Frank & Honest
Africamp 2006
An overview of the 2006 Africamp trip.
17th – Setting off..
Well, they arrived at Heathrow Terminal 3 in plenty of time, but en route Andy got a call from Chris to say that his BMI flight from Belfast, due to get into Heathrow at 4 p.m. had been delayed by at least an hour, and could Andy co-ordinate everything at the airport until he got there? No problem. The next call said that he was delayed for at least 2 hours, and there was a possibility that he may have his flight cancelled. Problem. Chris had all the tickets and paperwork from the Belfast office.
They arrived at the airport and straight away Andy was asked a million questions by a zillion people – “Andy, check my hand luggage – do you think it is too heavy?”, “Andy, is my rucksack tied up enough?”, Andy, can we get a coffee?”, “Dad, why have you got my phone – I need to speak to Joe” – while Qatar Airlines were saying “Please come this way, Mr Hunt”…
Before Andy had arrived at the airport, AA had been on the phone to the Qatar desk and they had agreed that they would check everyone in without tickets, so it was just a case of co-ordinating a mass check-in for 42 people with no tickets! Oh, and Qatar gave them all an extra luggage allowance of 10kg each, so there was no problem getting everything through.
Chris managed to get to them just in time, after rushing like mad from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3, and they took off a little late – they are expected in Doha at 07:25 instead of 06:25.
back row from left:
Simon, Patrick, Luke, Richard, Tomas, Lewis (all Basseleg), Jack (Caerleon), Ben (Rougemont)
front row:
Alex, Ailsa, Lauren W (all Caerleon), Jenny, Lauren F, Rachel, Louise (all Rougemont), Becky (holding Freddie), Emma, Ellie, Rachael, Sammi, Andy (all Caerleon)
Photo courtesy of Kevin and Terri Booth
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18th – 10:00 our time
Our guys left Heathrow at 22:30, and arrived in Doha, Qatar, at 07:24. They then had a 1 and a half hour stop, and a change of plane, before flying on to Nairobi at 08:54 – they are due to arrive in Nairobi at 14:05 (12:05 our time). While in Kenya they will be 2 hours ahead of us.
They arrive into Jomo Kenyatta International airport and they will be met and picked up there by the African AA staff in buses and coaches.
They drive to the NPS Campsite in Nairobi, which is where everyone goes for the first day. It is a very comfortable campsite with hot showers, dining area, dormitories and rooms and a large camping area. It is very safe and private and it is AA’s headquarters in Kenya. There they will meet all the staff and have time to settle in.
There will be various chats with their leaders about what is happening and time to rest. They can safely leave their baggage here – there is lots of storage, and there is internet access and telephones if they want to phone home. It is quite westernised here so it’s a good place to start to get used to being in Africa.
This is a photo of the campsite taken by Andy last year.
I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything from them..
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18th – 12:22 our time
Just had a call – they have arrived safely and are in the process of getting their visas. They are all shattered but very excited. Apparently, the first plane was “lush” and the second plane was “just a normal one”. Everyone is fine and they are really looking forward to getting out of the airport and meeting everyone.————————————————————————————————————————
18th – 19:00 our time
Well, they are all settled into the campsite at Magadi Road. Everyone got their luggage and they’ve all had showers – some hot, some cold! Their food is being prepared and Andy said they are all a little nervous (they don’t yet know it’s only spaghetti bolognaise)! He said it’s a lovely starry night and it’s nice and warm. They are happily getting to know each other and they are playing pool, etc.
They were picked up in the new truck, which is higher and more comfortable than the previous truck. It has open sides, which is great for hot days and safaris – they even saw some giraffes in the bush on the way from the airport!
They are getting up at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, having breakfast and packing up before setting off on the 8 hour journey to Western Kenya. Andy said that the Newport guys are all together in the truck. I’ll keep you updated…
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19th – En route to Western Kenya
09.00 our time
They are on the road to Western Kenya. The Newport gang are all in the truck together. No-one feels sick so far! The roads are fine at the moment but they will get progressively worse as they go further West. They are scheduled to stop in the Rift Valley very soon for a rest and some photos.
Sammi reports that everyone got a good nights sleep and they are all feeling great. They had cereal for breakfast and took a trip to the supermarket. As I write, they are munching Pringles and shortbread on their journey (so much for the African diet!).
There was a minor drama yesterday at the airport – they had all tied red wool around their bags, so that they could easily just get all the bags off and put them on the truck. Little did they know that someone else on the flight had done the same thing. When they realised that they had someone elses bag, Ozzy (one of the Kenyan staff) took it back. The police were waiting for him and arrested him! Apparently they got him back without too much of a problem!
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Andy’s update
Welsh and Geordies on big green truck on way to Western. Stopping for tyres and phone cards. Parents should all get txts this morning. A good night had by all.
Lauren W said as she was packing up this morning “My mum would be so proud”
Sammi said “I love it here”
Louise and Lauren F said “We got up at 5.45 to get a hot shower” … can you believe it?
Chris Bowden on truck too and we plan to stop at Rift Valley View Point later and the tea plantations for lunch on our way across. Green truck is fab .. really comfy and high up so good views and rolled sides up so lots of fresh air .. well – smog so far
Weetabix and jam sandwiches for breakfast followed by Kenyan tea with sugar
got to go
Luv Andy
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16:40 our time
They have been to the Rift Valley Viewpoint and to Nakuru, where they saw flamingo. They also saw a dust tornado. They then travelled to Kericho and saw sugar and tea plantations. Now on lower ground again, they are about an hour away from their destination of Kisumu..
Local information
Nakuru provides the visitor with one of Kenya’s best known images. Thousands of flamingo, joined into a massive flock, fringe the shores of this soda lake. A pulsing pink swathe of life that carpets the water, the flamingo are a breathtaking sight.
The lake has become world famous for these birds, who visit the lake to feed on algae that forms on the lake bed. They move back and forth, feeding and occasionally and spectacularly taking to flight, filling the sky over the lake with colour. The lake is extremely variable in size- changing from 5 up to 30 sq kms in area.
Kericho is tea country. Kenya is the world’s third largest producer of tea after India and Sri Lanka and Kericho is in the heart of Kenya’s tea plantations. There are rolling hills carpeted in neat, bright green tea bushes as far as you can see. The climate here is perfect for tea with rain falling almost every afternoon.
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The Kenyan Rift Valley is a section of 6 000 km rift system which stretches from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, south through the Red Sea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and into Mozambique.
Major geological upheavals caused a series of lakes in Kenya, some of which (Turkana, Naivasha and Baringo) are freshwater, but the others are soda lakes, with a high saline content. These are rich in algae and tiny crustaceans, which are the main food sources for the millions of flamingos gracing the lakes.
The upheavals also resulted in the sprouting of volcanic mountains, including Longonot and Mt Kenya. The scenery in the Rift Valley is breathtaking and the approach, via road or rail, from Nairobi will take you up gently through the highlands and bring you suddenly to the edge of the Rift valley, which drops away to a ribbon of green in the valley floor below.
View of the Rift Valley from the viewpoint
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20th – Ulamba
09:15 our time
Managed to get through. They have signals, but nowhere to charge their phones, so they are turned off most of the time. They will be able to take turns charging them using the generator later.
They are at the orphanage at Ulamba, about 60 km West of Kisumu.
It’s a lovely morning – the weather is gorgeous. They are pretty much covered for modesty though, so there should be no burning.. They had a good night and are just chilling today and getting to know each other and their surroundings. They have met Mama Rosa and Jonathan, who are the ‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’ of the orphanage, and the 10 or so children who are living in the orphanage. Sammi said that the stories are heartbreaking. They have been listening to the children and she said their jaws just dropped – it’s the first time that our kids have come into contact with real hardship and stories of abuse and it will be shocking for them.
The rest of the children are all arriving this afternoon and tomorrow, so they are really looking forward to that. At the moment, they are playing football, frisbee, cards and writing journals etc. They have been teaching the children how to do the hokey-cokey and having a laugh with them. Sammi said that everyone thinks it’s lush and they can’t wait for the children to arrive. They have been collecting all of the toys, etc. that people took over with them and putting them together in the storeroom. This is so that they can be distributed fairly to the children. It is often the case that the confident and sociable children get the toys, while the shy ones miss out, so this is done to ensure that everyone gets something nice and it is all fair.
Apparently the actual journey was not nice – long and bumpy (all part of the experience though eh? They won’t moan next time they go to Gatwick!), but they did see some amazing sights en route. Sammi reports that they went through a patch of wilderness where they saw zebras, giraffes, wild boar, antelopes and gazelles. They had to stop because of the baboons sitting in the road in front of the truck! They said the stop at the Rift Valley was good and that they were offered loads of stuff by traders, which was a bit intimidating (They’ll get used to this and be playing them at their own game by the end of the holiday – Katie was swapping her hair bobbles for bracelets and telling the traders that it was a ‘special’ bobble from England…and getting sarongs down from 10 quid to 60p in Mombasa).
Oh, and they have used their first ‘long drop’ toilets – apparently they have been posing and taking photos of each other!!
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19:50 and all the housemates were gathered round the campfire…
The messages you left have been read out by Andy – I can’t forward them as they have no internet access. They’ve had a great day – the weather has been fab and they are all getting to know each other a bit more. Half of the kids have arrived and they have been busy getting to know them and playing with them. They’ve been teaching them nursery rhymes and Queen songs! Andy said it’s been quite an emotional day – some of the stories are very moving and there have been tears. One of the girls, 6 and a half years old, was found by Helena, one of the leaders. She was found in a hut and the people there gave her to Helena. She had never walked. She was brought to the orphanage and given the love and attention she so badly needed. In the time she has been there, she has progressed from a wheelchair to a zimmer, to a stick and she now wobbles around on her own two feet, pulling on trousers and saying hello to everyone. She has made many friends today!
A few days ago, the builders uncovered a huge termite nest, the size of a small room. They cleared it out and it is going to be the soakaway for the new shower block. Today, our lot were forming a human chain and filling it with stones.
Everyone has tried ugali ( the dreaded maize meal they knew they were going to have to face). Some have declared that it was the one and only time, but many of them said it was okay and will have it again..
It was hot and sunny all day. They all have healthy glows but no-one has burnt.
Crises of the day…
The water pump broke, so there is no water for washing at the moment. They have plenty of clean drinking water and they are working to fix the pump by tomorrow (hopefully!). Lauren White’s toothpaste leaked in her tent and went all over everything!
21st – Ulamba
11:00 our time
It was a cloudy start, but it has brightened up now. They are just cooking their lunch. Gavin arrived this morning, which was a surprise for everyone, as he wasn’t expected! He’s on a tour of the site now, having a look at what they’ve done since he was last there. Andy is working on the water pump – still not fixed but they have high hopes (I bet everyone else does too!). Apparently they are all rapidly becoming pump experts!
A group have gone to Kisumu and Lake Victoria for a canoe trip. Becky is one of the Caerleon girls on that trip today.
Andy says that they are all doing really well, although a couple of them have had a little wobble after they have spoken to parents – just a few tears after the phone has gone down. Right as rain 10 minutes later – it’s to be expected in the first week – they will be fine as they get into it more.
On Fridays they have a local doctor on site, who uses the clinic to treat local people. They have been tidying up and making the room more useable for him.
Sammi said that they are gobsmacked at what the kids are capable of making. They were given some wood, string and a machete and in a matter of minutes had whipped up a spoon rack, a draining board, a cupboard, 3 benches and two tables!
All in all Andy says that he is extremely proud of everyone from Newport – he says they are coping very well and really enjoying it.
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19:00 our time
I think reality has kicked in for some of our guys and there have been some ‘wobbles’ about the lack of showers and the food. This is to be expected in the first few days. When you think about what they have been through in the last 2/3 days, it’s quite mind-blowing – travelling for 24 hours to Nairobi, then all day to Ulamba, getting used to harsh environments and unusual food, meeting people with stories that blow their minds and all this taking place 4000 miles away from Mum and Dad. They have all had an emotional day or two, meeting all the children, and they will cope in different ways. They are experiencing things that they have never experienced before in their lives and it is bound to have an effect. Andy said that those who were crying yesterday have had an amazing day today and those that are crying today may well have a great day tomorrow – it’s all ups and downs for the first few days. The worst days of the whole experience are the first few days of camp and a couple of days on the mountain, when the blisters and achy legs lick in. Andy said that he’d rather be in a tent than in the dormitory, where there are bats flying around him and pooing on his mozzy net and his hip is poking through the bed – but he can put up with it short term, because he knows that the difference they will make while they are there will make it all worthwhile – having said that, he is older and has been before and our lot may well not realise that until the camp is over!
So that it’s not all doom and gloom, I also have first hand reports today of some of our lot stating that it is ‘amazing’ and ‘absolutely fantastic’ and that they don’t want to ever come home (it’s all about how you feel at the time, I guess!).
Homesickness and acclimatisation aside, today has been a good day. The water pump is still not fixed but this does not affect drinking water, and it is possible to get a wash.
They are just about to light the camp fire and there’s lots of drums and African music. They will dance around the camp fire – I’ve posted some photos of Katie’s camp last year for you to get a feel of it..
Quotes of the day:
“My God, they are real hippos” – Becky Thomas on her trip to Lake Victoria
(Becky has also been hiding her meat under leaves so as not to offend the cooks – we know all about it, Becky!!)
“I’ve got bats sh*****g on me in the night” – Andy
“It’s really African, I love it” – Sammi
22nd – Ulamba
10:30 our time
Sammi rang to find out who had been evicted from Big Brother! The second thing she said was “Mum, we’re having potatoes for lunch”. When have our kids ever got excited about having potatoes? (When the alternative is ugali, I suspect!). My mole in the camp tells me that Becky went to a restaurant yesterday and hid a lump of ugali on a shelf behind her – see how quickly they adapt and find a way out of tricky situations? Anne and Nick – you should be proud!
Ellie and her group have gone to Kisumu and Lake Victoria today. Ellie has been given a long shopping list and is being taken to Nakumatt, which is the local supermarket. The others are eagerly awaiting her return, laden with oranges, mangoes, plums, biscuits and chocolate.
Andy has done his sex-ed bit with most of the kids and the leaders. It’s proved very popular (as it did last year) and everyone wants a talk – even the kitchen ladies. Sarah, the midwife, has offered to teach him how to help women give birth in return for lessons! Not sure if he is taking her up on that…
Everyone is getting involved in the clearing of ground and the building work. They take turns and then go back to help with the kids. Andy said that they have been shovelling, raking, digging and building roof trusses. Lauren White was singled out by the Kenyan in charge and complimented on her carpentry skills – he could tell by the way she handled a hammer that it runs in the family (Good teaching, Titch!).
If anyone has any news or quotes from the kids, please email me and let me know and I’ll put it on here.
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18:00 our time
There has been a little bit of thunder and lightening today, but all is clear at the moment. They can’t believe how quickly it gets dark (on the Equator) – one minute it’s daylight and the next it’s black. Sammi said that they are amazed at the stars – they are so used to light pollution and seeing just a few stars right up in the sky. In the Kenyan bush, she said, it’s the most amazing sight – there are thousands of stars and the sky is covered – “they come right down to the trees”..
Today’s news
Ailsa rescued a bird of prey with a broken wing. Mama Rosa has adopted it and said she will bring it up in the orphanage and look after it. She has named it ‘latest born’.
Lauren W, Jack and Rachel S cleaned the toilets, which Andy reliably informs me is the worst job in the world.
Jack and Patrick put shower curtains in the shower block – made out of black plastic and wood.
Emma, Ailsa and the Kenyans have painted the roof trusses.
For Emma, Becky and Sammi, the craving for something sweet led them to resort to criminal tactics. They sneaked into the storeroom and stole 2 ‘mouldy and minging’ biscuits, which they quickly and very excitedly took back to their tent and shared between the three of them. Sammi said the only thing that was more thrilling than that was having potatoes for lunch – they haven’t stopped laughing about how excited they got about mouldy biscuits!
Ellie, Louise and Luke went on the trip to Lake Victoria. Andy couldn’t stop laughing when he told me this one.. They saw no hippos, so they decided to go to the museum instead. Unfortunately, there was a power cut at the museum so they saw nothing there either. Oh, and Ellie ripped her trousers getting out of the boat.. Andy has given her his sewing kit and she’s mending them as we speak. The three of them are ultra-popular, however, as they took goodies back to camp from the supermarket.
Jenny has an adopted son called Julius and a big knot in her back which is causing pain in her shoulder – Bryony has been giving her massages.
Rachael R went to the local market to buy produce today and was upset at seeing all the kids with swollen stomachs. Andy said that they go to all of the local markets and producers and buy something from everyone – it’s the same with the building materials. That way, they support everyone in the local community and not just a lucky few. Everyone takes turns to go out and buy the things that are needed.
Rachel S finally plucked up the courage to lock the toilet door behind her (conquering her fear of trapping herself inside and not being able to make a hasty exit if required!) and declared to the camp that she has taken her first poo…(and apparently I do have permission to put that on the site).
Lewis has been very creative all day with the kids – doing art and craft.
Jack had his hair put in a french plait two days ago by one of the girls and it still looks lovely..
Tomas is completely worn out from constantly playing soccer.
Becky put out the bush fire that Ben started.
Simon and Ben learned to tie knots – scout-style.
Louise has an adopted daughter called Esther who has made her buy loads of chocolate.
Sammi, Jenny, Richard, Lauren F, Tomas and Alex have done HIV and condom education with the scouts, including showing them how to put condoms onto the (brown) plastic willies that Andy took out there. Sammi said that the scouts were starting to lose interest in the talk until they whipped out a willy and put it on the table. That got their interest, and they were enthralled from that point on. Many of these young Kenyans are 15/16 years old and are sexually active, yet have never seen a condom, so it was a very valuable lesson learnt. The girls were asked many questions by the Kenyan girls after the talk (they were too shy to ask in front of the boys), e.g. is it possible to contract HIV through kissing?
Becky has caught the sun on one side of her face and is red when she faces one way and white when she faces the other – apparently she looks hysterical.
Tonight everyone is off to the ‘Hotel Susie’ for a drink and some live music. They are so excited!
And… big news of the day… the water pump has been fixed!!! A massive team effort and 3 Kenyan maintenance men later, running water has been restored. Andy said that he and Chris are now official ‘well experts’.
23rd – Ulamba
09:00 our time
I received a text from Andy this morning to say that they had all had a late night at ‘Hotel Susie’. They are with the Kenyans at church this morning (saying sorry for last night probably!). It’s a hot day and Andy said all is good. He said that the bats in his hut are really noisy and they poo on the beds, but they are eating the mozzies, so they are forgiving them…
I think that while they are in Ulamba I will probably just post an update each evening, letting you all know what’s gone on in the daytime. If anyone has any interesting calls or texts and I can put the information on here, please email me and let me know.
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19:00 our time
I’ll let you know what Andy had to say before handing you over to Lauren W, who was today’s roving reporter..
Everyone went to church – either they walked to the Catholic church, or trucked to the Anglican church and walked back. The churches were packed, with lots of singing and dancing. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s kind of their way of life so it shows some respect.
As reported yesterday, the water pump has been fixed. Andy said that it has been going non-stop all day. It’s a hand operated pump and different people been pumping away at it throughout the daylight hours – making up for the last few days, I guess!
Andy was telling me about a young boy called Hilarious, who lives in the orphanage. He is deaf and cannot speak comprehensibly. Apparently he is a real hit – everyone loves him to bits. Our lot are completely blown away by the kids – I think that this time that they are spending with them is something they will truly never forget. He said that vanity has gone out of the window – they no longer care what they look like and they are just getting on with it!
There are three building projects going on at the moment:
In one corner of the plot they are building a clinic
In the other corner, they are building a vocational centre (school)
They are also doubling the size of the orphanage
At the same time, they are doing a lot of ground levelling and general tidying up.
Today’s news
Andy is delegating this task to various members of the gang on a daily basis from today – they have to collect the interesting information for the day and give it to Andy for around 9 p.m. when he calls me. Lauren W was today’s victim..
Richard accidently farted in church and, back at camp, ate everyone’s leftovers again.. (this what we get when we ask the kids what happened..!!)
Ellie learned to tie knots, washed her hair and her feet and prepared dinner.
Lauren cooked breakfast (solo) and then had her nails painted
Emma trucked to church and walked back in the heat, washed her hair, then chilled.
Simon finally had a shave, did a sex talk with the kids and is ‘bored of bl**dy ugali’
Jack is loving it – he washed all of his group’s washing and his own and worked on the orphanage for the rest of the day. The washing powder comes in two varieties – ‘Omo’ or ‘Toss’….
Rachael R is already making plans to come back next year, for longer….
The sky actually looks cloudy because there are so many stars
24th – Ulamba
9:30 our time
Huge, huge storm last night. Andy said the sky fell down – there were no gaps between the drops. All week it has been really sunny and everyone has forgotten their basic camping skills, like securing your guy ropes when they come out and keeping your bags away from the sides of the tent. They paid the price for this last night. The worst tent was Sammi, Ellie, Becky, Rachael and Emma’s. It was completely soaked and they were not impressed at all. They are in the process of drying everything off. Andy said they have just started smiling again after throwing major tantrums this morning..
On a happier note, the Mzungus (our lot – it is what the Kenyans call white people) have rigged up a rope swing with a tyre on it and the Kenyan kids love it.
Also, I am reliably informed that a huge hairy spider was dramatically rescued from one of the tents after being terrified by a group of screaming Mzungu girls. The spider is fine – it was only trying to get out of the rain.
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19:30 our time
They’ve just had Tilapia (fish) for tea – as it comes, eyes and all.. They had vegetables with it and Andy said it was really nice – haven’t heard what the others think yet!
The orphanage is coming on well – the roof trusses are up and the internal walls have been plastered. The kids are all having a fabulous time and have bonded really well with our guys.
They had a visit today from a group of scouts, supported by MM, who are all blind (some without eyes at all). They were singing and were all really smily and happy. This had a profound effect on the mzungus. One of our guys was crying and saying how “they had nothing, not even eyes, and yet they were so happy” – she said it made her realise just how fortunate she is.
Three of the scouts that visited today were albino – white black Africans. The quote of the day has to be Andy asking Chris if they were ‘palomino’.
The second worst thing that happened today (as far as our guys were concerned) was the incredible sight of thousands of termites flying out of holes in the ground – swarming like our flying ants do (only they are three times larger). Worse than this, though, was the kids from the orphanage excitedly throwing themselves on the ground and catching and eating them. Sammi said that one of the kids came up to her with a handful of bugs saying ‘eat, eat, present for you’. She and Ellie saw what they had and ran, thinking that the kids were playing. One of the kids had a great big bug and asked Sammi to eat it. I won’t tell you what she said, but it translates as ‘no thank you’ and so the child munched it himself – still wriggling – with a great big smile on his face.
The rest of today’s news
Everything has dried after the storm last night. The girls who were particularly badly affected have been given a new, larger tent and told to keep their things away from the sides! Andy said that morale was low this morning, but things were a lot better by lunchtime.
Rachel S fell into a rubbish pit (peelings, etc) and lost her flip flop.
They’ve all been playing a huge game of Twister with giant blow up dice.
Lauren F, Tomas, Bryony, John, Alex, Ryan and Sarah went to Lake Victoria and saw hippos. They also went to the museum and Nakumatt and bought goodies.
They had baked beans for breakfast this morning!
Ellie and Lauren W are experts at delivering sex education to the scouts
The group that went to Lake Victoria pooled their money and bought their scouts a rucksack each in Nakumatt. The kids were absolutely beside themselves.
Louise, Lauren F and Anna were on long drop cleaning duty.
Ben started a paper aeroplane craze and now the roof of the orphanage is covered with them.
Tomas climbed up a tree to get a flyaway frisbee and got his flip flop stuck – apparently you had to be there to appreciate it..
If you don’t get texts or can’t get through, it’s probably because there are 8 plug sockets, powered by a generator, between 60 people, so they are all taking turns to charge phones and cameras, etc.
Sponsors
25th – Ulamba
20:00 our time
The weather has been hot today – they had a bit of a shower earlier and could hear thunder in the distance, but it was generally dry.
They’ve just had their tea – chiabatti, green gram, meat and stew. Everyone is now dancing and singing around the campfire.
Lots of building work and tidying up went on today. The vocational centre will be used for the first time on Thursday, when the local community are coming for an HIV/health talk.
Today’s news
Lauren W did art and craft with the kids, taught them ‘one man and his dog’ for the camp fire and ate Pringles..
Patrick, Emma and Ailsa went on the trip to Lake Victoria and saw hippos up close. They went through the side streets of Kisumu and to the market and Patrick said it reminded him of Morocco.
Rachel S taught the kids the hokey cokey.
Ailsa taught the kids how to sing ‘YMCA’
Mark (from Devon) ate the three maggots that came free with his banana…
Lauren F, Bryony and Alex learned, then taught the kids, the ‘time warp’.
Ellie taught hers ‘build me up buttercup’.
Louise managed to wash her hair for the first time and also taught the kids ‘build me up buttercup’
Tomas dug out a termite nest.
Lewis supervised Tom digging out the termite nest.
The kids put termites down Richard’s back.
Jenny wound all the kids up playing games.
Andy had his hair braided by one of the mamas.
The kids all go home on Saturday and then there’s a mountain prep day on Sunday.
26th – Ulamba
20:00 our time
Andy, Lauren W and Jack were part of the group that went to Lake Victoria today. They saw hippos, then went to Nakumatt and the museum. On the way back, they were held up by a funeral procession. One of the guys who ride bicycles as a kind of taxi (bodda boddas) had died and all the bodda boddas in Kisumu had turned out for his funeral. They caused traffic chaos apparently.
They had ugali for tea again tonight and some of them are getting a bit fed up of it – hopefully they’ll be very glad of anything we give them when they come home! Louise and Lauren F asked Andy if he had any goodies for them tonight and so he cheered them up with some Pringles (day seven – very easily pleased!)..
Quiet day today – arts and crafts and plodding on with building work. Nothing extraordinary to report.. Some of the girls nearly got caught sunbathing – they would have had a ticking off if they had been discovered!
Tonight they are all at Hotel Sussy (apparently it is spelt ‘Sussy’, but pronounced ‘Susie’) and they have paid for a live band (African music).
Today they had a meeting about their timetable for the next week. The Kenyan kids all go on Saturday and then they have Saturday night free. Sunday is then a prep day, where they buy their food and anything else they need for the next week. They will go into Kisumu in two groups – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They’ll get a chance to spend time in Nakumatt, the coffee shop and possibly go on the internet.
On Monday morning, they will travel to Blue Line and camp in the grounds of Blue Line Hotel, at the base of Mount Kenya on Monday night. It takes about 4/5 hours to get there from Kisumu. As there are 42 young people, they have to be split into two groups to do the mountain and safari. On Tuesday morning, Group 1 will start the mountain. The Welsh are all in Group 2, so they will head off to Samburu for their safari (Andy said that some of them are upset that they are in group 2, as they wanted to just get on and get it over with). They will spend 3 days out in the park before climbing the mountain and will meet Group 1 as they are halfway down – at Picnic Rock, halfway between Met Station and McKinders.
They’ll all end up back at Blue Line together for a celebration before travelling back to Nairobi. From there, they go on to the coast.
27th – Ulamba
19:00 our time
They are just about to have a mountain talk. They have got over their initial disappointment at having to tackle Mt Kenya second are are looking forward to their upcoming safari.
The building work has been coming on really well. The clinic is plastered on the outside and the roof will go on tomorrow. Half of the orphanage roof is on and the other half will go on tomorrow. The vocational centre is very nearly finished, with only the glass having to go in the windows and the walls painted. Andy did a talk for the community in there today and it went down very well (especially the tea, biscuits and strawberry condoms!). Rachel S, Ben and Lauren W helped to organise it and did the blackboard, etc. People from the community said that they found the talk really beneficial.
Sammi, Jenny and Richard went to Lake Victoria today and did the usual trip to the museum and Nakumatt. Sammi managed to get on the internet and left a message in the guestbook.
The Kenyan kids are all having a whale of a time. There will be a football tournamant all day tomorrow, running alongside the finishing of the building work.
Our lot may well be able to get online on Sunday afternoon, as they will spending the afternoon in Kisumu.
Andy asked around for some quick updates as he was on the phone:
Patrick ate Tomas’s cake
There were 40 flies in the toilet – loads more than usual
Ben killed a large bee with a broom
Lauren F and Louise are missing Giles
Anne Thomas- watch out – Becky was heard today to say “There’s no way my mum will be able to clean all of these clothes – she’ll have to send them to the launderette”. I’m hoping that they will be so self-sufficient by the time they get back that this won’t be a problem – their welcome back presents should be a box of Persil Bio and a cookbook!!
28th – Ulamba
18:40 our time
There was a football tournament today. At the end, the Mzungus had to play the Africans. It was 0-0 at full time and even after extra time, so it had to go into penalties. At the very last shot, everything was resting on Dominic, a 14 year old Mzungu. He was up against an adult goalie and Sammi said he was visibly shaking. The whole match was resting on him. There was a drum roll and everyone went silent and then he scored a cracker. Apparently everyone was screaming and shouting and the atmosphere was fantastic. From Wales – Andy, Tomas and Patrick played. Also Helena, Bryony and Lindsay.
It’s their last campfire tonight – it’s someone’s birthday and they have cake and 200 bottles of soda. They also have traditional dancers arriving to dance around the camp fire.
Luke has a fab suntan – but it only goes halfway up his forehead because of his bandana. Andy said he has a two-tone head.
Louise and Lauren F rescued a scout limping up the road – he could hardly walk. He’s now playing football..
Some of the guys have been attacked by big hairy caterpillars – they give you a sting a bit like a stinging nettle.
They have all been put into their mountain groups and have been shown how to put up the tents – they have brand new tents for the mountain.
Andy took a local headmaster to Siaya General hospital today – he is literally at death’s door (HIV). They are keeping him in hospital and changing his drugs and they hope that he will recover enough to go home. He’s a senior scout master and all of the scouts know him.
29th – Ulamba
18:30 our time
The kids all went home today. The only ones left are the Mzungus and the orphans. Andy said it has been a very emotional day. It’s hard to imagine what it must be like on a day like this – after all the hard work and fun that they have had together. I think it was summed up in an entry, written in childish scrawl by a young Kenyan boy, in Rachael R’s journal. He wrote that when he goes back to his village no-one will hug him like Rachael has and that she has made him so happy. Everyone has been in pieces today. Chris said that even the Kenyan boys were crying on their coach out of the camp, and they don’t cry easily.
All of the kids had presents to take back with them. Lots of football kit, t-shirts, toothbrushes, bars of soap and presents that our guys took out with them.
The building work is pretty much all complete and the Kenyans will finish off the painting and windows, etc.
They are all getting ready to go out to a hotel about 15 minutes drive away for…wait for it….chicken and chips! Chris is on a knife edge hoping that this plan comes together – he has ordered chicken and chips for them all, but it is Kenya, and anything could happen. There was a huge cheer when he announced that they were doing this for tea, so I really hope nothing goes wrong….
The closing ceremony only lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes, which was loads better than the 4 and a half hour ceremony last year. This is the highlight of the week for the local community – all of the local dignitaries come and make speeches and the scouts do a presentation. Afterwards, there were sodas all round.
The weather has been good today – nice and hot again, but there are a few drops of rain at the moment. Everyone is very tired after the hard work of camp and they are looking forward to a few days of rest and relaxation.
Just a quick note about the internet access for tomorrow. The internet cafe has 7 computers and they are all on dial-up – we’ll have to wait and see who gets through…
Sponsors
30th – Ulamba (packing up)
Midday update
They are all waiting for OT to come back with the truck so that they can go into Kisumu. This morning has been spent just tidying up, litter-picking and cleaning toilets, etc. Sammi, Ellie, Bex, Emma and Lauren W are on potato peeling duty.
They got their chicken and chips last night after all. Half of them were supposed to get it at 8.30 and the other half at 9.30. Andy said they all got it at 11.30, but it was ‘lush’ when it arrived!
Chris Bowden made eggy bread and hot chocolate for breakfast and it went down very well. There was a huge queue and people came back for seconds and thirds!
John, the little boy who wrote in Rachael’s journal, walked back to the camp today to find her. He told her that when he was in bed last night, all he could do was cry..
Ellie had a jigger in her foot today – they go into your skin ( a bit like a tick) and lay eggs. She had it removed and is fine.
Lauren opened her second letter from home and Jo reduced her to tears again!
Ailsa and Bex had first aid on their feet ready for the mountain (they have all been running around with no shoes on).
They have been split into their mountain groups and they have to prepare their own menus for the trip. Some quotes, while all sat around discussing what food they could take:
Ellie – “What can I have in my sandwiches?” and “Can I wash my hair on the mountain?”
Patrick – “When do I have to wear my thermals?” Answer – when you get cold..
Lewis – “How do we make powdered milk?”
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18:30 our time
Kisumu is Kenya’s third largest city and everyone got a chance to have a shop and a look around. All of the mountain food has been bought and lots of the guys managed to get online (mainly the girls – the boys went to the Chinese restaurant!). There are quite a few messages in the guest book from those who managed to get online. Also – the first photos are on the site. I have kept them quite big, so that you can see properly, so I am sorry if the page takes a while to load.
31st – Blue Line
13:00 our time
They are on the road to Mount Kenya. Some of them are in the truck and the rest are in matatus, which are like Kenyan minibuses/taxis.
A typical matatu
They are scheduled to stop at Thomson’s Falls on the way.
Nyahururu is Kenya’s highest town at 2360 metres (7742.7 feet) and set amongst lush tea plantations and conifer forests. You view Thomson’s Falls where the Ewaso River plummets 75 metres (246.06 feet) into a boulder-strewn gorge. It was discovered in 1880 by the explorer Joseph Thomson, who was the first of Kenya’s European settlers to walk from Mombasa to Kampala.
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20:00 our time
They have arrived at Blue Line. It was a long trip – about 7 hours. They stopped at Nakuru for lunch and then again at Thomson’s Falls. En route they saw baboons, Thomson’s Gazelle and monkeys. The scenery was breathtaking – very rural. They went through sugar and tea plantations and across the Rift Valley. Andy said the road was unbelievable – they often had to bounce across to the wrong side of the road because of the pot holes. The police stop you every half an hour – just to check you out and wave you on. They drove through the Aberdares and could just see Mount Kenya in the distance. This scared everyone a little, as they could see how big it was and it was very clear – they could see the glacier and the snow on top.
They arrived at Blue Line and put up their tents. They have had stew, rice, peas and carrots. They are due to wake up at 6 am to get everything ready for the mountain and just get a small bag and their sleeping bag ready for safari, then they’ll be off to the game park. They hope to get two game drives in tomorrow – one when they get there and the other at dusk. They will stop at Nanyuki on the way to do a little souvenir shopping.
The weather has been sunny – there was some rain when they went up high through the plantations, but it’s nice at Blue Line. They are currently at just over 2000m, which is much higher than any point in the UK.
Some quotes from today.. courtesy of Sammi and Becky
Sammi and Bex doing a crossword – clue was ‘deranged’ – 3 letters – ‘_AD’. Sammi couldn’t get it.
Second one was Alan _____ (Australian cricketer). Sammi says “Swarzenegger”
Becky on hearing a huge clank whilst on the ‘horrible, creaking bus’ – “I think the pedal just fell off”
Becky “I’d rather be on a long drop, turned on it’s side on a skateboard than on this bus”
Becky when told that the next clue was ‘part of a church – four letters’ …. “Door!”
1st – Samburu
19:00 our time
After arriving at Samburu game park early this afternoon they went on a drive. They saw giraffe, buffalo, gazelle, antelope, water buck and elephant. They arrived in the grounds of the Samburu Lodge quite late and have made camp. They are just about to have spaghetti. They can’t leave the camp at night because of the animals – there are rangers with guns to protect them. Everyone is fine.
They will be getting up at 06:00 for a game drive – returning for breakfast at 09:00.
Andy was laughing when he spoke to me tonight. There is just one point, in one tree, where it is possible to get a signal (he probably wouldn’t have bothered but he knows we need this update!). He put the phone on loadspeaker, up the tree, and stood underneath it. He said he felt like a right plonker, stood in the dark shouting up a tree!
I have put some photos on here that Katie took last year – it will give you an idea of how close they get to the animals.
2nd – Samburu
09:30 our time
They all got up really early and went out on a game drive. They saw elephant, leopard, genet, zebra, buffalo, giraffe, oryx, dikdik, ostrich and all sorts of gazelle. They came back and had a nice breakfast (sausage and baked beans) and have had Samburu Sunshine cocktails (fruit juices and lemonade). As I write this, they are lounging around the pool of the hotel – soaking up a bit of luxury and relaxing before their trek in a few days. Andy said that they are all really tired, so this will be a well deserved rest. They are going out on a walking safari this afternoon and then a dusk game drive, but returning to the hotel at 18:00, as the crocs come out of the river to eat food put out for them.
There were elephants in the camp last night – the rangers had to fire guns to chase them away. Andy said it was great fun!
You can find out about the actual hotel here. Here’s Andy’s pictures from last year..
This is the view from the hotel
Camping..
This was on the walking safari. The guy in the green (with the machine gun) was one of their escorts and they met this Samburu tribesman, who was travelling around Samburu looking for a wife!
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18:00 our time
A hell of a day, Andy said.. They have been very busy and have crammed so much in – they probably won’t appreciate it all until they come home and have time to reflect.
They went out on a walking safari and another game drive this afternoon. They saw cheetah, lions, buffalo, every kind of antelope and loads of elephants. On many safaris you don’t get to see the cats, so they have seen cheetah, leopard and lions now – a great result.
On the safari this afternoon, they were looking at the lions when one of the tyres burst on the truck. There was a loud bang and Andy said that there were loads of screams from the back of the truck and he looked at OT (the Kenyan driver) who was laughing his head off. Chris poked his head out and said “Right then, when you’ve finished looking at the lions, I need you to all get out so that OT can change the wheel” and some of them stood up to get out! There are double wheels on the back of the truck so it was no problem to get back to camp, and the wheel has now been changed..
When I spoke to Andy they were in the bar, on a balcony above the river, looking at the crocs who come up from the river for food. They were waiting for a ranger to come and get them to escort them back to camp.
Some of them had a swim in the pool today and they have been able to have nice showers and Western food.
There is a Kenyan on guard at the camp at all times to keep the baboons away. There is one baboon who turns the tap on, has a drink and turns it off again. They know how to unzip the tents and they will run off with your things if you are not careful! Katie said last year that if you run after them and scream at them loudly, they drop your stuff…
Tomorrow morning they are up at 06:00 to have breakfast, pack up and load up the truck. They will have another game drive on the way out of the reserve and they will visit a Samburu village and meet a tribe on the way back to Blue Line. They aim to get back to Blue Line quite early so that they can rest before starting their climb tomorrow.
Group 1 have reached Met Station on the mountain with no problems at all – everyone is fine.
3rd – Samburu
10:00 our time
They left Samburu early and drove through the game park, again seeing most of the animals. They had another puncture today and stopped at Isiolo to get it patched up. No-one was allowed to get off the truck as it is a dodgy area – they are going to Nanyuki to get it fixed. They have been to a Samburu village, where they were made very welcome. The tribe sang for them and invited them in. They were able to buy jewellery that the women had made.
Last night, Chris Bowden, Louise B and Rachael R were stood out by the truck, looking at the stars. It was pitch black and they heard a noise. Chris said “Very quietly – get into the truck” – so they did, just as a huge elephant walked past. The rangers said that they had chased two leopards and a baboon out of the camp last night too. These guys are really having the most amazing experiences – they will never forget it!
They will be back at Blue Line soon, for a rest before setting off up the mountain tomorrow.
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19:00 our time
Everyone is back at Blue Line and they are getting showered and packed ready for tomorrow. They’ve just had chicken and chips, chappati and biryani for tea. They have a lie-in in the morning – breakfast is at 09:00 and they are hoping to leave at 10:00. They will be driven to the gate, although there is a bridge which OT cannot take the laden truck over, so he will go on with their bags and they will walk for 20 minutes or so to the gate of the park. Everyone is fine, although there are some last-minute nerves.
Group 1 are at MacKinders.
4th – Mt Kenya (Met Station)
08:00 our time
Everyone is up and packed ready for the off. There are some last minute nerves and a couple of them have thought about not doing it, but they’ve had a big breakfast, loads of fruit and some hearty back-slapping and everyone, without exception, is setting off very soon. I have posted a couple of photos that Andy and Katie took last year to give you a rough idea of where they are. They are on the Naro Moru route – this morning they will be going to the Park Gate, before climbing slowly to Met Station, where they will spend the night.
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15:00 our time
Everyone got to Met Station safely. It rained on them for about 2 hours . They have food on the go and are drying out. Most of them are fine – just a bit bedraggled but spirits undampened. There are some who are struggling a bit – saying that, no-one finds this mountain easy – it is generally thought to be harder than Kilimanjaro. Let’s hope they all have the strength and determination to carry on tomorrow.
It took them about 4 hours to get to Met Station. Tomorrow is a longer day but then they have a whole day to rest at MacKinders, as they spend two nights there before attempting the summit.
5th – Mt Kenya (Met Station to MacKinders)
05:47 our time !!
They are up bright and early (and me…) and are all setting off for MacKinders.
No buffalo in the night – just noisy birds!
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What they can expect today..(Photos from last year – taken by Katie and Andy)
Day two is generally regarded as the toughest day. This is mainly due to the terrain, distance and altitude covered. They start early, leaving camp at 7 am with all the tent groups having cooked breakfast and packed their equipment. They follow a short path to the top of the forest and they pop out onto the Vertical Bog (11500 ft). ther Vertical Bog is not actually vertical: it would be better described as a 45 degree Dartmoor. The distance covererd is not massive, however, depending on the bog conditions, the progress can be slow as they meander their way, hopping from tuft of dry ground to knee deep mud.
By this stage, the worst of the day is over. The gradient lessens and morale perks up again with fuel in the tummy and dry socks. The next section of the day they ascend parallel with the open expanse of the Teleki Valley until they reach the shoulder of the mountain (14000ft) and the valley banks start steepening and narrowing. At this point they will be getting close to their camp altitude.
After 3 – 4 hrs they arrive at the Picnic Rocks (13500ft) where they will have lunch.
From there, weather granted, the summits of Mt Kenya are visible as they reach up into the heavens. What follows is a straightforward walk dropping into the Teleki Valley and following it to the base of Mt Kenya’s summits. This section will usually take 2 hrs from the shoulder to the camp. In total the day, depending on conditions, can take 6 – 8 hrs. At the camp AA use the Ranger Station to check in with base camp. The camp is called Teleki Camp or MacKinders Camp (14,200ft). Tents are erected and dinner prepared by each tent group. Then an early night is had as temperatures are lower here and people are tired.
MacKinders
The tents can be hard with frost in the morning..
…and you swap pilfering baboons for pilfering rock hyrax – out in groups checking out the visitors!
The long drops at MacKinders – note the sign just in case you don’t know what they are!
For information
The Sugar Loaf is 596m high
Snowdon is 1085m
Ben Nevis is 1344m
Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, is 4807m
Our guys are attempting 4985m
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19:00
It is very difficult to get a signal at MacKinders, so we may not hear anything until Monday. If anyone has managed to get through, please let me know.
6th – Mt Kenya (MacKinders)
No live update as yet
What they can expect today
Today is a rest day. They will have a choice – sleep, read, play cards or basically relax at their leisure or go on an acclimatisation walk. This area is abundantly beautiful and if they wish they can go with the guides on a short 1 / 2 hour walk – this is not only a wonderful way of seeing the high, hidden lakes or caves but also an effective way of helping their bodies adjust to the altitude. They will get a very early night ready for their summit attempt in the early hours.
Tonight (early hours of tomorrow morning)
Summit day starts very early – at 01.30. They get up at this time for two reasons. Firstly the route to the summit sees them going up a 800ft scree slope which at this time of the night is frozen together and hence avoids a one step forward 3 back scenario. The second reason is a hopeful summit about 06.30, thus allowing them to watch the sunrise over the plains of Africa, one of the most amazing sights in the world.
Having had some warm breakfast, they will leave camp at 02.00 ( no heavy rucksacks this time – just what they need for a couple of hours) and follow the remainder of the Teleki Valley to the base of the scree slope which leads up to the summits of Mt Kenya. This usually takes about 45mins to reach and is where they will have their first break. The breaks will now be a lot shorter due to the cold. The scree slope is a comfortable but slow plod up as they twist and turn in a long snake like fashion up the mountain illuminated in the bubble of their head torches. Finally, about 2 hrs later, they arrive at the top of the scree slope. They will briefly rest and then head over a large bouldered section to the Austrian Hut at 15,600ft. This takes about ½ hr to reach and is where they gain shelter, huddled inside as they chomp on chocolate and drink water. They usually have a 15 – 20 min break here as they are out of the cold.
From here the summit of Point Lenana is 45mins further. They will leave the Austrian Hut and head up the summit ridge. The ridge is exposed for the first 100m but with no major drop offs. They are then tucked under the summit and the cairn-marked path takes them to the back of the summit and eventually they zigzag up onto the summit at 16,350ft. From here they will wait and watch the sun as it rises up and across the plains 1000s of feet below. Depending on conditions they stay on the top for as long as is required for people to hug, slap backs, cry, take photos and some even use phones to wake up parents back home – depending on signal availability. Bear in mind that if we do get these calls – it will be around 05:00 our time, so we’ll have to try and be chirpy!!!
Photos taken last year..
The route back down is as coming up however the pace is a lot quicker. The scree slope now defrosted aids in a quick descent and a drop out of the altitude. Katie said she did this mainly on her bum!
They are usually back at the camp at about 08.30 hrs and can relax for a couple of hours until they pack up camp and head back towards Met Camp at 10.00hrs. By 12.30 they will have walked back along the Valley and dropped over the shoulder down to the picnic rocks.
Lunch is eaten and then down through the bog. After they reach the forest line it is about 40 mins to the camp. They aim to be at the Met Camp by 15.00hrs.
This is a long tiring day however as soon as people drop from altitude any ill effects they may have felt will disappear and energy levels increase. A warm meal is consumed and a well-deserved sleep is enjoyed.
7th – Mt Kenya (MacKinders – Summit – Met Station)
15:00 our time
All but two made it to MacKinders. Although they set off from Met Station full of intent, Lauren and Simon were forced to turn back (accompanied by porters) before reaching MacKinders and were lucky enough to be picked up by Group 1 on their descent, meaning that when they eventually got off the mountain, they got to join them on their safari!! Now, picture them on their nice sunny safari while I tell you what happened next…
Not long afterwards, the rain set in. As mentioned on the walk to Met Station, they had already endured some rain, but nothing like what was in store for them. Andy said it rained non-stop and absolutely everything got wet. They walked through thunder and lightening and he described some of them absolutely shaking with cold and wet and feeling as though they couldn’t go another foot. When they got to MacKinders they were all in pieces and sopping wet. They were hoping for a sunny day yesterday so that their stuff could dry, but there was no such luck.
They got up at 00:45 this morning ready to leave at 01:30. Chris said he’s never seen snow like it – it was halfway up their shins in some places. It was hard to see and they very nearly called it off. Andy said it was much, much more difficult than last year and made me promise that if he ever says he’s going to do it again, remind him that he mustn’t!!
Lewis was unable to leave MacKinders because he was poorly and Ben, Rachel S and Anne (adopted Welsh girl!) made it to the Austrian Hut but stayed there, as they were feeling poorly too (the altitude gets to you at this level). Everyone else carried on to the summit and guess what…it was cloudy and they couldn’t see anything! Well, there were a few gaps in the cloud and they could get a glimpse of how high up they were, but then the clouds rolled back in!
Sammi, Ellie, Emma, Rachael R, Becky, Ailsa, Alex, Jack, Richard, Luke, Tomas, Patrick, Jenny, Louise and Lauren F managed to get to the summit against all the odds – well done guys!!
I think, from what I’ve heard, that everyone shed bucketloads of tears – it has by far been the biggest physical challenge any of them have ever undertaken. They are all very relieved and extremely proud of themselves, and rightly so..
They are all safely back at Met Station with no injuries. They will stay at Met Station tonight and tomorrow they will head back to Blue Line where they can have hot showers and a good meal.
8th – Blue Line
08:00 our time
They are all on their way back to Blue Line – it will take about 3 hours. Andy, Rachel S and Louise B are in the 4 × 4 with all the bags – they are going on ahead to put the tents up for when the others arrive.
Everyone is fine apart from a few blisters.
Today will be a rest day – hot showers and decent food. Tomorrow they will go into Nanyuki and can take photos standing on the Equatorial line.
They will have a celebratory BBQ tomorrow night when they are all back together and on Thursday, they will make the trip back to Nairobi ready to go to the coast.
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17:00 our time
After showers and relaxing in the bar, spirits are definitely on the up. They had soup, samosas and bacon toasties for lunch and they are just sitting down to chicken and chips now.
Drama of the day – Jack dropped 7000 shillings (about £50) out of his pocket while on the way to the loo. While he was blissfully unaware of this, the girls found a dog in the car park chewing a roll of bank notes. They rescued the money and, when Jack emerged from the loo, they found out it was his. Ever grateful, Jack provided the drinks in the bar..
Andy reports that most of the mzungus are looking tanned and healthy and the weather is sunny – everything is drying after their ordeal on the mountain! All things electrical are charging like mad now they are back on the Kenyan national grid – phones, mp3s, camera batteries, etc. and they are looking forward to their outing tomorrow. I think that now the mountain is out of the way, the rest of the trip will take on more of a holiday atmosphere.
They will be joined in Nairobi by 7 of the kids from camp. The scouts and the mzungus were split into 7 groups while in Ulamba, and the child from each group who made the most effort during their time there is rewarded with a trip to the coast.
9th – Blue Line
19:30 our time
As you may have seen from the guest book, they took their trip into Nanyuki today and some managed to get onto the internet. They also straddled the Equator and watched the water experiments, where the water drains clockwise in the Southern hemisphere, anti-clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and straight down on the Equator. Apparently you only have to go 10 feet either side to see the difference..
There was a lot of hard bargaining going on in Nanyuki today. Let me take you back to 20th July:
“They said the stop at the Rift Valley was good and that they were offered loads of stuff by traders, which was a bit intimidating (They’ll get used to this and be playing them at their own game by the end of the holiday – Katie was swapping her hair bobbles for bracelets and telling the traders that it was a ‘special’ bobble from England…and getting sarongs down from 10 quid to 60p in Mombasa).”
..and then Jenny’s message on the site today:
“I haggled today and bought 5 things for 550sh down from like 2500!!”
They obviously feel more confident now and are reaping the rewards! They said that there was lots of haggling going on today and that they are all ‘very good at it’.
Sammi, Ellie, Emma and Becky found that they had time on their hands in Nanyuki today and decided to splash out on a meal in a cafe. They had ‘steak/burger type things’, chips, spicy curry sauce, pate, pitta bread and huge smoothies which were ‘lush’ and, including tips, it came to less than a fiver for the four of them.
Back at Blue Line, they all got themselves tarted up for their big party. A goat and a sheep were slaughtered and Patrick skinned the goat. It was sliced up and cooked and they are tucking into goat and chips, ugali and cabbage . Sammi has declared herself a vegetarian, at least until the end of the holiday, but then remembered she was going to Carnivore on the last night and wavered in her determination. They are all currently enjoying the BBQ and big camp fire and a chance to let their hair down now they are all back together.
Andy did a talk this evening to the leaders of the Naro Moru HIV self help group. He said that it’s really humbling to speak to these people, who are all HIV positive, asking how they can educate their children, combat prejudice and try to get good quality food to prolong their lives.
They were going to set off early in the morning, but have decided to give them all a lie-in instead. It is about 3 hours to Nairobi and they will all go in the truck and buses/matatus.
After a rest in Nairobi, the Welsh will all set off for the overnight trip to Mombasa in the truck (8/10 hours). This probably won’t be terribly comfortable but they will get some sleep and they will have four days on the coast to recover (and they are used to it by now!). They will return to Nairobi on the train, which they are very excited about. It takes 15 hours (18:00- 09:00 next day), but they have their own compartments to sleep in and a proper dining car – ‘like a Harry Potter train’ (I was excitedly informed!).
Everyone seems to be having a great time now all the hard work is over!
10th – Nairobi
10:00 our time
They are just packing up the truck ready for their trip to Nairobi, which shouldn’t take too long.
Andy called to say that they had received a call from the UK about the incident regarding airport security and planned terrorist threats – at his request I have read out what it says on the BBC website so that they are informed. It mainly affects flights to and from the US, although Heathrow is closed at the moment to incoming flights. Like Andy said, flying on an Arab airline is probably a good thing in these troubled times!
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15:00 our time
They have arrived at Magadi Road and are excited about the prospect of hot showers!! Andy reports that the plan is for the Welsh to drive to Mombasa tomorrow – more details later..
Oh – and Andy has now had his flight confirmed for the 17th (for those of you who didn’t know – his flight was booked separately and not confirmed by Unique Travel, so he actually didn’t have a flight back until today!). As I now know that he will be here, I can confirm that we will be having a BBQ at our house for all of the kids and their parents (unless the weather is really bad) on the Saturday after they return. Further details to follow..
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20:30 our time
Nothing to report – everyone nicely chilled and relaxing. OT is wiring a new stereo into the truck while eating the remains of yesterday’s goat..
11th – to Mombasa
07:30 our time (I shall have to have a word with him…)
Welsh about to leave on the truck to the coast. Andy said it is an 8/10 hour drive with a stop at Nakumatt for food. Apparently, according to OT (driver), the road has improved, so it won’t take as long as it did last year! The non-Welsh have a day in Nairobi (visiting the slum and the schools) before they get on the train at 18:00 tonight. Our guys will have their day in Nairobi when they get back, as they will have returned on the train (African Hogwart’s Express). The kids from Western Kenya are on the truck with our guys.
Check out the weather for Mombasa here.
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14:00 our time
205km left to go! They stopped at Mtito Andei and are over halfway now, so the back of the journey is broken. They expect to arrive at around 19:00 Kenya time. They are definitely acclimatised now, as Rachel S asked if the toilets were flip-flop safe before getting off the truck! They have music in the truck and sandwiches for lunch so they are relatively happy..
Below are some photos that Katie took last year to give you an idea of where they will be staying.
This is the beach – the campsite is just in the trees (behind the camels..)
This was taken from Katie’s tent
She said that many of the kids had never seen the sea before and asked what it would feel like. They kept tasting it..
Plenty of time for snorkelling…
..and sandcastles
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18:00 our time
They have just arrived in Mombasa and are picking their way along very bumpy roads to their destination. Andy said that there have been cattle, sheep, goats and monkeys walking across the road in front of the truck, and kids running alongside. It’s pitch black and the road is lined with little shacks with kerosene lanterns hanging outside.
There are 32 seats in the truck – plenty of room for everyone to move around and be quite comfortable (given the road conditions!). OT was up until 02:00 this morning wiring up a stereo and speakers so that they had music on the trip. They have been able to plug mp3s into the stereo and have it piped into the back, which has gone down very well indeed. They also have an intercom, so that when they want to speak to the cab, they just press the button and talk – cool eh?
They stocked up well at Nakumatt this morning – buying all the food they needed for this trip. Andy said they got lots of goodies and even bought luxuries like Heinz ketchup for the stay in Mombasa. They also bought nice sandwich fillings (cheese, ham, etc.) so that they could make their lunch en route (AA pay for all the food and they have a cook with them to prepare it for them).
I know that we will see a difference in the guys when they get home. They will initially seem very much changed, before apparently reverting slowly back to how they used to be, but they will never get quite back to where they were before they went – this will definitely leave it’s mark on them. Andy said that when they first arrived at Magadi Road they would ask “Is there any chance of a shower?”, fully expecting to be able to get one, and being thoroughly disappointed when they couldn’t. Now they ask, and if the answer is “Maybe tomorrow”, they say “Oh cool!” and walk off quite happily.. and I’m sure they’ll never complain about road trips again!
12th – Mombasa
09:00 our time
It rained quite hard in the night (that’s the tropics for you) and some of them got wet – but that shouldn’t be a problem as the days are generally hot and sunny. The night train with everyone else on it has been delayed. A freight train derailed somewhere along the line, and they are stuck at a place called Voi, which is about 4 hours away by road. OT was just about to set off and get them, but they rang to say they had got into matatus and OT will meet them in Mombasa – that will save quite a few hours and they should all be back together in about 3/4 hours.
Some people are recovering from dodgy tummies and feeling a little under the weather. Sammi is gutted that there is weed on the beach – she was expecting white sand and crystal clear water and she is devastated that reality is not as picturesque as the picture she built up in her mind (the water is clear, but seaweed is a pet hate!). The camp seems to be split between those who think it’s great and those who are disappointed/feeling poorly.
More later…( I feel nervous!! It will be nicer here than anywhere else they have been in Kenya, but their expectations were so high..)
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18:00 our time
…everything seems so much better!
It has been a lovely hot day and everyone has been off doing their individual things – some swimming, some shopping and some horse-riding. Lauren and Louise left a message in the guest book, so I guess they were the ones who went to Nakumatt!
There is a huge beach party going on tonight. Andy said it’s something to do with an album launch and the whole beach is being used. The promotion guys have built archways out of palm fronds and flowers and there are bars on the beach – everyone is very excited. They have roped off the camping area and AA have bought everyone locks for their tents and hired four Kenyan security guards to guard the tents, so no-one has to worry about their stuff. The scouts have red wool tied around their wrists so that the security guards know they can come into the site. If anyone wants to go shopping, etc. they have Kenyans with them so that they don’t get ripped off or hassled.
Andy said the sea is really warm and it’s lovely to pick up handfuls of clean sand and use it to exfoliate after 4 weeks of dusty and muddy feet! Helena (they love her for this..) has bought all of the leaders really gaudy Hawaiian shirts in hideous colours – this is their new uniform for the coast!
They have slung up a hammock between the trees and everyone is taking turns crashing out in it with a soda..
Everyone who was ill is feeling better – some not back to normal yet, but definite improvements..
The scouts had never seen the sea or sand before and were asking what it was like. Apparently they can’t believe it. They have also brought along 4 boys from the slum in Nairobi, who are sponsored by Moving Mountains, and they have never seen water either. Andy was trying to explain the concept of floating, but they just couldn’t grasp it – they are terrified that if they go on a boat, it may sink. They have been asking if you can float holding a rock…
Tomorrow the guys can go banana boating, out on a snorkelling trip to the reef and camel riding – it is all included so they don’t have to pay anything. Andy is also going to sort out some diving, so that anyone who wants to do this can go on Monday.
Panic over then….
13th – Mombasa
12:00 our time
It has been raining again this morning – but the sun is coming out again now. Everyone is off doing their separate things – Lauren W is in Nakumatt on the net as I write this and she’s booked her banana boat ride for tomorrow. Some of them are on the beach, some are playing pool and in the bar.
Andy has been looking around at diving schools and they are proving a little expensive – he’s looking at some more this afternoon. There are about half a dozen guys who would like to dive.
The party was good – there were about 1000 people there and the music was still going at 5 this morning. Lauren said it was easy to sleep through ‘cos she was so tired and the music was repetitive.
Some of the guys have nasty bites – Louise and Rachael R are still nursing the 185 bites between them that they got while on safari and Jenny has some nasty ones too.
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17:00 our time
It’s been a very rainy day today, but when the rain stops, there is a warm breeze which dries everything quite quickly (also keeps the mozzies at bay). Some people did some snorkelling and camel-riding today and the banana boating is planned for tomorrow. Andy said that the diving is a rip-off for beginners – too expensive and they only go out in the morning, when the conditions are not forecast to be very good, so they may have to give it a miss. There is only one other qualified diver, Richard, so he and Andy may be able to go out in the afternoon and it is very much cheaper for them.
The scouts were telling Andy how they went snorkelling today and “It was too dangerous – we musn’t go back there again” (they didn’t even get off the boat!). There is a glass bottom to the boat and they said “The fish were so big, there was nowhere even we could run!”.
They have had pilau rice and roasted vegetables and chicken casserole for tea. Sammi asked Eva what was for tea today and she said ‘Flamingo’ with a dead straight face and Sammi said ‘Really?’
They are all planning on going to Pirates tonight – a nightclub on the beach. Chris has gone to check it out and make sure it’s a good night to go. Katie spent a lot of time in Pirates last year and loved it..
There are some messages in the guest book from those who went to Nakumatt today.
14th – Mombasa
12:00 our time
The weather is much better today. People are off shopping and snorkelling. There is a trip to an orphanage this afternoon and the possibility of jet-skiing later on for those who have any money left!
Pirates was good fun!
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18:00 our time
It has been a nicer day today – many of them have been out on the banana boats and on the snorkelling trip. Some have been riding camels. They decided not to jet-ski with Egor, the obnoxious Kenyan, and will try a different place in the morning. Andy, Patrick, Richard and Helena snuck into the hotel swimming pool and had a leisurely swim. Everyone has been swimming in the sea and generally having a nice day.
They were supposed to be visiting an orphanage this afternoon but it didn’t happen – I think they’re planning on going tomorrow. They have to be at Mombasa station at 17:30 tomorrow to catch the overnight train back to Nairobi. It takes 15 hours, but they get a sleeping cabin and meals in the dining car – they are quite looking forward to it! Take at look at Andy’s pics from last year – you can hardly tell the difference between this and the Orient Express (cough)…
It’s Stuart’s (from Scotland) birthday today, so they are having a BBQ tonight. It’s nice out, and there is a warm breeze – Andy said it’s a really pleasant evening. The guys are all just chilling, playing pool or chatting in the bar.
I have a list of things that people would like waiting for them when they get back. Ellie and Jenny’s are missing, but we’ll get them ASAP:
Andy – his water bed (instead of the floor!), Sarah and a full fridge
Becky – a gallon of aftersun and curry and chips from Caerleon chippy (classy chick, Bex!)
Emma – her bed and a hot bath
Rachael Reynolds – Archers and lemonade
Sammi – strawberries and cream and Joe (not necessarily in that order)
Alex – her bed and a ticket back out to Africa
Ailsa – a cheese and Branston pickle sandwich
Jack – a hot bath and a party
Louise – spaghetti on toast with cheese on top and her old bedroom back (oops!)
Rachel Sullivan – a tent for 2 in her garden!
Ben – food to be served on time
Lauren Ferrand – jacket potato with tuna mayo and sweetcorn, caesar salad and ice-cream for dessert
Lauren White – a cheese and pickle sandwich and a clean bedroom (apparently she left it in a right mess!)
Richard – a prawn mayo sandwich and Ellie’s number
Patrick – a Chinese meal, banoffie pie and a hot bath
Simon – a Chinese meal, pretzels, his bed and a Western newspaper
Tomas – an empty sofa
Luke – wants his room exactly as he left it
Lewis – wants Bryony to visit – with a pizza!
15th – Mombasa to Nairobi
18:00 our time
They are all safely on the train. When I spoke to them they were having a mass mozzy-murdering session, as the carriage was full of them. Once they’ve all been disposed of, they know they can settle down and not worry. Dinner was booked for 19:15 – all seated together in the dining car for a three-course meal (I wonder what Kenyan culinary delights they’ll be served?).
They had a nice day today – everyone off doing their own things again – shopping, topping up the tans for the final time, snorkelling and camel riding. Some went on the trip to Fort Jesus and some to a little local orphanage. Andy and the other adults went jet-skiing – I think the kids had spent all their money at this point.. Andy said that OT was on the back of him – he’d never done it before and can’t swim a stroke – he felt him fall off and turned around just in time to see him roll over backwards very gracefully into the water – apparently they were all in stitches..
Some of our girls have henna tattoos, I’m told.
Tomorrow, they will arrive in Nairobi a great deal more refreshed than if they had been in the truck. They will visit Kibera and go to Muthurwa primary school, which is supported by Moving Mountains.
I have attached a couple more photos taken by Katie and Andy last year.
Note the sign on the shack in the background..‘Muthurwa school canteen’
Andy was given loads of toothbrushes to take out last year. He gave them lessons on how to brush their teeth.
This is the slum, taken from the outskirts…
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21:30 our time
Soup to start, followed by fish with lemon, then beef or chicken for the main course, followed by fruit cocktail and coffee. Cockroaches in the sleeping compartment but all good.
16th – last day in Africa
08:15 our time
They have just arrived back in Nairobi. They had a good journey and managed to sleep well. They had bacon, egg and toast for breakfast and are now off to slums. More later…
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11:45 our time
They have been to Muthurwa school and walked through the slum. They visited where they do all the animal carvings and had lunch in the market in the slum – a choice of chicken or beef with ugali or chapatti (most had the latter, I am informed!).
They are off now to have a look at the clinic that was built by last year’s team and then they will head back to Magadi Road – possibly via Nakumatt.
Everything is in hand for them to be picked up tomorrow. The flights have been coming into Heathrow from Doha approximately an hour late over the last few days, but we will know by midday tomorrow what time they will arrive – scheduled to be 17:55 hrs. The buses will hover nearby and will pick them up once they are ready to leave the building. There are 42 of them coming through and there will be a lot of luggage to collect and goodbyes to be said, etc., so I am not expecting them to set off from Heathrow too soon after they arrive..
I will be updating the site regularly and I’m also available on my mobile – just email me if you would like the number.
16:00 our time
Spoke briefly to Andy. They had all showered and were ready to go out.
They are all looking forward to Carnivore (a complete gastronomic delight after what they have experienced for the last month!) and will only really get a few hours sleep before going to the airport for 05:00 to come home – eeek!!!
17th – Coming Home..
Schedule
They are due to get up at 04:00 in order to be at the airport for 05:00.
Flight QR535 is scheduled to depart Nairobi at 06:55 and arrive at Doha 11:55.
They are then due to depart Doha on flight QR001 at 12:30, arriving at Heathrow Terminal 3 at 17:55.
As soon as they depart Doha, I will let the bus company know their scheduled arrival time and they will be waiting at Heathrow for them when they come out of arrivals.
I will post any updates here as I receive them
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07:00
I tried ringing Andy at midnight their time, as Anne (Becky’s mum) was with me and we thought we’d catch up with them. There was no answer so we thought they must be getting plenty of sleep in ready for the early start. Ha! I got a call at 02:00 their time and they were on their way back from the nightclub next to Carnivore. After a fab meal and prize-giving ceremony in Carnivore, where Louise and Rachel won the prize for the most bites, etc., they had decided to carry on partying!! On arrival at Magadi Road earlier in the day, they had been given the option of whether they wanted to pitch tents and most of them had declined, so, as they had nothing to go back to Magadi Road for, they stayed out partying and just went back to collect their bags and went straight to the airport!
I spoke to Sammi and she took great delight in telling me that she has both ridden and eaten camel on this holiday
The flight was full and they were not allowed to take any liquids in their hand luggage, so they all drank loads before they got on. The flight took off a little late and they are expected in Doha at 12:21 local time (10:21 our time). Their connecting plane should wait for them…
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12:30
They arrived in Doha at 12:25 local time and Flight QR001 from Doha to Heathrow has not departed yet, so I assume that it has been delayed for them. The flight time is six and a half hours, so they will not be at Heathrow until at least 7 or 8 o’clock tonight. I will keep you updated..
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13:10
They took off from Doha at 12:59 our time, and are scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 19:51. If all goes well (and invariably it doesn’t!) they will be getting into the minibuses at around 21:00 and then it’s how long it takes them to get back – looks like it will be a late night for us!!
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20:20
They have arrived at Heathrow and are just in the baggage hall collecting their things.
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21:45
All in minibuses on M4 – stopping for a quick 10 min comfort break. ETA Caerleon 11:45 – midnight. If you are coming from afar (or near) and would like to come up for a cup of tea while you wait – please feel free!!
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