Great Rift Valley

Samburu Cheetah

2011-02-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

At last ! When you are in the middle of the bush technology can be temperamental to say the least but as you can see yesterday afternoons sighting is here for all to see. The mother and two cubs (the other just out of frame) are amongst only five individuals known to be within the Samburu ecosystem. The day before they were seen at a distance on a fresh kill so here they had eaten recently. More tomorrow !

Magical Samburu

2011-02-17T01:56:00.000-08:00

After two days we are finally able to connect to the net, however images are taking forever ! When we move on to the Masai Mara tomorrow we will have a satellite link and have greater upload bandwidth ! We will try to upload an image this afternoon here in Samburu via a very slow mobile modem.
All is progressing wonferfully. Saruni is magical, perched high above the valley floor on a hot rocky outcrop and miles away from any civilisation. The staff are wonderful. In the first 24 hours we had been in very close proximity to all three big cats (images to follow).
The greatest news is that on our first night we experienced a colossal storm with strong winds, thunder, lightening and terrific thunder right overhead. It was the first rain for 7 months so we are viewed now as 'rain bringers'.
Today however is hot and a clear blue sky. Lunch now beckons. We will try to get a picture up later.

Back to The Great Rift !

2011-02-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

Valentines this year has a special edge to it for us as it marks the date for a return to our beloved Africa. We leave in the evening and arrive in Nairobi in time for breakfast.
The following eight days will hopefully put down a marker for our permanent return either to Samburu or the Masai Mara starting at the end of May.
For the first three days of this stay we will be traveling to and staying in Samburu at Saruni Lodge. We fly by light plane from Wilson airport Nairobi into Samburu Tuesday lunchtime. Then on Friday we again take a small plane directly down to the Masai Mara and we'll be staying at Saruni Camp.

Just as last year we hope you will be interested in following our progress. We intend to post at least one image and a few words every day.

Women's Project

2010-04-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we journeyed to the very far north of Zanzibar and went on a fascinating tour of a spice farm and a multi specie fruit farm and saw things one never thinks of like an Iodine tree, curry leaf tree, tumeric, Jack fruit tree, cocao, Robusta coffee and dozens more !

We also visited a fresh fish auction and then swam in the Indian Ocean and saw a gorgeous red starfish. After lunch we visited a women's project that has been established to make and provide soaps and other toiletries to hotels on the island. We gathered all the children of the project together and handed them all an exercise book, a pen and some sweets. They were so grateful. I taught them some alphabet and some numbers and got them all to repeat their own names and Janet's and mine. Back to my teaching days ! I enjoyed it so much and here is a shot of them.

Red Colobus

2010-04-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

The extremely rare and endangered Red Colobus only found on Zanzibar. Shot in the wild.

Tomorrow Zanzibar

2010-04-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

I suppose it is just the word that makes everyone at least curious. Zanzibar ! The largest of the Indian Ocean 'spice islands' and on top of, or near the top, of a lot of travelers 'wish list'. Well tomorrow will see the fruition of a long held ambition for us both to approach it by sea and to discover for ourselves whether or not is possible to detect the aroma of cloves and cinnamon from a boat !

As far as work is concerned it looks very much as we are going to be spoiled for choice and we are going to spend the next three nights in Stone Town contemplating our options.

This morning we visited the fish market in Dar es Salaam and what a staggering choice of fish, seafood and

bounty from the sea, certainly a chef's paradise ! And last night we tasted it at a Japenese-Korean restaurant. The meal started with really superb sushi and was followed at a 'cooking table' where a Thai chef was on top juggling form including an amazing trick of throwing an egg in the air, and then landing it on the edge of a knife. The knife cracked the egg and all fell neatly into a bowl underneath. Incredible !

This photo is a little dull I know but it's the lagoon behind the beach at Ras Kutani. I hope to have a lot more of interest over the next few days from Zanzibar. Thanks all ! S&J

The Indian Ocean from Ras Kutani

2010-04-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ras Kutani

2010-04-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Dar es Salaam. After arriving yesterday we have had a day of meetings interspersed with recovery from the flight. The BA flight was practically empty however so we were able to stretch out and relax.
Everything is proceeding very satisfactorily and by this evening we will put at least one or two images up of Ras Kutani. We are just getting ready to leave for Ras and we will be spending the entire day there. Although the lodge is closed for the rainy season we shall be able to get a very good impression of it and we are looking forward to spotting the odd Black & White Colubus !!
More later !

Follow

2010-04-10T04:02:00.001-07:00

Samburu Peace

2010-04-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

Male Mara Waterbuck

2010-04-01T12:00:00.001-07:00

Amboseli Pan

2010-03-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

Mara Wildebeest

2010-03-26T06:28:00.001-07:00

Amboseli Egret

2010-03-23T04:18:00.001-07:00

Two Giants

2010-03-22T14:19:00.001-07:00

Samburu Child

2010-03-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Masai Singers

2010-03-15T04:15:00.001-07:00

The End !

2010-03-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

Today is the last of three terrific weeks of long journeys, amazing landscapes, beautiful creatures and wonderful people. If the truth is told we are pretty exhausted but it's a kind of 'good' exhausted. Eventually the early mornings in the bush catch up with you and the adrenalin rush you experience in the first week or so wears off. Sleep that seemed so unimportant at first now is becoming top of the list.

We hope that before not too long we will be back in this beloved continent and we will be able to continue this commentary but for now we are on our last sundowner. We would like to thank all those amazing people who have looked after us, who have shared our thrills and helped us so much along the road. Special thanks go to Eliza and James in Moshi and to the Samburu and Masai villagers who welcomed us so warmly into their bomas and their homes. Also special thanks go to our drivers and guides who took such great care of us.

The last image perhaps is not the prettiest but it sums up the constant struggle for survival...the balance between life and death and the rawness of a great continent. Thanks for following. Love and good wishes to everyone. Janet & Stephen

Samburu Floods

2010-03-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Only ten days after our visit to Samburu yesterday we learnt of the devastating flash floods that have occurred there in the last two days. No less than 7 lodges were washed away and many had to be rescued from the tops of trees by both the Kenyan and British Army. The river which is normally no more than a few inches deep rose an incredible 25 feet !

If you look at the elephant picture in the blog below you will see the valley. Imagine 25 feet of water above that ! it must be devastation up there now. The image above is the river at its normal level with a Samburu warrior crossing it. Sasaab is now full of refugees. Poor people

The Masai

2010-03-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

We are back in Nairobi at a lovely new swanky hotel called Tribe. As I speak there is a full on Hindu wedding happening with the usual cast of thousands and chiffon in abundance !

Our last day yesterday in the bush at Tortilis was outstanding and a fitting way to celebrate my mother's 89th birthday. Janet and I were taken to a Masai 'manyata' (village) close to the camp and it was a truly wonderful experience. As cultural visits are not on the usual itinerary at Amboseli we knew we were in for the real thing as we organised it as a personal favour. We were welcomed by the entire village who came out in procession to greet us singing as they came.

We were then treated to the 'jumping ceremony' that the Masai are so famous for. It was an experience we shall never forget. We then formed a circle (about 40 people) and took part in a tribal prayer to Ngai (god). The elders and warriors then took us into the circular village and carefully explained to us about their medicine, their voting system and how to make fire. After this we were taken in to a mud hut and were shown all the traditional parts of the dwelling which is made from sticks and dried cow dung. No ! There was no smell !

Then we couldn't believe our eyes as we then went back to the tree where we had prayed with them (yes yes I'm an atheist !) and saw that whilst in the boma the ladies had laid out no less than around 50 'stalls' of all their beaded work. It was incredible. We felt quite mean buying only 3 bracelets.

We then were escorted to a special 'good-bye song' back to the jeep and proceeded to take a single warrior for a photo shoot one result of which you now see above. More later.

The Curse of the Killer Duck

2010-03-06T05:28:00.001-08:00

The Curse of the Killer Duck

2010-03-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

*** We have had tremendous problems uploading since the weekend, especially the images. We are now in Amboseli. The blog below was written last Tuesday. ........more later !

Sadly today is our final day with Eliza and James on the coffee plantation and we enter our final phase of our journey. Tomorrow we spend the day in Arusha which should include one meeting and then early Wednesday morning we head for the border and Namanga once again and on to Amboseli.

Janet and I have just got back from a lovely afternoon walk with the dogs, Doof, Bear and Bob ! We walked up the slope towards the mountain across the top of the coffee and down the edge of a banana plantation that occasionally opened up to reveal a sweet little house, often with a mama tending a garden. Towering Acacia trees provided shade and a natural roof. This morning we had a twenty minute shower and earlier Kilimanjaro revealed itself to have had quite a lot of extra snow overnight.

In addition to the dogs James has copious amounts of chickens, turkeys and ducks. Eliza on the other hand has one pet duck, Donald ! I use the word 'pet' in its loosest terms ! This duck is a savage beast and has plagued me since we got here. Its mission in life is to mercilessly badger and hector every strange male that enters its territory. It has been known to take great lumps out of mens legs including James' father ! What chance then for me? Almost hourly he has been shown the red card and been banished to his reinforced cage surrounded by thick iron bars, razor wire and ten foot electric fences. An army of security men secure the perimeter. Killer whales are one thing but nothing compares to Donald the Killer Duck !

Vereaux's Eagle Owl

2010-02-28T04:12:00.000-08:00

This morning a great event happened on the lower slopes of the mountain. It was the Kilimanjaro Marathon, a race that attracts some top Kenyan runners and hundreds and hundreds of enthusiasts. So we were up bright and early thanks to James' cockerel who is in serious danger of ending up in the pot !

The runners passed the end of the coffee plantation road and Eliza, Janet, Smash, Mr T and myself were there to give suitable encouragement to all and sundry including Eliza's boss who was running in full Elvis regalia plus wig! Luckily for the participants there was full cloud cover so the temperature was manageable but as I sit here now the sun is fully out.

Tonight we are looking forward to a full moon which will hopefully illuminate the snow on top of Kili and I will attempt to capture it. To keep you informed of our onward journey we will now make our way back to Namanga on Wednesday morning where we will be picked up by the guys at Tortilis Camp and we shall make our way back on the northern side of Kili to Amboseli. Some of the largest tusker elephants in Africa await us.

Today's photo has little to do with the above. It was taken in the Samburu last week and I simply like it ! Notice if you can his pink eyelids.

Eliza's Mountain

2010-02-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

Eliza's Mountain

2010-02-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Firstly apologies for being out of touch for 24 hrs but it was mainly due to a long and bumpy ride from Nairobi in a rickety bus to Arusha in Tanzania. We arrived late yesterday afternoon and we were met by our friend Eliza, who with James, live on the most wonderful coffee plantation very close to Moshi on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro.

After more than a week of pretty tiring traveling up and down the length of Kenya today was the first time we were able to relax completely. Eliza and James are blessed with the most wonderful cook. His name? Why Mr. Cook of course !!! His ever smiling round face is a joy and he has looked after us so well today with a lovely breakfast including fried bananas and a lunch of carbonara and a plate of gorgeous salads.

In the late afternoon James, who manages the very large (650 hectares) plantation took Janet and I on a fascinating tour of the farm and the processing plant. At harvest they have no less than 5000 pickers. He explained the process with such passion and it opened up another world for us both.

Kilimanjaro, Eliza's mountain, is at the bottom of their sunbird filled garden. Not a bad conversation piece. Heavenly !!
(having trouble uploading the image again....will try later)

The Elephant Bride

2010-02-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

In Samburu legend, elephants were once humans, until one day a nervous young bride disobeyed her father.

As the young bride prepared to leave the family home with her groom, her father gave her strict instructions that she must not look back after she had left the boma. However she felt very sad as she followed her husband away and she couldn't resist taking one last look at her childhood home. That night in her new home strange things started to happen.

Ngai (God) was very angry that the young bride had disobeyed her father and decided to punish her. She started to swell and grow until she burst out of the roof of her hut, turning into a great grey elephant. The Samburu believe that all elephants are descended from the first elephant girl, and that the Samburu and elephants are blood relatives.

It is believed that when elephants find the graves of dead humans they place grass upon the graves. Likewise, when the Samburu pass an elephant skull they pick some green grass, spit on it and place it inside the skull. The green grass is a symbol of peace and the spit a symbol of rain and the two together are a great blessing.

Breakfast at Giraffe Manor !

2010-02-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

Today is our final day in Nairobi as tomorrow we travel down by shuttle bus due south past Kilimanjaro and cross into Tanzania via the Namanga crossing. Our destination will be Arusha where our good friend Eliza will collect us. We shall stay with her and James on their extensive coffee plantation which James manages for the owners. It will be interesting to compare the two countries.

Things here are not going quite as straightforwardly as we had hoped however we are still having a great time despite Janet's pretty serious chest infection. We have another interview today with Cheli & Peacock (chelipeacock.com) at Wilson Airport so we are looking forward to that. Our next report will be from Tanzania.

Samburu Woman & Goatherd

2010-02-22T07:09:00.003-08:00

This morning at 06.30 we left, somewhat reluctantly, the tranquility and awe inspiring landscape of Sasaab and Samburu. Our stay at Sasaab was made so pleasant for us by Marianne and Rudi and Marianne's lovely daughter, they were the perfect hosts and we will miss them. The staff were terrific and a special thanks must be made to Matthew and Onesmus our lovely Samburu guides whose knowledge and friendship made things there so memorable.

Yesterday morning Matthew (his baptised name) took us to a 'manyata', a tribal village, close to the lodge. He carefully and sympathetically described his culture as we sat inside one of the houses as two little ones sat on Marianne's knee. There is too much to describe at length here but it must be said that these people are extraordinary, a unique culture not untouched by progress and a modern world but remaining true to their way of life which is largely intact and as it has been for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.

The impression that it left on us both has been significant. It is a magical land with magical people.

This is my land. I know the shade of every tree

2010-02-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

Onesmus a Samburu warrior and myself stood alone together this morning on top of a tall rocky outcrop. We were silent for a while and then out of the quiet came those words as if quoting from a famous text. They were however spontaneous, his own feelings expressed in words. The dress he is wearing is worm by all Samburu every single day. They wear it for themselves, not for us. This is Onesmus' land. He knows the shade of every tree.

Desert Rose

2010-02-21T01:00:00.000-08:00

Half a Degree North

2010-02-20T00:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we drove 7 hours north of Nairobi past and over the foothills of Mount Kenya to reach the arid desert area of Samburu. The Samburu is so reminiscent of Namibia and the Karoo of South Africa and our love of deserts has not been diminished by our arrival here.

However !!! There was one minor mishap !!! The lodge at Sasaab in the middle of the desert is perched upon a rocky outcrop above a wonderful intermittent river. With quite a lot of water in the river from the previous nights storm Dorango tried to cross the river in the Toyota with soggy consequences ! Trying to change gear in low ratio in mid-stream we came to a halt only for the tyres to dig in and we came to a shameful stop. We had to wade the rest....while Rudi and the boys dug it out and made a log pathway ! That's Africa !

Sasaab !!!!!!! How can I possibly describe it....it is almost impossible. Unbelievable, stunning, incredible, wow ! And that is only for starters. What a place. What a location. What luxury and imagination. In our next blog we will try to show you exactly what it is like but we are having difficulties uploading photos as we have no software with us to make images smaller. So my beautiful desert rose shot will be uploaded straight after this, hopefully with success. So from half a degree north of the equator in 40 degrees centigrade we will say hello again later.

Yes we are alive !

2010-02-18T07:29:00.000-08:00

You may have wondered where we had got to. Well we are alive and back in Nairobi after two wonderful nights in the Masai Mara !

Our itinerary changed slightly and after landing and a speedy lunch at Giraffe Manor we were whisked off by our splendid driver Dorango and drove for five hours down to the Mara. Everything is going wonderfully especially after a full day of game driving yesterday.It was a day when we were fortunate enough to see all three of the big cats within an hour of each other. A pair of cheetah (above) first quickly followed by a lazy and tranquil leopard sleeping off the heat of the day high in a tree ! If that wasn't enough we came across a pride of five lion shading from the midday heat.

Sala Camp was everything we expected and much more as we were sung to sleep by all the night sounds of the bush.

Tomorrow (Friday) we leave for Samburu and we shall have more time to fill in the gaps and almost certainly add a lot more !

Welcome to our journey

2010-02-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

The 15th February 2010 sees our return to Africa and we will step back on to the continent that means so much to us and that has been such a big part of our lives. Whether or not it becomes our home again depends on this trip and we hope you will enjoy the journey with us.

We will post a journal and at least one image every day possible given the constraints of traveling, the wilderness and the accessibility to the net.

We start our journey in Nairobi on 16th when we are met by Tamimiea.com and spend our first night in Kenya at the rather splendid Giraffe Manor. Well it beats guard dogs !!! From there we travel down to the Masai Mara in the far south west with Tamimi and spend a few days meeting the staff which we are very excited about. Because of the rains the camp in the Mara closes for a few weeks whilst we are there. From Sala Camp we travel back northwards via Lake Naivasha and from there back to Nairobi.

Onwards and further north passing between the Aberdares to the west and Mount Kenya to the east we visit Solio....a place that we have a very particular interest in !! Further and further into the north and the wilderness where eventually we reach the wonderful Sasaab Lodge. We are looking forward to this enormously and to meeting the team there who live in the magical area of Samburu. This will be a very special place we are certain.

Traveling back to Nairobi and Giraffe Manor on 23rd Feb we will have completed a significant week in our lives and we are sure there will be memories galore. As if that is not enough we then begin our journey to see our friends, Eliza and Rob on their coffee plantation on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania.

Travel with us ! It will be fun ! Janet and Stephen