Arriving in Nairobi last night was described in Day 15 Part 2, this morning, I’ve recovered my composure. Angry face is gone, a good breakfast beckons, but, but……., The Navigator is still concerned that Kenya Airways will come looking for me to fix the broken arm rest. I see no officials lurking in reception waiting to arrest me, I believe her concerns are unfounded, this not the first time this has happened, her concerns that Is!

Breakfast done, we meet Ken and mount our fairly new Landcruiser Troopy fitted out with 6 safari seats, lift able roof, driver seat and passenger seat. Bit squeezy for my titanium knees in the back. A switch to the front passenger seat fixes that problem.

A small correction is needed, yesterday I referred to Egyptian Ducks, they were in fact Egyptian Geese. I apologise to all Egyptian Geese for this error on my part, I know how much it hurts to be called duck when you’re really a goose.

The drive out of Nairobi is interesting, similar to poor south east Asian cities just different coloured faces.

Ken’s mother is from Lake Nakuru, his father died a while ago. Ken was raised there and he calls her every day.

The country is more open grassland than what we saw in South Africa, the seasons are different here compared to SA. Most rain around Nairobi is April & May and then November & December, all up about 800mm per year.

A short stop to get some Kenyan Shillings ($1AUD = 100 shillings) out if an ATM, then anothe short toilet break at a place where the Masai are selling tourist stuff. We then  turn off the highway (which goes to Mombassa) heading south towards the border with Tanzania and Mt Kiliminjaro to Amboseli National Park and our accomodation at Old Tukai Lodge. I’m talking to Ken, the others are sleeping. We enter the park and while Ken is sorting out our entrance about 4 Masai try hard to sell us some trinkets.

The Masai with their sticks, colourful garb and herds of cattle, sheep and goats abound in this area. They are striking looking people.

As we enter Amboseli we see birds, giraffe, zebra and heaps of elephants, and over behind a thick cloud sits Mt Kilamanjaro (at 5800 metres it stands out pretty well)

The lodge is staffed by locals, bright smiles, very helpful, tge place is rustic, but quite nice, the view is out to the plains with zebra’s, elephants, warthogs, gazelle, wilderbeast all grazing. An electric fence keeps them out, but not the monkeys and baboons. Locking doors and windows is mandatory, these little buggers can get into almost anything.

Lunch, a rest, then a game drive. We see masses of birds and animals, then word comes that a cheetah is near a road. We find it and a bit later it hunts a small beautiful Thompson’s Gazelle, we think it got it but it’s not clear. Then hippos, flamingos…..and it goes on.

Dinner is a feast, but it’s early to bed for a 6am rise and a game drive.

A great day

Ciao

Pauolo