Our first stop was at an orphanage for abused, neglected and abandoned children. A French woman had started the orphanage a few years ago, but died unexpectedly less than a year ago. A local woman took over for her boss and now cares for 34 children and as well as several outreach programs to prevent abandonment and reunite families, where plausible. The tour operator is one of the main and only supporters of the charity (the government gives them nothing). (see photos)
Caprice got stuck in the mud along the road, which caused a delay of several hours. When the crew started having a mud fight, we all figured it was time to call for help. Eventually we were rescued by a local bulldozer which was employed nearby fixing some roads. Time (and Caprice) marched on.
Our campground for the night was gorgeous. There were bourgainvilla and jasmine-scented gardens, pool and bar/patio overlooking it all. After a hot buffet, and the local beer, I was able to upgrade, for $12, to a room with bed and my own toilet and shower – what luxury. I had my first really good (and dry) night’s sleep since arriving in Nairobi.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
IN THE BEGINNING . . .
We met “Caprice” this morning. She’s a cross between an APC (armored personnel carrier), jeep and an Amtrak car. High off the ground with giant tires and big windows, she’s a 25+ seater, some of which are opposing and separated by a table – very convenient for playing cards or resting coffee mugs. Overhead bins hold rolls of toilet paper, sleeping bags and hiking boots. Her interior belly houses the cooking supplies and food stock as well as tents, camping chairs and of course, luggage for 23 people. Caprice was to be my home for the next 39 days.
Before “lift off” we got trained in the maintenance of cleanliness, - of the highest priority. A spray bottle containing water and a Lysol-type disinfectant is kept at the entrance to Caprice at all times. We were NEVER to board the truck without first spraying our hands with the solution. Washing dishes was an elaborate ritual: 5 large wash basins were always to be set up on camp stools: the first two were for hand washing (to be done prior to every meal and then again prior to dish washing). First wash hands with soap, then rinse in a Lysol/water solution. Dirty dishes then get scrubbed in soapy water, dipped in the water/Lysol solution to rinse and then dipped again in hot water. The final act was “flapping.” The dishes had to be fully dried by flapping them in the air before returning them to their proper place. A towel was NOT to be used for drying – too much bacteria may be lurking there. If the dishes were not fully dried before storing, germs of every sort, known and unknown to the western world, might creep into the containers holding the equipment and our food could be contaminated by the next meal.
After several more instructions relating to emergencies, animals and mosquito protection we were finally off - heading west toward the Ugandan border at a fairly good clip, ipods rotating on the speaker system. The color of the soil and mud is alien and beautiful . Bright rust, blood orange and red gold mixed with pale yellow and just a hint of mocha . The colors creep into the trunks of the mostly acacia trees running through the Great Rift Valley through which we are traveling. Orange tree bases turn a paler shade of mustard as the trunk makes its way up to the green leaves.
We visited our first game park mid-afternoon. Lake Nakulu is home to tens of thousands of pink flamingos as well as zebras, giraffes, some (very horny) impalas and scores of other wild life (see photos). Black and white rhinos roamed about. Baboons tried to invade our kitchen when dinner was being prepared, but were quickly chased away by shouts of “get lost!” followed by the clanging of dishes.
My worst nightmare materialized our first night on the trail: it rained while we camped. Although I had to pee really badly at around 3 am, there was no way I was going outside, among the wandering wildlife, in the rain. Better to hold it and not sleep. The morning air was dry, but the ground was sopping wet. How many more days to go???
Before “lift off” we got trained in the maintenance of cleanliness, - of the highest priority. A spray bottle containing water and a Lysol-type disinfectant is kept at the entrance to Caprice at all times. We were NEVER to board the truck without first spraying our hands with the solution. Washing dishes was an elaborate ritual: 5 large wash basins were always to be set up on camp stools: the first two were for hand washing (to be done prior to every meal and then again prior to dish washing). First wash hands with soap, then rinse in a Lysol/water solution. Dirty dishes then get scrubbed in soapy water, dipped in the water/Lysol solution to rinse and then dipped again in hot water. The final act was “flapping.” The dishes had to be fully dried by flapping them in the air before returning them to their proper place. A towel was NOT to be used for drying – too much bacteria may be lurking there. If the dishes were not fully dried before storing, germs of every sort, known and unknown to the western world, might creep into the containers holding the equipment and our food could be contaminated by the next meal.
After several more instructions relating to emergencies, animals and mosquito protection we were finally off - heading west toward the Ugandan border at a fairly good clip, ipods rotating on the speaker system. The color of the soil and mud is alien and beautiful . Bright rust, blood orange and red gold mixed with pale yellow and just a hint of mocha . The colors creep into the trunks of the mostly acacia trees running through the Great Rift Valley through which we are traveling. Orange tree bases turn a paler shade of mustard as the trunk makes its way up to the green leaves.
We visited our first game park mid-afternoon. Lake Nakulu is home to tens of thousands of pink flamingos as well as zebras, giraffes, some (very horny) impalas and scores of other wild life (see photos). Black and white rhinos roamed about. Baboons tried to invade our kitchen when dinner was being prepared, but were quickly chased away by shouts of “get lost!” followed by the clanging of dishes.
My worst nightmare materialized our first night on the trail: it rained while we camped. Although I had to pee really badly at around 3 am, there was no way I was going outside, among the wandering wildlife, in the rain. Better to hold it and not sleep. The morning air was dry, but the ground was sopping wet. How many more days to go???
Friday, February 26, 2010
DAY ???
Its now one week since I've arrived in Africa and each day brings unique adventures. I only have 10 minutes on the internet and so cannot even begin to describe what has happened until now. Know that the stories range from lions and tigers (but not bears) to pygmies and gorgeous foggy vistas of Uganda, the Congo and beyond. In about 5 days I will have (almost) unlimited time on the net and will be able to write in detail about my life for the past week and will post some photos.
Am healthy and happy
Miss you all
Am healthy and happy
Miss you all
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