September 2011 - Kenya - Mount Kenya!

It has only been a week since the last posting but it feels more like a month as we, very spontaneously, decided to change the planned route of the trip. At Lake Naivasha we met a crazy German hippie couple in their 50ies who had just come down from Ethiopia on the back of a truck, a 13 hour journey, pretty rough (making us seem like luxury travellers). Their story, along with others reporting that the security situation at the border crossing between Kenya and Ethiopia seemed to have stabilised and be secure made us reconsider our decision of not travelling up to Ethiopia. Very excited, we drove back to Nairobi to get our Ethiopian visas at the embassy. You cannot get a visa at the border of Ethiopia but need to apply for it and get it into your passport at the Ethiopian embassy of wherever you are. This is how we had done it for Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya as well, it is very quick and they are ready within a few hours.
After spending one more night in the capital, the next morning we were the first waiting for the embassy to open. There, we got the confirmation that it was safe to travel but that we were not able to get visas without having a Kenyan residence permit...
Even after more than one year researching the web, buying travel guides and reading travel reports the information we had were not accurate. One CANNOT get an Ethiopian visa in Nairobi and Kenya. One can get an Ethiopian visa in Johannesburg, in Harare, in Tokyo and Berlin and in any other city where there is an Ethiopian embassy in the world except in Kenya!
While trying to swallow this bureaucratic paradox of an obstacle in our plan we were kindly asked by the person in charge to make space for the next person in line, indirectly, to get out of there.
So we needed to come up with another plan as doing what was initially planned seemed boring now. After a small brainstorming we decided to nevertheless, travel north towards the Ethiopian border and make a plan along the way. The first interesting stop was the National Park of Mount Kenya. There we found a nice campsite and decided to do a few hikes in the area. On the camp we met with Isaac, a guide for the mountain. Within half an hour he had convinced Fred to climb the second highest mountain in Africa the Mount Kenya. 12 hours later Luisa gave in as well. 24 hours later we were on the way to the 4 day ascension on the mountain along with one guide, one cook and three porters (Isaac, Joseph, David, Patrick and Augustino). Going with the flow 
Mount Kenya is 5199 meters high (a tiny bit higher than Monc Blanc in the Alpes!). Kilimanjaro is the much more popular choice for most people as it has the title of the highest peak of Africa and it also is a less technical and more gradual effort (something we were not aware of as we had not planned either!) than Mt Kenya.
The scenery and vegetation along the way was extremely diverse due to the change of altitude. From dense pine- tree and bamboo forests to sceneries reminding more of the Scottish Highlands we got everything within less than 2 days on the way to the peak. We slept in mountain huts along the way and were treated to quality cooked food 3 times a day, felt like real luxury actually and it was greatly needed as the walking was requiring a good amount of energy.
The first stretches were tiring not too much because of the distances but more because there was less and less oxygen in the air. Your body needs time to get used to that and this is why the way up needs to happen as slowly as possible. Isaac was convinced that we could do it in 3 days instead of 4 and we did. Apart from some headaches, heavy legs and a feeling of being a bit high most of the time we were fine and kept on walking.
The temperature was getting colder and colder the further up we got, Isaac had organised us jackets and warm sleeping bags (we have all the beach wear one can think of but not too much mountain gear...) as it was getting down to minus 10 degrees at night. In the night before the last stretch it snowed and when we got up at 2:30 am (!) to start walking towards the peak everything was covered in at least 5 cm of snow. The night was clear and we climbed the last 7 km at an inclination of almost 80 degrees in about 3 hours under a sky full of stars with the moonlight reflecting on the snow. It sounds really cheesy but we need to mention it!
The way up was hard work. The air was really thin and some climbing was required, in the pitch dark, at freezing temperatures and not really expecting something like it. Fred was thrilled, finally he was getting snow, mountain and on top of that a quality personal mental and physical challenge. Luisa on the other, having already two toe nails separating from her feat because of blisters and getting quite scared of the cliff below and above her realised that the mantra in her head of ‘this is bullshit, this is bullshit’ was not getting her any further but making each step even harder, switched to chanting a mixed version of the Synergy and Ashtanga chats in her head which actually managed to get her to the top (and realise the energy of a mantra).
Arriving at the top was like literally reaching a climax, all effort is forgotten as we saw the sun rising over the clouds. We were super lucky because the weather was clear, sunny and with no wind whatsoever, on top of that we were the first and only on the summit. It felt like being in an airplane but we had actually walked up there! Maybe the pictures can express what we saw.
The way down was very easy compared to the way up, we could almost slide down the snow to the hut where we had started 5 hours ago where cooked, warm breakfast was waiting for us. Two more days of hiking and we were back at the park gate, now we are in a small hotel room in Nanyuki, the town at the foot of the mountain, which is by the way, located exactly on the Equator!
We have our first wash in 4 days, a fresh bed and a good rest. The next stop is still unclear.
We will keep you posted.
Hoping you are all good and happy. Missing you!
P.S. The mountain is covered in black, heavy clouds...

September 2011 - Kenya - Nairobi Naivasha

We made it to Kenya and it has been already a week since we are here. The first impression of Kenya immediately after crossing the border was the level of development which is distinctively higher than Mozambique and Tanzania.
We spend a couple of nights on the coast south of Mombasa after which we said goodbye to the ocean until back in Cape Town. It feels good turning towards the bush and the stereotype of Africa as we have taken the most of beach life, dhow trips and island hopping. (And you will be spared from now on from seeing any more beach pictures)
The South of Kenya has a large number of animal parks and it is exactly here where some of the most famous images of African wildlife come from. The choice is difficult as each one sounds unique in its way. After quite a brain-smash we decided to skip them all and head straight to Nairobi. Maybe not the most obvious option but taking into consideration that the entrance fee into one of them is about 150 US Dollars for both of us per day (a fee impressive 6 times higher than what locals pay), excluding accommodation, and since we have seen the Big already several times it seemed more adequate to spend the money on something new to us. Apart from that, being in the south of Kenya, from a scenic perspective, was not much different to being in South Africa.
Having known what was waiting for us after Nairobi would have made this decision even easier!
In Nairobi Cruisi got a well deserved service in a very practical campsite catering for overlander trucks with a workshop and qualified mechanics. Although it was planned it was coming quite handy as when entering the ferry to cross to Mombasa (yes, its located on an island!) all of a sudden the brakes gave up, first gear and handbrake helped to get on the other side where we refilled the brake fluid. Until Nairobi we needed to refill twice more and the mechanics found that a pipe in the brake system was broken. Replacing it was not a big deal and Cruisi drives as if new again.
We enjoyed being in Nairobi, the level of comfort it was offering and for a change not being the epicentre of attention when walking through the streets. Walking through a shopping mall with a slight feeling of amazement made us realise that we have spend a bit of time already away from the usual civilisation, crazy stuff! We treated ourselves to a sort of service as well by enjoying a wonderful breakfast in a European style cafe/bakery and a much missed dinner of what-else? Sushi!
Nairobi is kind of everything except what one expects before arriving. It is a very clean city; the climate is rather fresh because of its high altitude so it quite green, the traffic although hectic is much civilised compared to other places, (nobody is hooting!) and it overall has a very developed and yes, safe feel to it. Smoking on the street is forbidden and is charged with a fine of 300 US Dollars, good that someone pointed it out to Fred when he lighted a cigarette. There are special small smoker cabins around the city where one can indulge. People are again super friendly, very welcoming and speak fluent English.
Driving away from Nairobi was quite impressive. We drove through dense forests of pine trees, ultra green hills covered in a slight mist with European black and white cows grazing on them! Feels much more like somewhere in Northern Europe than in Africa, only the tropical fruit sold on the side of the road as well as the Masai surrounding (harassing...?) you each time you stop to sell you some sort of souvenir remind one that it is still Africa.
We did not have to drive far to our first stop which was Lake Naivasha, one of the many lakes of western and central Kenya. Only 100 km away from Nairobi and we reached an amazing campsite just on the shore of the lake.Literally, the grass could not be anywhere any greener than here! Just meters distance away from us the hippos are doing their live in the shallow waters, the best TV one can think of, black and white colombus monkeys are living in the trees and even us bird-ignorants can feel that this must be a heaven for bird-lovers, there are all sorts around.
In cycling and walking distance there is a small reserve where one can walk or cycle, as we did, through the wildlife, there are no truly dangerous animals around so it is allowed. Apart from that we hiked a beautiful crater of an old volcano which has formed a lake inside, from the surrounding of the crater one can see giraffe grazing in it, quite surreal!
Hoping that everybody of you is happy and healthy!
Here everything is Hakuna Matata!

September 2011 - Tanzania - Amani Nature Reserve

Due to at least one power cut daily in Tanzania, the last two posts are a bit delayed.
After leaving the easy life on Zanzibar we returned to Dar es Salam where we stayed one night and caught up with our friend Chaky. He took us this time to the Indian quarter of the city. In the street in which we had dinner there were at least 3 huge Hindu temples and they all had ceremonies going on. So, while we were having humangous doshas for dinner we were surrounded by sounds of Indian music and people chanting (Andre, we thought about you a lot, you would have loved it), enlightenment was in the air!
We left Dar es Salam at about 4:30am to avoid the traffic as best as we could and headed towards the Amani Nature reserve. According to the Lonely Planet, it sounded amazing (the second most bio-diverse place in Africa after Madagascar...) and we were fixed on visiting it since a long time before starting the trip. We got a bit concern as nobody we had spoken to in Tanzania actually knew about this place and slowly started doubting.
Once we arrived to the road leading up to the reserve we understood why. In was in a rather bad condition, a mud road climbing up a steep mountain slope covered by rain forest is not really the place the Tanzanian government is going to advertise to tourists when the country has other well developed attractions such as the Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti to offer.
While driving up there we were happy to have arrived in the dry season as the roads must be impassable during the rains. Of course once we had arrived in our nice forest hut, on top of the mountain, deep in the rain forest it started pouring down... Thankfully even after 2 days of rain Cruisi managed the way down without any problem whatsoever and we were finally able to use the low range 4 wheel drive for the first time on this trip.
While in the reserve we had a wonderful guide whose name is impossible to remember but translated it meant ‘Little black’ and indeed he was tiny. He took us on a night walk in order to spot chameleons. Spotting the masters of camouflage in the dark and on top of that the pigmy-dwarf species definitely requires some skills which he had! Fred had difficulties distinguishing the green creatures from the leaves from a 10 centimetre distance... They are very cute, Lena, it was tempting not to shove one in the pocket for you!
Our guidi (who was speaking excellent English liked to put an ‘i’ at the end of each word, which seems to be quite typical around here and also very amusing) took us on another full-day walki which has been one of the best experiences so far. The walki took us through one of the oldest rain forests to be found on the continent. Everything seems to grow on top, in-between and within everything! Without a guide it would have been strictly impossible to orientate yourself, lefti, righti, straighti everything looks the same but so different at the same time.
Coming out of the forest we walked through tea plantations and local villages on the way. In-between the villages all the spices one can think of are growing, whole forests of cardamoni, pepperi and clovi trees making it the perfect alternative destination for a spice tour compared to popular Zanzibar. We bought fresh spices from the villagers who dry them in the streets. Several times along the way we were invited by people to their houses and offered fresh tea and bread. Their hospitality and their eager to welcome you and offer you whatever they have handy is simply overwhelming!
Despite them having so little they still feel the need to share it with you. So we got back home with a belly full of chapatti, fresh bananas from the garden of the village chief, cardamom and spiced tea, baked bread and Tanzanian doughnuts, sugar cane and plenty of forest berries.
Whoever wants to get a feel for genuine local Tanzania life within the surreal setting of an ancient rain forest should not miss this place!
We are off towards our last destination on the coast, this time in Kenya.
Thinking of you,
Luisi and Fredi

August 2011 - Tanzania - Zanzibar

Hello Rafikis,

We made it to Zanzibar, the island of the spices and a quite unique African destination. It feels like the Orient is meeting Africa within the beauty and fertility of the Indian Ocean.
We spend our first days in Stone Town which is a crazy labyrinth of little alleys and multi storey buildings, the perfect place to get lost on a continuous basis. For the 3 days we stayed there we did not get once the way back to our accommodation right.
We had the pleasure to be in Stone Town for the end of Ramadan which means a 3 day celebration for the 90% Muslim population of the island. It seems to be something like Christmas for us, so the ones that are enjoying it the most are the kids. Everybody, especially females of all ages put their fanciest dresses, loads of beautiful make up and henna paintings on making themselves looks as if out of an Oriental fairy tale as they head towards the Gardens of the city down at the promenade. There, they treat themselves to a feast of seafood which is sold by street vendors from their stalls there. From octopus, to calamari, to crabs, to lobster to all sorts of different fish along with backed goodies such as samosas, chapattis and tones of other things of which the names are unknown one can find anything. All this is washed down with the most delicious freshly squeezed sugar cane juice spiced up with lime and ginger; people really need to start selling this in our places!!! (a bit of Rum in there would not harm neither)

Fred got a good two days rest in the hotel as his ear was healing under antibiotics and some painkillers that are only by a 10th weaker than Morphine and which he seemed to be enjoying quite a bit! On pills, he was the perfect shopping and sightseeing companion, nothing could make him bored, everything seemed fine... Even watching the sunset in cheesy but institution-like place full of tourists, ala Ibiza-style was accepted without comment. Very strange!
After leaving Stone Town we had a small tour of the island and we ended up in its South East corner in a little place called Jambiani. On this island everything seems to grow. Apart from millions of banana trees, there are of course the standard coconut forests and in between the hugest Mango and Papaya trees, there are also plenty of orange plantations, sugar canes and of course all the spices you can think of, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cumin... Truly, a very beautiful setting!
Being in Jambiani was like living in a postcard for a couple of days, the colour of the water is just stupendously turquoise! Not sure how many times during the day one of us would say “Look at that water!!!”, being in a place like this was just too hard to comprehend sometimes. After going snorkelling and walking on the endless beach the activities of the place were exhausted (our budget could unfortunately not accommodate a kite surfing course...) and it was time to do what most people do on holidays, just nothing!
This feels a bit strange after the tempo we have been having until now but we managed. For a day and a half that is, after which we might have gotten spastic cramps if did not start moving again, making us realise why we chose to have our own means of transport on this trip.
Zanzibar was a great stop to chill, the people here are super friendly and despite having so many tourists around (we had not seen that many white people since Cape Town) they are not too pushy and simply extremely welcoming. The food compared to Mozambique was a bit disappointing until we met Alli and his family who cooked for us the last days, through them we managed to get a homemade taste of the famous Zanzibari style of cooking;
all sorts of sea food in coconut sauce along with all the spices that grow in the garden.
Now we are full of food and energy, Fred is half healthy again and we are returning to Cruisi in Dar es Salam. From there we are off to the Samaani Park on North Coast which is described as the Galapagos of Africa!s