Having a luxury lie in and only just make it in time for breakfast.Never mind, if we miss that, lunch is only an hour away.Weather’s taken a turn for the worse again.Agy had to go into Malindi in preparation for a big surprise for you for tomorrow.Siw and I tag along.Obviously the bank is our first port of call but a huge tree has collapsed in the middle of the road bringing down a power line, better give it a miss.Now back to our fantastic little shop, Agy’s buying a lorry load of kikoys – you’ll either be getting them for Christmas or he has something else up his sleeve. Now he’s dropped us off at Malindi beach.A man’s approached us and I think he’s asking us if we want to “smoke”.I say “no” a little indignantly but Siw says he asked us whether we want to “snorkel”, and I’m supposed to be the native English speaker. We spend the rest of the afternoon packing, will tell you why tomorrow.
14th August
Rise and shine it’s 5.00 am!We’re leaving today for Nairobi, taking Natalie and Siw back to the airport and collecting Agy’s mum and dad, Jimmy and Shirley, who arrive on the incoming flight.Need to leave early due to the recnt bad weather, it’s washed away all of the short cuts.The roads into and out of Mombasa are terrible but at least passable.On our way now, this is strange, they seem to be better this morning.
The phone’s ringing and it’s Simon, Agy’s brother telling us that there’s a major problem with his parents’ flight.They were due to fly from Bristol to Nairobi via Brussels.Unfortunately the Bristol plane has been delayed for so long that it won’t arrive in time to catch the connection to Nairobi.This is very bad news.The whole surprise is now in jeopardy – I’ll have to tell you what it was.We were due to go to Maasai Mara tomorrow to watch the migration crossing.As Jim and Shirl won’t be here before tomorrow evening, the trip will probably be cancelled as accommodation is very scarce there at the moment.We’ll give Steenbok a call to see whether they can work one of their miracles.Agy’s in such a foul mood that I don’t dare to speak in case he eats me. We’re in Mombasa, bought a newspaper and found out why the road conditions have suddenly improved.The President arrived here yesterday and will be driving to Malindi tomorrow, he should drop in more often. On the wonderful Mariakani road out of Mombasa, quite funny watching Siw trying to tuck into her breakfast.
bon appetite siw
dust devil
We’ve arrived at the airport after a really good journey.Shirl is on the phone to say they’re in a lovely hotel in Brussels so they sound more relaxed.Now for the trip across Nairobi to the hotel.We feel less anxious about it than the last time and, sure enough, arrive at the hotel quite easily.Wonderful news from Steenbok, they’ve called to say that they managed to change the reservations for Maasai Mara – what good eggs they are.
15th August
One advantage of spending an extra day in Nairobi is relaxing at the Safari Park Hotel.Enjoying breakfast and watching Mrs Duck and her little ducklets on the pool.The birds are tweeting and all’s well.
It’s 10.00 pm, we’re at the airport and just hooked up with George from Steenbok.He’ll take us back to the hotel, not brave enough to drive across Nairobi at night yet.Oh, look over there, it’s them, brilliant and what a relief to see them.Back at the hotel and Jim has just been introduced to his first Tusker, think it was love at first slurp.Off to bed now, it’s after midnight and we need to be up with the larks in the morning.Lala salama.
safari park hotel swimming pool
agy's mum and dad,jimmy and shirley
16th August
Remember our tune “on the road again”?Here we are in wonderful Nairobi traffic.The matatu drivers are shouting something to us.Great, Houston we have a puncture.Well, better here than in the bush.There’s a garage up the road so we can have it seen to there. Out of Nairobi and turned onto the road to Maasai Mara.Look at that magnificent view over the Rift Valley.Every time I see that it reminds me of Robert Redford flying over in his little red plane in Out of Africa.On the Narok road which I think gets the vote for the worst road in Kenya (don’t I harp on about their transport system).Never mind, we’re through now.Shirl and I treat ourselves to a Kenya baseball cap at a service station, has to be done.See lots of Maasai along the way and the scenery is just gorgeous.We’re here in the Maasai Mara.Straight away we see many beasts including elephant and buffalo.Having a little chuckle at Shirl, she can’t work out why everything looks so small through her binoculars – other way round Shirl.
plains elephant,masai mara
giant euphorbia
mara sunset
great rift valley
flame trees
masai mara lioness
rift valley
masai mara, great migration
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes.The Maasai Mara is very different to other game parks we’ve visited.The landscapes, well, think I’ve used most superlatives over the last few months so let’s just say that they’re pretty great – rolling golden plains with hills and escarpments as a backdrop. Nearing the end of the day now, winding our way home and Richard (that’s Agy but we call him by his real name in front of mum and dad) is lion spotting.Well, they don’t call it the lions of Mara for nothing.Very soon we spy three lions in a row and are able to get up close and personal.Finally, we arrive at Base Camp and enjoy the most beautiful sunset accompanied by a what? Of course, a Tusker.
The Maasai run Base Camp (www.basecampexplorer.co.ke), it’s an eco-friendly camp and very well done.They’re entertaining us with singing and dancing.Benjamin is giving us a talk on his culture.He’s going to be our secret weapon tomorrow as we follow the migration to the crossing point.Now it’s time for lala, sleep tight.
basecamp explorer tent
masai dancers
17th August
We’re on our way to see the migration.“What’s that?” you may ask.Well, twice a year in August and November, over one million wildebeest, together with two hundred thousand zebra, make the journey from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in search of fresh grazing.It’s an amazing sight.That’s what we are on our way to see today.I say, what on earth’s going on here?That’s a bit much for this time in the morning.Before we get to the crossing point, which I’ll explain in a minute, we drive to the Mara river and are accompanied by a KWS ranger to see the hippo and crocodile.Don’t think we’ve ever been so close to hippo, it’s a little scary but as long as they stay in the water they’re happy and so are we.Moving on, time for a photo opportunity as we slip over the border into Tanzania. We’ve arrived at the crossing point.This is the part of the river that the migrating animals need to get over in order to continue their journey.They always come to this spot but it’s quite treacherous as just underneath the surface crocodiles are hiding, just waiting to pounce.Not only that, the place is teeming with vultures after fresh meat.If the crocodile don’t get these beasts the water might and vultures never miss an opportunity.We wait for quite a while before the first brave souls decide to cross.Naturally for them it’s a life or death decision and they’re well aware of the dangers.The wildebeest launch themselves into the water, trying to alarm their predators as they go.It seems to be quite successful as we can’t see any crocs.
