An Adventure in Africa

Just reading a very interesting article about how Kenya derives 10% of her energy from a geothermic (rock) source deep in the rift valley.  In fact one rose-growing farm obtains all of its heating from this source.  It’s another interesting aspect in the debate as to whether produce should be sourced locally or globally.  Bear in mind that many East Africans depend upon flower and vegetable exports for their livelihood.  If they loose this it’s a one-way ticket back to the poverty line.

Stopping over briefly in Kigali, Rwanda.  It’s not that exciting as you basically sit on the tarmac for an hour (not literally) in the dark and then you’re back in the air.

Here we are again – at our beautiful Nairobi home of Safari Park hotel.

Hope they’ve saved us some lunch, we’re famished.  We’re being greeted by Joshua who proudly reveals that his local MP is none other than Nobel laureate Wangarai Maathai.  Lucky guy, what an amazing woman.  She and her Green Belt Movement have planted over thirty million trees in recent times and continue to do so. 

This place is so cool, beautiful but freezing.  Well, it is July.  Hope we get a hot water bottle tonight.

Just look at our neighbours at the waterhole below us.  It’s a great spot to chill out (yes, still cold) and let nature come to you. 

The grassy patch in the middle is even shaped like Africa, superb.  Look, a Defassa Waterbuck is marching over Mauritius, I think.  Defassa differ from common Waterbuck as they don’t wear a toilet seat on their behind.

6 July

Good morning.  No calls in the night. It must have been quiet on the animal front, not a tiger in sight.  Never mind, we have a forest walk to be getting on with.

Our guide Ben, accompanied by an armed policeman, are here to greet us so off we go.

Ben explains to us that this forest in Mount Kenya National Park is a mountain rain forest and very lush.  It is home to indigenous species of flora, many of which have healing properties.  There are some pretty formidable-looking stinging nettles including one beauty called an onion nettle.  If you had a sting from one of these, you’d know all about it but it can also relieve many complaints from stomach ulcers to rheumatism.

Agy and I have two agendas – mine, as you may have guessed, is to spot as many birdies a possible, especially the montane white eye that Mercedes and Javier saw when they were.  Agy’s is quite simple, a red duiker – that is going to be a tough one as they’re really shy, like him (I wish).

Off we go and I’m in paradise as straight away we see bird after bird, like a paradise flycatcher or a hartlaub’s turaco.  Sorry, they move so quickly that it’s impossible to catch them on camera.

Ben’s calling us over and chanting something, it sounds like “joker, joker” – oh he’s saying “duiker, duiker”.  We inch forward and just glimpse this timid antelope but, you’ve guessed, the second Agy reaches for his camera, it melts away.  Cheer up babes, at least we saw it.

What was that blur?  Oh, a Colobus monkey.  Apparently so named by a the Greeks, meaning “deformed” as they only have four fingers on their hands, unlike other monkeys.  Does that sound a bit fingerist to you?

And Ben’s spotted a bird difficult to find in these parts, a narina trogon.

We come to a clearing and tea and coffee has been organised, so civilised. They even slip in a nip of brandy.  This is definitely the life.

And Agy, from the state of your eyes, I’d say it’s more brandy than coffee.

Avoiding the deadly safari ants, of which there are many, we weave our way back to the lodge.

We spend a relaxing afternoon at the waterhole.  Another chance for Agy to play with his new toy - sorry, camera.

Lovely Ag, nice toy but why did you have to pinch my washing-up glove as a hood?  Did you run out of cash or something?

We’re having a great evening, dining with a lovely couple from the Cotswolds in England.  They’re people after our own heart with a passion for travel and interest in development.  They’re both retired head teachers so I think we’ll be pestering them in future to pick their brains on ideas for education in Africa.  Thanks for your company, very special.

We round off the evening with a slide show from Ben.  Here are a couple of facts to wow your friends with:

–        Mount Kenya was originally named “Kirinyaga” by the Kikuyu people, meaning Mount of Ostrich, not because there are ostrich there but the white of the snow against the black of the mountain resembled these birds to them.  The word Kenya comes from Kirinyaga incidentally,

–        A group of hyena are known as a clan,

–        The civet cat is not a cat at all but a member of the mongoose family.

After all of these facts my brain hurts so it’s time for bed – sweet dreams.