11-MAR-2010
The Wall Mosaic
Here's a shot of the mosaic on the atrium wall. Very Eastern-looking and elaborate. I liked it.
11-MAR-2010
Pre-safari Breakfast
We all gathered for breakfast before getting on our way. Everyone seems a little serious at this point. Imbenzi must have been spinning a tale about the "dangers" or something. Little did we know...we had a hero in our midst. More on that later...
11-MAR-2010
And we're off...
After breakfast, we checked out of our rooms, and our van and driver Tom came to pick us up. This would be our vehicle for the next week and a half. Everyone looks fresh and raring to go!
12-MAR-2010
On the road to Amboseli
The first leg of our safari was to be Amboseli National Park. It's located south-east of Nairobi, on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. We would be driving from Nairobi to Amboseli on the Mombasa Road. Google calls Mombasa Road route A109. I have no idea if that's right, since Tom (our driver) knew exactly where he was going and just went....
The highway is NOT really good highway, by Canadian standards. But it's good enough.
The highway makes it's way through a huge number of small towns and villages along the way. Here's a shot of some buildings from one road-side town we went through...
12-MAR-2010
The Van
Our van was a Toyota, imported from Japan. It was right-hand drive, which is the standard for Kenya, and seated 8 passengers besides the driver. It's all-wheel drive, and is outfitted with a roof that raises to provide a van-top viewing area.
It was plenty big enough for us, and held all our luggage in the back compartment, too.
There were seat-belts at every seat, and I'm sure people use them...sometimes.
12-MAR-2010
Looking at the back of the van
12-MAR-2010
The Gas Station
We filled up at a gas station along the way...I think it was a Kobil station.
12-MAR-2010
The Road-side Stands
Everywhere you look along the highway, there are small roadside stands. It seems like that's how business is conducted in Kenya.
The stands are really ramshackle, in fact they're little more than tin shacks. They've got gaps in the walls, sacking for doors, and no light at all. Yet, they're operating just like a corner store with cigarettes, pop, and candies.
I didn't want to make it look like I was taking pictures of the people, so I got the Vernon Viper to stand for a portrait. Couldn't get him to smile, though....
Matatu
No description of traveling in Kenya would be complete without a picture of a MATATU. It's absolutely amazing to see how many people get jammed into these things all the time! Here's what the website Global Literacy Project says about them:
You may have to ride a "MATATU" if you go to Kenya (or any of it's neighbors). You will never forget the experience. Why? Well, you can't really understand it if you don't ride it. I mean, we can say that "MATATU" means "taxi" in Swahili but anyone who's been to Kenya and traveled in a matatu knows that that really doesn't sum up the experience of riding in one.
But what is a matatu? A matatu is usually a minibus or some such form of public transportation in Kenya. Away from the cities, the matatu transforms into a pickup truck, with a cover on the bed. For a few shillings a piece, as many people as the driver can convince to squeeze in (or "cram in" if we're going to be honest), with their baggage, and perhaps some livestock, can get a ride to where-ever they're going.
Usually baggage is placed on top along with animals such as perhaps some chickens. A matatu is finally full when you have several people hanging out the back door.
The reason for all of this, of course, is because most Kenyans are quite poor and transportation is expensive, so this is how working people attempt to cut down on cost. Matatu, Matatu.
A timetable does not exist. You leave when the driver decides that the vehicle is full. Hakuna matata - no problem!
12-MAR-2010
Rural Kenya
As we travelled further and further along the road, there were less and less towns and villages. We started getting a sense of rural life in this part of Kenya. It's very hot, very dry, and there's not much arable land for farming, Canadian-style. But.....we never seemed to be on a stretch of road without any people. even in the most remote spots, we would come upon someone on the side of the road or walking across the "bush".
Most of the time, we encountered herds of cattle or goats with a young boy herding them along. Here's a shot of one small herd that was crossing the road.
It was interesting to watch Tom, our driver. If I was driving up to a herd like this, I would stop and wait for them to cross. Not Tom!! He would drive right into the herd, and they would scatter in front of him. I thought the tribesman herding would get upset, but they never seemed to..Oh well, T.I.A.