Kenya Part 1

Fiona and James with our driver/guide Anthony

Day -1

Fingers on the button for check in at 09.45. We'd promised Fiona and James that we didn't need to pay to book seats, we would get seats together, and so we did. We were packed and ready, so rather than fidget we went to Argentine tango, for the first time in weeks. I really struggled I have to admit, even walking was difficult.

Breakfast at Heathrow airport before our flight

Lunch, chill and to Fiona and James for just after 15.00. Into their car and off to Heathrow. It wasn't a hideously early start, but check in at 06.45 made staying the night before sensible. Walk to the pub for dinner and a couple of drinks and an early night.

Arrival at the Eka Hotel Nairobi after our 8.5 hour flight

Day 1

Uber to the airport, painless baggage drop, and not too bad through security. Wethespoons for breakfast and a drink for Fi&J. I couldn't do it! I did go for a G&T on the plane though, before 11.00. she gave us 2 each so in to the bag with our seconds. This was joined later by a bottle of wine. We are such lightweights!

One drink of the local Tusker lager at the hotel and an early night

I can't remember the last time we did a long haul day flight but it passed quite quickly and before we knew it we were landing. Immigration however was painful, and we were close to the front!

The first part of the journey took us past the slums on the outskirts of Nairobi

Out the door and there was Isaac from Best Memory Safaris with our name on a card. It's always such a relief. To our vehicle and driver Anthony for the next 10 days. It's going to be good.

But soon we were out of the city and heading to our first stop at Lake Nakuru

Can't really say much about the first hotel but a quick pint and bed, although it feels early, it'll feel even earlier in the morning!

On the way rising to over 2000m with a fabulous view over  the Great Rift Valley that stretches from Lebanon in the Middle East and right down the east of Africa to Mozambique, parts of it below sea level

Day 2

07.30 depart to Lake Nakuru, we've been going 2.5 hours, shocked Fi&J with the slums, stopped for a view into the Rift valley and seen a rock hyrax and zebra.

Zebras on the way 

Not long after I finished writing 2 baboons sauntered but and we saw a maribou stork. There may have been more, but this was just a road so no stopping and Anthony was concentrating on driving, a whole new experience!

Here we go then, Warthogs to start

We arrived at Lake Nakuru national park about 11.30 for warthogs even before we'd gone through the gate. The pop top on the van was up and we were off. A picture will speak a 1000 words so apart from saying we were late for lunch because we had to visit rhinos 

Our transport for the trip, complete with pop up top. Plenty of room for the four of us plus driver and luggage

I'll leave it there.

There's so much we saw we can't put it all on, so here's a few. This is a monitor lizard that we saw swimming across the lake then crawl out onto this log. As usual, eagle eyed Anthony spotted these things while driving

Lovely lunch, check in, an hour or so to chill and then out again at 16.00. Anthony had a fab route planned for the afternoon drive, but he knew I needed a leopard, so when the call came over the radio, he turned round and we were off, but it was worth it. Lying there posing, right in front of us, wow. We almost ignored our first giraffes till we decided it was someone else's turn with the leopard. The giraffe were fab, and for some reason decided to have a little trot, very funny.

Baboons

Off to a couple of lions, the male just lying on his back with his paws in the air looking absolutely ridiculous. Two beautiful jackal and a slinky hyena before arriving at the waterfall. Parking area was full so we walked past the scary baboons who were scary, or cute if you are Fi&J!  Back k to the lions who had turned into 4, 2 male, 2 female all lying together, licking, playing, magical. One lioness walked off and flopped right in front of us, so close, real eye contact and a slow blink, just a big pussycat. A male walked past so close that if I'd put my hand out the window I would have touched him. How I controlled myself I don't know, and nor will anyone who knows me! We got back to the lodge to be greeted by the lodge cat who said hello to all of us, just to be fair.

These are white Rhinos that have been brought back from almost extinction to a healthy population in this park of over 500. They were and are still hunted by poachers who saw off their horns and sell them to China and Vietnam amongst other places, where the horns command a price weight for weight higher than gold

Fabulous lamb for dinner and a very early night. What a day, absolutely amazing, four of the big five and there are no elephants in this park so we couldn't see them! We just hope we haven't peaked too soon!

Look at this cute baby rhino, estimated by Anthony as probably 8 months old

Day 3

Breakfast at 6, meet at 7. This isn't the relaxing holiday Fi&J are used to. Peaceful drive through the park, finally saw some flamingo for which the park used to be famous. Numbers have dropped dramatically since the water levels have risen.

A stop by the lake to see buffalo (one of the Big 5) and a huge quantity of pelicans and numerous other bird species

Out of the park at 09.00 ISH and we are heading to the Masai mara. The road is atrocious so what I've written I have no idea!

Then to our Lake Nakuru Lodge for lunch and a brief rest before an afternoon game drive

I'm going to try to catch up on some sleep as I woke at 02.00!!

And a brief moment to enjoy the view out over the lake from our balcony

Horrendous journey to our next camp, and we've got a full day tomorrow, so this afternoon is pool, chilling and blog.

Before an amazing afternoon game drive that ended just  after the sun set at 6:30pm, starting with these grey crowned cranes

Hippos

And then, after a radio call, a mad dash across the park for a leopard encounter

Lazing in a fairly relaxed position looking at giraffe (to big for him)

Quite a few giraffe

How about that for a nice African scene, Giraffe and Zebra

But it didn't stop there, lion encounter was next, there are actually four here, two males and two females who froliced about in front of us for a long time, walking past our vehicle, so close Jackie could have reached over and stroked one

Past two Jackal of which I got so many photos this one being the best

A stop  at a waterfall with many baboons playing nearby, one doing a photobomb in this one

Got  lots of photos of baboons but liked this one of mum and baby

Past these - Eland, I think

Then, in fading light James spotted these rhino bedding down for the night

Jackie spotted this Hyena creeping through the long grass

Back past the lions who were still putting on a display. I took some video of them all playing, which I'm trying to upload to Youtube as I write.. If it uploads successfully (it's only 26% complete at the moment) I'll add it on the end. If not, I'll put it on the next blog

And then back to the lodge for dinner, beer and early night. This was this morning at about 7:00am, ready for our morning game drive followed by a long drive to Masai Mara

What did we see today? well, a huge herd of buffalo, including this baby just a few hours old

This sea eagle

Lots of flamingos

Maribou storks

More white rhino, who may have been the same ones from yesterday, who insisted on stopping the vehicles so they could cross the road

And then a very long drive through lots of countryside and some towns and villages

In our Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle

To our tented camp in Masi Mara, where we are for two nights. What will tomorrow bring we wonder... By the way, I'm giving up on the Youtube of the lions, the internet is just too slow. I'll do it another time! 

House, done. (For this year!)

Party at John's on Wednesday night (there he is on the right) with Sunday Club (they all meet at the local pub in the village on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday nights and we join them when we're around)

All the finishing touches have been done in the kitchen, (except the bespoke display unit which will be made next year). The splashback looks fab, as does the clock, my triumph I think. Much more in keeping than a standard big clock Brian had been eyeing up. It was just the first thing that came up when I searched for clocks. Lots of designs, 15 colours any of which can be your primary, secondary or tertiary selection, all get sent to you with a template to stick them to the wall. The rug was a little more expensive than we were hoping but we didn’t realise that rugs only come in standard sizes, so when I finally found one about the right size and perfect colour way, that was it! Brian has found a fire surround for the fireplace so all we need now is a salt lamp to go in there. We might find one tomorrow when we go out to collect Brian’s new glasses, if we are lucky. Brian’s absolute triumph though is the new door between the kitchen and the utility. The frame is a strange size, not square, and he wanted the door to open the other way. What he thought he wanted to cut off was only just within tolerance, where the handle needed to go was where they said don’t put it, and as for the banana shape…. He’d talked about it, built it up in his head, and fretted about it. He had the window guys to bounce ideas off, and approached it slowly and steadily, taming his inner bull in a china shop! He’s done a stunning job.

The splashback that matches the dining wall 

The dining wall and wild coloured rug

There's Jackie's wild clock that matches the other wild colours. The fireplace is now complete with grate and Himalayan salt lamp, the arch on the left is scheduled to have a bespoke oak cabinet made next year (always something to do!)

The garden is also looking good, once the window men left on Friday I could finally get the cleaning solution I’d bought to remove the brown stains on the patio left by the brick cleaner that Darren had used to remove cement that turned the grey slabs brown! I was not happy. This stuff however is magic and our slabs are grey once again. The acer we had spent all summer looking for we finally found in Bristol, so that’s in, along with the grasses in my ‘spring art’ bed. We have even managed to sit out a couple of evenings. This leads to its own amusement as Luna cat from next door, who will finally say hello, comes down, says hello and then marches into the house like she owns it. She is such a little madam, but we are very happy to entertain her.

Brian working on the new internal door from kitchen to rear lobby

Saturday we had Denise and Paul round for a nose, just as Anthony had arrived to trim the two end panels that came off so the floor could be laid. He didn’t take long though and we went out for a walk. Train to Barnt Green 7km under very threatening skies, with no view from the top of the Lickey Hills, but still a lovely walk. We finished at the Barnt Green Inn for a meal and a good catch up. Train back to village, waved them off and the heavens opened. We were very lucky! Have a look at our short Relive video with photos of our walk: click here

The fields near Bittel Reservoir with Denise and Paul

Drink and beer  in the Barnt Green Inn after our walk

Sunday after patio cleaning was Sunday Tea Club. The original six, Manu and Crystal, Helen and Ian and us. A couple of pints followed by a really tasty meal, fab.

I have to apologise to everyone in this photo as I caught everyone at a bad moment! Unfortunately I only took one photo rather than 3 or 4 to pick the best. I was keen to get back to the food - that'll teach me! Anyway this is our Sunday Tea Club group, Manu, Chrystal, Ian and Helen (rather than Sunday Club - an entirely different group of people)

Monday, also social, our first dinner guests. Alex and Rob came over to inspect their ‘holiday home’ ready for when we are on holiday and they are in the middle of destroying their back room so it works for us all to have them to come and stay. Apart from the trauma of deciding what to cook, another lovely evening.

Next doors cat Luna feeling at home in our garden while we enjoy the last of the summer wine

Tuesday Abi had asked if we could hang a couple of radiators for her so Tariq could plumb them in. Tariq is quite capable of hanging radiators but after his heart attack earlier this year, probably shouldn’t be. We did the heavy stuff, so he can plumb, and decorate. We also met Bradford, one half of a couple who also used to Housesit for her and Sooty. She’d roped him in to painting gloss in the spare and box rooms. It was good to meet him after hearing so much about him and we were all spoiled by a meal at the Murg Al Azam, the very nice Indian, just round the corner in what used to be a church. This was most unexpected, but we weren’t arguing.

Another photo from our walk in Barnt Green with Denise and Paul. A perfect reflection in the lake

Wednesday Brian had to create in the morning. He was making a tiramisu to take to John’s in the evening for a meal for Sunday club and wives, and a couple of extras. Another brilliant evening, we were all wrapped up but sitting outside under the event shelter eating, drinking and talking rubbish led to a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Today we’ve packed for Kenya (we're off there for two weeks on Sunday - see our plan and map top right) and then made Thai curry with all the vegetables from the bottom of the fridge that haven’t got eaten as we kept going out. We also blanched and froze the beans that Denise brought us that I just haven’t had chance to cook with. Hopefully we’ll have time to eat them between Kenya and South America when we want to turn the freezer off!

This is Denise's photo of the same view, I think hers is probably better than my effort (although I'd accept reassurance that mine's better!)