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At the end of our last update we were
about to leave Arusha in Tanzania for Nairobi, Kenya. A
painless border crossing and good roads meant that it was not long
before we were in the bustling big city of Nairobi
("affectionately" called Now-rob-me or Nai-robbery).
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It is a modern and
vibrant city with highrise buildings and bustling (if over-crowded)
roads. The police are working hard on getting rid of the
criminals, while the city fathers ensure that the place is kept
clean and hawkers are not tolerated. There are also large
shopping malls, the most similar to South Africa that we have come
across. All in all, we were impressed with Nairobi.
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We decided to visit Kenya's prestigious wildlife parks on our return
from Uganda, and so we set off to Lake Naivasha and Crater
Lake. The birdlife and wildlife in this area is
phenomenal! Our best moment was when a Colubus Monkey dropped
onto our vehicle for a closer inspection! He decided that our
Shrek doll was a potential rival and spent a long time checking out
the perceived competition. At last he decided that looking at
himself in our side mirrors was a better way to spend his time.
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Crater Lake is a little known spot which is breath-taking. The
small caustic lake is filled with flamingoes; any number from
2 000 to over 5 000 at any one time. The lodge has large
cushioned chairs on a long verandah from which one can flop down and
watch a myriad of birds flutter past. We decided to have the
set menu for dinner and tucked into soup, followed by Roast Beef,
Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes, tons of veggies and gravy and
ended off with Baked Alaska. Great food in a wonderful
setting!
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Knowing we couldn't stay
at Crater Lake forever, we headed towards Uganda. A highlight
for us followed - we crossed the Equator! A local lady, who
runs a curio kiosk, took us 10m either side of the sign and showed
us how water goes down a drain clockwise in the northern hemisphere
and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere. We bought a memento
and had a drink to celebrate this milestone in our adventure.
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The border crossing into Uganda was somewhat bureaucratic, but
everyone was very friendly and helpful. We headed for Jinga
and the source of the Nile - another exciting milestone on our
journey!
Lake Victoria feeds the Victoria Nile
which is regarded as the source of the mighty river. It
meanders through Uganda before flowing into Lake Kyoga, then Lake
Edward before becoming the White Nile. In Sudan the White Nile
mergers with the Blue Nile, at which stage it simply becomes
"The Nile".
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We watched the huge river flow by us;
it will make 3 months for the water we saw to reach the
Mediterranean Sea on Egypt's shores. Unfortunately, the river
is to be damed as part of a hydro-electric water scheme; the entire
source area will be flooded and become a large lake. The
rapids, the islands and the sound of the thundering water will be
lost.
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Uganda is lush and green
and it rains just about everyday - even in the "dry"
season! We decided to take advantage of a sunny morning to go
quad biking along the river and through the local village.
Because of the muddy conditions, we were provided with
"protective clothing"; this means a boiler suit, wellie
boots, helmet and goggles. We soon got the hang of the
controls and were zipping along the narrow winding paths.
Our next mission - to
see the Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi National Park.-
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Quad Biking along the river
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Bujagali Falls on the Victoria Nile
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Highlights:
Best meal: Alan's best meal consisted of spicy
meatballs on a bed of spaghetti which he had at the Nairobi
Club. Sandy's best meal was the roast beef and yorkshire
pudding dinner at Crater Lake.
Best moments: When we crossed
the equator for the first time and when we gazed on the Nile at
its source.
Worst moment: When Sandy stepped on her prescription
glasses while wearing hiking boots. They are now even more
squiff than ever!!
Rotary meetings: We've been busy! First, lunch at the
Rotary Club of Nairobi South, followed by a fellowship evening of
tenpin bowling with the folks from Nairobi East (Kenya) and then we
visited the Rotary Club of Kampala in Uganda. Interesting people
we've met:
- Jeff; a Rotarian from the Nairobi East Club who showed us really
great Rotarian hospitality - thanks Jeff!!
- Raj and Ash of the Overland Camping Site in Eldoret, Kenya
- Mike, Sue and their dog Mona; crew of one of the Kumuka overland
trucks
- Etienne & Charlie and all of their 21 passengers on one of the Acacia Overland trucks
- PK & Jannay, owners of All Terrain Quad-Biking Adventures.
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