On the return flight. It's about 95% empty, so I'm lying across 3 seats, re-sult. 1.5 hours to Amsterdam, then very short transfer time, then HOME! Good thing as I'm feeling pretty damn awful now, am hoovering anti-nausea tablets which are making me feel hammered.
Blackberry started working again in Nairobi, long enough for me to book a cab, and get an email from Marmie to say she's staying in my flat tonight, what a pleasant surprise. I hope I don't give her freaky Zanzibar sickness.
Final holiday observations! Can't believe this is last blog entry, I have become used to submitting a running commentary on my life, and will miss it.
* how many people use the phrase 'I slept like a baby'? I heard it many times on holiday. I still do not understand the appeal of waking up screaming after soiling yourself.
* Tangawizi. Stoneys Tangawizi - a very very bitey, gingery ginger ale - goes very well with vodka. We discovered the joy of Vodka Tangawizi late in the holiday. If you ever go to Kenya/Tanzania, note well.
* when snorkelling, you burn your butt. This is most painful, and you don't get any warning signs in the cool water. I never stop learning.
* I like mis-spelled signs. Aside from the cocktail list offering a 'Suppery Nipple', (and another I cannot mention here), I really liked the school teaching English, with the sign reading 'Learning Is Fan'.
* the plane from Zanzibar to Nairobi was a code-share with Precision Air. They had a magazine with a sudoku puzzle, which Lorna attempted for about 10 seconds before noticing 2 7's printed in one row.
Last night, Lorna and I went to Africa House again, watched the aftermath of the sunset, and had the obligatory Tusker. She is very good value, and has an uncanny knowledge of musicals. Earlier in the holiday I had 'Tomorrow' from Annie wedged in my head, and she launched into a (full) rendition, with encored of 'it's a hard knock life' and 'Little Girls' - complete with facial expressions and gestures. The girl is GOOD. It was fun being out with her last night, helped me to stop lamenting the loss of TB. TB took a shine to Bricab before leaving, I'm sure she was plotting to half-inch him on her last night. Raccoon-napping. Serious offense. I told her that she is welcome to visit him in London any time.
Alarm went off at 4.45 this morning. The cab came at 5.30am, and on the trip to the airport we could see the smokey pink beginnings of sunrise, with the sharp silhouettes of inky palm trees. The reverie and sadness was broken by wrestling my gigantic and super-heavy bag from the hoards trying to carry it the 10 yards to the open-air check in desk, and the opportunistic mosquitos making a last-ditch attempt to give me malaria. I am a huge fan of Africa, but next holiday is going to be on a different continent, as I truly believe that it's contrasts that make you appreciate life.
Thanks for reading my ramblings, and if anyone fancies a 2-weeker to the Amazon/Galapagos or maybe Timbuctu or Benin, or possibly Tibet, or Borneo, or Paddington-bear-country, or maybe Trans-Siberian railroad.... I'm planning a new adventure for February 2008.
X
Monday, 24 September 2007
Sunday, 23 September 2007
All good things...
Last night in Zanzibar. I spoke soon - way too soon - and was definitely not touching enough wood when I said I hadn't been affected with any dodgy illnesses, especially of the intestinal kind. Not feeling super-special at all today. Aside from that (Leon9 - remember Pyrmont), since last blog, I've been having fun. Last night all of us (apart from Jan and Steve who elected to disassociate with the rest of the trip, quelle domage) went for dinner to a touristy but 'traditional' Swahili restaurant. All 14 of us sat on the floor and had beautiful food and very good live music. Leo wrote down 2 recipes for me, his food was way better than any of the hotel food 've had since we left the truck and his cuisine. I had calamari with passionfruit, and then prawns with spiced rice and traditional side-dishes, all very fragrant and tasted ace. Gee, calamari and prawns - I wonder why today has been interesting. Glass of wine, Tusker, and I fell into bed at 9.30pm, shattered and feeling rough-rough. It was very sad to say goodbye to Liz, Neil, Keith, Steve, Anna and Oliver. This morning I was up at 4.45am to wave off TB, not that I left the confines of the bed, but I did say goodbye. It was very sad, 3 weeks spent together and I feel like I've known her for ages - cracking girl, with a very wonderfully lame sense of humour. Back to sleep til 8am, then I got up again to say goodbye to the rest - Susie, Kat, Mel and Julius and Leo. Julius had turned down my offer to be his favorite wife (go polygamy!), and it was especially sad to see him heading off back home to Mombasa.
Today, Lorna and I headed out for croissants again, which we had to sneak back to the hotel room to eat as usual. We then tried to find a hotel to pay to allow us to use their pool for the day - no joy - so headed to Prison Island for snorkelling in swarms of jelly-fish and burning myself on the beach. Was fun. Then back to accidentally buy myself 2 more paintings, damnit, then packed, and now off to Africa House to have a couple of farewell Tuskers before yet another early night. Will do final update in Nairobi, with little-black-book of observations which I never remember to blooooody bring here! Taxi to airport is coming at 5.30am. Deep joy. I get to Heathrow at something ugly like 8.45pm, and still haven't gotten butt in gear to sort out homeward journey, however ... hakuna matata! Not looking forward to work on Tuesday, but am looking forward to a spot of cold weather.
x
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Fat Bottomed Girls
Yes, yes, yes, laugh it up, I know it's my anthem. I am using that subject because this internet cafe is across the road from the birthplace of one Freddie Mercury. I am in Stonetown. Guess what? It's ROASTING BLOODY HOT again. Being covered up lost it's appeal before we even arrived here, and right now I'm just over it. Totally over it. Today, I am sporting a mid-calf length skirt - ie: the most unflattering length possible - a vest-top and a kikoi that seems to trap the heat like an oven. Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot. Hot.
Woke up early - getting into the swing of this early-morning malarky - for the worlds mingingest breakfast. I am acclimatising to stale bread and mucous-coated egg, and milk with a nice layer of oil on top. You'd imagine me to be losing weight, but the cheese croissant and Snickers chaser put paid to that idea. Headed off on the Spice Tour with some others from Exodull too, and it was really, really interesting. We half-walked, half-taxi-d our way around Stone Town/local area. The tour guide was Ali. Ali T (the T being for tour-guide, which is lucky he chose his career accurately, he would have been an oddly-named dentist) and he had plainly been watching far, far too much Ali G. He peppered his sentences with "innit"s, along with a not-too-frugal dropping of t's. Ci-*-y. As in "Stonetown is a ci-y of 200000 people, innit, booyakasha". Ok - so he didn't quite add the booyakasha, I am embellishing. I videod a minute of him on the Ixus, because he was amusing to start with. Then he just became beyond annoying. Anyhoo - went to Freddies house, church built on old slave market (very sad), old amphitheatre market thing (Kat bought a beautiful painting of Masais), and meandered to the actual spice plantations, where we saw the plants growing, and got to taste and sniff everything: cardamom (if that's how you spell it), clove, ginger, vanilla, annatoo, ylang ylang, lemongrass, then the more mundane things like paw-paw, avo, pineapple, coconuts, bananas... then it tipped with rain and we sat under an awning and sampled some local brews, the nicest of which was lemongrass tea. Really, really, really good. And apparently it has relaxing properties, so I bought 2 bags of the stuff to keep me sane at work (hopefully PP isn't reading this - I miss his nonsense on occasion). After that, we saw a demo of a bloody odd feral boy climbing right to the top of an incredibly tall palm tree. We had a fruit lunch, loads of banana, pineapple, passionfruit (under-ripe and super-bitter), mango, and oranges. Needless to say that has evoked much clenching on the trip this afternoon. I noted a comment complaining about lack of sh*t-burning detail? Well. The truck had little shovels on the inside of the door, with a nice little hand written sign saying "poo", which you could avail yourself of for trips into the bush. Only a couple of people got desperate enough, otherwise there were periodic long-drops - and do to intense dryness there was no encouragement to start bush-fires, so no burning happened. OK? OK. Annnyway - then came back from Spice Tour, said farewall to Ali T (thank goodness), and ate aforementioned croissant/snickers/diet pepsi. Then went meandering about the market. I made an astute financial investment in a beautiful watercolour of a traditional wooden zanzibarian (?) door - and also flexed my totally useless bargaining skills, and got the artist himself in, and talked him down from $90 to $65. The shop owner would have been much harder to haggle with, and he looked most perturbed at the artist as he crumbled under the extreme weight of my eyelash-batting and general man-scaring tactics that I use as my trademark bargaining technique. Suckers. I still think I was a little fleeced, but I really, really love the painting, so I'm happy.
Right. I am now going upstairs to have a stab at making my sweaty semi-burka-d self purdy for dinner. It's our final night together as most of the group leave tomorrow morning. We're going to a traditional restaurant - I'm one of the few not to be food-poisoned thus far, and am touching wood right now. It's a sit-on-floor, eat-with-hands affair, I'm excited. TB will be up to get taxi to airport with the others at 5am. I am flying back on Monday morning with Lorna, as the flight tomorrow was full. One more day in Stonetown tomorrow.
I wrote some notes in the little Moleskine book that Tessa bought me for this trip, but forgot to bring it to the computer tonight (Blackberry still has no GPRS data signal), so I'll do an update if I come here tomorrow, or when I have a stop-over in Nairobi. There were tales from our 2nd night in Nungwi and a few observations that I cannot recall right now.
Off to pay for internet, and become 2000 shillings lighter. The bonus about Tanzanian money is that everything sounds SO expensive I have been rather cautious this holiday, as my maths is still diabolical.
Going to be so sad to say goodbye to the group, plus Julius and Leo tonight. Must seek comfort in the arms of Tusker.
x
Woke up early - getting into the swing of this early-morning malarky - for the worlds mingingest breakfast. I am acclimatising to stale bread and mucous-coated egg, and milk with a nice layer of oil on top. You'd imagine me to be losing weight, but the cheese croissant and Snickers chaser put paid to that idea. Headed off on the Spice Tour with some others from Exodull too, and it was really, really interesting. We half-walked, half-taxi-d our way around Stone Town/local area. The tour guide was Ali. Ali T (the T being for tour-guide, which is lucky he chose his career accurately, he would have been an oddly-named dentist) and he had plainly been watching far, far too much Ali G. He peppered his sentences with "innit"s, along with a not-too-frugal dropping of t's. Ci-*-y. As in "Stonetown is a ci-y of 200000 people, innit, booyakasha". Ok - so he didn't quite add the booyakasha, I am embellishing. I videod a minute of him on the Ixus, because he was amusing to start with. Then he just became beyond annoying. Anyhoo - went to Freddies house, church built on old slave market (very sad), old amphitheatre market thing (Kat bought a beautiful painting of Masais), and meandered to the actual spice plantations, where we saw the plants growing, and got to taste and sniff everything: cardamom (if that's how you spell it), clove, ginger, vanilla, annatoo, ylang ylang, lemongrass, then the more mundane things like paw-paw, avo, pineapple, coconuts, bananas... then it tipped with rain and we sat under an awning and sampled some local brews, the nicest of which was lemongrass tea. Really, really, really good. And apparently it has relaxing properties, so I bought 2 bags of the stuff to keep me sane at work (hopefully PP isn't reading this - I miss his nonsense on occasion). After that, we saw a demo of a bloody odd feral boy climbing right to the top of an incredibly tall palm tree. We had a fruit lunch, loads of banana, pineapple, passionfruit (under-ripe and super-bitter), mango, and oranges. Needless to say that has evoked much clenching on the trip this afternoon. I noted a comment complaining about lack of sh*t-burning detail? Well. The truck had little shovels on the inside of the door, with a nice little hand written sign saying "poo", which you could avail yourself of for trips into the bush. Only a couple of people got desperate enough, otherwise there were periodic long-drops - and do to intense dryness there was no encouragement to start bush-fires, so no burning happened. OK? OK. Annnyway - then came back from Spice Tour, said farewall to Ali T (thank goodness), and ate aforementioned croissant/snickers/diet pepsi. Then went meandering about the market. I made an astute financial investment in a beautiful watercolour of a traditional wooden zanzibarian (?) door - and also flexed my totally useless bargaining skills, and got the artist himself in, and talked him down from $90 to $65. The shop owner would have been much harder to haggle with, and he looked most perturbed at the artist as he crumbled under the extreme weight of my eyelash-batting and general man-scaring tactics that I use as my trademark bargaining technique. Suckers. I still think I was a little fleeced, but I really, really love the painting, so I'm happy.
Right. I am now going upstairs to have a stab at making my sweaty semi-burka-d self purdy for dinner. It's our final night together as most of the group leave tomorrow morning. We're going to a traditional restaurant - I'm one of the few not to be food-poisoned thus far, and am touching wood right now. It's a sit-on-floor, eat-with-hands affair, I'm excited. TB will be up to get taxi to airport with the others at 5am. I am flying back on Monday morning with Lorna, as the flight tomorrow was full. One more day in Stonetown tomorrow.
I wrote some notes in the little Moleskine book that Tessa bought me for this trip, but forgot to bring it to the computer tonight (Blackberry still has no GPRS data signal), so I'll do an update if I come here tomorrow, or when I have a stop-over in Nairobi. There were tales from our 2nd night in Nungwi and a few observations that I cannot recall right now.
Off to pay for internet, and become 2000 shillings lighter. The bonus about Tanzanian money is that everything sounds SO expensive I have been rather cautious this holiday, as my maths is still diabolical.
Going to be so sad to say goodbye to the group, plus Julius and Leo tonight. Must seek comfort in the arms of Tusker.
x
Thursday, 20 September 2007
Zanzibar
This is coming at you from an internet cafe at our bungalows in Zanzibar. Or is it ON Zanzibar? I am coming back here - Zanzibar, not the internet cafe. Can you tell that I have had no caffeine today, as yet?
The transfer yesterday SUCKED. Up at 5am, ferry to Dar, wait, wait, sweat, wait, be hot, then ferry to Zanzibar. I thought I might get sick, so popped a Stemetil which made me feel vaguely disembodied (and not in a good way) and still nauseous. Thanks, cr@ppy drugs. I cannot understate the general hot, stickiness and discomfort. Arrived in Zanzibar Town, lugged bags, found minibus, got glared at a lot as it's Ramadan and we were *shock* carrying water. Sweated a bit more. I had changed in the morning, so was trousered, and was wearing a beach wrap over my head by the end - I looked like I was ready to cross a desert, and STILL got the "heathen" faces. Hey ho. Then the minibus transferred us to our bungalows, arriving at 3pm. Worlds longest and most hideously sweaty transfer ever. When we took our first stroll across the beach, all was 101% forgotten. The sand here is white, and fine like talcum powder. The sea is light turquoise, and slowly darkens to a deep navy further from the shore. There are shells along the shoreline, and I picked up around 30 or so cowries on the 100m stroll. Floating in the sea, I felt like I was bobbing around in a poster in a travel agent. Breathtaking. It was so much fun, hanging out with Suze, Keith, Suzie, Steve and Lorna. If you look out towards the Indian Ocean, it's peaceful paradise, but along the shoreline are really cool bars, and good-looking people - tanned fit men playing beach volleyball and stunning girls in tiny bikinis strolling around just looking relaxed. It's really, really, REALLY cool. I realise that's 2 cools in 2 sentences, but I think that sums it up. We headed home, showered, and then went to bar for Happy Hour. Mel, Kat and Anna joined the previous beach crew, and between the 9 of us we managed to polish off 27 cocktails, coming up to the princely sum of around 40 quid. The girls (Mel and Kat) are on student-budgets, so we had a quest to get as many cocktails in as humanly possible. We then headed to a restaurant for dinner - I had a pizza with chicken, avo and pineapple, and ... a Tusker. Fell into bed at 10ish SHATTERED.
It's now 8am - Suze and I have been up since about 6.45, and I've been catching up with email and Facebook (hazaah!), about to go for breakfast. Going to have to write to Exodus about the trip, as it's been 100% cracking, and I'm already planning a 2 week escape for Jan/Feb time. I'm thinking Amazon and Galapagos, if anyone fancies it. Off for breakfast, and then getting sunscreen + bikini-d up to spend today much like yesterday afternoon (sans sweating). One more night here, then Stonetown tomorrow. Booo. Back to culture - I don't wannnnna!
Homewards trip looming. V sad. Glad I already have restorative partying lined up for the weekend! Nice one Berts-birthday!
Off to get Rudolf-nosed.
x
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Too hot in the hot-tub. Making me sweat.
In Dar, waiting to leave truck for the final time. It is ROASTING, and we have to cover up, so am dressed in trousers, vest-top, and wrap covering neck to hands. Apparently ferry is really rough too. Rock on arriving at the beach, I am GAGGING for a shower. 2 more hours of lugging 20kg rucksack, camerabag and daypack. Arrrrrgh. No-one is allowed to call me high-maintenance ever again.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Hard life
Sitting in outdoor bar, thatched, with Suze, Lorna, Keith, Christine and Susie. Drinking Pina Colada, out of a coconut, made with the fresh coconut water, rum and pineapple juice. I am tuning in and out of a conversation about malaria, being side-tracked by eyeballing the pool table and listening to the waves. The sea was warm, and so salty we floated with ease. We erected tent, then were told that a room was free, so have put down tent for the final time, and moved into a hut made of palm leaves. I hereby tender my resignation ;)
Still got a bloody 5am start!
Still got a bloody 5am start!
Ferrrrry to Mikaaaadi
Crystal blue sea, on tiny ferry (4 cars plus truck) to island called Mikadi to sleep on tonight. It is ROASTING.
Hot.
Hooooooooooooooot.
Hot.
Hooooooooooooooot.
Ask me no questions, I tell you no lies
Up at 5am again to pack up and do the 10 hour drive to Dar Es Salaam. I think we've made really good time, and we should get there by 4pm-ish. Rooms can be rented at the final campsite for $15 a night, so last night was probably last night of camping. My thermarest, sleeping bag, liner and pillow have all been amazingly comfy, but it'd getting hotter and hotter as we approach the coast, and camping in 30 degree heat is a bit less-than-pleasing.
I am really looking forward to getting to Zanzibar tomorrow, 2 nights of beaches and proper hotel, and then 3 nights in Stonetown, then h-o-m-e. Relations have become a little fractured between a few people in the group, so it's going to be good to be hotel-based, and eating out instead of cooking together, as I think breaking point isn't far off. Cause for contention is A Certain People being silent, sulky, sullen and sour. Oh, and remarkably stingey. Lot's of S's. Luckily, everyone else has a wicked sense of humour, so there has been more laughter than any genuine anger. I'm really, really looking forward to some serious big nights out with the girls (and Keith!) Too. It's Ramadan at the moment, so I think Zanzibar will be more subdued than usual, which is a good thing as Mel and Kat *need* some form of speed-limit enforced!
I painted my toenails on the truck this morning. Bright fuschia. I have party feet. Party feet are currently fancying a cocktail, and I have been reliably informed that at tonights campsite, they will lop the top off a coconut, and serve you a pina-colada style drink in the shell, using the fresh coconut water. Woo hoo! Blooody shame we have our final 5am start in the morning ;)
Listening to cheesiest party music on the truck as we get closer... Barbie song, and Cher. David! Where are you!
X
I am really looking forward to getting to Zanzibar tomorrow, 2 nights of beaches and proper hotel, and then 3 nights in Stonetown, then h-o-m-e. Relations have become a little fractured between a few people in the group, so it's going to be good to be hotel-based, and eating out instead of cooking together, as I think breaking point isn't far off. Cause for contention is A Certain People being silent, sulky, sullen and sour. Oh, and remarkably stingey. Lot's of S's. Luckily, everyone else has a wicked sense of humour, so there has been more laughter than any genuine anger. I'm really, really looking forward to some serious big nights out with the girls (and Keith!) Too. It's Ramadan at the moment, so I think Zanzibar will be more subdued than usual, which is a good thing as Mel and Kat *need* some form of speed-limit enforced!
I painted my toenails on the truck this morning. Bright fuschia. I have party feet. Party feet are currently fancying a cocktail, and I have been reliably informed that at tonights campsite, they will lop the top off a coconut, and serve you a pina-colada style drink in the shell, using the fresh coconut water. Woo hoo! Blooody shame we have our final 5am start in the morning ;)
Listening to cheesiest party music on the truck as we get closer... Barbie song, and Cher. David! Where are you!
X
Monday, 17 September 2007
Banana beer
Sitting under a tree in Marangu, test-driving local banana beer. Undrinkable. Bubbling - as it's only been fermenting for 1 day - and just plain straight minging. Keith downed his. New-found respect. I videod his gagging.
We have walked around the local area today, visited school, seen coffee and banana plantations. The school was really moving, the children sang to us and I had near-crying experience. Apparently 9 years of Barcap hasn't quite turned my heart to stone.
There is a pool table under the trees, next to a crowing rooster and a flock of guinea fowl. There is no co-incidence that the locals are drinking regular Tusker. Banana beer is apparently reserved for the stupid mzungus.
Still can't see Kili because of the cloud, but have massive respect for Tessa climbing it now. It's seriously high.
We have walked around the local area today, visited school, seen coffee and banana plantations. The school was really moving, the children sang to us and I had near-crying experience. Apparently 9 years of Barcap hasn't quite turned my heart to stone.
There is a pool table under the trees, next to a crowing rooster and a flock of guinea fowl. There is no co-incidence that the locals are drinking regular Tusker. Banana beer is apparently reserved for the stupid mzungus.
Still can't see Kili because of the cloud, but have massive respect for Tessa climbing it now. It's seriously high.
Just 5 more miiiiiinutes
I am Queen of Snoozing. Forgot to mention that earlier.
Since earlier, we have decided to club together to pay for Leo (chef) to come with us to Zanzibar. Because we ditch the truck at Dar, and stay at hotels, we don't need a chef, so normally they leave to join another trip. This is cracking news, because he is (a) a legend and (b) has a recipe that I require - beef and condensed milk - which was rockstar.
Cracking day of doing sod all today. Since last-blog, TB gave me a massage, had chicken, potato and coleslaw with gravy for dinner. Sitting in bar drinking freaky Tanzanian wine again. It's growing on me. No hotel rooms free for tomorrow night, so tenting again. Yikskay. I hope the rain stops.
I have asked TB and poss Keith to do Guest Blogs. Any requests for subject matter appreciated.
X
Since earlier, we have decided to club together to pay for Leo (chef) to come with us to Zanzibar. Because we ditch the truck at Dar, and stay at hotels, we don't need a chef, so normally they leave to join another trip. This is cracking news, because he is (a) a legend and (b) has a recipe that I require - beef and condensed milk - which was rockstar.
Cracking day of doing sod all today. Since last-blog, TB gave me a massage, had chicken, potato and coleslaw with gravy for dinner. Sitting in bar drinking freaky Tanzanian wine again. It's growing on me. No hotel rooms free for tomorrow night, so tenting again. Yikskay. I hope the rain stops.
I have asked TB and poss Keith to do Guest Blogs. Any requests for subject matter appreciated.
X
Sunday, 16 September 2007
'5 more minute' mantra
Sitting around in the hotel lounge/bar, as it's half-heartedly raining outside. The girls (Anna, Suze, Susie, Lorna and I) are test-driving a Tanzanian chenin blanc. My Berry Brothers wine-tasting course is being put to good use. I'm thinking pee and rubber, which is probably just the ramblings of an idle mind. It is the colour of honey, and is made from Benedictine monks in Soni, from the Sakharani vineyard, called Usambara. It costs 11 000 shillings, which is about £4.40. About £4.00 too much, I feel.
We talk about food all the time here. Debating mushy peas (and sleep walking) at the moment. Leon9, you'd have a captive audience here with your great Which Meat Is Best debate. I've tried to inspire people to talk Lamb/Beef/Pork (my ordering choice) but no-one is biting. Someone tried the amateur approach, of suggesting fish/chicken/duck, but I had to educate them that there really are only three meats in the race.
People update. Ok, here goes... (Bear in mind trip buddies might read this one day, so I am being restrained), in alphabetical order sorta:
Anna. She's sitting next to me, smoking. She's 100% given up giving up. She has bright reddy-auburn hair (errr not naturally!) And slaps sunscreen on constantly, so is pale-of-skin. She has a pierced - well - the bit under your lower lip. She's a specialised web-designer and studies too. She reads a lot, and is russian-australian. Lives with Steve. Quirky, interested in what's going on.
Christine. She is co-leading the trip. Australian, laughs easily, short haired and quite a blokey-girl, but has dimples and a weakness for country music, and (I think) a bit of a softie at heart. She's says ' You'sa' a lot, so reminds me of Jar-jar.
Jan. Lives on the Isle of Dogs. Travels a lot. Likes animals a lot. Doesn't speak or join in, so is a bit of a mystery. Is partner of Stephen.
Julius. He is the other co-leader, Kenyan. Lovely. He is tall and dresses well, and smiles a lot, but is quite stern sometimes too. He says Hellbows, and Potographs. I have a soft-spot for him, which means I have endured much ribbing from Trouble.
Kat. 21, student. She is partners in crime with Mel, and is very cheeky and smiley. She sings a lot, and mucks in and is positive. She has long dark hair, and always looks like she's up to no good. Very well spoken. Sometimes comes out with spannerish things like me, and is quick to laugh at herself.
Keith. 25. Tall. Dark-haired and is man of many facial expressions. He has a Brummie-ish accent. He leads a cardiac arrest nurse team, and yes - is the avid glamour photographer too. He is very kind and thoughtful and just put my tent up for me, as he's bored! He makes us capuccinos in the morning, and is hugely considerate, and very, very funny. He finds Neils impressions hilarious, and is generally a source of either causing laughter, or cracking up himself. Ah, right on time, Keith just said 'colonic irrigation is a load of sh*t'.
Leo. Chef. Kenyan. Little. Smiley. He cooks AWESOME coconut rice, and beef in condensed milk, of all things. He has a soft-sport for Mel'n'Kat, and is a really, really nice guy.
Liz. Fantastic lady, married to Neil. She smiles all the time, and is very caring and quick to laugh. She is tall and curvy and quite motheringy/caring, hence why Kat and Mel have adopted her and Neil as their parents for the holiday. She is one of those people that can wear scarves and look elegant, whereas I tend to look about as sensible as a dog wearing a hat.
Lorna. Lovely Irish girl. Also dark-haired, tall and fashionable. She likes her food, and is regularly 'starving', but is still v skinny. There is no justice. She is a lawyer, dating a DJ, smiles a lot! Lovely accent, and can come out with some classics. Is currently staying in room number tirty-tree.
Mel. Also 21, also student. Even more up-to-no-good than Kat. She has blonde hair, reminds me a little of Billy Piper, and is very inquisitive and seems to speak easily to everyone. Very nice girl, I'm looking forward to the 2 trouble-causers coming to visit and have a crack at corrupting the new Barcap interns.
Neil. Late 40s, strong West-country accent, and absolutely hilarious. He is very, very fair, and pokes fun constantly, but never in a hurtful way. He's the one I sat next to on the way over, and is SUCH good value. Married to Liz.
Oliver. 64. Irish. He still doesn't know everyones name, and is known for 'accidentally' walking past when people are in any state of undress, generally bearing camera. He smiles fairly readily, speaks constantly, and I REALLY battle to understand him. He is partial to drinking.
Stephen. Married to Jan. Knows some people at Barcap who he worked with at ING. Very softly spoken, calm, tolerant. Doesn't speak much, but sometimes has a cheeky smile.
Steve. Boyfriend of Anna. He is a Buzz Lightyear lookalike, good looking - square-jawed, with bleached blonde hair. He works as a computer games engineer (lucky git), and tends to make jokes just under audible levels, which are very funny if you catch them. He is happy to muck in, however is a bit of a soft-touch! Anna has him wrapped around her little finger!
Susie. Very English, very pretty blonde girl. Also a lawyer, and very bright and interested in her surroundings. She always looks very ladylike and stylish, but can come out with some very shockingly lewd things when you least expect it. She has very cool socks, and was the pioneer of the socks'n'sandals look. Only person to have ever, ever pulled it off without looking ridiculous.
Suze. Tent-buddy, room buddy, Dr Suze Medicine Woman. She is 6 months younger than me (errrr 29) but is far more practical in her outlook. She has cats and walks dogs for charity. She is a GP. TB has done courses in massage, reflexology, and indian head massage, which is a fine quality in a travelling companion. She cracks me up all the time, and has lots of good travelling stories. She lives near Stratford (upon Avon, not East London hell-hole). Like Keith, she is very thoughtful and kind, and considers others all the time. She has 3 brothers, and accordingly feisty! I got VERY lucky with tent-buddy, she is sterling value.
Just spent ages trying to figure out who I had missed out, as there are only 16 in that list, and there are 17 on the trip. @rse. TB just said "yourself, you dozy cow". They know me fairly well already.
Deliberating cake. Thumbs aching.
We talk about food all the time here. Debating mushy peas (and sleep walking) at the moment. Leon9, you'd have a captive audience here with your great Which Meat Is Best debate. I've tried to inspire people to talk Lamb/Beef/Pork (my ordering choice) but no-one is biting. Someone tried the amateur approach, of suggesting fish/chicken/duck, but I had to educate them that there really are only three meats in the race.
People update. Ok, here goes... (Bear in mind trip buddies might read this one day, so I am being restrained), in alphabetical order sorta:
Anna. She's sitting next to me, smoking. She's 100% given up giving up. She has bright reddy-auburn hair (errr not naturally!) And slaps sunscreen on constantly, so is pale-of-skin. She has a pierced - well - the bit under your lower lip. She's a specialised web-designer and studies too. She reads a lot, and is russian-australian. Lives with Steve. Quirky, interested in what's going on.
Christine. She is co-leading the trip. Australian, laughs easily, short haired and quite a blokey-girl, but has dimples and a weakness for country music, and (I think) a bit of a softie at heart. She's says ' You'sa' a lot, so reminds me of Jar-jar.
Jan. Lives on the Isle of Dogs. Travels a lot. Likes animals a lot. Doesn't speak or join in, so is a bit of a mystery. Is partner of Stephen.
Julius. He is the other co-leader, Kenyan. Lovely. He is tall and dresses well, and smiles a lot, but is quite stern sometimes too. He says Hellbows, and Potographs. I have a soft-spot for him, which means I have endured much ribbing from Trouble.
Kat. 21, student. She is partners in crime with Mel, and is very cheeky and smiley. She sings a lot, and mucks in and is positive. She has long dark hair, and always looks like she's up to no good. Very well spoken. Sometimes comes out with spannerish things like me, and is quick to laugh at herself.
Keith. 25. Tall. Dark-haired and is man of many facial expressions. He has a Brummie-ish accent. He leads a cardiac arrest nurse team, and yes - is the avid glamour photographer too. He is very kind and thoughtful and just put my tent up for me, as he's bored! He makes us capuccinos in the morning, and is hugely considerate, and very, very funny. He finds Neils impressions hilarious, and is generally a source of either causing laughter, or cracking up himself. Ah, right on time, Keith just said 'colonic irrigation is a load of sh*t'.
Leo. Chef. Kenyan. Little. Smiley. He cooks AWESOME coconut rice, and beef in condensed milk, of all things. He has a soft-sport for Mel'n'Kat, and is a really, really nice guy.
Liz. Fantastic lady, married to Neil. She smiles all the time, and is very caring and quick to laugh. She is tall and curvy and quite motheringy/caring, hence why Kat and Mel have adopted her and Neil as their parents for the holiday. She is one of those people that can wear scarves and look elegant, whereas I tend to look about as sensible as a dog wearing a hat.
Lorna. Lovely Irish girl. Also dark-haired, tall and fashionable. She likes her food, and is regularly 'starving', but is still v skinny. There is no justice. She is a lawyer, dating a DJ, smiles a lot! Lovely accent, and can come out with some classics. Is currently staying in room number tirty-tree.
Mel. Also 21, also student. Even more up-to-no-good than Kat. She has blonde hair, reminds me a little of Billy Piper, and is very inquisitive and seems to speak easily to everyone. Very nice girl, I'm looking forward to the 2 trouble-causers coming to visit and have a crack at corrupting the new Barcap interns.
Neil. Late 40s, strong West-country accent, and absolutely hilarious. He is very, very fair, and pokes fun constantly, but never in a hurtful way. He's the one I sat next to on the way over, and is SUCH good value. Married to Liz.
Oliver. 64. Irish. He still doesn't know everyones name, and is known for 'accidentally' walking past when people are in any state of undress, generally bearing camera. He smiles fairly readily, speaks constantly, and I REALLY battle to understand him. He is partial to drinking.
Stephen. Married to Jan. Knows some people at Barcap who he worked with at ING. Very softly spoken, calm, tolerant. Doesn't speak much, but sometimes has a cheeky smile.
Steve. Boyfriend of Anna. He is a Buzz Lightyear lookalike, good looking - square-jawed, with bleached blonde hair. He works as a computer games engineer (lucky git), and tends to make jokes just under audible levels, which are very funny if you catch them. He is happy to muck in, however is a bit of a soft-touch! Anna has him wrapped around her little finger!
Susie. Very English, very pretty blonde girl. Also a lawyer, and very bright and interested in her surroundings. She always looks very ladylike and stylish, but can come out with some very shockingly lewd things when you least expect it. She has very cool socks, and was the pioneer of the socks'n'sandals look. Only person to have ever, ever pulled it off without looking ridiculous.
Suze. Tent-buddy, room buddy, Dr Suze Medicine Woman. She is 6 months younger than me (errrr 29) but is far more practical in her outlook. She has cats and walks dogs for charity. She is a GP. TB has done courses in massage, reflexology, and indian head massage, which is a fine quality in a travelling companion. She cracks me up all the time, and has lots of good travelling stories. She lives near Stratford (upon Avon, not East London hell-hole). Like Keith, she is very thoughtful and kind, and considers others all the time. She has 3 brothers, and accordingly feisty! I got VERY lucky with tent-buddy, she is sterling value.
Just spent ages trying to figure out who I had missed out, as there are only 16 in that list, and there are 17 on the trip. @rse. TB just said "yourself, you dozy cow". They know me fairly well already.
Deliberating cake. Thumbs aching.
Mystery snorer revealed
I am lying in bed in Marangu and it is solid as a rock. But it's a bed. Room-buddy is lying in her bed, reading Lonely Planet East Africa, laughing because on Zanzibar, there is a dive centre called Scuba Do. She has also found a cross African/Austrian restaurant, called the Salzberger Cafe, where waitresses wear faux leopard-skin vests with cheap Austrian bar decor on the walls, 2 definite musts.
We arrived here at 3ish, after spending this morning walking round a Maasai village, including jumpy-dancing and singing, and a visit to their school, clinic where they deal with lots of snakebites, etc. Very interesting. Also visited a touristy expensive art and local craft shop thing, where good sense got the better of me, and I bought some tanzanite jewellery. Such a beautiful colour stone, but I'm now officially poor for a while.
So, we're at a hotel for 3 nights (we chose to pay to upgrade from the tents, get washing done etc) and tomorrow is the option of a walk around Kilimanjaro. Apparently the walk isn't challenging (you only climb the foothills), so I am opting to spend the day doing sodall for the first time this holiday. I plan to pass my time walking round the gardens at the hotel, twitching, taking photos, then brunch by the pool, sunbathing, and maybe a stroll to the nearest village if I can drum up the energy. Cannot wait. No alarm set for the morning.
Neils (aka Trouble) ability to mimic Oliver (err, older, irish, lacking in dentures, enjoys the odd drink) is reaching epic proportions. He had his wife, Glamour-boy-Keith and I almost dying of laughter in the bar tonight, he is incredible and I'll try to get video. I filmed him, Steve and Keith jumping with the Maasai, which is going to be used for blackmail later. Again (I'm a simple girl who appreciates tradition), I happened to be drinking Tusker tonight - while breaking in my new Tusker t-shirt - and a lizard shimmied up the wall. Neil broke into an oirish rendition of 'in the gecko'. I understand this might not translate in blog format. I cried. In a good way.
BB is charging uber-slowly off Christines laptop right now, literally taking hours and hours and it's gone up one bar, any suggestions as to why so slow, geeks? Laptop is plugged into mains, and BB only charges when 'new usb device found' msg comes up, but if you press cancel it stops charging. Answers/suggestions on a postcard. Obviously there is no internet, and no drivers.
RB is snoring. Ha! HA HA! Who'da thought it?! All that blaming me was a ruse-filled deflection, the sneaky, sneaky woman. Tomorrow I am going to type a full and complete update on all travelling companions, when BB is super-charged and I'm not falling asleep on the job. Very good and happy day again, apart from sore neck due to Keith directing me in the art of head-tilting in photographs.... "Just lean your head to the left" turning a simple photo of me and beloved Tusker into something I couldn't show my mother, and me into a cripple. Anyway. Apart from pain-in-neck, holiday still going oh-so crackingly.
X
Ps: england v sa rugby. yar, boo, sucks to england, hooray, bokke-bokke-bokke etc.
We arrived here at 3ish, after spending this morning walking round a Maasai village, including jumpy-dancing and singing, and a visit to their school, clinic where they deal with lots of snakebites, etc. Very interesting. Also visited a touristy expensive art and local craft shop thing, where good sense got the better of me, and I bought some tanzanite jewellery. Such a beautiful colour stone, but I'm now officially poor for a while.
So, we're at a hotel for 3 nights (we chose to pay to upgrade from the tents, get washing done etc) and tomorrow is the option of a walk around Kilimanjaro. Apparently the walk isn't challenging (you only climb the foothills), so I am opting to spend the day doing sodall for the first time this holiday. I plan to pass my time walking round the gardens at the hotel, twitching, taking photos, then brunch by the pool, sunbathing, and maybe a stroll to the nearest village if I can drum up the energy. Cannot wait. No alarm set for the morning.
Neils (aka Trouble) ability to mimic Oliver (err, older, irish, lacking in dentures, enjoys the odd drink) is reaching epic proportions. He had his wife, Glamour-boy-Keith and I almost dying of laughter in the bar tonight, he is incredible and I'll try to get video. I filmed him, Steve and Keith jumping with the Maasai, which is going to be used for blackmail later. Again (I'm a simple girl who appreciates tradition), I happened to be drinking Tusker tonight - while breaking in my new Tusker t-shirt - and a lizard shimmied up the wall. Neil broke into an oirish rendition of 'in the gecko'. I understand this might not translate in blog format. I cried. In a good way.
BB is charging uber-slowly off Christines laptop right now, literally taking hours and hours and it's gone up one bar, any suggestions as to why so slow, geeks? Laptop is plugged into mains, and BB only charges when 'new usb device found' msg comes up, but if you press cancel it stops charging. Answers/suggestions on a postcard. Obviously there is no internet, and no drivers.
RB is snoring. Ha! HA HA! Who'da thought it?! All that blaming me was a ruse-filled deflection, the sneaky, sneaky woman. Tomorrow I am going to type a full and complete update on all travelling companions, when BB is super-charged and I'm not falling asleep on the job. Very good and happy day again, apart from sore neck due to Keith directing me in the art of head-tilting in photographs.... "Just lean your head to the left" turning a simple photo of me and beloved Tusker into something I couldn't show my mother, and me into a cripple. Anyway. Apart from pain-in-neck, holiday still going oh-so crackingly.
X
Ps: england v sa rugby. yar, boo, sucks to england, hooray, bokke-bokke-bokke etc.
Friday, 14 September 2007
Red bananas
Just stopped to buy some red bananas. Spent today - after getting up at 5am - driving round the Ngorogoro craterin 4x4s, super-dusty but great fun. In my car were Liz, Neil, Keith and Suze - aka Trouble, Saint, Glamour-boy and TB. They are all so funny and enthusiastic about everything, real optimists, and Neil does priceless impressions which I cannot do justice to in this medium. Keith is remarkably accident-prone for someone who saves lives for a living (and I mean the cardiac response half of his life, not photographing nekkid laydees), so we ran a book on how many times he'd injure himself on the drive. 7. SEVEN. I guessed 4. Still have to be nice to him, as he has a stash of vanilla capuccino sachet things, and he hammers in my tent pegs (and that's not a euphemism, filth-mongerers).
The crater is 600m deep and is something like 26km across, so pretty mahussive. We saw tons of lions and loads of the more common things, but still no leopard. It was our last game drive of the trip, so I feel a bit bad for the people that haven't seen them before. Tonight, we're off to the camp site at the snake park in Arusha, and walking round a Masai village in the morning. It was cold last night, first night of zipping up the sleeping bag, I was so nice and toastie, had to be shoe-horned out of bed this morning.
My USB-to-cigarette-lighter charger broke, and Blackberry is one the verge of running out of juice. I want to write loads, but will save that for later, and I've charged this baby on Christines laptop. Bloody technology.
Hope all is happy
X
The crater is 600m deep and is something like 26km across, so pretty mahussive. We saw tons of lions and loads of the more common things, but still no leopard. It was our last game drive of the trip, so I feel a bit bad for the people that haven't seen them before. Tonight, we're off to the camp site at the snake park in Arusha, and walking round a Masai village in the morning. It was cold last night, first night of zipping up the sleeping bag, I was so nice and toastie, had to be shoe-horned out of bed this morning.
My USB-to-cigarette-lighter charger broke, and Blackberry is one the verge of running out of juice. I want to write loads, but will save that for later, and I've charged this baby on Christines laptop. Bloody technology.
Hope all is happy
X
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Serengeti
Overall score: tsetse flies: 8, people: 4. I didn't get bitten, hazaah.
Today has been lion-tastic, after we were feeling 101% catless the last few day. We have had the full house of lions: slobbing around under a tree with dead zebra carcass, lioness and week-old cub, 2 lionesses drinking water and wandering about within a few feet, and a big mixed pride. Julius did well. Now starting the 3.5 hour drive to the Ngorogoro crater. For the first time ever, I am surrounded by flat nothingness - huge flat veld with sodall growing, as far as the eye can see. It's freaky. Glad Tessa isn't here, as last time we were in big open countryside, she went off on a diatribe about just how easy it would be to murder someone in these surroundings!
Was up at 5am today. It's starting to feel normal.
I bought some south african biscuits (Chockits) at the shop at the gate to the Serengeti, and they were ant-infested, which I only discovered after eating half of one, and Suze pointed out that she had 3 ants on her hand. Annoyed. I finished my biscuit for good measure. She decided that she needed a bourbon biscuit to recover, and asked me if I'd find them an anticlimax. Nearly wet self. This landscape is going to my head.
Saw the Lion King rock. Was lame, and Mel (big fan of the movie) looked a little crest-fallen. We are on kitchen duty today, so chopping and washing up. Mel and Kat and I are a great team - lots of fun and giggling - very glad I'm not with anyone work-shy!
My eyes are full of dust, and USB charger is broken so will sign off before battery dies and I am incommunicado. Day of haring round the crater in 4x4s tomorrow, can't wait!
X
Today has been lion-tastic, after we were feeling 101% catless the last few day. We have had the full house of lions: slobbing around under a tree with dead zebra carcass, lioness and week-old cub, 2 lionesses drinking water and wandering about within a few feet, and a big mixed pride. Julius did well. Now starting the 3.5 hour drive to the Ngorogoro crater. For the first time ever, I am surrounded by flat nothingness - huge flat veld with sodall growing, as far as the eye can see. It's freaky. Glad Tessa isn't here, as last time we were in big open countryside, she went off on a diatribe about just how easy it would be to murder someone in these surroundings!
Was up at 5am today. It's starting to feel normal.
I bought some south african biscuits (Chockits) at the shop at the gate to the Serengeti, and they were ant-infested, which I only discovered after eating half of one, and Suze pointed out that she had 3 ants on her hand. Annoyed. I finished my biscuit for good measure. She decided that she needed a bourbon biscuit to recover, and asked me if I'd find them an anticlimax. Nearly wet self. This landscape is going to my head.
Saw the Lion King rock. Was lame, and Mel (big fan of the movie) looked a little crest-fallen. We are on kitchen duty today, so chopping and washing up. Mel and Kat and I are a great team - lots of fun and giggling - very glad I'm not with anyone work-shy!
My eyes are full of dust, and USB charger is broken so will sign off before battery dies and I am incommunicado. Day of haring round the crater in 4x4s tomorrow, can't wait!
X
It works 60 percent of the time, ALL the time.
Was about to roll up tent when Julius AND Leo told me to watch out for scorpions underneath it. What the hell is with lake Victoria? Went to loo in middle'o'night, and the walls were literally black and moving with insects, it's just too alive here, for my delicate constitution.
Today, I have consumed:
*scrambled egg and bacon toastie (with the fakest ketchup ever)
* cornetto dipped in chocolate
* can of fat coke
* triangle of pineapple.
And it's only 10.30am. Leo is constantly encouraging us to eat - dinner of chapattis with awesome beef stew last night, with his mantra of 'take the same again' and 'eat as much as you can' - I'm starting to feel like a foie gras duck. He is SUCH a good cook, which isn't helping any of us.
On the road to Serengeti now, just bought an amazing wrap in the market in Mosoma for £2.50, no doubt will be 10 times that when I pay for excess luggage. Mom: I looked for all-yellow fabric for my quilt, no luck so far!
Truck-buddies all well. Nowhere near as big-brothery as I anticipated, and no scandal yet either.
Next update I will be lumpy, itchy, grumpy and worrying about sleeping sickness. Same old.
Eyeing up car of chocolate and granadilla juice. I think I might have Eating Sickness instead. Or worms. On that charming note...
X
Today, I have consumed:
*scrambled egg and bacon toastie (with the fakest ketchup ever)
* cornetto dipped in chocolate
* can of fat coke
* triangle of pineapple.
And it's only 10.30am. Leo is constantly encouraging us to eat - dinner of chapattis with awesome beef stew last night, with his mantra of 'take the same again' and 'eat as much as you can' - I'm starting to feel like a foie gras duck. He is SUCH a good cook, which isn't helping any of us.
On the road to Serengeti now, just bought an amazing wrap in the market in Mosoma for £2.50, no doubt will be 10 times that when I pay for excess luggage. Mom: I looked for all-yellow fabric for my quilt, no luck so far!
Truck-buddies all well. Nowhere near as big-brothery as I anticipated, and no scandal yet either.
Next update I will be lumpy, itchy, grumpy and worrying about sleeping sickness. Same old.
Eyeing up car of chocolate and granadilla juice. I think I might have Eating Sickness instead. Or worms. On that charming note...
X
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
May you llive in dangerous times
Crikey. Just had dinnertime lecture from Julius - daily update and whats-on manana. So. We're in a seriously malarial area, and I got bitten and squished 4 in the shower, AND there is bilharzia in the lake we're camping on, AND he's told us that we will be seriously bitten by tsetse flies in the Serengeti tomorrow. Sleeping sickness comes from tsetse flies. I think I've had it since birth, to some degree. I remember when growing up in SA that sleeping sickness is hardcore, used to kill tons of cattle and people. It's been eradicated in SA and Botswana, and Namibia, it's a mythical disease now, like smallpox, but tomorrow ... It exists again! I'm actually quite nervous because apparently the bites hurt like hell. Not looking forward to updating blog tomorrow.
Campsite on the shores of lake Victoria, beautiful sunset over the waves, and then fork-lightning and tons of rain. I test drove Tanzanian beer tonight, called Serengeti. I feel like I was unfaithful to Tusker. It was actually quite good, but the labels and logo are soul-less, no comical cartoon elephant.
8.30pm, Going to bed as big day tomorrow. It's been a long, long day, been up since 4.45am. Nervous about 2 nights in bush camps with no running water. Julius is king of understatement, and he's been banging on about tsetse, lions in Serengeti, and general dusty no-water skankiness. Next update, and I'll be uber-whiney (moreso).
Goodnight, think of me in wet, windy tent, and biteyness ;)
I miss you, Leon9 (happy now?!)
X
Me
Campsite on the shores of lake Victoria, beautiful sunset over the waves, and then fork-lightning and tons of rain. I test drove Tanzanian beer tonight, called Serengeti. I feel like I was unfaithful to Tusker. It was actually quite good, but the labels and logo are soul-less, no comical cartoon elephant.
8.30pm, Going to bed as big day tomorrow. It's been a long, long day, been up since 4.45am. Nervous about 2 nights in bush camps with no running water. Julius is king of understatement, and he's been banging on about tsetse, lions in Serengeti, and general dusty no-water skankiness. Next update, and I'll be uber-whiney (moreso).
Goodnight, think of me in wet, windy tent, and biteyness ;)
I miss you, Leon9 (happy now?!)
X
Me
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Borderline
Hello. We're on a looooong drive today - ten hours to Tanzania to spend the night on the shore of lake Victoria. I am feeling trepidation as the last time I dealt with the tent, 3 days ago, we had packed it up covered in mud and soaking wet. Not going to be fun putting it up. Mouldsville, Tennessee.
Yesterday was spent in Nakuru national park. The flamingos were truly beautiful, and exceeded my expectations. Tent-buddy let me use her 10-22mm lens, so I should have some cracking superwide-angle shots of the lake, glowing pink with flamingo. Also lots of rhinos (black and white), buffalo, pelicans, and the usual plethora of giraffe/impala/zebra. No cats at all so far - I'm sure the Serengeti and crater will be more forthcoming, as Keith is getting a little eager!
Our truck broke yesterday, so we had to hitch a lift with another Exodus truck back to the campsite, while Julius worked his magic fixing George. Very strange experience. The other truck had just started their holiday (day 2), they are doing a 2-week version of our trip. It was like a parallel universe, they were all really quiet and, well, boring-looking. They didn't even crack a smile when Mel regaled us with tales of her 19th birthday present of a blow-up doll named Mutafa Shag, and I nearly laughed water out of my nose. We have named their truck Exodull. Leo (chef) informed us that their truck killed someone, so we might have to tell Exodull that they're riding a murder-wagon to instill a frisson of excitement. That is IF their truck keeps working after we did serious pot-holing with 14 extra passengers, their suspension must the shafted!
Random observations from last day or two:
1. TB has eaten bear. We've been doing the whole "yes, I've eaten warthog/kudu/zebra/crocodile/snake" etc etc... But BEAR?!? I am still battling with that concept. Paddington! Rupert! Pooh! Yogi, and indeed BooBoo. She just read this paragraph and said "I bet BooBoo would be tasty". Ai carumba.
2. I'm trying to master the art of Good Night in Kiswahili, but according to TB it still sounds like I'm saying llama salami. My confidence is knocked, but am determined to crack it.
3. I was on the back seat of the truck yesterday, going through the acacia forests of Nakuru - mainly fever trees so the woods had a yellow glow - and we were descended on by millions of mosquitos. I highly recommend the industrial 100% DEET I bought at Ellis Brigham. We had a slapping frenzy and took revenge. Mozzfest 2007. It was very rewarding payback.
4. A conversation about animal-names happened - after Bricab made it into a few holiday snaps, and Suze (yep, TB again) started suggesting names for pet mooses. After the usual (chris, o'chocolate, kateer), she came up with Tache. One for you, Dominic!
5. Susie just pointed out that we were passing 'Hangover Hotel'. Now, these are corrugated iron shacks, ramshackling around in potholed dust, and 9 times out of 10 are side-by-side to a meat-shop, so the sign invariably reads 'Hotel Butchery'. We have no idea if these are in fact hotels, or if they are brothels. I will try to get a photo, but we are not allowed to photo any people at all, so it's hard to get buildings. We passed 'Jobseekers Pub' yesterday.
6. The farm we stayed on the last 2 nights had giant carved wooden key-fobs, and ours was a large silhouette of a mans face. The wrong side of Tusker, last night in the bar, I felt the calling of our house with it's flushing toilet, and I managed to say (loudly) "Who has the big ugly head, oh, yes, Keith does". Fortunately for me, he was suffering badly from sun-stroke, so I escaped unscathed.
I think that covers it. Mel+Kat (or "the kids" as they have been adopted by Neil and Liz) asked us why the farm had a giant mouse above the nameplate at the entrance. A giant mouse. This after having been on a special chameleon night-time walk, and having them stalking along their hands when we found one in the garden, and even knowing that they live for 1.5 years, that they do change colour (slowly), that only forest chameleons bite - and have horns... That their eyes move independantly of eachother... They ask why the sign has a green, scaley, bulging-eyed Giant Mouse on it. Started to question if the children really ARE the future.
Going to resume iPodding as Julius seems to be playing Shania Twain from the front. That don't impress me much.
X
Kate
Ps: miss you Mom! And Charlie send my love to Fatty Boombatty, Malice, Beeper and Oscar. And Marwick: bang-bang, you're dead ;)
Yesterday was spent in Nakuru national park. The flamingos were truly beautiful, and exceeded my expectations. Tent-buddy let me use her 10-22mm lens, so I should have some cracking superwide-angle shots of the lake, glowing pink with flamingo. Also lots of rhinos (black and white), buffalo, pelicans, and the usual plethora of giraffe/impala/zebra. No cats at all so far - I'm sure the Serengeti and crater will be more forthcoming, as Keith is getting a little eager!
Our truck broke yesterday, so we had to hitch a lift with another Exodus truck back to the campsite, while Julius worked his magic fixing George. Very strange experience. The other truck had just started their holiday (day 2), they are doing a 2-week version of our trip. It was like a parallel universe, they were all really quiet and, well, boring-looking. They didn't even crack a smile when Mel regaled us with tales of her 19th birthday present of a blow-up doll named Mutafa Shag, and I nearly laughed water out of my nose. We have named their truck Exodull. Leo (chef) informed us that their truck killed someone, so we might have to tell Exodull that they're riding a murder-wagon to instill a frisson of excitement. That is IF their truck keeps working after we did serious pot-holing with 14 extra passengers, their suspension must the shafted!
Random observations from last day or two:
1. TB has eaten bear. We've been doing the whole "yes, I've eaten warthog/kudu/zebra/crocodile/snake" etc etc... But BEAR?!? I am still battling with that concept. Paddington! Rupert! Pooh! Yogi, and indeed BooBoo. She just read this paragraph and said "I bet BooBoo would be tasty". Ai carumba.
2. I'm trying to master the art of Good Night in Kiswahili, but according to TB it still sounds like I'm saying llama salami. My confidence is knocked, but am determined to crack it.
3. I was on the back seat of the truck yesterday, going through the acacia forests of Nakuru - mainly fever trees so the woods had a yellow glow - and we were descended on by millions of mosquitos. I highly recommend the industrial 100% DEET I bought at Ellis Brigham. We had a slapping frenzy and took revenge. Mozzfest 2007. It was very rewarding payback.
4. A conversation about animal-names happened - after Bricab made it into a few holiday snaps, and Suze (yep, TB again) started suggesting names for pet mooses. After the usual (chris, o'chocolate, kateer), she came up with Tache. One for you, Dominic!
5. Susie just pointed out that we were passing 'Hangover Hotel'. Now, these are corrugated iron shacks, ramshackling around in potholed dust, and 9 times out of 10 are side-by-side to a meat-shop, so the sign invariably reads 'Hotel Butchery'. We have no idea if these are in fact hotels, or if they are brothels. I will try to get a photo, but we are not allowed to photo any people at all, so it's hard to get buildings. We passed 'Jobseekers Pub' yesterday.
6. The farm we stayed on the last 2 nights had giant carved wooden key-fobs, and ours was a large silhouette of a mans face. The wrong side of Tusker, last night in the bar, I felt the calling of our house with it's flushing toilet, and I managed to say (loudly) "Who has the big ugly head, oh, yes, Keith does". Fortunately for me, he was suffering badly from sun-stroke, so I escaped unscathed.
I think that covers it. Mel+Kat (or "the kids" as they have been adopted by Neil and Liz) asked us why the farm had a giant mouse above the nameplate at the entrance. A giant mouse. This after having been on a special chameleon night-time walk, and having them stalking along their hands when we found one in the garden, and even knowing that they live for 1.5 years, that they do change colour (slowly), that only forest chameleons bite - and have horns... That their eyes move independantly of eachother... They ask why the sign has a green, scaley, bulging-eyed Giant Mouse on it. Started to question if the children really ARE the future.
Going to resume iPodding as Julius seems to be playing Shania Twain from the front. That don't impress me much.
X
Kate
Ps: miss you Mom! And Charlie send my love to Fatty Boombatty, Malice, Beeper and Oscar. And Marwick: bang-bang, you're dead ;)
Monday, 10 September 2007
Just to add
Lying in a real, proper bed, at 8.30pm. Had mushroom soup and penne carbonara for dinner... With Tusker. There are a group of Dutch travellers also doing an overland, they beat us to every site and they are as pesky as Germans for nicking the best spots - like by the fireplace in the bar.
Up at 5am to drive to Nakuru national park, really looking forward to seeing the flamingos - over 2 million of them, apparently. Then back to the market to get food for dinner. Leo (chef) has definitely taken a shine to Kat and Mel, the 21 year olds who I share camp duties with, so he didn't let us help to prepare dinner OR to wash up. Re-sult-ah.
I must say more about trip-mates soon, as I'm getting to know people much better and have neglected to describe them adequately.
This farm we're on has cows for milking, grows crop in 90acres, and is a stud for race horses. They also grow beautiful flowers which are sold in Sainsburys, of all places. I'd recommend it highly, and would definitely return.
Goodnight,
X
Ps: Tessa, you told me not to meet a Kenyan and never return: I'll keep you posted!
Up at 5am to drive to Nakuru national park, really looking forward to seeing the flamingos - over 2 million of them, apparently. Then back to the market to get food for dinner. Leo (chef) has definitely taken a shine to Kat and Mel, the 21 year olds who I share camp duties with, so he didn't let us help to prepare dinner OR to wash up. Re-sult-ah.
I must say more about trip-mates soon, as I'm getting to know people much better and have neglected to describe them adequately.
This farm we're on has cows for milking, grows crop in 90acres, and is a stud for race horses. They also grow beautiful flowers which are sold in Sainsburys, of all places. I'd recommend it highly, and would definitely return.
Goodnight,
X
Ps: Tessa, you told me not to meet a Kenyan and never return: I'll keep you posted!
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Paradise Found
Kembo private camp, Lake Nakuru. House-buddy, formerly known as Tent Buddy is sipping a hazelnut cappucino. We have upgraded for 2 nights - at the absolute steal of 15USD a night - to a beautiful 2-bedroom house... With 2 bathrooms and a big lounge AND a verandah, and fresh roses both in the rooms and our garden. I realise I'm sounding a little overly ecstatic, but it poured and poured with rain last night, tent leaked, and there were hippos outside so no ability to pee, AND I'd taken the opportunity to have 2 Tuskers and a glass of wine, so was sleeping with legs crossed listening to water soaking through the fly-sheet! Enough detail of that nature. Our other house-mate is Keith. After we got the keys, I turned to him, and said "we can have people over to our house for drinks after dinner"... He said "I bet you never expected to say that to me!" Very true. He has spilt limited beans on the glamour work, just the joys of the airbrush, I feel there is a lot more distance on this one!
Going for farm walk at 4pm, then hitting the bar, bigtime. They sell Tusker t-shirts, and as I am now an afficionado, I might just have to get one. The elephant on the label looks very happy, if a little hammered.
Went back to Nakuru town this morning for a little food shopping, and supplies. I am BEYOND sick and tired of the hecklers, and apparently Tanzania is worse. I've taken to wearing sunglasses and hat pulled low, zipping my top up to chin-level, keeping hands slung in pockets and avoiding any eye-contact, Kate Ingonito. Seems to work. Might try that making-self-invisible approach when late for work in future ;)
Hope England is happy - I weakened and checked Google News UK this morning... Bad! Bad girl!
X
Going for farm walk at 4pm, then hitting the bar, bigtime. They sell Tusker t-shirts, and as I am now an afficionado, I might just have to get one. The elephant on the label looks very happy, if a little hammered.
Went back to Nakuru town this morning for a little food shopping, and supplies. I am BEYOND sick and tired of the hecklers, and apparently Tanzania is worse. I've taken to wearing sunglasses and hat pulled low, zipping my top up to chin-level, keeping hands slung in pockets and avoiding any eye-contact, Kate Ingonito. Seems to work. Might try that making-self-invisible approach when late for work in future ;)
Hope England is happy - I weakened and checked Google News UK this morning... Bad! Bad girl!
X
Saturday, 8 September 2007
Captains Log, Stardate 35648.53
2nd - and indeed last - day at lake Baringo. I lied that it was lake Nakuru, that's where we are off to next, also for 2 night. It was a lovely, bumpy 6 hour drive here, with tons of wavey little Kenyan kids. Lake Baringo is placid, and the camp-site is quite posh compared to the middle'o'bush, and bong-bongs bat-infested long drop. The toilets here are still long-drops, but have SEATS, and the doors to the showers actually close, and there are mirrors. Good and bad. How the high-maintenance levels have shifted.
I am perched on a camp-stool, drinking a Tusker (with up-side down label), eating peanut M+Ms, looking at an owl. A big, big owl. I think it's an eagle owl, exact species undecided.
We did a 3 hour boat trip this morning. Crocs and hippos, and they fed the fish-eagles from the boat which was just incredible. My twitching is reaching epic proportions here. I saw my first bee-eaters today, and was doing lots of face-bisecting smiles. They are still so beautiful. It's hot and humid.
Leo is cooking us goat tonight on the barbie, and then toasted marshmallows and a spot of England v USA rugby at the pub.
The road here was washed away a few years ago, so we had to drive across a river to get here. If it rains tonight, we may be stranded, which would be no bad thing. I feel a million miles from sub-prime sagas!
Ah - keep meaning to say: Lorna! Not Laura or Lauren! She's a lawyer, and very funny and easy-going. No other trip-mate updates at this point. We're making a sport of guessing Juliuses age... I'm going early 30s. It's contentious.
The birds are all warning-calling around the eagle owl, like they feel safer knowing where it is, rather than just vamoosing. If I look directly up, there are 2 birds that could score a direct hit on my head, so I might sign out as I'm freshly showered and lightly scented with Eau De DEET.
Snoozed by pool today. One week has passed and I feel like we've been away forever. Remind me of that when I'm back in the orifice!
X
Ps: stop faking being my mother, anonymous poster!
I am perched on a camp-stool, drinking a Tusker (with up-side down label), eating peanut M+Ms, looking at an owl. A big, big owl. I think it's an eagle owl, exact species undecided.
We did a 3 hour boat trip this morning. Crocs and hippos, and they fed the fish-eagles from the boat which was just incredible. My twitching is reaching epic proportions here. I saw my first bee-eaters today, and was doing lots of face-bisecting smiles. They are still so beautiful. It's hot and humid.
Leo is cooking us goat tonight on the barbie, and then toasted marshmallows and a spot of England v USA rugby at the pub.
The road here was washed away a few years ago, so we had to drive across a river to get here. If it rains tonight, we may be stranded, which would be no bad thing. I feel a million miles from sub-prime sagas!
Ah - keep meaning to say: Lorna! Not Laura or Lauren! She's a lawyer, and very funny and easy-going. No other trip-mate updates at this point. We're making a sport of guessing Juliuses age... I'm going early 30s. It's contentious.
The birds are all warning-calling around the eagle owl, like they feel safer knowing where it is, rather than just vamoosing. If I look directly up, there are 2 birds that could score a direct hit on my head, so I might sign out as I'm freshly showered and lightly scented with Eau De DEET.
Snoozed by pool today. One week has passed and I feel like we've been away forever. Remind me of that when I'm back in the orifice!
X
Ps: stop faking being my mother, anonymous poster!
Friday, 7 September 2007
Camel 2
Just read camel-name-suggestions - go easy - my mother reads this you perves!! I had no signal a la Bong-bong, so didn't get names in time, damnit. I went with Sir Humpsalot. I also rode Trevor (didn't stop eating) and Herbie. Both obviously not named by me as the names are not laaaame.
And no, Yvonne, the roots are DIRE, but I'm not alone in my airplane-blondeness, and Steve has been sharing his Sun-In around. Yes! Sun-in still exists! I have resisted thus far, as when I last used it (15 years ago) it was more Ginge-in.
Iain - your comment was plainly you. No username required to assign ownership to your filth-mongering! Unless it was Bertie...
Great to hear from people, it feels so insular here, it's ace to know that Home still exists.
X
And no, Yvonne, the roots are DIRE, but I'm not alone in my airplane-blondeness, and Steve has been sharing his Sun-In around. Yes! Sun-in still exists! I have resisted thus far, as when I last used it (15 years ago) it was more Ginge-in.
Iain - your comment was plainly you. No username required to assign ownership to your filth-mongering! Unless it was Bertie...
Great to hear from people, it feels so insular here, it's ace to know that Home still exists.
X
Bat out of hell
Leo, the chef, is a big fan of the Power Ballad. We've had Celine, Bette, Mariah. My heart will NOT go on.
Left Bong-bong after the usual 5am start and on the Somalia Road (single-track mud road, full of potholes, and it poured with rain yesterday) and we're bumping our way to lake Nakuru for 2 nights. Yesterday was a day of camel-safari. Saw some zebra, thompsoms gazelle and a couple of giraffes. My first camel experience... Blazing hot sun, very iffy seats, and rather un-fleet-of-foot camels. I test-drove 3, one VERY uncomfy, then I had Keiths, which was luxury in comparison, then Troubles which was semi-comfy. Keith was definitely the baby-bears-porridge of camels.
The last campsite had running water (novelty!) And long-drop toilets, with actual closing doors. Unfortuitously I was informed by Steve on day 2 that a bat lived in the toilet, which Suze (tent buddy) confirmed this morning. Why? Of all the places in this beautiful countryside... Why would anything want to inhabit the hell-hole of the long-drop aside from flies and the odd ambitious mosquito?
I am feeling bad about being mean about Oliver now. He means very well, and is very generous and always up for a chat. He also has a very cool wardrobe, he goes for skater-boi chic, which is impressive for a 60+ year old. I still haven't learnt how to understand toothless diddly though.
So: trip-mate updates: they are v nice. Even now that we've all been a bit tired, and a bit rained-on and a bit frayed, people have all been kind. The skeletons are emerging, and the one with the most mileage thus far has to be photographer/head-cardiac-arrest-team nurse Keith. Almost just skidded off road. Panic. Ok, yes, Keith. I was covetting his 500mm lense and lovely camera, turns out the photgraphy part of his career is none other than glamour!!! Many questions left to ask. Feel free to email me any you want answered. I can only check work-mail here as gmail is blocked - and now facebook - argh, so mail me@barcap.
Lake Nakuru has hippos and crocs apparently (and I don't mean those revolting shoes). Neil - Trouble - said this morning that he'd get a t-shirt saying "neil is a lovely man", because even a crocodile wouldn't swallow that. His humour is right on my very lame level.
Quiet-steve-and-Jan are v pleasant - she's travelled loads so hopefully I'll be told more stories by her. She took a whole year off to go round the world so there will be many I'm sure.
Nothing else to report. I'm learning kSwahili. Slowwwly. I can stretch to hello and (jambo!) And thankyou very much (asante sana) and... Wait for it... Akuna matata! It means no worries... And now you'll be singing that all sodding day like I have been!
X
Kate
Left Bong-bong after the usual 5am start and on the Somalia Road (single-track mud road, full of potholes, and it poured with rain yesterday) and we're bumping our way to lake Nakuru for 2 nights. Yesterday was a day of camel-safari. Saw some zebra, thompsoms gazelle and a couple of giraffes. My first camel experience... Blazing hot sun, very iffy seats, and rather un-fleet-of-foot camels. I test-drove 3, one VERY uncomfy, then I had Keiths, which was luxury in comparison, then Troubles which was semi-comfy. Keith was definitely the baby-bears-porridge of camels.
The last campsite had running water (novelty!) And long-drop toilets, with actual closing doors. Unfortuitously I was informed by Steve on day 2 that a bat lived in the toilet, which Suze (tent buddy) confirmed this morning. Why? Of all the places in this beautiful countryside... Why would anything want to inhabit the hell-hole of the long-drop aside from flies and the odd ambitious mosquito?
I am feeling bad about being mean about Oliver now. He means very well, and is very generous and always up for a chat. He also has a very cool wardrobe, he goes for skater-boi chic, which is impressive for a 60+ year old. I still haven't learnt how to understand toothless diddly though.
So: trip-mate updates: they are v nice. Even now that we've all been a bit tired, and a bit rained-on and a bit frayed, people have all been kind. The skeletons are emerging, and the one with the most mileage thus far has to be photographer/head-cardiac-arrest-team nurse Keith. Almost just skidded off road. Panic. Ok, yes, Keith. I was covetting his 500mm lense and lovely camera, turns out the photgraphy part of his career is none other than glamour!!! Many questions left to ask. Feel free to email me any you want answered. I can only check work-mail here as gmail is blocked - and now facebook - argh, so mail me@barcap.
Lake Nakuru has hippos and crocs apparently (and I don't mean those revolting shoes). Neil - Trouble - said this morning that he'd get a t-shirt saying "neil is a lovely man", because even a crocodile wouldn't swallow that. His humour is right on my very lame level.
Quiet-steve-and-Jan are v pleasant - she's travelled loads so hopefully I'll be told more stories by her. She took a whole year off to go round the world so there will be many I'm sure.
Nothing else to report. I'm learning kSwahili. Slowwwly. I can stretch to hello and (jambo!) And thankyou very much (asante sana) and... Wait for it... Akuna matata! It means no worries... And now you'll be singing that all sodding day like I have been!
X
Kate
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
Camel
Quandry: what to call the camel tomorrow? Engelbert Humperdink is gone. As is Kate - the one known as Trouble thought is would be funny to use the old 'cos it'll give me the hump' gag. Suggestions needed.
I am on cooking duty today, we're having beef and ginger stir-fry for dinner. I picked up a very good box of wine today, managed an off-warm temperature with the Eski.
I had a shower today. I realise that might seem a little... Uninteresting, but 3 days of no water was taking its toll on my hair, and I had hat welded to head all morning. The shower had a mud floor, door made of old maize sacks, and was arctic... But better than 5-star - I kept reaching for the molton brown minatures and fluffy white towels, such was my feelings of sheer joy at being clean. Prior to that: mingin.
We are staying at a desert middle-o-nowhere place on the road to Sudan and Somalia called ... Bong bong. If anyone can find it on a map, please let me know.
Dinner!
I am on cooking duty today, we're having beef and ginger stir-fry for dinner. I picked up a very good box of wine today, managed an off-warm temperature with the Eski.
I had a shower today. I realise that might seem a little... Uninteresting, but 3 days of no water was taking its toll on my hair, and I had hat welded to head all morning. The shower had a mud floor, door made of old maize sacks, and was arctic... But better than 5-star - I kept reaching for the molton brown minatures and fluffy white towels, such was my feelings of sheer joy at being clean. Prior to that: mingin.
We are staying at a desert middle-o-nowhere place on the road to Sudan and Somalia called ... Bong bong. If anyone can find it on a map, please let me know.
Dinner!
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
The culprit
Stroked a white rhino, hung out at chimpanzee rehab, had hyena sniffing round my tent all night, and on day two of no running water. Looking super-special, especially as it was raining in sheets last night as I put tent up in the mud. More crucially, however, is the mystery snorer. We're camped in a tight semi-circle around the truck, with a fire going 24 hours, so you can hear people whispering in the neighbouring tent. Last night as I lay awake debating whether it was preferable to die of lion-bites or an exploding bladder a hugely impressive snoring tore though the camp, and kept me awake for what felt like hours.
I'm sure it was The Saints husband, but Tent-Buddy nearly got whiplash turning to stare open-mouthed at me, when I questioned the source. I have been known to breathe deeply on occasion.
Who else is on the trip:
Steve+Jan - quiet couple - one degree of separation as Steve is mates with a Sybase DBA I used to sit next to.
Steve+Anna (different Steve, not polygamist) - he works for EA as a games engineer (lucky git) and she is semi-Australian Russian who lives in London, with sensitive pale skin and a penchant for the sneaky cigarette. She got accidentally fleeced at the market we stopped at on the Equator yesterday. I bought a vulgarly bright kikoi, and a very bad and smal painting of mount Kenya.
Trouble (Neil) and The Saint (Liz) - they bought massive souvenirs, and have been legends at finding my favorite bird in the whole world for me - the lilac breasted roller. Seen once. Elusive above 2000m.
Mel and Kat - really cool girls, Mels dad used to work at Barclays and Kat doesn't drink enough fluids in the sun, so nearly fainted while we were rhino-petting. I think it was a ploy to get me to give her some of my secret Smartie stash.
Suzie - very nice and well-travelled, always asks interesting questions.
Laura... Or Lauren. Bugger. Very nice Oirish girl who is most tolerant of...:
Oliver. Ai ai ai. I write this safe in the knowledge that his arse and elbow are foreign shores to him. The most irritating man I have ever met. 60s. Also Oirish. So far has accidentally put up someone elses tent, knicked someones sleeping bag (cardinal sin), speaks in a constant toothless slur, incomprehensible diddlyisms, and just stole Laura(n)s post-cards, swearing blind they were his right up until the point his were found. Is blind as a bat, and points out the giraffe in an excited senseless babble after we've all finished photographing them, and we're ready to pull away. I will reserve him as the only person I slate. And if you were here, you'd realise I'm going easy.
Keith - photographer with pleasingly dry sense of humour - has a kickass 500mm lense. And buys Pringles even though he doesn't eat them. Result.
Oh, and Suse - tent-buddy - who is v v cool. She is forthright, travelled heaps, and mucks in, and thinks I am high maintenance. Also v funny. English GP, also 33.
Crew: Aussie girl Chris, and locals Julius and the chef Leo, who just made lunch of sausages, boiled eggs, ham, cheese, tomato, peppers, cucumbers, baked beans, breadrolls and watermelon.
TB and I invented a new drink last night. Vodka and pineapple squash - named the Wah-wah. It's very quaffable and I'm sure it repels mosquitos as I have not been bitten once.
More game drives this afternoon, then up early to drive to Rumuruti for camel-riding the day after.
Cannot wait for shower tomorrow night.
X
I'm sure it was The Saints husband, but Tent-Buddy nearly got whiplash turning to stare open-mouthed at me, when I questioned the source. I have been known to breathe deeply on occasion.
Who else is on the trip:
Steve+Jan - quiet couple - one degree of separation as Steve is mates with a Sybase DBA I used to sit next to.
Steve+Anna (different Steve, not polygamist) - he works for EA as a games engineer (lucky git) and she is semi-Australian Russian who lives in London, with sensitive pale skin and a penchant for the sneaky cigarette. She got accidentally fleeced at the market we stopped at on the Equator yesterday. I bought a vulgarly bright kikoi, and a very bad and smal painting of mount Kenya.
Trouble (Neil) and The Saint (Liz) - they bought massive souvenirs, and have been legends at finding my favorite bird in the whole world for me - the lilac breasted roller. Seen once. Elusive above 2000m.
Mel and Kat - really cool girls, Mels dad used to work at Barclays and Kat doesn't drink enough fluids in the sun, so nearly fainted while we were rhino-petting. I think it was a ploy to get me to give her some of my secret Smartie stash.
Suzie - very nice and well-travelled, always asks interesting questions.
Laura... Or Lauren. Bugger. Very nice Oirish girl who is most tolerant of...:
Oliver. Ai ai ai. I write this safe in the knowledge that his arse and elbow are foreign shores to him. The most irritating man I have ever met. 60s. Also Oirish. So far has accidentally put up someone elses tent, knicked someones sleeping bag (cardinal sin), speaks in a constant toothless slur, incomprehensible diddlyisms, and just stole Laura(n)s post-cards, swearing blind they were his right up until the point his were found. Is blind as a bat, and points out the giraffe in an excited senseless babble after we've all finished photographing them, and we're ready to pull away. I will reserve him as the only person I slate. And if you were here, you'd realise I'm going easy.
Keith - photographer with pleasingly dry sense of humour - has a kickass 500mm lense. And buys Pringles even though he doesn't eat them. Result.
Oh, and Suse - tent-buddy - who is v v cool. She is forthright, travelled heaps, and mucks in, and thinks I am high maintenance. Also v funny. English GP, also 33.
Crew: Aussie girl Chris, and locals Julius and the chef Leo, who just made lunch of sausages, boiled eggs, ham, cheese, tomato, peppers, cucumbers, baked beans, breadrolls and watermelon.
TB and I invented a new drink last night. Vodka and pineapple squash - named the Wah-wah. It's very quaffable and I'm sure it repels mosquitos as I have not been bitten once.
More game drives this afternoon, then up early to drive to Rumuruti for camel-riding the day after.
Cannot wait for shower tomorrow night.
X
Monday, 3 September 2007
Alive
Way more humanoid today, had freakish dreams all night but no longer grumpy and shattered.
Tent-buddy is very efficient at putting up tent, and thought of a v good new racoon name : back,sack+c.
Lunch time, then bush camp for 2 night, so no signal I guess as there's no running water or... Well, anything, really.
Later potaters
X.
Tent-buddy is very efficient at putting up tent, and thought of a v good new racoon name : back,sack+c.
Lunch time, then bush camp for 2 night, so no signal I guess as there's no running water or... Well, anything, really.
Later potaters
X.
Bedtime
It's 8.30, and I'm hitting the hay. Pretty cold at the foothills of mount kenya. Late start tomorrow - 7am - much needed by me as I'm starting to feel the pain and it's day one!
Goodnight
Goodnight
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Nairobi
There are Barclays advertisements ALL OVER NAIROBI. Not impressed. Got up at 7, so running on 6 hours of sleep (3 hours under requirement) and started the 5 hour drive to middle'o'nowhere, to get to Sweetwater tomorrow.
So far Kenya is like a cross between SA and Botswana - lots of acacias and red sand - it's very good to be back in Africa. Locals drink their beer unchilled, which I am finding very uncool on both levels.
So far Kenya is like a cross between SA and Botswana - lots of acacias and red sand - it's very good to be back in Africa. Locals drink their beer unchilled, which I am finding very uncool on both levels.
Do good things also come in 3's?
I missed my airport send-off by minutes, had a very good smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, and boarded the flight for Nairobi. Got the emergency exit row (unintentionally) seated next to 2 others from my group. I have decided to nickname everyone instead of remembering names, so that's The Saint (wife) and The Nightmare (husband). Live in Wiltshire, she's been to Peru, they used to race Afghans (the hounds, not the people, thankfully) and he has a penchant for the solo silver hoop earring look. Very nice couple, which means in 3 weeks time they will be the ones I fantasize about murdering the most.
Arrived at 'hotel' (not in MY book) to discover room involved sharing eensy double bed with Redfern (aka Suse, who I believe will be my tent-buddy:nickname pending). Complained about lack of twin room. Now lying in vast suite, alone, in the four poster honeymoon bed swathed in mosquito nets, listening to my taps leaking onto the marble basin: SCORE! Have to be up in 7 hours, so... Goodnight. Bricab (raccoon) is here too. I think he will be underwhelmed when the standard of the accommodation drops.
-kate-on-tour
Arrived at 'hotel' (not in MY book) to discover room involved sharing eensy double bed with Redfern (aka Suse, who I believe will be my tent-buddy:nickname pending). Complained about lack of twin room. Now lying in vast suite, alone, in the four poster honeymoon bed swathed in mosquito nets, listening to my taps leaking onto the marble basin: SCORE! Have to be up in 7 hours, so... Goodnight. Bricab (raccoon) is here too. I think he will be underwhelmed when the standard of the accommodation drops.
-kate-on-tour
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