining how far the drive is and how much extra we should pay her. We finally arrive and give her the originally arranged amount ignroing her pleas for a higher price.

    When we arrive at reception we ask how much it should have been. The guy laughs while asking how much we paid. Embarassed, we let him know the amount. Laughing harder he informs us that all rides, no matter the distance in Diani, should cost 100 shillings in total. We've learned our lesson and now know to call ahead and ask the staff for advice.

    After setting up camp we settle into the bar and are pleasantly surprised to find out it's happy hour. More surprisingly though we find ourselves in the company of our Aussie friends who still happened to be there! We join them for dinner and are sad to hear they are departing the next day. Unlike the rest of the people staying at Diani Backpackers, they seemed to be the most down to earth and normal.

    The next day we slowly start off the morning by taking a swim in the pool and then set off to the beach to enjoy the beautiful white sands of Diani. It's absolutley breathtaking and we decide to take a dip in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. As we're changing we are spotted by some of the Beach Boys who take a liking ot us and want us to buy their keychains. Feeling uncomfortable as we're half nude, we kindly ask them to leave. 'We're all brothers and sisters' they say as they stand their ground. We eventually convince them we aren't going to buy anything from them and escape to a beach bar.

    In the evening we enjoy a beverage during happy hour at the hostel and then set off to Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant. We entered the restuarant through a normal white building and then descended underground into the ancient coral cave that is between 120,000 and 180,000 years old. Thanks to the wide opening overhead in the roof of the cave that created a natural window we were able to watch the sunset and stargaze throughout our meal. With candles setting the scene, it all felt extremely romantic.

    We take a look at the menu and are surprised to see not one vegetarian option. We swore we read somewhere that they did but we are too polite to ask. Katie opts for fresh crab while Chris goes all out and gets a steak. After coming to terms with our decision and enjoying our night out we are told in the taxi home by a group of German girls who we are sharing the ride with that they ordered the vegetarian risotto. We exclaim that we didn't see that on the menu and are told that there was a separate vegetarian menu that you just had to ask for. Feeling a bit guilty we drown our sorrows in more drinks once we arrive back at Diani Backpackers because guess what, it's happy hour again! We retire from the party relatively early (and pretty drunk) to our tent whose walls are surprisingly not soundproof. Awful techno music fills the air in the early morning with the sound of chanting backpackers. It's all a bit too much for us and we feel extremely old for complaining.

    We awake in the morning to extremely heavy rain that has drenched our tent and most of our belongings. Katie is far too hungover to function and Chris makes the executive decision to stay an extra day. We both can't handle the Diani Backpackers scene any further so we book into a nondescript, budget hotel with a big pool and relatively 0 people - a warm welcome after the party scene that was just down the street.    Read more

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    All aboard!

    The Mombasa Ferry

    September 25, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    A quick tale here about the Mombasa Ferry.

    Mombasa is on an island, and in order to get anywhere south of the city, you have to get on a big ferry to take you back to the mainland.

    Today, we're returning from the southern side, and trying to get back into Mombasa. Even the short trip to the ferry is difficult, as the alleyways are too busy for our tuk-tuk to navigate. We have to get out on foot and push our way through. At one corner, a lorry is trying to squeeze its way through the crowds of people, goats, motorbikes and cattle. The lorry swings around the corner just as we're passing, and pushes Chris off-balance. Fighting against the push of the massive vehicle, the tent bag rips- all things considered, we got off lightly.

    On the ferry, we sit down on the top deck. The ferry is slow to depart, then stops in the middle of the channel. We spot a military boat passing the front of our ship, making its way out to sea. Then, out of nowhere, there's a massive explosion. The sound is deafening, and everyone's first reaction is one of terror. We've seen the ship fire the cannon, but to everyone, it will have seemed like a bomb, especially in light of the recent attacks.

    But it doesn't stop there, an entire fleet of military ships follows the first, firing cannons seemingly at random, filling the air with huge bangs. We then see fighter jets scream across the harbour, out to sea.

    When we finally disembark the ferry at the other side, there are dozens of busses, fully laden with soldiers. We literally have no idea what is going on, and nor does anyone else. We would never find out what happened.    Read more

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    Mida Creek

    September 29, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Heading north up the coast to Mida Creek. To get there, we get a matatu from Mombasa, in which a woman places her baby into Chris' arms, and tells him that the father is dead. There's always something interesting happening in a matatu.

    Mida Creek is deserted- we are the only ones staying there until a South African girl shows up. It's very much off-grid- there are very few lights and Chris is forced to eat some chapattis under phone-light as no-one is around to cook anything.

    The creek is nice, though- an expansive, mangrove-fringed body of water, cut into the coastline. We hire a guide to take us out on his canoe, and he paddles around, showing us all the weird and wonderful creatures. He points out mudskippers- fish with legs which is almost like evolution in the making. He tells us all about the many birds that inhabit the creek. He also paddles the canoe directly below the giant web of a golden orb spider, a huge yellow monstrosity that is uncomfortably close to our faces. We also watch the private boat belonging to the nearby luxury hotel- Hemingways. This boat is too big to do anything else but sit in the middle of the creek, and it can't navigate the mangrove channels and peer at their curious residents. Our guide tells us he'd much rather be in a small canoe with the mudskippers than on that big boat with their sundowners, and we can't help but agree.

    The next day, we head to the Crab Shack, a small seafood restaurant located in one of the mangrove forests. We've avoided motorbike taxis (boda-boda as they are called in Kenya) so far, just because KT is a bit scared of them, but now we have no choice but to hire the services of one. The guy who offers to take us to the Crab Shack from town walks us to a motorbike, which we soon suspect may not be his. As we're heading down a sandy side-street, he skids violently, veers off the road and we almost crash into a tree. A nearby group of children yell "Pole-Pole!" (Slowly-slowly!) at our embarrassed driver. As we arrive into the crab shack car-park, a stretch of deep sand, he engages the rear brake rather than the front one, sending us skidding again, almost into a group of revellers heading into the restaurant. We hurriedly get off the bike and push the fare into his hands and bid him (sincerely) safe travels.

    The Crab Shack is nice enough, with the sun setting over the mangrove forests, but it's nothing special. It's also slightly ruined by a raucous Italian family next to us who seem to be constantly yelling at each other. We try some palm-wine. It's made from the palm trees, and it must be an acquired taste- to us it tastes unfortunately like vomit.

    On the way back, we hire the services of a different boda-boda driver, who, en-route, introduces himself as "CRAZY JACKSON". And he is crazy. He frequently takes his hands off the handlebars, turns around to us and insists on talking about Liverpool. The motorbike would drift across the road until we're almost in a ditch, before he snatches at the handlebars and steers back into the road. We arrive at the guesthouse safely and watch Crazy Jackson ride off into the night with the sky illuminated by millions of stars.    Read more

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    A wet climb to the top but worth it for the view!

    Lake Naivasha

    October 1, 2019 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Before we left for Africa, we had been told about this amazing place in Kenya where you can camp on the shores of a hippo-infested lake. Obviously, we had to check it out, so now, we're on our way to Camp Carnelley's, on the southern side of Lake Naivasha.

    To get there, we need take a matatu from Nairobi, which first means getting to the bus station in the centre of the capital. And the traffic is like nothing we've ever seen before. There is basically an entire bus district devoted to matatus, with thousands upon thousands of the white minibusses, all emblazoned with different stickers and quotes. Some are obvious: "Made in Kenya"; some might refer to a football team- we saw an entire bus wrapped with the Tottenham team; some are a strange take on well known video games: "Call of Duty: Pillow Talk", whilst others are just inexplicable: "Laptop".

    Our Uber driver pushes his way through the traffic and finds us the relevant bus. And then disaster strikes. Navigating our way through the intense traffic, Chris foolishly tries to take a video of the pandemonium outside. As he's putting his phone away, a hand reaches in through the window, across Katie, and the phone is gone. Chris tries to look for the culprit, but they're already part of the crowd. In truth, this could have happened anywhere, and Chris is the first to admit that he shouldn't have had his phone out in a crowded bus station. It's still a bummer though.

    The rest of the journey proceeds without incident and we arrive to Naivasha. The camp is great- directly on the lake shore, with two hippos bobbing in the water. The bar area is particularly special- a big open plan area built out of huge wooden beams, bedecked with African prints.

    In the evening, the electric fence is erected to protect us from the hippos, and we hear them grunt throughout the night, just metres away from us. It's pretty exciting/nervewrecking.

    The next day we had planned to go to Hell's Gate, a nature reserve where it's possible to cycle around and see animals. Unfortunately for us, lions have been spotted, so it's no longer safe to cycle- instead you have to go in a vehicle. We pass, having just done the Maasai Mara. Instead, we head to a nearby crater lake. Inside an extinct volcano is a lake, and on that lake is a restaurant. We have a nice meal, made special by the fact that we're eating inside a volcano. And then the rains come. Big, African rains. It's our first big rain of the trip, and it's monumental. It feels that the entire sky is coming down, and we can't see across the lake, it's so thick. Once it stops, we walk up the rim to get good views of the lake, then head back.

    The roads have become almost impassable by the rains, and our driver is forced to perform a manoeuvre whereby half the car is in the deep puddles, and the other side is up on the embankments bordering the road. We feel like we're tilted 45 degrees to the left, and it gets us through to the other side.

    Heading back to camp, we see a giraffe casually walking down the road. It's amazing to see one just hanging about on the outskirts of a village rather than in a designated national park- it reminds you that these animals are part of the fabric of Africa rather than just residents of safari parks.

    We're slightly worried about the effect that the intense rains will have had on our tent and belongings, but we needn't have worried. Despite being only a couple of kilometres away, the camp was untouched by the rains. Our world-ending storm was focussed just on the crater lake.

    The following day, we're off to Uganda. We've booked a bus from the nearby city of Nakuru, and need to get another matatu to get there. One of the problems with minibus travel in Africa is that there are no timetables- the busses leave when they are full. On lesser-travelled routes, like this one, this trait can mean waits of hours, anxiously ticking down to our coach's departure time. Luckily, after a couple of hours, we are full and we hit the road. We make the coach with plenty of time to spare, and eat chips in the coach station until departure time.

    It's an overnight bus, and we quickly fall asleep. We are, however, awakened at around 2.30am by a sudden stop. Chris looks out of the front window and sees warped metal and glass directly in front of the bus. Katie awakens from her slumber to enquire: "what's going on?" "I think there's a crash in front of us", replies Chris. Upon that news, Katie drops back to sleep. Chris is too nervous to sleep, and watches on as, about 45 minutes later, the first ambulances show up. Other road traffic starts to go off road to navigate the crash site, but our bus doesn't- we assume that since we are directly behind the crash, the driver needs to give a statement. After around 3 hours or so, the crash is cleared and we can proceed. We later see on the news that, tragically, 13 people lost their lives in the crash, as a coach, much like ours, performed an overtake and collided head-on with an oncoming tractor. It's incredibly sad.    Read more

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    To the right were Army Barracks (which if you were to photograph, you could be arrested for)
    Modern day Tarzan

    Kampala and Entebbe

    October 5, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After our scary night bus, narrowly missing a huge crash, we safely arrive in Kampala. First impressions? It's much better than Nairobi or Mombasa, but it's still a large sprawling metropolis. We're staying at Five Horsemen, which sits on a steep hillside overlooking an army barracks. The views of the city are great, since the city broadly sits around a bowl-shaped series of hills, which allows for panoramic views from the rooftop bar.

    We head to the royal compound in the heart of Kampala, notorious for its connections to Idi Amin. Our guide tells us the fascinating history of Kampala and Uganda, a story of kingdoms which united to form Uganda, then turned against each other by a succession of tyrannical leaders. The morbid centrepiece of the compound is an underground bunker, ostensibly built by Idi Amin for an arsenal, but turned into a torture chamber. Strangely, since this is still a palace for the Bugandan king, the workers and families still live around the torture chambers.

    After exploring Kampala for a couple of days, we head to the nearby town of Entebbe. To get there, we need to take a minibus. In Uganda, these are simply called taxis, and most of them leave from the Old Taxi Station downtown. We try to get a taxi there, but due to the hustle and bustle, we can't get close enough, so we have to navigate the remaining block on foot. As we get closer to the heart of the taxi station, the lines of minibusses get thicker and thicker. There are thousands of them, parked in this huge open space. At one point, we are forced to take our bags off and squeeze through the narrow gaps between vehicles. It's claustrophobic, and it's amazing how anyone knows which bus to get. Eventually, with some help, we find the right minibus and make the short trip to Entebbe.

    Which turns out to be quite a boring town. It's the site of the airport, so most people just stay here on their way to and from catching a plane. We walk through the National Botanical Gardens, made famous by being featured in one of the earlier Tarzan films. It's easy to understand why such a location was chosen - It's magnificently green with the famous vines found throughout different areas of the garden. We spend as much time as possible here watching a family of monkeys play and soaking up the sun while having a beer overlooking Lake Victoria.

    We then head to the only other attraction in town- a beach on Lake Victoria called "Aero Beach" after all the old planes that are displayed there. It's bizarre- big jumbo jets and fighter planes just parked up next to a beach. We try to walk in and around the planes, but giant orb spiders stand guard, preventing access.

    That afternoon, we head to ViaVia, a hostel on the outskirts of town. It's a dream hostel- built around a small pond which attracts birds and bats, and with fantastic food and drink. We regret not staying here, but resolve to stay at any ViaVia that we find in future.

    Before we leave Entebbe, we stop off for an egg wrap at the Rolex Guy. Rolexes are basically omelettes wrapped in chapattis, but are perhaps one of the best street foods we've ever had. The Rolex Guy makes gourmet ones, adding different cheese or vegetables, and they are stunningly good.    Read more

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    In De-Nile
    A nile on the nileOur neighbours (who seem to lack boundaries)

    Jinja- the source of the Nile

    October 9, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today, we're searching for the source of the mighty river Nile. Which, fortunately, has already been discovered, and is a short bus ride from Entebbe.

    The source of the Nile holds an evocative allure- the mysterious point in the heart of Africa that feeds the world's longest river (the Amazon has nothing on the Nile). Chris grew up reading a book which had a section on Africa, detailing the Nile river and the efforts to find the source of it, so it's incredible to come here and view it ourselves.

    It turns out that the source of the Nile is not really set in stone, but rather a hotly debated topic: Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC all claim to contain the real source of the Nile. However, as far as we're concerned, it's in Uganda, and it's here, next to a small town called Jinja.

    We're staying at a White Water Rafting company which is sat about the town itself. Jinja is famous for its rafting, but at over $100 per person per trip, it's a little above our budget. Instead, we hire out Stand Up Paddleboards, and head down to the river. We've never tried this before, but it's pretty easy- the boards are large and bouyant, so fortunately we don't fall in. And in no time, we're able to paddle around and explore the source of this mighty river. We navigate down the river for a while before turning back and heading around a small island. There are large birds everywhere, nesting in every nook and cranny, and it's times like this that we wish we had more knowledge about birds. As it is, we can barely tell a crow from a blackbird (we don't think there's an actual difference, let's be real).

    As we head back to shore, we see a long green snake SWIM across the surface of the water, gliding just a few inches past the front of our boards. It then jumps onto a low hanging branch and slithers up a tree, just below our campsite. We're happy that we've managed to figure out this Stand Up Paddleboarding lark, so that we're not falling into snake-infested waters which also contain Bilharzia (more on that frighteningly awful parasite in a later entry).

    We spend a couple of days here, lazing by the river and enjoying the amazing sunsets, before heading back to Kampala. We had planned to hop around Uganda by bus, but the bus networks don't seem as reliable as they were in Kenya. Instead, we decide to hire a cheap 4x4, so we head back to the capital to pick it up.

    The owner of the 4x4 rental agency is a bit of a strange chap, who insists on sending us indecipherable voicenotes over whatsapp, but we eventually sort out the exchange. We pick up the car without issue, and hit the road. We're a bit nervous about driving in Uganda, and with good reason. The traffic is unlike anything we're used to. Cars and Boda Bodas (motorcycle taxis) come from every direction, requiring constant 360 degree awareness in order to make it out of the city unscathed.

    We stop off at a shop to buy camping supplies, and buy a small cooker. It requires liquid kerosene to run, so Chris heads out to source some. At the petrol station, they tell him that they've run out, so to check the market instead. Chris heads deep into the market and eventually finds a kerosene seller, who asks if Chris has a bottle to fill up. He doesn't. Instead, the kerosene is poured into a plastic bag, reminiscent of those containing goldfish at funfairs, and hands it over. Holding a bag of highly flammable kerosene, Chris heads back to the car.

    We navigate out of the city, and hit the road.

    (A couple of weeks later, at the end of our road trip, we would head back into Kampala. The roads leading into the city are intensely busy, but fortunately, Google Maps has a trick up its sleeve. Rather than taking us into the line of traffic, it tells us to turn left into a construction site. Not realising our mistake until too late, we head down the unconstructed highway, which runs parallel to the kilometres-long line of traffic. At the end, we navigate between some construction barriers, and reach the front of the queue, feeling incredibly guilty.)    Read more

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    A Planet Earth classic - the infamous Shoebill

    Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

    October 15, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    Today we pick up our hire car and head north, to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This is a huge nature reserve which acts as a shelter for the White Rhinoceros families that are being bred here. Through poaching, the Rhino population was wiped out in Uganda, but efforts are being made by organisations like Ziwa to reintroduce them to the wild.

    We planned to camp, but a huge storm is raging across Uganda, so we decide to stay nice and dry in a room. Still, it's a very basic room- a concrete cube with an exposed lightbulb and a broken bed, but we're here for Rhinos, not luxury.

    And Rhinos we get. The next morning we wake up early for a guided walk to see them. They don't like the heat, so the best time to see them is just after dawn. We head to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast, and are amazed to see a small Rhino family settled just next to the building. We're admiring them, when a large male crashes out of the bush and across the children's play area, lumbering between the swings and the slide. "Quickly! Get inside! That one is dangerous!!" cries the kitchen manager, so we run into the kitchen, safe behind fences.

    After breakfast, we report for the briefing with the rangers. The one in charge advises us "If a Rhino charges at you, jump up in a tree, but beware of leopards and snakes". We have no idea if he is joking or not.

    With a slight sense of trepidation, we walk out to see the Rhino family we watched at breakfast (the male has disappeared into the bush). From a safe distance, and always from behind cover, we watch them feed for a good long while. They're incredible animals- so prehistoric and clumsy that they look more like robots from Jurassic Park than genuine animals.

    As the sun comes up, the rhinos seek shade for a snooze, so we head back to HQ. As we come back, another group is gearing up to set off. We feel slightly bad that they will be just seeing sleeping rhinos, mostly hidden in the long grass.

    For lunch, we head to the next lodge over, which is for luxury travellers. They have a pool, and have allowed us to use it if we get lunch. And the food is amazing- pasta with pesto and fresh pineapple. Luxury travel does have its benefits.

    The next morning, we're up earlier still to track shoebills- one of Africa's most elusive birds, and Katie's favourite animal. We're up before dawn, so the Rhinos are still sleeping, and it just so happens that one of the families is sleeping right next to our car. It's important that we don't startle them, as they may be liable to charge, so the ranger directs us to sneak up to the car and quietly open the doors. We do so, and I even try to start the engine quietly, easing the key slowly in the ignition. It doesn't work, and when the engine roars into life, so do the Rhinos. I reverse cautiously but quickly and get out of there before a charge destroys our rental security deposit.

    We drive through the thick mud, quickly so that we don't get mired down, which takes some deft driving to avoid skidding off into the rivers which have formed on the sides of the tracks. Eventually, we arrive at the swamps, and, incredibly, we see not one, but four shoebills.

    They're freakish birds- 4 feet tall, with a beak half the size of it's body and sharp enough to cut fish in two. Their huge eyes peer at us while our guide explains how lucky we are- most guests see one bird if they're lucky, and we're watching four.

    We leave with a smile as big as one of those disgustingly large beaks.    Read more

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    The one and only time KT drove
    Happy HourOne of the many crater lakesChimpanzee posing

    Lake Nkuruba

    October 16, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Leaving Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary behind, we start a long drive across Uganda to the mountains. Specifically, we're heading to the Crater Lakes, which sit in the shadows of the Rwenzori Mountains. We predict a 5 hour drive, but it ends up being around 8. It turns out that, once the nice road from Kampala ends, we have to drive on a dirt road. Which has massive potholes. And has just been washed away by the huge rain storms. And we'll be on it for 100km. It's hard going, and mostly it's a case of just picking which pothole is the smallest and heading for that one, praying that it won't pop a tyre.

    At one point, we pass a group of guys trying to fix a particularly bad bit of road, clearing a path for a massive lorry. They're up to their knees in red mud, hacking away at the road with pickaxes and ferrying mud into the deep rivulets carved out by the heavy rains. As we pass, they gesture to us for money, for fixing the road. Chris feebly shrugs as we awkwardly drive through the group.

    After hours of the deepest "African massage" we've ever come across, we reach the crater lakes. Unfortunately, Google Maps is not on our side today, and it takes us through some tea plantations, with red dirt paths barely cutting through the rows of green tea bushes. A small child waves at us as we start a particularly hair-raising descent. Rather than the ubiquitous shout of "MZUNGU!", he says simply "bye-bye". It is quite ominous.

    Finally, after navigating the tea fields, we reach our campsite. And it is worth it. Three species of monkey bound around the trees and scamper across the ground. On one side of the campsite is a beautiful serene lake, surrounded by colonies of black-and-white colobus monkeys. To the other side, the hills drop away to reveal the Rwenzori mountains stretching across the entire horizon.

    We get talking to the only other people there- a Dutch couple called Bas and Vera. They've also hired a car, and have almost the exact same route as us. We would end up following them across most of Uganda.

    The next day, we head out on a walk with our guide from the lodge- Good. And I'm not describing the walk there: his name is Good. Which, I'm sure we can all agree, is a great name.

    We head to a waterfall, with Good telling us about everything and anything. We ask him about the chimpanzees. He tells us that when he was small, the chimps would be all around this area. He would be outside in the garden when a chimp would chase him, crying, back inside. Now, though, the apes are confined to a small national park just north of here. It's quite sad to hear. He does also tell us a story about a mother chimpanzee stealing a human baby when her offspring had died. The villagers had to hush the (human) parents' tears, or else the chimp would get so aggravated that she might tear the baby in two. On second thoughts, I'm glad that there are no chimps around.    Read more

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    We took this picture from the village- that's how close they are!
    Elephant spotting along our journeyMore trafficThere's a hippo in this picture

    Kasenyi- Sleeping with the Hippos

    October 16, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    Following in the tracks of our Dutch friends, we head to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which apparently is home to the only tree-climbing lions in the world. Unfortunately for us, the park entrance fee is 40 US Bucks each, with an additional fee for the cars. It's a bit too high for our backpacking budget. Fortunately for us, the National Park is criss-crossed by a road network, leading to little fishing villages.

    Kasenyi, one of these fishing villages, is our destination today. To get there, we head into the confines of the park and drive over roads which steadily, then rapidly, deteriorate in quality.

    Despite not being able to head into the depths of the park, we see baboons, tortoises and a herd of elephants near the road. Upon spotting the elephants, we pull over, turn the engine off and sit there, marvelling at these huge beasts. We are completely alone until two guys ride past on their bicycles. When they spot the herd of elephants right close to the road, they start cycling much faster. Maybe they respect the danger of these beasts more than us.

    After a driving on the trails for a while, with the Lion King soundtrack on the radio, we pull into Kasenyi. It's a charming little village plonked right in the middle of a national park, and we pull over for bananas and avocados. We then navigate the narrow dirt roads heading through the houses until we reach the lake. We spot an idyllic scene of children playing in the lake, the peacefulness of which is slightly shattered by herds of hippos sauntering just offshore. The fishermen and children seem entirely unfazed by the animals, which we've been told are the most dangerous creatures on earth.

    Driving a little further along the shores of the lake, we come to our campsite. It's little more than a bare patch of earth on the lake shore. That means no fences, no protection from the herds of hippo which we lose count of. It's slightly alarming, but a staff member comes along to introduce himself. He introduces himself as "the bushman" and informs us that he'll be our security for the night. Excusing himself, he sets off to build some fires for the evening.

    After coffee with Bas and Vera and a spot of tea (which is somewhat interrupted by a huge swarm of insects), we grab some beers from the nearby building and huddle around the fires.

    Hippos, it turns out, are scared of fires, and will keep their distance so long as the fires are lit. It's a little reassuring, but when we start to hear the powerful low grunts- "huh. huh. huh"- as the hippos come out of the water, it's hard not to feel a little worried. We hold our torches close, but we soon realise that ours are not so powerful, barely illuminating our small group. Bas and Vera, however, are suitably equipped and their powerful beams slice through the darkness, landing firmly on a nearby hippo. They're very much surrounding us.

    A little later, the bushman returns, with two other villagers. He tells us that they'll soon be joined by their wives, who suspect that, rather than heading out to protect some westerners from hippos, they're actually heading for a night on the lash. He entertains us with tales from the bush- dodging elephants and living like antelope- but his words start to slur. We begin to suspect that he is, alarmingly, quite drunk.

    We make our excuses and nervously head back to our tent and hunker down for the night, painfully aware that the only thing separating us from roaming hippos is our thin tent wall. During the night, we wake up desperately needing to pee, but we can still hear the grunts of the hippos surrounding us. We have no choice, and summon all of our courage to head to the toilet. We practically sprint, casting our weak torches at any and all shadows thrown up by the dying embers of the fires. It is probably the most terrifying toilet trip of our lives, but luckily, we manage to wee uninterrupted.    Read more

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    A glimpse of the DRC mountain range
    Give me your money... You don't want to give me your blood

    Kisenyi

    October 17, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We wake up safely, spared from the jaws of the marauding hippos. Today, we’re moving across the park to Lake Edward and staying at another fishing village- Kisenyi.

    We head slowly across the plains, eyes peeled for animals, but we don’t see much, and we arrive at Kisenyi in the late afternoon. Our campsite for the night turns out to be a construction site, with half-built lodges and toilets in the middle of a field. Our host, Peter, rapturously receives us. He’s a big guy, and with his powerful, booming voice he explains that the site is only half built because they ran out of money. They therefore only have three half-built rooms, a half-built reception/dining area, and a half-built toilet block. Our Dutch friend Bas questions the wisdom of half-building everything, rather than fully building one block at a time.

    Peter tells us that tonight they’ll build a big fire, and promises us that herds of elephants will visit, and we might even catch a glimpse of lions and cheetahs.

    We tell him that we want to head into the village for some food, and he insists on escorting us, even though the village is about 50 metres away. He leads us down a back alley to some plastic tables and chairs and asks a cook for some beans and chapati. It’s delicious, and we wolf it down. To be fair, we wouldn’t have found this place without Peter’s help. He then leads us to a fruit and veg shop, where we buy some oranges and fruit that we have never seen before or since. Peter then asks the shopkeeper for his orange, at which the old lady reluctantly hands him one. It’s a little like Peter imagines himself as a mafia boss, lording over the village. Finally, we grab some beers from a bottle shop. Unlike the rest of Uganda, where you are offered hot or cold beers, here they only have hot or slightly cooler. We opt for the slightly cooler ones, still wondering why hot beers are a thing in equatorial Uganda.

    At sunset, we head to the lake in an attempt to watch the hippos emerge onto land. We spot a group offshore, but they stay submerged until well after nightfall. We are joined however, by a gang of children- far more frightening than any herd of hippos. The ringleader, who must be about 12, puts on his deepest voice and ominously growls “Give me your money. You don’t want to give me your blood.”

    Despite their pleads for our money, cameras, sweets and shoes, we are able to enjoy the sun setting across the lake, behind the mountain range which lies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    After tea, we settle around the fire, nervously awaiting the arrival of the promised menagerie of elephants, hippos, and cheetahs. Unfortunately, the most we get is distant grunts from hippos. Slightly disappointed, we bed down for the night.    Read more

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    Enjojo

    October 18, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    Today, we're heading further into Queen Elizabeth National Park. Before we go, it's time to pay Peter for the previous night's camping. We expect to pay 17,000 Ugandan Shillings, but he charges us 18,000. It's no big deal- 1000 shilling is about 25 Euro cents, so I add a tip on top to make it an even 20,000. As we pack away our tents, I speak to Bas who tells me that he was asked to pay 17,000, but gave 18,000 to include a tip. It seems that Peter might be inflating his prices. I feel slightly annoyed, but looking round at the dilapidated, half-built lodge, I figure they need all the help they can get.

    Onwards! Today we're heading to Enjojo Lodge, which comes highly recommended by the guide book. Being a western-owned lodge, the prices are much higher- whack an extra zero onto the Kisenyi price and you'll get close to what we paid. And that's for camping. Still, the lodge is nice, with a pleasant bar area overlooking a small section of the park with a waterhole a hundred metres away. Once again, we're promised elephants.

    Unfortunately, it turns out that we can't enjoy the bar, as they need to do renovations, so we're ushered away. We explain that we'd like to do our laundry- we're getting pretty smelly and this is a fancy place- and we're invited to the staff quarters, tucked away out of sight from the main lodge.

    After hanging up the laundry, it's time for us to make a big decision: to gorilla or not to gorilla. The main issue we have is our budget- we're on a $50 p/d backpacking budget, and the gorilla permits are $600. EACH. On the other hand, when else will we see gorillas? We're unlikely to return to Uganda, and even if we do, the permits increase in price every year. We decide to go for it, justifying it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

    Finding a number for the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, we call it. Honestly, we're expecting them to say that they've run out of permits, since the guidebooks all tell you to book months in advance. However, the man on the phone tells us that we can get permits! But- only in Kampala, about 2 days drive from here. We only have the car for a few more days, so it just isn't possible. Dejected, we take it as a sign that it's not meant to be, and opt against the gorillas.

    That evening, we settle down for a nice lodge meal. It always feels a bit decadent eating western food, especially since Ugandan food is generally good and cheap (Rolexes are still Chris' favourite food). But, sometimes it's nice to treat ourselves. We enjoy the meal, unlike an older Kiwi woman next to us. When the waiter comes to take away her mostly-untouched plate- he asks if everything was alright. She explains to him that she "wasn't particularly excited by it". We wince, and make an extra effort to tell the staff how mcuh we enjoyed our food.

    Our post-dinner drinks are cut short by a huge swarm of bugs that descends upon in an instant. From nowhere, the air turns thick with flying insects, so dense that it's impossible to bat them away from your face, as more will just take their place. It's taken as a queue for bedtime, and the staff call the guests' escorts in. They are Ugandan military, armed with AK-47s and dressed in camouflage. It's a little strange to be taken back to our tent by machine-gun-wielding soldiers, whilst trying to keep our mouths (and noses, and eyes, and ears) free of bugs.    Read more

  • True North TravelsAfrican AdventureTrue North Travels

    @ The River

    October 19, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    It's our final day in Queen Elizabeth NP, but today we're not going so far- just across the road. We're staying at a lodge that Bas and Vera stayed at last night. They had checked yesterday and loved it so much that they texted us, telling us to come over and stay there. Unfortunately, we had received the message just after checking in at Enjojo, so had no choice but to promise them we'd join tomorrow.

    Since it's just across the road, we arrive early, and we're warmly- rapturously- received by the owners. Unfortunately, they explain, they have to head to the nearby city of Fort Portal. Their kids are there, watching the England Australia Rugby World Cup match with the expat community. They explain that they should have left a little earlier, but had a heavy night. So they're dashing between welcoming us, sending off the last guests, and packing up their stuff.

    At around 11, just before kick-off, they still haven't left, and Fort Portal is a good two-hour drive away. They insist that they can still make if they leave now, but they still don't leave. Instead, they crack open beers and invite us to join them. And so begins a day-long unplanned drinking session in the middle of the Ugandan bush.

    Across the day, they tell us stories about expat life in East Africa. She's Zimbabwean, and hes English, and they met in Kenya, at a club. They would play tennis before tucking into a Sunday roast with all the trimmings, and would reliably get terribly drunk.

    Later, Bas and Vera return from their game drive. They had an inauspicious start to the morning, with a burst tyre, but later managed to see the famous tree-climbing lions, which we're told again are the only ones in the world. We're slightly jealous, but remember the entrance fee to get into the park itself.

    Later still, we're joined by an Argentinian couple who cycled in. They had cycled across East-Africa, and had just been in Bwindi- the home of the gorillas. We ask them if they saw the gorillas, and of course they had. And did they say it was worth it? Of course. We begin to rue our decision not to get permits. Nevertheless, we jot down the name of a great lodge there, and decide to head over, if only to see the forest.    Read more

  • True North TravelsAfrican AdventureTrue North Travels
    Showing off her babyWhat's going on over here?

    Gorillas in Uganda

    October 21, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    So, after much deliberation about the substantial costs involved in seeing the gorillas (and getting our permits arranged last minute through the manager of our accommodation one day in advance), here we are: heading into the gloriously-named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This is home to a significant population of the tragically rare mountain gorilla.

    At 7am, we gather at the reception centre, where we are treated to a traditional dance by a local women’s group. We are also briefed about our gorilla encounter. The rangers stress that although the chances of seeing the apes is high, they are wild animals, so it is not guaranteed. They also tell us what we should and shouldn’t do during our encounter. Most importantly, we should never, ever run, no matter what happens. If we are threatened by a gorilla, we should act submissive. I naïvely dismiss this as standard health and safety talk, but it will turn out to be very prescient advice.

    We are divided into groups, based on which gorilla family we are visiting. Looking around, it appears as though this division is based on physical fitness- the older visitors are grouped together, and we are with the youngest, fittest looking group.

    This means that we are sent to the most remote gorilla group. To reach them, we drive 20 minutes to the edge of the forest, then start a 2-hour climb directly up the mountain. It is strenuous to say the least, and one of the older members of our group- the father of a German family- genuinely looks like he is going to have a heart attack. The ranger then takes the opportunity to inform us that, should we not be able to make it, we will have to hire an “African helicopter” (two local lads with a stretcher) to take us to the gorillas and back. The price varies on the weight of the struggling individual, but can be as high as $500. Hearing this, the German father perks up and is able to make it to the top of the mountain.

    It’s not quite the end of the trek though- we now have to push into the impenetrable forest, which is very aptly named. It feels like a lost world, full of lush vegetation, dense mist, and the distant hoots and calls of far-off animals.

    At one point, the ranger excitedly stops the group and asks for our binoculars. I hand them over, apologising for the quality and explaining that you can only look out of one eye because they are terrible. The ranger looks deep into the forest and exclaims that there is a forest elephant way off in the distance. I look through the binoculars and only see a roughly-elephant-shaped-rock. We tell him that it’s just a rock. “No, it’s definitely an elephant”. “But it hasn’t moved at all.” “It’s very still”. We press on.

    All of a sudden, the ranger’s walkie-talkie bursts into life- the trackers have found the gorillas, and we are very close. The excitement levels soar to the highest point since seeing that rock. We pick up the pace, and, with a sense of purpose, make our way deep into the bush, the ranger hacking a path through the densest sections. He turns back to me and points ahead: “There are biting ants here”, to which I respond by pointing to our feet “There are biting ants here, too”. “THERE ARE ANTS ON THE TRAIL, EVERYONE MOVE QUICKLY”. Gathering our energy, we sprint through a giant colony of ants, and come out the other side, picking the safari ants off our clothes and skin.

    Then, all of a sudden, there’s the grunt. The guttural, powerful grunt of the gorilla. We peel back the bush, and there it is- curiously peeking out at us. It is unreal- being just feet away from this huge, charismatic, endangered beast. Our hearts skip beats and we have to catch our breaths. We head in, and a new mother is cradling a baby gorilla. She looks us each dead in the eye, and theres a sense of familiarity and connection that we haven’t had with any other animal. She proudly shows us the young one, which is one of the most adorable things we’ve ever seen.

    We head in further still, and there’s a family of about 7 gorillas playing in the trees. We are marvelling at these incredible creatures, when all of a sudden there’s a large rustling, and without warning the giant silverback charges out of the bush, directly at us. The rangers shout urgently to remind us “DON’T RUN!” The silverback runs at the German daughter, and raises himself on his legs. He is gigantic, all muscle and fangs and roaring. He is King Kong, and he is screaming at us, beating his chest furiously. “DON’T RUN!” “DON’T RUN”. And we don’t. And we try our best to look submissive but probably just look completely terrified. But it works, and, satisfied that he’s shown his dominance, the silverback charges back into the bush, leaving us be. It is terrifying, it is adrenaline, and it is the wildest, most extreme experience of our lives.    Read more

  • True North TravelsAfrican AdventureTrue North Travels
    Embracing all the time we have to swimSunset over Lake Bunyoni with Bas and Vera

    Lake Bunyonyi

    October 22, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Today we're heading to Lake Bunyonyi, south of the Bwindi Forest, to relax lake-side for a couple of days. The drive through the Impenetrable Forest is intense- hairpin turns carve their way down the mountain side, where one false move could mean a huge plummet.

    It's not possible to reach our accommodation by road, so we park up at another hotel car park and catch a boat across. The hostel is wonderful- built from the top of the hill down the the lake-shore, which a cute wooden cabin built just on top of the water. This will be our home for the next few days.

    Right now, we're starving, so ask for some lunch. The hostel is owned by a Japanese hostel company, so they feature Asian food on the menu. Keen for a break from chapatti and beans, Katie opts for Pad Thai. Three hours later, our food shows up, and Katie is given a loose approximation of the famous Thai dish. It's spaghetti, tomato sauce, veggies and parmesan cheese, and Katie is thoroughly disappointed. We decide to order the local dishes from then on, which are delicious.

    We spend the time jumping off our deck into the Bilharzia free waters, lounging in the sun, and reading our books over cups of Ugandan coffee.

    One evening we climb the nearby hill with Bas and Vera to watch the sun set over the nearby range of Volcanoes. It's incredibly quiet and peaceful here, and we end up spending more time than we planned.    Read more

  • True North TravelsAfrican AdventureTrue North Travels
    Chris and his new best friend Boss
    The real way to drink expensive craft coffeeSpicy sunset from Pilli Pilli

    Kigali

    October 30, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we arrived into Rwanda, after a fairly uneventful overnight bus ride. At the border, the customs guards searched everyone's luggage for plastic bags, which are banned in Rwanda.

    Unfortunately, Katie isn't feeling great, so we book into an empty dorm room at Via Via so she can recuperate. While she's napping, Chris befriends the owners new dog, Boss, which they had just taken in from the street. Boss quickly becomes attached to Chris and wants constant pets (which we happily oblige to give as he's so cute). While Boss is being fed, Chris sneaks away and heads out into the city, and is blown away.

    For starters, Kigali is built on a series of hills, which means that whichever way you go, the views are great. It's also spotlessly clean- cleaner than anywhere I've ever seen. We would later find out that the entire country cleans the streets in shifts, each person allocated a different day. No-one, not even the President, is excluded. It's a great way to increase civic-participation and keep the streets clean. It does, however, mean that whenever we walk down the street with a can of drink, everyone casts a suspicious glance at it, probably thinking "they'd better recycle that!".

    There is no hustle, no bustle, and you can walk the streets at night and be completely safe- there's barely any crime. It's liberating to be able to just walk the peaceful streets.

    Once Katie is better, we're joined by our friends Martyn and Laura, who are travelling with us for the next month. We spend the next couple of days sorting out our plan and walking around Kigali. We participate in a walking tour led by Nyamirambo Women's Center and learn about the history of the neighbourhood and the centre, visit some local shops, and have an amazing homemade lunch. Afterwards we drink the best coffee we've ever had at Question Coffee (which, I'm sure he won't mind me saying, is a little lost on Martyn), and have Rwandan craft beer at Pilli-Pilli, watching the sun go down over the picturesque city.

    We also head to the Genocide Memorial, which is a must for any visitor to the city. It's eye-opening. We knew a little about the genocide beforehand, but had no idea about the extent to which it was caused by colonialism. In fact, the museum argues that the terms Hutu and Tutsi were designed by the Belgian colonial authorities. Another section shows how the world was warned about what was going to happen, but turned a blind eye, allowing the atrocities to happen. The final part of the museum is devoted to the children who died, and each display shows a child's picture, their favourite toy, their best friend, and how they were killed. It's horrific, but it's vital to learn about Rwanda's very recent past, and how it has come to terms with it.    Read more

  • True North TravelsAfrican AdventureTrue North Travels

    Twin Lakes

    November 4, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Today, we picked up a car for our Rwandan Road Trip. First impressions are that the roads are amazing. We've been used to driving in Uganda, where good paved roads are few and far between, and traffic police lurk around every corner. Here, though, the roads are immaculate, the speed limit low, the drivers patient and polite, and the views are incredible.

    The road network winds its way up, around, and across the many hills that litter Rwanda. They call this the land of 1000 hills, and climbing to the top of each one, you're rewarded with panoramic views in every direction. It's a beautiful country.

    We're heading north, to Lake Ruhondo, one of two "twin lakes". Its sister lake, Burera, sits high above Ruhondo, separated by a steep hill which is only a couple hundred metres long. This geological formation means that there's a big hydroelectric dam on the shores of Ruhondo (the lower lake). It's that power station that is our destination. From there, we're picked up by boat and ferried to our accommodation, which sits on the end of a peninsula jutting out into the lake.

    The views from the lodge are stunning. Directly opposite, towering over the lake, are three of the five Volcanoes making up Volcanoes National Park, sitting like some ancient city skyline.

    We head out for a walk with two of the hotel staff, who are there on internships learning about the tourism sector. We walk around the lake, through little villages, until it's too dark to see, then walk back in the pitch black.

    It gets chilly here, so we wrap up and sit around a fire after dinner. The fire, strangely, has been built in a wheelbarrow which is just plonked down in the middle of the bar area, which itself is decorated with Christmas lights. It's different, but I wouldn't describe it as cosy.

    The next day, we head up to Lake Burera to have a look. To get close to the lake, we have to drive up a vertiginous dirt path, before crossing a narrow, rickety, wooden bridge over the lake run-off channel. It's a little like an Indiana Jones film, and we're watching the wheels out of the car to make sure they don't fall off the side.

    After looking at the lake, and watching the locals fill their boats with big yellow jerry cans of local beer, we head back down, and off to Volcanoes National Park.    Read more

  • True North TravelsAfrican AdventureTrue North Travels
    Ft. Anti-Ant sock tucksLeonard!One of our Buffalo security detailBisoke? Completed it mate

    Volcanoes National Park

    November 6, 2019 in Rwanda ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We’re leaving the Twin Lakes today and heading into Volcanoes National Park. Martyn and Laura have secured permits for the gorillas, but we’ve decided to go for the much cheaper ($75 vs. $1500) permits to climb Mount Bisoke.

    We do realise, however, that whilst we’ve purchased permits online, we have no idea what to do. There are no instructions about where to go, what time to go, what you’ll need etc. We try calling the various numbers for the Wildlife Authorities, but they’re all clueless. Martyn and Laura decide to head to the office in the town of Ruhengeri to talk to someone, but it turns out that the office doesn’t exist.

    Finally, after checking in to our accommodation at Red Rocks, just south of town, we’re told to head to the reception at the bottom of the mountains, at 7am. It’s a fairly long drive there, so we need to set off before 6 to be sure we’re there on time.

    So, we head off for an early night, Martyn and Laura in their room, us in our tent. We quickly discover that the tent is not a good idea, since the bar just across the road blasts out terrible music all night, and our thin tent walls do not filter any of it out.

    We wake up at 5am, groggy and a little irritable. That’s not helped by the fact that the car won’t start. We’re not sure if the battery is flat, but we don’t have much time to find out, and we’re forced to get an expensive taxi to the start point.

    We make it there on time, but we’re faced with a new issue: the rangers don’t have any vehicles, and they themselves get rides from the tourists (who are mostly being driven around by their tour groups). Martyn and Laura are forced to splash out further on a taxi to their start point, as the driver of the other tourist in their group refuses to take them. We get lucky, and are driven by a French and German couple.

    We disembark at the base of Mount Bisoke and start the climb up the volcano. It’s steep and slippy, and Katie soon finds herself helped by the invaluable Leonard. We’re also accompanied by a band of ten or so heavily armed soldiers. They’re in full camouflage and armed with AKs. We’re told that they’re there to protect us from the buffalo that call the mountain their home. Whilst it’s true that buffalo are very dangerous, we doubt that ten AK-47s is necessary to scare them away. We suspect that it may be more to do with the fact that Bisoke lies on the DRC border, and rebels are known to operate in the area.

    It’s a fairly tough climb, but we soon reach the summit, at 3,711 metres. And the views are… rubbish. The entire summit is cloaked in a cold mist, and we can barely see a few metres in front. We settle down for our snacks, and some vodka coke, courtesy of some of our group. Then, quickly, the mist rises, and we’re treated to the incredible views of the crater lake, shared between Rwanda and the DRC. It’s monumental, and made slightly bizarre by the fact that, if you had your passport, you could walk a bit further into the Congo.

    On the walk back down, we overhear the French guy in our group ask one of the soldiers if he can borrow the AK. “Why?” asks the soldier. “Cos I wanna shoot a gorilla”. He doesn’t get a go on the machine gun.

    Gorillas do make the mountain their home, but they’re rare, and since we don’t have a team of trackers, there’s basically no chance of seeing any. It doesn’t stop us from peering into the dense foliage the entire time, checking for any movement. We don’t stop until we’re right at the gate leaving the national park. Dejected, we give up hope of seeing any gorillas. And right then, the rangers whisper: “Look! Up in the trees!”. And sure enough, right there is a silverback and two young ‘uns. It’s great to see, and we want to stay longer. However, the rangers don’t let us stay or take pictures, saying it would be unfair on the people who paid $1,500 to see them, so we’re led away. Still, we’ve now had two encounters with these incredible primates, and it’s no less special the second time around.    Read more

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