We left the smog of the city early this morning. John had his morning run first, and thinks his running prowess has catapulted to dizzy heights just because he passed some Kenyans also out for a run!
After the smog, it was the morning fog. We rose up to 2100m elevation where it was pea soup thick, and the taste of diesel at the back of your throat is diluted, minimally so.
We passed the slums of the outskirts of Nairobi, mixed with some impressive buildings. Commerce is alive and well in any third world country. Some signs of local traders I liked we’re: “Good Hope Dry Cleaners” (keep your fingers crossed), “Blessing Butcher” (bit late now for the beast), “First Born Christians” (was there a second born Christ that I haven’t heard about?), and the “You and I Bar”.
We have reached the open plains of the Rift Valley now, where the Balonite (need to check the spelling on that one) trees stand tall with their flat topped foliage – you know, the classic photo of Africa. Everything is lush and green. It’s a huge contrast to the dry and dusty landscape of Botswana and Zambia. There are huge fields of crops of maize and corn, and herds of cattle being moved around to drink at dams.
Another sign: “Miracle fashions”. Speaks for itself really.
We have left the main road, and the blue sky has finally appeared from behind the overcast gloom. We just stopped the car to let a Leopard Tortoise cross the road! Photo below.
Now the road turns to dirt, and for the next two hours we endure a bone rattling drive over the plains to our lodge. The landscape has lost its lush green vista, and returned to dry and brown. We pass a multitude of Masai people in their traditional clothing (it seems they wear this anyway, and not just for the tourists) herding mainly goats and some sheep and, to a lesser extent, cattle. The government is discouraging cattle as they are hit harder by times of drought.
There are so many villages of Masai people, and we constantly see them walking the countryside. We saw one car parked outside a village. They leave these bumpy (and I use the term loosely) roads to the tourists. Smart move.
We arrive at the lodge and after a late lunch head out for an afternoon safari. We are now at 1640m elevation, and one degree latitude. So the equator is about 100km away, but it isn’t that hot, or even humid. I guess the elevation takes care of that. We have travelled 240km from Nairobi, and it took 6.5 hours. That tells the story of the roads here.