A different pace

Then...a slower pace; morning runs on the beach, dips to cool you down, Italian gelato, fresh fish and card games in the evening. I also read – an old habit I forgot and remembered again.

Everything tastes different with salt in the air. Your routine changes, quickly becoming a local and finding shade for the heat of the day (between the hours of 8am and 5pm!) and sleeping before the creatures of the night come out.

Matt and the Frenchman found life too quiet and made excitement of their own; falling off motorbikes and getting pulled over by the fashion police.  I thought I should check out the state of the local clinic, so got bitten (by a dog-it was not from our visit to the snake park!) and got stitches in my leg.

Life would be dull if you were on holiday all the time, right?

Surfing through Tsavo

The Surf had a lot to live up to... but now that she (yes-look at her decorative stripes-definitely a she!) turns right as well as left and got us to and from the coast, I can say that she is a pretty damn good car. Great for leading RAT (Robyn's African Tours-thanks Tania!)...even if she doesn't have a sunroof.

In Tsavo we searched for the man eaters that it is famous for-but didn't come across any; as Tsavo is roughly the same size as Wales there are quite a few hiding spots! Unlike some other parks in Kenya, we saw more game than we did safari cars so were able to turn off the engine, take long breathes and enjoy the near silent footsteps of the elephants march.

The recent rains meant the red dust of the roads had settled and the dramatic skies changed for our enjoyment hourly.

We camped where a pride of lions regularly roam (we knew they were close when the baboons starting barking and climbed  the tree on site)We parked our cars very close to the tent and kept the doors unlocked....just in case...! We feel asleep to the sounds of the African bush, like a lullaby rocking you gently....that is until you hear the humph-humphing of a nearby hippo.

After a bit of a fright by a baboon on the way to the bush toilet in the morning (I tried to be brave and held a bracelet up in a very threatening manner...!!!) we packed up camp and continued our journey.

The red soil turned into sand, more palm trees lined the route and the taste of the sea was already on our lips. Next stop, Watamu.

The road-trip returns

The road changed from smoky highways as we left Nairobi, to red dust and blue skies of Tsavo, to the sandy tracks and palm trees by the coast and back again. Over potholes, passing eles and impala and slow moving lorries. 'Never a dull moment', is putting it mildly.

We began our journey home yesterday and continued as the sun set and the banket of stars covered us, we drove over 900km and are now back in Nairobi planning next adventures and future escapes.

As the headlights caught the dusty striped bottoms of more zebra and our tired-drunk conversation in the cars turned to hysteria, we were waved on through our tenth police stop and drove through the city limits- that was last night/this morning. Now my mind is restless but my eyes are tired. I can't face doing much today and am glad that a wee injury gives me an excuse to rest for the day. I look forward to sorting my photos and telling my tales.

Notes from Nairobi-finding the perfect safari car

Most of the newbies at the 'w' place have now got wheels. It takes a while to sift through the cars on the boards at the Sarit centre. But fingers crossed, we have got cars that will last. Cars are really expensive here, more so than Uganda,but they are full of 'character'.

For example, (I haven't told this to my parents yet)-my Surf can only turn left. I didn't realise this when I took it for a test drive, (I also didn't realise it had no handbrake...!I think I was too excited about my built in cool box!) - so when we discussed going on a road trip to Watamu, everyone laughed in the staff room, apparently the drive there will not be a problem, but I would find it hard to come back!

My friend just bought his first car, a 1984 Range Rover that was a gap-student's project. It ha no windscreen wipers (it has rained ALOT in Nairobi recently...) so you may spot him leaning outside with his boxer shorts in hand ...he is designing a new contraption which involves a spring and some string! The dashboard is a Discovery's so doesn't fit the car; you have to open the door to wind down the windows etc. It also has no locks-at all, not even a place for them to be fitted. My friend loves it (as he is a born-again *KC..)...but the group decided that his 'Simba' wouldn't be so good for our road trip tomorrow.
 
(PS- my steering is getting fixed so that I can make my return journey!)


*Kenyan Cowboy

A mini Scottish safari

The car was a bit smaller, the roads smoother, the weather was wetter but the mini road trip in Scotland was just as fun as RUT in Uganda.

Speaking to (mostly drunk) locals, hiding from the rain in pubs and cafes (any excuse for another drink!) and eating far too much.My kind of break!

Look at that one!

One of the highlights of our road trip to Skye was seeing the Tattie Bogal Scarecrow Festival. All around the Minginish penisular, placed outide houses, in bustops, on benches and farm fences, were entries into the competition. Once we realised that vodooo did not exsist on the island, we got into the scarecrow spotting mission!

These are some we loved!

me and my new pal

Kerry is on the right!

the local Bobby

This was, by far, our favourite-as it was b****y windy!

And the winner of the competition was...

the old woman with her zimmer.

Aren't they so great? Some of the details were amazing. This could make me move to Skye!