Stu's Travels

September 26th, Kendwa Beach, Zanzibar Island

We left the Masaai Mara early in the morning to head back on the road to Nairobi. On the way we stopped in at a Massai village, which turned out to be a bit 'touristy', but pretty cool nonetheless.

We had planned to bush camp on the way back to nairobi, but instead we powered on through to reach Karen camp, where we had begun our trip three weeks ago.That night our tour leader, Mark left us to head back to Australia for a few weeks, so we had some farewell drinks with him and our new driver Eddie- a South african/Zimbo who's even more chilled out than me!

The next day everyone chose to catch up on life, and we then went out for dinner to a local restaurant for a farewell meal for a couple who have been with us since the start of the tour. Out of nowhere in turned into a massive party with everyone having a great time until the local white Kenyans kicked off with the British Army (Both think they still run the place) and we got caught in the crossfire!

The morning after the night before we said our goodbyes and headed off to Arusha in Northern Tanzania with three new group members. On the first night we stayed at a snake park- campasite and the following morning we took a camel ride tto another Masaai village, which turned out to be very bizarre! Some of the group went off into the Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater, while a few of us stayed and spent the days chilling out in the bar, playing crazy golf, and trying to stop our tents from getting washed away by torrential storms!

We then made the trip down to Dar es salaam, Tanzania's coastal capital, spending a night camped on the beach drinking potent slushies- which caused a sea-sicknesses epidemic on the Zanzibar ferry the next day! The ferry turned out to be an experience in itself, being more like a floating cattle truck than a ferry as we know it!

We arrived in Zanzibar Island's capital, Stone Town late in the day and spent the evening drifting along the seafront fish markets and chatting with the locals. The next day we did the famous 'Spice Tour' visiting a local spice farm and the prisons from where the slave trade began way back in the 15th century.

So now, here i am- sat in a hammock on a white sandy beach where the water is warm and blue and the beers are cold and cheap.

Are you jealous yet?

You should be- it's paradise.

14th September, Masaai Mara, Kenya

Arrival in Kenya means two things: more people and lots more wildlife! We have picked up a further 6 passengers, taking the total now to 15, which has changed what had become a very tight group.

After a painless border crossing from Uganda, we arrived in Eldoret and enjoyed a rowdy night in its stunning 'Cavern Bar' before moving on to a campsite on the outskirts of Nakuru game reserve where we were lucky enough to spot rhino, zebra, impala, thousands of flamingoes, and best of all aq young leopard stalking two waterbuck. This was all within the first hour, which certainly got our heartrates up after such an early start!

Then it was on to Navasha, where we camped on the shores of the hippo pools who often came ashore to graze alongside our campsite. WE spent a day on Lake Navasha, viewing hippo by boat and giraffe and zebra on foot. To finish the day we visited a local school and walked through a town which looked more like a rubbish dump.

And now we are here on the edge of the famous Masaai Mara- the game reserve with the highest concentration of game on the planet- during the wilderbeast migration. Our epic 11 hour game drive today was nothing short of spectacular. Aside from seeing 14 different lion in the day, there were plenty of buffalo, wilderbeast, warthog, thomson's gazelle and elephant, who were undoubtedly the highlight of the day. At one point the a mother and her young calf brushed past within a metre of the truck totally obliviuos to our prescence. The only slight disappointment in the day was that we didnt see any leopard or cheetah- but beggars cant be choosers I guess!

The first part of this tour is coming to an end now as we leave for Nairobi tomorrow, stopping off to visit a Masaai village and to drop our Masaai guide Samuel off. Then its Nairobi for two nights before we bid farewell to two close friends.

!! PS: Check out my photos at: http://sgilchriest.photosite.com/ or on Facebook

7th September, Sipi Falls, Uganda

We left Kampala early to our next stop, Jinja which sits at the source of the Nile by Lake Victoria. The campsite at Jinja is truly stunning- on the banks of the Nile with fantastic views and perhaps the best setting for a bar I have ever seen. In the evenings, we watched the sun set perfectly over the surging water with frosty beers- paradise on earth!

Some of the guys chose white-water rafting, but I'm hoping to still have enough money left by vic falls to do it there! We also volunteered for a day with a local community scheme called SoftPower. We helped them finish of building work on a community centre, education centre, and crafts building. We spent most of the day painting a pottery and playing with the local kids, leaving shattered but rewarded.

We are now in the secluded mountain village of Sipi Falls, two hours east of Jinja, which has a series of spectacular waterfalls and a welcoming atmosphere. Having taken time to relax and enjoy the view, Diggers and I decided to venture into the village. Immediately we were approached by a local guide, Patrick, who didn't charge (which was nice!).

Patrick took us through the banana plantations to the peak of the biggest waterfall before introducing us to the locals at the local bar. Well, I say bar, it was more of a hut with an interesting mud decor! This was an amazing experience, full of drunk locals who we;comed us with open arms like prodigal sons. they plied us with local beer (some kind of maize brew that looked like porridge drunk through the spout of a teapot!) and some crazy white spirit that tasted like vodka, but i swear made me go blind for a bit! It was the first time I didn't feel like a tourist, but rather a villager, which was pretty humbling. They didnt want money, but just wanted to talk to the 'Muzungu' (white man)- I felt like I was in an episode of that BBC show Tribe!!

Reluctantly we had to leave the bar, before watching a perfect sunset from a peak near our campsite, followed by beer and stories around the camp fire.

Tomorrow we leave Uganda and cross back over into Kenya, where the people seem equally friendly but tend to sit around waiting for things to happen to them. Uganda has struck me as a special place full of spectacular scenery and generous people, and is a country that's going places unlike much of Africa. Kenya holds lots of game viewing, but it is the people of Uganda who have left their mark on me, hopefully never to be forgotten.

4th September, Kampala, Uganda.

What an incredible few days! Having arrived in Kisoro (the 'Gateway to the Gorillas') in the early afternoon, we were all thouroughly taken aback by what happened that night.

About 30 children from the local orpahnage who's parents had died in the rwandan genocide and from epidemics such as Aids and Malaria came to our camp to put on a show.

I've seena lot of these dancing performances in Africa before, but none of those came close to this. The enrgy and enthusiasm with which they danced, enticed everyone to join in, and told us of both their sadness of the past and hope for the future that the orphanage has given them, was humbling to say the least.

It left the whole audience in awe- so much so that many of us have promised ourselves to sponsor an orphan when we get home- and left everyone's eyes brimming, and consciences touched.

The morning after we woke before dawn to drive to the Uganda/ Congo border to trek for Mountain Gorillas. After a relatively short trek of just over an hour through dense forest, we encountered a family of wild Gorillas for the first time.

At first, it felt surreal- as if you had to keep reminding yourself that this wasn't a zoo with perspex glass, but rather 12 of the 600 or so wild Gorillas left in the world. Once past the initial shock, the experience was extraordinary and worth every penny. they scaled trees, fed on roots, played, and watched us with curiosity without a care in the world.

The experience was unique and unforgetable, but before we knew it our hour with the Gorillas was over. I caught myself trying to remember every last detail of the encounter before those memories were lost forever.

The road back to Kampala was rough, but spectacular. All around us the Ugandan hills rose and towered before giving way to lush valleys. The truck, however, didn't enjoy the ride quite so much. We've managed to break three of the four suspension springs in under a week- after Mark our tour leader had gone two years without doing one! Each has meant lengthy repairs and delays, and plenty of hard graft.

Hopefully we'll make it back to Nairobi in one piece!