A few days “home” in Majaoni

Monday-Friday 25-29/11/2024

The bus ride down to Mombasa was uneventful until we reached Mariakani and the driver tried to pass a queue on the grass which turned out to be slippery mud. For an hour people tried to get the tyres to grip, until eventually an articulated truck was persuaded to drag us free!

So we arrived late in Mombasa, and took an Uber home (as expensive as the bus fare!) where I caught up with Maggy and Susan and various other friends / family.

Susan and I took a walk to the point above the creek where for years there’s been a part-finished bar. But the project has been resumed and the place is looking smart, almost ready to open.

Susan got me to help her with the jigsaw puzzles I brought here – her first (even Maggy’s never done one)

We had a chapati party with mama Cheruto

There’s a project to make fish tanks along the creek, so they’ve been improving the road. Many of the roads are wider and smoother, but some are just a work in progress.

Another work in progress, John and Beryl have been beautifying the compound.

Beryl’s little garden within the compound – she’s the mastermind!

The kids (and their mums) love chicken and chips – this at Wendy’s above the creek. Here we met the local chief, who took a beer with us.

An outing to Chalet’s Beach. Someone though it was a good idea to leave me in charge of the children in the water

The girls enjoyed a camel ride.

All too soon it was time to travel to Malindi for our next instalment. I chose to go by 8-seater matatu, but it broke down halfway at Kilifi and we had to squeeze into another vehicle, arriving after dark despite my best efforts. But the welcome was warm and the trials of the day soon forgotten.

Nairobi and Excursions

Friday 22/11/2024 – Nairobi (peke yangu)

One last run in Naivasha with the ever-changing view over the lake.

After breakfast we had a leisurely drive back to Nairobi, and a not-quite-so-leisurely time trying to get to a hotel on top of a shopping centre next to the biggest mosque in East Africa late on a Friday morning. But we made it, dropped off the car (and got a refund for the tyre). I managed to find a camera repair shop to sort out my camera that had jammed on the boat back from Crescent Island, then went for a mooch around Nairobi city centre.

My first stop, after lunch, was the Jamia Mosque next to my hotel. Rather than just wandering in (as I think I could have done) I asked if I could enter which led (after a bit of a wait) to a guided tour by the director. The old part of the mosque was started in 1925 (so a centenary is coming soon!) and designed by a Scottish architect based on buildings from the Mughal Empire but with “modern” twists.

The mosque was extended in 1998 adding this impressive exterior…

The extension extends around this covered courtyard, admitting light to the huge prayer area. It really is an impressive building, but much more – a place of prayer and a community centre

After the mosque I explored more of the CBD of Nairobi – places I visited when I was working here over 15 years ago – including the Holy Family Basilica.

The baptistery is new since I was last here; simple but stunning stained glass.

I was also taken by this cross

Saturday 23/11/2024 – Aberdare National Park with Coach Steve

An early start today – meeting at 04:45 for a 05:00 prompt departure – so I had an early Uber pickup, and of course everyone else was on African time. A long bus ride followed, heading back towards Naivasha before turning north, before eventually stopping for breakfast at a place called Engineer, then up into the Aberdare National Park.

The bus took us further into the park, then we hiked (mostly on a road-like track) towards Karuru Falls. The countryside was impressive.

The first step of the falls.

It was difficult to capture all 3 steps – this was my best attempt.

Some pretty flowers

We then hiked back to the bus and set off towards Chania Falls. However, the state of the road was not in our favour .This couple got their road car through eventually, but it was determined that our bus would not make it (specifically would not make it back up the slope).

After considerable African-style discussion and negotiation, a solution was found where we all squeezed into a Land Cruiser pick-up – 3 of us on the front passenger seat and about 14 in the back!

Not the most comfortable ride, but it got us where we wanted to be

Where we wanted to be was Chania Falls – accessed by a short hike down to the river viewing point. Meld and I came here in November 2013!

The falls

Our team admiring / photographing the falls (and themselves!)

Some found the water too tempting!

More flowers

Happy hikers

After spending quite a while admiring the falls we returned to the pickup, then to the bus, then back out of the park to a hotel for a late lunch, then back into Nairobi. It was a pleasant outing, though not as much hiking as I’d anticipated, and the premium park entrance fee made it a pricey one. But it was good to catch up with Steve and meet some new people.

Sunday 24/11/2024 – Mount Longonot with Dr Faith

My friend Faith (who climbed Kilimanjaro with us) arrived early and picked me up from the hotel. It was too early for breakfast at the hotel, so we stopped near Limuru – mandazi, arrowroots, eggs and chai!

We were reasonably early at Mount Longonot, ready to hike.

We saw a few animals on the ascent, but not very close.

Since I was last here (2008) they’ve concrete part of the path to combat erosion. It makes it easier going, but not quite as “wild”.

You can see why

We reached the point where the path joins the rim, everyone wanting a photo

The view into the crater is amazing

The view towards Lake Naivasha (dehazed)

The rim is by no means flat!

At the summit – the highest point on the rim

We managed to become part of a much larger group here!

My team! Once we got on the second half of the rim we mostly ran, as we did for most of the descent too!

Watering one of the trees that Faith and her friends had planted recently

After Longonot Faith decided we should visit the geothermal spa which you could virtually see from the rim. However, it proved a long drive, and would have required paying park admission again, so we headed back. We stopped at Elsamere (home of George and Joy Adamson of Born Free fame) – a lovely spot that I’d like to visit properly when I come back again.

Then the drive back to Nairobi (with a late lunch at Mai Mahiu)

After a long day – beer, football and nyama choma at Quiver.

After a couple of beers we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage then to get the night bus to Mombasa – the start of the next chapter!

Back in Kenya – Naivasha

Taking advantage of retirement, I’ve come back to Kenya for a few weeks, with a couple of “core events” around which to frame my visit. As well as visiting as many of my many friends here as possible, I’m trying to take in some new places and revisit some places I visited a while back.

Tuesday 19/11/2024

Having flown into JKIA from Heathrow via Cairo (worried about a short connection in Cairo, but needn’t have done) there was the usual drag queuing through immigration and customs.

I had a short overnight (5am-9am) before sorting out some business, picking up a hire car and a travelling companion, and driving out to Naivasha. The road has improved since I last drove it in 2013! We had the mandatory stop at the top of the Great Rift Valley escarpment – views out to Mount Longonot and sheep skins drying in the sun.

Having reached our accommodation (“Guesthouse Jane” is slightly rundown but the people are really friendly and my concerns have allayed) the afternoon consisted of rest, a short run (good views over the lake), and supper in the hotel’s restaurant.

Wednesday 20/11/2024

Our plan was to visit Hell’s Gate National Park, one of the few where you can get out of the vehicle and walk about. But first we had to get a puncture fixed on the car, then we picked up a guide (Sophie), and started our safari. We had some good sightings of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo, water buck, rock hyrax, antelope and gazelle (Thomsons and Grants) etc as well as being introduced to the scenery. Photos of these below.

Zebra Crossing

Wildebeest

Rock Hyrax

Grant’s Gazelle

Wart Hogs

Baboon Family

Cliffs of metamorphic rock – the pale but is a recent rock fall

Fischers Tower, a volcanic “plug”

Jumping in front of the rock made famous in the Lion King movie.

We couldn’t escape being dressed up as Maasai – then the hard sell of memorabilia

But, in the middle of the park, the “repaired” tyre failed catastrophically, and we discovered the hire car had no spare. Sophie, our guide, was great in mobilising other guides to come with a spare off another vehicle so that we could get to the gorge for the mandatory hike, but then we had to take our wheel to a jua kali puncture repair, who managed to get it to stay airtight enough to return to town, give back the borrowed wheel, Then back to Naivasha to try to acquire a new tyre at a price the hire firm would pay. A long a stressful day, but part of the adventure of life in Kenya!

KWS stopped to check on us

Thursday 21/11/2024

After the trauma of yesterday’s tyre issues, we were hoping for a smoother day today! I ran early and was rewarded with a lovely view over the lake

We met guide Sophie at Sanctuary Farm whence we were to get a boat to Crescent Island. Soon we were kitted out heading for the boat. The water has risen in recent years, so the dead trees stand with their feet in water.

Little Egret with a fish it just caught

Heron

Hippo

Cormorants

Nesting Cormorants

Water Buck

Water Buck – you can tell the age by the rings on the horns