Kenya (Part 1)

17 September 2012) Wake up to see, from our hotel room, the poor people (Gecko Tourists) packing tents up in the drizzle. After a 4 hour drive we arrive in the city of Nakuru. G28 parks out the front of big shopping centre and we are let loose. We brave the large round about and finally make it to the Barclays Bank which has a working ATM. Our luck holds and we make it back to the shopping centre unscathed. The truck then takes us to our campsite at the East African Orphanage some 10 kilometres outside of town. After lunch we meet some of the 220 children that are housed and educated here. We have dinner with the children and one of the boys, Jethro shows Lyn how to use the video function on her camera.

18 September 2012. We head off to Lake Nakuru National Park for a game drive. The lake is very full after above average rains and some of the tracks are underwater. This doesn't bother our driver James as he pushes G28 through. We see a wide range of animals including Giraffes, White Rhinos, Gazelles, Impalas and Baboons. On the way back to the Orphanage, Geckos stop off at the shopping centre and buy a washing machine for them. When we were loading the machine onto the truck a local asked what it was. When he was told  he still didn't understand.

19 September 2012. Just before 8:00 am we all go with children to their various classes. My new friend Clinton is in grade one and we sit together for an hour through a maths class. Clinton volunteers me to solve a problem on the blackboard in front of everyone. Fortunately I scramble through the exercise. A few hours of driving later and we arrive at Lake Naivasha.  The local guide offers some options and has to be reminded of Elsamere, a home of Joy Adamsom. We persuade the guide that it would be in his best interest to arrange this excursion and we spend the afternoon in and around the house and lovely gardens watching birds and Colobus Monkeys. Back at camp a few of us decide that for dinner we will eat crayfish at the local restaurant. Just as it arrives the power goes off. Luckily we are experienced campers and have lights at the ready.
20 September 2012. It's a long drive today to the Masai Mara so tents are packed by 6:00 am. We stop in Narok to get some supplies including Black Currant Fanta. It's a long dusty drive to the Masai Mara over bridges and roads that need some work. Just before we reach our campsite we drop off 20 people who want to visit a Masai Village. We've been before and have no intention of ever doing it again. Later, the Geckos arrive at the campsite and tell tales of being taken into Masai huts and being intimidated into buying goods. This is a tented site and we are allocated Bweha which means  jackal. We laze the afternoon away and our cook Henry creates a masterpiece of a dinner out of nothing.