26/27 OCTOBER 2011

KENYA – Country number 23 – KENYA

NAKURU

Crossing at the Malaba border, the bodas here are bicycles that are used to travel the distance between Uganda and Kenya’s border posts – gee those blokes really earn every cent because its hard work when you get a mzungu like me who is no lightweight, let alone the pack I am carrying too. After clearing Kenya’s immigration easily (and quizzing them about a multiple entry – no go). The first thing I notice around here are the Kenyan police who carry a swagger stick – a colonial remnant perhaps?

A panga is a BIG knife, not unlike a machete

I get matatu (minibus) transport to Eldoret where we arrive at a very chaotic bus station. Thankfully I am offered to change to an ‘express’ to Nakuru, my destination today.  Only thing is I have to pay for all the way to Nairobi but as Kenya’s shilling is also being devalued as I type – 3 months ago 38 shillings = $1. Today a dollar buys me 98 Kenyan shillings. So the difference is $1 which is minimal and within a couple of hours I get dropped right in Nakuru, just in time for a massive short rain to hit town.  From the map I know where I’m headed but the rain is so dispiriting – I stop at one corner and some nice blokes ask me what I’m looking for – a guest house. Here is Ksh500 and there is Ksh250 they tell me – I head over to the Care Guest House on top of Ribbons restaurant. Their Ksh500 room is great – self contained with hot water and soon I’m drying off then being fed well downstairs on a whole fish with good vegies for 150 shillings. When the rain clears I walk around town to check out other room options here in town but I quickly decide I’ve got a good deal. Even the guidebook’s fav recommendation is not even as good as what I already have for half the price! There are quite a few street children begging here and with the rain falling again they are particularly pathetic on these puddled streets.

Boda Bodas waiting for a ride

Kuku is swahili for chicken

Morning brings a sunny day and I start the rounds of travel agencies to find out how I can get on a safari to the Masai Mara. First up is Pega Tours who want Ksh 36,000 for 2 nights/3 days and they are very reluctant to let me out to compare prices elsewhere. Next I try Crater Travel, who offer the same thing but for Ksh 28,000 but staying at a lodge near the Sekenani Gate. Last up I try Spoonbill, who undercut Crater but are staying at the same gate as Pega. I decide to go with Crater because their lodge at the Sekanani gate so is sited closer to the centre of the park, the Information centre and less time will be spent travelling into the park. When I go back to Pega to tell them, they are happy to undercut Spoonbill, but I assure them my decision is based on the lodge gate. I try the ATMs for cash but they are only giving out a maximum of Ksh20,000 and because my bank charges for every withdrawal, I would prefer to make a larger withdrawal in one go to avoid paying more of their charges. Eventually one bank admits to allowing larger withdrawals ‘upstairs’ where it takes 30 minutes to get Ksh70,000 in one transaction.

This loads me up with cash so I can return to Crater travel to pay for tomorrow’s safari and I spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing, exploring town and admiring beaded sandals. I quite like Nakuru and will use it as a base for further travel afield when I return from safari next week. For now though I start researching the lakes nearby – Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria as both are reputed to have flamingos. Car and driver price quotes are astronomical as I am on my own with no one to share the costs so I forget it for a few days and look forward to checking out animals over the weekend instead.

FACT: Two women are in custody after refusing health workers from immunising their children with an oral polio vaccine. Apparently the priest at the church, who is also a secondary school teacher, chased the immunisation team away because they only believe in God for healing. “We do not believe in medication. We seek spiritual intervention when we become sick,” said the priest.

I reckon they ought to have jailed the priest and not the ignorant women..