Jambo!
It has been ages, I know. Internet access in Africa is tres slow. So much to catch up on...
Delhi was short but sweet. Met some great people and saw some sights. Really noticed the poverty and the people with deformities who used it to beg for money. Seemed more prevalent than in Calcutta.
Then it was on to Kenya. I just spent one day in Nairobi and then I did a 3 day safari in Masai Mara. It was incredible! We saw tons of elephants, lions, jackals, buffalo, warthogs, impala, hippos, crocs, many different birds... We did 4 game drives in the three days and the second day we drove all the way to Tanzania! Our safari van had a roof that opened up so we were really right next to the animals with nothing to block the view. The highlight was the three lions sleeping next to a buffalo carcass (the morning's kill) while 6 jackals alternately ripped it apart and watched for the lions to wake up. We also got to see lion mothers and cubs. The first night our guides took us into the Masai Mara village to hang out with the locals and listen to Kenyan music. It was definitely a highlight as well.
After the Mara I went to Lake Naivasha for a few days. The plan was to bike through the park (the only one in Kenya you can go into without a guide and vehicle) but I rode right past the turnoff and didn't realize my mistake for 15km. By the time I got back to the park I was exhausted and decided to pass. But I still saw giraffe, zebra, and impala on my ride near the park! The Lake was a great place to relax and the camp I stayed at had a social restaurant where I met other travelers and watched monkeys frolic.
Next stop was the coast. After 24 hours of buses and matatus (shared vans) and a boat, I arrived on the very chill island of Lamu on Kenya's NE coast. I planned to spend 2 dys there and work my way down to Mombasa, but I liked it so much I stayed for 5. The first night I went to the home of a local chef, Chef Alli Hippie, who supposedly once cooked for the Rolling Stones when they were in Kenya. The meal was by far the best I've had in Africa. Seafood fritters, fresh chapati and sauce, coconut rice, fish, and lobster. Plus a desert, juice and live entertainment from Alli's family after the meal. I met some other travelers at dinner including Paul from England who became my Lamu partner in crime. The next day we went to the beach and checked out the little town of Shela (where I accidentaly ordered entrails for lunch- ICK). Later we met some local guys who took us to a nearby local village to taste palm wine. I got a little oversunned that day so I spent the next couple of days doing a lot of reading and going to the local musuems. I also learned to play Bao which involves a wooden board and stones. Finally I felt it was time to move on and headed to Mombasa.
I didn't love Mombasa so I spent an afternoon on Diani beach which is about 45 minutes south (if I go back, I'll stay there instead- great place!). Then I headed to Tanzania! Yesterday I stopped over in a little coastal town called Tanga and today I came to Dar. Just arrived here so not much to report but Zanzibar is just off the coast so time to blow the budget again and check it out (I mean it is Zanzibar...). Oh but NB on my last post, Kara had to cancel in the end so I opted not to do Kilimanjaro. It'll have to stay on the list for now.
More soon!
It has been ages, I know. Internet access in Africa is tres slow. So much to catch up on...
Delhi was short but sweet. Met some great people and saw some sights. Really noticed the poverty and the people with deformities who used it to beg for money. Seemed more prevalent than in Calcutta.
Then it was on to Kenya. I just spent one day in Nairobi and then I did a 3 day safari in Masai Mara. It was incredible! We saw tons of elephants, lions, jackals, buffalo, warthogs, impala, hippos, crocs, many different birds... We did 4 game drives in the three days and the second day we drove all the way to Tanzania! Our safari van had a roof that opened up so we were really right next to the animals with nothing to block the view. The highlight was the three lions sleeping next to a buffalo carcass (the morning's kill) while 6 jackals alternately ripped it apart and watched for the lions to wake up. We also got to see lion mothers and cubs. The first night our guides took us into the Masai Mara village to hang out with the locals and listen to Kenyan music. It was definitely a highlight as well.
After the Mara I went to Lake Naivasha for a few days. The plan was to bike through the park (the only one in Kenya you can go into without a guide and vehicle) but I rode right past the turnoff and didn't realize my mistake for 15km. By the time I got back to the park I was exhausted and decided to pass. But I still saw giraffe, zebra, and impala on my ride near the park! The Lake was a great place to relax and the camp I stayed at had a social restaurant where I met other travelers and watched monkeys frolic.
Next stop was the coast. After 24 hours of buses and matatus (shared vans) and a boat, I arrived on the very chill island of Lamu on Kenya's NE coast. I planned to spend 2 dys there and work my way down to Mombasa, but I liked it so much I stayed for 5. The first night I went to the home of a local chef, Chef Alli Hippie, who supposedly once cooked for the Rolling Stones when they were in Kenya. The meal was by far the best I've had in Africa. Seafood fritters, fresh chapati and sauce, coconut rice, fish, and lobster. Plus a desert, juice and live entertainment from Alli's family after the meal. I met some other travelers at dinner including Paul from England who became my Lamu partner in crime. The next day we went to the beach and checked out the little town of Shela (where I accidentaly ordered entrails for lunch- ICK). Later we met some local guys who took us to a nearby local village to taste palm wine. I got a little oversunned that day so I spent the next couple of days doing a lot of reading and going to the local musuems. I also learned to play Bao which involves a wooden board and stones. Finally I felt it was time to move on and headed to Mombasa.
I didn't love Mombasa so I spent an afternoon on Diani beach which is about 45 minutes south (if I go back, I'll stay there instead- great place!). Then I headed to Tanzania! Yesterday I stopped over in a little coastal town called Tanga and today I came to Dar. Just arrived here so not much to report but Zanzibar is just off the coast so time to blow the budget again and check it out (I mean it is Zanzibar...). Oh but NB on my last post, Kara had to cancel in the end so I opted not to do Kilimanjaro. It'll have to stay on the list for now.
More soon!
1 comment:
Hi Stacy,
Your travelogue is so great, I think you should consider editing it when you return to the U.S. and publishing it. Reading a new posting is a highlight of my day!
Lots of love and enjoy Africa.
Audrey
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