Tuesday 4th July
Mum, Dad and Alice took me to Edinburgh where I got the plane down to Heathrow. We left at 1.30pm and by 2pm we were flying above Manchester – only ½ an hour! We also got food on the plane. Once at Heathrow (landed in Terminal 1) I didn’t need to panic about how to get to Terminal 3 because I simply had to walk along the underground corridor. I eventually found the Emirates desk, where I met Stephen Gow and Laura Munro, from Aberdeen. We at around until 4.30pm when a guy called Chris Little came with the main plane tickets. (We all filled the time by guessing who was going to Kili.). The group seems ok although the vast majority are from Northern Ireland (not that I have anything against Irish people). I am also one of the youngest members of the group, having just turned 20 on June 29th.
We got our plane that left Heathrow at 8.30pm and arrived in Dubai 8 hours later (don’t ask me the time because I got very confused!). We had to wait at Dubai…
Wednesday 5th July
Left Dubai at some time (7am, but actually only 4am to our minds!). I was suffering from severe jet lag, like the others. The flight was with “Emirates” again, and took 5 ½ hours to Nairobi. We got even more food than from London to Dubai and, to tell the truth, I was getting quite sick of it!
Just over an hour before landing I had to get the Stewardess’s attention because the guy sitting to me (who was Arabic and apparently didn't speak English) probably in his late 40’s was harassing me. Later a guy came and told this other guy not to get lost (proving he did in-fact understand English). I also swapped seats with a guy going to Kili, who was in front of me.
We arrived in Nairobi at about 2pm and the plains looked wonderful. We got a little bus to the camp place that Gave Bate helps at (finances), just outside Nairobi. I almost cried when I saw how seriously poor and poverty stricken Africa really is.
At the camp we saw monkeys and had tea (ate with fingers!). Went for a daunder in the forest by the camp – dangerous not just because of the animals but because some people go to that forest to chop wood illegally (they get put in jail for 10 years if caught). So, in case anyone threatens them they attack with Machetes.
At night we went to the slum area (shantytown) where I really did cry – I felt awful walking past such poor people wearing all my mountaineering gear. They had nothing – their houses were made of mud with unstable roofs (though the houses are apparently laid out as villages in the Slum City). It also stank of sewage and pollution is a big problem (from traffic aswell).
Also saw a BP garage and Stagecoach buses (which – no joke – attempt to run you over!) which looked very out of place in an otherwise very poor area.
We went to a bar, which played very loud music! (Unusual to see so many men dancing). We had soda (bottle – 35p – very cheap). We later had meat and Ugeli (maize and water). Not sure what the meat was – buffalo, monkey or cow!! (At the end of the trip we were told it was in-fact goat!). Some random African guy chatted me up, which was amusing!
Laura Munro (who I’m good friends with) joked that the meat we’d eaten was from the thin dogs from the camp we were staying at and I added the punchline “Oh… that’ll explain the kit-kat taste!!” (Which she thought was hilarious, because she had been feeding kit-kats to them earlier!).
Felt knackered by 11pm (Nairobi time – 2 hours ahead of UK time) – feel like I’ve had 2 days rolled into one because I wasn’t able to sleep properly on the plane. Stayed in scabby bunk beds at night at Gavin’s camp.
Thursday 6th July
Thankfully no one got up until 10.30am. We had boiled eggs and bread for breakfast. We just chatted and then had Avocado and bread for lunch.
We then went shopping in Nairobi for an hour (went in the truck because it was too dangerous to walk). I bought my postcards but won’t write them until after Kili.
We then sorted out our tent groups – I’m sharing with Laura, Bernie and Eileen. We practised putting up the tents – they’re huge and are even Vango ones, which will be good when I need to take photos of my Vango gear on Kili. We then chatted some more and at night we had a BBQ on a huge campfire – not sure what the meat was but it was extremely chewy!! I helped prepare the salad and have a photo to prove it! Also took a photo of some of the guys playing football with the African children, which I thought was nice. Learnt that another person in the group has also been to Iceland, so it was good to chat with them about it. Went to bed at 10.30am (Oh – found out we are currently at 6,000ft (!), though it certainly doesn’t feel like it!).
Friday 7th July
Got up at 7am and packed everything up. We helped carry some wood to some huts as it’s going to be used to build a hospital by Rowallan Camp (where we’ve been staying).
It was absolutely boiling today. We set off to Tanzania in a couple of the little buses, with all our bags on top. The border was about 2 hours from where we had been staying.
Saw loads of Beetles – they’re as common as muck here! The bus drivers drive very fast and it can be a bit scary at times. The roads are also extremely bumpy at times – I understand now why I saw a T-shirt that said, “I’ve survived the potholes of Kenya!”
About a kilometre from the Kenya / Tanzania border we stopped at a woodcarvings store. I was looking at an amazing mask when a guy came over and tried to get me to buy it! (Not until after Kili though!). His name was Daniel (kept telling me to remember this!) and he had made the mask I’d been looking at – took him a month to make! He is expecting to see me there again after the climb and wants me to give him a present from Scotland – not sure what though as I don’t have anything particularly Scottish!
At the border we got our passports stamped again – which I (sadly!) find most exciting, as I’ve never had mine stamped before – and also had to get a Visa in-order to be allowed to enter Tanzania (cost 50 US Dollars. i.e. about £40). For some unknown reason people with Irish passports (i.e. the majority of the group!) do not have to buy Visas!
After crossing the border we headed for Arusha (pronounced A-roo-sha) and then on to Moshi, where we’re staying tonight. Along the way we saw Thomson’s gazelles (type of Antelope) and also Zebras. The soil is so red here – it’s amazing.
Whenever we stopped we were pestered by Africans trying to sell us stuff. The Masai people wore amazing clothes, but had really horrible ears, with huge big holes in them. E.g:
As we approached Arusha we began to see mountains. On 2 occasions I thought I saw Kilimanjaro, but on both occasions I was wrong!
We arrived in Moshi at about 4pm – we are staying at Newcastle Hotel. I am sharing a room with Laura. I went to have a shower, hoping it would be warm, but in-fact it was absolutely baltic but, me being an army girl, I braved it!!
Then went and had tea (in the hotel). We had to wait ages (about 2 hours!). I had chicken, rice and salad (though, as usual, the chicken was almost all bone).
I now have 4 currencies on me – UK, Tanzanian Shillings, Kenyan Shillings and US Dollars! (Very confusing!). I paid for a couple of drinks with US Dollars and got Tanzanian Shillings for my change – I’m not yet sure how many Tanzanian Shillings there are to the pound. I asked Pertula (Geog. teacher, who’s been to Iceland), but she’s just as confused!
Gavin Bate (leader) checked Laura’s gear at night and then felt my bag and thought it was okay, as far as weight is concerned. He reckons we’ll be up and down Kili in 5 or 6 days!!
Just before we had tea tonight I went out onto the balcony and saw Kili for the first time – it doesn’t look nearly as big as I was expecting, but I need to bear in mind that I’m still an hour’s drive away from it, so it’s very misleading! (Oops – that observation’s obviously in the wrong place – how could I forget it?!). We will be going up the left-hand-side. It seems quite gradual, until the summit day, which looks hell!
Saturday 8th July
Got up at 6.30am with the plan of leaving the hotel at 8.30am but, as usual, we were running late! We finally left at around 9.30am. We drove in a dodgy bus (!) to the start of the Machame route at 6,000ft! I had a slight headache coming up but I think that was more to do with the driving – it was so scary driving through the rainforests/jungle with the huge steep hills and massive potholes! I was quite glad to get out at the top!
We weighed our bags at the start of the trail. Most people’s bags were about 11kg and, according to the scales, mine weighs 18kg!! (Making it one of the heaviest bags!) However, as my bag only weighed 13.5kg at the airport and I’ve taken stuff out, there’s no-way this is accurate! (Even though I’ve allowed for the fact that things weigh more the higher up you go). Gavin got delayed at one of the other gates, sorting out permits, so we sat around until about lunchtime.
When we saw Kili on the way up it was majorly scary – the top of it was way up in the clouds! (aaaahhhh!!!!). There was more of the mountain above the clouds than below the clouds! (This turned out to be an image that would haunt me a lot during my trip up to the summit!).
We had to wait at the Machame (pronounced Ma – Sha – Me) gate until about 2pm. Had lunch and then set off up Kili! It was absolutely roasting – I was in my shorts and T-shirt and still absolutely boiling! The route was okay to start with – steep in places but also quite flat at some points. I basically ended up walking on my own because no one was going at my pace – which was scary at times, especially when I had a pounding headache.
I only lost my motivation when I got to a really narrow, high bit – in-fact I almost cried because it was getting dark, I was tired and I didn’t know how far I had to go. I asked the porters how long and one said 1 hour 45 mins, and another said 20 mins, so basically I never knew! Finally at about 7pm, I arrived at Machame Hut campsite. Headtorches were needed because it got very dark very quickly. We camped at 11,000ft and walked 12 miles today. Once the tents were up I got into my sleeping bag to warm up – because it was bloomin’ freezing! From the campsite we were able to see the summit – good to see it, but we’ve still got 8,000ft to go!!
Apparently we need to drink 2 litres of water at breakfast, 2 during the day, and 2 at night to stop us getting headaches.
Gavin Bate is really kind and a nice guy to talk to – he congratulated me when I got to the campsite, because I got there only 10 minutes after him (and he’s climbed Kili 12 times before!).
Had tea at 10pm. Felt totally knackered and went to bed at 11pm.
(VERY, VERY muddy today which made it hard going – I was caked in it by the end of the day!).
Sunday 9th July
Had a nice cooked breakfast, which the porters had cooked. Also took some morning pictures of the summit – Kibo.
Slept quite well last night despite Bernie, Eileen, Laura and I waking up at 1.10am – pitch black outside – because Bernie’s watch was reading 8.10am!!
Last night I had been feeling slightly sick so I decided to take a Diamox tablet this morning to try and prevent and further AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).
For some reason my hands seem to be caked in mud and dust, no matter how many times I try and wash them!
We all headed off for our next destination of the Shira Hut at 10.30am. Gavin told us it would probably take us about 5 hours to get there (3.30pm).
I started off walking with Laura but she was going too slowly for me so I went off on my own. It was fairly intense to begin with, particularly in the heat. Pertula caught me up and said she liked my pace so we decided to stick together for the rest of the day. One of the guides, Paul, walked with Pertula and I which was just as well really because there were a number of occasions when we headed off on the wrong path! We were constantly reminded of “Pole, Pole” (meaning “slowly, slowly”). It is very important to go slowly though because otherwise you end up exhausting yourself.
When we got above the clouds it really was such an amazing view – I’ve only ever seen that view from an aeroplane, and to see it standing on Africa’s highest mountain is absolutely fantastic!
Just before we had lunch at about 2pm, we were beginning to feel the altitude – not headaches, just very short of breath. In-fact at some points we were having to stop about every 10 – 15 paces so that we could get our breath back – just not enough oxygen at this height!!
The guide told us not to take so many breaks because it’ll just make us more tired, but we had to in-order to breathe!
At about 4pm (just half and hour after Gavin arrived) Pertula and I arrived at the Shira Hut. Our tents were already up, so we just put our stuff in. Gavin came over to my tent and took a photo of me in the tent with the clouds in the background. Gavin told me I ‘d done extremely well. He asked if this was the highest I’d ever been and I said that, as I’d only done Snowdon before, of course it was!
It was quite cold sitting around so I had almost all my layers on – which are all manky – covered in mud!!
I felt slightly sick at the campsite, which is no surprise really, because we are currently at 14,000ft!!! The summit looks surprisingly close now, particularly after seeing it so far up in the clouds when we saw it for the first time from the road. I now feel confident I can reach the summit – hopefully I’ll be able to walk with someone again tomorrow because it was good to have the company.
We will be spending two nights here to acclimatise. It was absolutely baltic outside from about 6.30pm onwards so I just went into my sleeping bag. It’s going to be even colder the higher up we get.
Monday 10th July
Got up at 8am, though probably only had about 2 hours sleep because I felt so sick at night. This sickness was caused by the altitude – 14,000ft! There was hardly any air in the tent and any air that was there hardly had any oxygen in it. It was next to impossible to breathe and we all had to try very hard not to panic.
My arms are also very sore as I am badly sunburnt. In the morning we were all caked in dust (photo of plate and mug!). It’s absolutely disgusting because everything is filthy!
Had a nice breakfast of pancakes and drank lots of water. Gavin also allowed some of us to email, so I emailed Mum and some friends. We then just sat around and chatted to the porters and the other people in the group. Drank more water and struggled to breathe. Hope it’s not much worse the higher up we get – I want to summit but it’s not a good feeling struggling to breathe.
When I’m in the tent I’ve been trying to make myself believe that I’m only camping in the garden at home so I don’t feel the altitude, but it doesn’t really work!
Gavin was also saying that his phone bill on Everest came to £7,200!!!
Sat and chatted to people and read some of my book. Also had a 2-hour sleep in the afternoon. Bernie gave Laura and I a Mars Bar, which was such a luxury! Also took some photos of the massive crows, which look more like vultures!
I only seem to feel sick when I’m in the tent at night – just too claustrophobic – meaning you feel like you’re suffocating in the little air at that we have in there.
Had tea at about 7.30pm and it was bloomin’ freezing – I had almost everything on and I was still frozen!
Took a couple of photos of my Vango gear, as Vango are partly sponsoring me. One of the older women, Claire, has been feeling ill all day today, because of the altitude, and Gavin thinks she’ll have to go down tomorrow for her own safety.
I can still make the summit, providing I’m still able to breathe tomorrow – afterall it’s bloomin’ tough up here to do so.
Tuesday 11th July
Set off at about 10.30am. Gavin has told us that we have to all prove to him today that we are able to go at a pace which allows us to keep going, and not have to stop every 10 paces or so to catch our breath – if we don’t manage this we simply won’t be allowed to try for the summit. For this reason I went in the slow group, at the front, because I was worried about falling behind. It was a long jaunt and it was horrible having to carry my very heavy rucksack. One of the other members of the group (Helga) helped keep me motivated. I was really struggling to breathe and I felt really sick all the way and it was only shear determination that got me all the way. Had a quick stop at lunch. After that there was some seriously steep, dusty scree slopes we had to go up. There were also 3 ridges like this and I actually cried because I was feeling so tired and unwell. I finally made it to the Arrow Glacier Hut at about 4.10pm. I still managed to arrive within the first group despite my struggling. Laura was first up – must’ve been because it was her 25th birthday today that gave her the energy!
Gavin and Andy Salter (other guy hoping to do all 7 summits) have decided we won’t go for the summit at 1am – we’ll go at about 7am tomorrow so that we can all get a good amount of sleep beforehand.
After tea we sang “Happy Birthday” to Laura, which really embarrassed her!
Gavin and Andy told us not to attempt to summit if we were struggling today. They said it wouldn’t be a failure because we’ve all done extremely well getting this far – currently camping at17,000ft!! This made me sort of cry because I’m unsure as to whether or not I’ll manage (plus I’ve pulled a muscle in my left knee, which really doesn’t help).
I then spoke to Gavin and Andy (“consultation”!) to ask them that they thought about me going to the summit. Gavin said that he thought I’d looked well when I arrived at the camp today and that I’d had rests, etc. He said he’d also noticed that I always manage to arrive within the first group, which shows I’m doing well. I explained I’ve been finding it hard to breathe and that I’ve been feeling sick. However Gavin assured me we’d be going a slow pace and told me to go for it.
So, I’ll take his advice and go for it – even though it’ll probably kill me!
Took lots of photos of the amazing sunset above the clouds to use up my film, so I’ll have a new film for the summit day.
Went to bed at 7.30pm because, you’ve guessed it, it was absolutely freezing outside.
Wednesday 12th July
Got up at 6am and packed our bags for Summit Day. Had a couple of pancakes and some sugary tea for breakfast. Couldn’t get my water bottle filled because a) my platypus was frozen and, b) there was no water!
I decided to go for the summit so I set off with the others at 8am. It was a lot of scrambling and I was really struggling with my breathing.
Laura (who I was sharing a rucksack with) had a big debate with Andy and Gavin and in the end had to turn back. When the rest of us got to the scree sections Gavin put out a safety line which we hung onto with one of our hands. However, there was a really icy bit and I slipped and lost my grip on the safety rope and went skidding down the ice and scree – majorly scary – but thankfully no broken bones and just a few grazes.
It really was absolute hell – people were puking up everywhere and I also felt dizzy, sick and like I was going to pass out. I had an Asprin and had even had a Diamox in the morning. The ridge just took forever to get to and I ended up at the back with Helga and Katie.
There was lots of scrambling and I actually just cried my eyes out from about ¾ of the way up because a) I couldn’t breathe and, b) I felt so ill and, c) there was no way of turning back. It really annoyed me that people up front kept telling me to “close the gaps” – I couldn’t because I felt that bad!
Thankfully Gavin got someone to carry my rucksack for me, as Laura was no longer there to take over. It took us 8 hours to reach the ridge (summit), with no food or water (4 hours longer than had been estimated). At the top – the crater – there was an amazing ice cliff face. We were then at 19,000ft. We walked over to the bit of cliff that was Uhuru Peak 340ft higher, but it was so steep, and I had such serious altitude sickness that there was absolutely no way I could do it. However, I do not feel a failure because I got to the actual summit at 19,000ft. Not that many people made it to the top of Uhuru Peak and there were only a few others who made it to 19,000ft. I, therefore, walked around Uhuru Peak. I then honestly felt like I was going to die and that I was never going to get down from the mountain because I felt that ill and was still crying. It felt worse than the worst flu I could think of that I’ve ever had.
Apparently it should have only taken us 2 hours to get down and because we didn’t find the camp after this time we assumed we were lost, which was scary as it was dark and we had had nothing to eat or drink all day. The other thing that concerned me was how cold it got at nights, and I seriously doubt we could have survived had we found we had to stay the night there.
We eventually got to the camp at 13,000ft just after 8pm (meaning we came down a whacking 6,000ft). Just had lots of water to drink and then went to bed because I was so tired.
Some of the others told Gavin it was stupid that we had no water with us for the day – there is a fine line between “part of the challenge” and safety. You would not even venture onto the Scottish hills with no water, so I was annoyed that we had done the hardest day of the climb with nothing at all to drink. One girl, Andrea, had even passed out on the way down because of this.
I also found out that those who went to the top of Uhuru Peak only took 50 minutes to do so, even though Gavin and Andy estimated 2 hours! I will never regret not going up there.
I felt seriously ill at night.
Thursday 13th July
I was so seriously knackered last night that I slept like a log (only complaint is I now seem to have the cold!).
At 10.40am we set off on our final descent of Kili (thank goodness – I can’t wait to get off the mountain!). At first I found it a struggle with my pack, and my knees felt like they were about to give way. I then picked up a pace that was comfortable.
We then went through the rainforest, which was gorgeous, but the problem was it was seriously muddy! To begin with I tried going round the mud but after a while it became so impossible that I ended up walking through mud up to my knees! (My boots, gaiters and trousers were caked in mud – photos to prove just how bad it was!).
I know by now that I can’t trust the porters but I asked one how long it was to the Mweke Gate (the bottom!) and he said “15 minutes”, so I asked another to check and he said “1 minute”! It turned out to be 45 minutes!!
The greatest problem seemed to be that we never seemed to get below the clouds, which meant we still knew that we had really far to go, and we were all so tired that we just didn’t have much motivation left and found it hard to keep our spirits up to keep going.
It took 5 ½ hours altogether to get to the gate, where we were treated to Avocado (my favourite!). Also had my photo taken by the sign. Gavin asked how I was and I just replied “It was an endless mud bog!” We had to then walk about half a kilometre downhill to the bus, and that was truly the best bit of the descent!!
It was a rather interesting (bumpy!) ride back to the hotel!! We then discovered that the hotel had been double-booked, so Laura and I ended up in a really awful room (but we shouldn’t complain because atleast we’re off the mountain and we’re not in a tent!).
Had a cold shower in another room (amazing how you can begin to notice the slightly warm cold showers from the totally freezing cold showers!). I then went down to the bar for a much-needed drink!
I got severely chatted up by an African guy called Jackson. He is an assistant guide on Kilimanjaro and shook my hand when he heard I’d summitted. However when he heard I’d gone the Machame route (the hardest route up Kilimanjaro) he shocked me by kissing me on the hand! Jackson said he “liked my hospitality” which I just thought was so funny! Laura, sitting next to me, was really helpful in rescuing me – she sat and giggled, so I decided to introduce Jackson to her (!), but it didn’t work! Finally – perfect timing – time to go for dinner! Jackson said he’d wait in the bar for me – aaarrrggghhh!!!
Dinner was good and I was full quickly. I didn’t want to go to the bar – not just because I didn’t feel like chatting to Jackson, but because I was very tired. My sleeping bag hadn’t arrived (because the porter had been carrying it), but Andy Salter told me not to worry about it tonight. Went to sleep around 10.30pm.
Friday 14th July
Managed to have a warm shower in the morning (oh… what a luxury!). Had breakfast and just before we left for Nairobi at 10am Jackson came to meet me to give me his address!
On the way back I saw a white Beetle with loads of “L” plates on it that had a sign saying “Kilimanjaro Driving School” – really wish I’d had the chance to get a photo of it!
Gout our passports stamped again. We stopped at the carving shop by the border – I met Daniel (who gave me his address!) and I gave him my Scottish flag. After lots of haggling (as there are no fixed prices in Kenya or Tanzania) I managed to buy a really good tribal mask for about £16, instead of £35 that he originally wanted! (Also had my photo taken with Daniel!).
Took 6 hours to get back to Nairobi. We saw lots of sandstorms, which were amazing. Thankfully, back at camp, I found my sleeping bag when we unloaded the buses. I felt very stiff – knees especially killing!
Lots of African children arrived at the camp. We went out for a meal that night, where we ate Ethiopian food. We left in a taxi at about 12.30am. I slept on the top bunk of some very wobbly bunkbeds and got eaten alive (yet again!) by all the midges!
Saturday 15th July
We woke up at about 9.30am and packed the stuff we needed for Safari as we leave at about 9am tomorrow morning.
At 11am we then went, in the big green truck, to the YaYa centre, in Nairobi, where I bought some souvenirs. Also visited the supermarket where we bought fruit. The Mangoes here are delicious!
It was absolutely boiling this afternoon. Back at camp more children had arrived. Had my first experience of a proper African “Choo” (toilet). It was so disgusting I’m not even going to bother typing about it!!!
Turns out that quite a lot of the people in our group have decided not to come on Safari because they want to help with the street children instead.
We had a bonfire at night, and watched tribal dancing. We (Mzunga – pronounced Mzookaas – white people) were encouraged to dance and while we did someone stole my headtorch! Doubt it’ll turn up but I must try and remain optimistic! Music was played all night and I didn’t feel well, so didn’t sleep well.
Sunday 16th July
Had a terrible cough in the morning. We left at 10am to go on Safari in an open Mercedes truck. We stopped off at a coffee plantation. They have to handpick all the beans, but can’t do so until they are red. We then went to a tea plantation. There they pick the top 2 leaves and the bud. (I got a sample of both a coffee bean and some tea).
We then visited The Great Rift Valley, where we were also able to see Mt. Longonot. The Rift Valley was amazing – particularly as I’ve studied it so much in Geography. I also bought Dad a hairy tribal mask from here. Also took a photo of a guy who looked like someone out of a horror film!
The road that runs alongside the Rift Valley was built in 1942 by Italian Prisoners of War (POW). At about 2pm we arrived at the campsite at Lake Naivaisha. It was really boiling – 42 degrees Celsius!
When we were having tea (in the dark!) we saw a Hippo grazing by the campsite – it had come out the lake and was attracted to one of the lights!
Monday 17th July
Had a really full breakfast as usual. In the morning we visited Hells Gate National Park – Geothermal area. After Iceland I didn’t expect to see another such area so soon.
The sulphur smell was quite strong. Unfortunately no one was able to tell me the depth of the magma below the crust here, as that would’ve been interesting. We went for a walk within the park – in a gorge made from interesting layers of Sandstone (you’d have no idea I studied this stuff would you?!).
Also saw Thomson’s gazelle, wild bores and lots of Zebras. Afterwards we eat and eat and eat! (I feel like a Hippo!). Seriously, in the afternoon we visited Joy Adamson’s House (photo). Joy is the person who wrote “Born Free”, etc. There I took a photo of the common African Starling – beautiful colours. I also took some good photos of some black and white monkeys with long bushy tails.
Tuesday 18th July
Got up at 5.45am to have a warm shower, then went straight back to bed! We left at 9am for Lake Baringko (not sure of spelling!), to the North. We stopped at the Equator, where it was absolutely boiling (38 degrees Celsius in the truck!).
At about 4pm we arrived at “Robert’s Camp” by the lake. We went on a bird-watching walk where we saw lots of interesting birds and also scorpions, a carpet viper snake, Fish Eagle, African/White-headed scop owls, etc.
Had tea back at the camp. Then went to the bar where I took a photo of a lizard on the wall there! (There were lots of them coming out the ceiling!).
Also saw a rather fascinating lightening storm over the cliffs! I also liked the large-scale dry mud – it always dries into Pentagon shapes so, being a Geographer, had to take a photo of this!
Wednesday 19th July
Got up at 6.30am and had a quick luke warm shower (good, apart from all the midges on the walls!). Had Cocoa at 7am and then got the truck at 7.30am to go on a boat ride on Lake Baringko.
I was rather worried by what state the boats might be in, but luckily I got in a modern looking green one (and it’s engine worked which was reassuring!).
We spent 2 hours on 3 boats and saw many interesting birds. I also got a photo of a massive lizard on the rocks of one of the islands in the lake. The guys (guides) threw a fish into the water and while we focused our cameras they told us when to click – when the massive Fish Eagle swooped down to get the fish.
We then saw Hippos in the water, which were quite scary. Hippos don’t swim – they sort of run and jump and then glide through the water. We then saw loads of Crocodiles, which got really close to the boat, and were extremely scary!
After the boat ride we went back to the camp and had Brunch. As we were packing up to leave this camp a huge Hippo walked right past us (you’d have to see the photo to realise just how close!). We then headed off for Lake Nakuru. I was glad to be going because it was far too hot.
Just after the Equator we realised that one of the 2 big wheels on the left-hand-side, at the back of the truck, had a puncture. Thankfully we were by a garage so we stopped there. Took ages then had the problem that the garage had no electricity so they couldn’t put any pressure in the tyre. (While we were there we also saw a van with goats that were tied up – obviously on their way to the slaughterhouse – which was horrible). We then drove via some other place to try and get some pressure for the tyre (the truck was obviously now extremely unbalanced, which was scary). No luck at this place either so the tyre was just taken off and we had to drive slowly and carefully with one tyre on one side and two on the other.
At about 5pm we arrived at Lake Nakuru National Park, where we went on a 2-hour Game Drive. Saw Baboons, Rhinos, Buffaloes, Giraffes, loads of Flamingos (about 3 million in total!), a Hyena, etc. Saw Thomson’s gazelle where were named after Joseph Thomson who discovered them in 1842. Also saw Grant’s gazelle named after some guy Grant whom was with Thomson in 1842. The Thomson’s gazelle are slightly bigger than the Grant’s.
The guide also said that Giraffes are the only animals that practice homosexuality! The Giraffes fight and the loser has to make love to the winner!
There was then the most terrifying thunderstorm, with forked lightening, so we had to put the tents up in a flash! (Sad joke, I know!). I really hope that the tent poles are lightening prove! We grabbed our food and took shelter in the tents. Went to bed around 9pm because we have an early start tomorrow, and plus there wasn’t much else to do with the storm happening outside. (We camped within the park, so I was also slightly concerned about the animals, but the guide said they don’t get attracted to light – not true as far as Hippos are concerned I seem to remember!).
Thursday 20th July
Got up at 6.10am and went on a Game Drive at 6.45am. I had this really weird dream last night that if you were in the Southern Hemisphere and looked through your binoculars you could see people in the Northern Hemisphere falling through the clouds!! They say dreams are a reflection of things you do – this one was probably from looking through my binoculars on Safari, visiting the Equator, and climbing Kilimanjaro.
On the Game Drive we saw many gazelles. The male gazelles can have up to 100 females each! (Saw some examples of this). Saw Waterbucks (look quite like reindeer), Ostriches (black = male, brown/grey = female). Also saw some lions today, for the first time.
Had breakfast and then set off for the hotel in Narok. What a surprise that about half way the tyre that was punctured yesterday (and apparently fixed!) became flat again today! So, as we had lunch at a random hotel place, they took the truck to the garage yet again!
Shane was very ill on the truck, so he was taken to the doctor when we arrived in Narok. Turns out he has Malaria, but has had an injection and should be okay in 48 hours. That’s really scary because, like me, he has been taking the Lariam tablets. I’ve also got loads of midge bites and it’s concerning that there are obviously Malaria carrying midges about.
At night I chatted to Philip and David (the guides) and also Steve (Lt Colonel in the Kenyan army). They were saying most Africans cannot even afford to go from Kenya to Tanzania because they have a system of “assistance” whereby any money the make has to support their whole extended family, so they cannot “save up”.
They also told me how Westerners have caused a lot of problems in Africa because they do not understand the tribe system. In Kenya there are 2 main tribes – the Karuku and the Masai (“Masai Mara” means “Masai Grasslands”). Each tribe has its own tongue (language) although English and Swahili are the main ones learnt. Also people are meant to marry within their tribes, though this doesn’t happen so much now.
Westerners also caused the problem by drawing the shape and size of Kenya wrongly on the map. This caused the borders to be in the wrong place, which now means there are Tanzanian Masai people and Kenyan Masai people (who are not considered to belong to one another anymore because of border separations, which causes civil wars).
Then we all (including Laura and Eileen) went in the Nissan to a “Member’s club” where the Lt Colonel bought us more drinks and we chatted until about midnight. This wasn’t much of a place – it was a little dark room, with an oil lamp in the middle, and sofas round about, with 2 other people!
Once back at the hotel the others were mystified as to where we had been – no doubt they’ll be asking us in the morning! Went to bed at about 1am.
Friday 21st July
Had breakfast in the hotel at about 9am. Then visited a shop and bought some more souvenirs. We then set off, in the trusty truck, to the Masai Mara. It was a very, very bumpy track. On the way we saw many Masai villages – the houses are made from cow dung! The truck also went at some rather concerning angles – as in, it tipped far too much!
They are having a big drought in Africa just now and as power is hydroelectric it’s in rations just now (i.e. the power).
The Mara is very typically African with its flat plains, Masai tribe people, etc. Saw Wilderbeasts on the afternoon Game Drive. (Also called “Gnus” because of the noise they make!). Then saw a lioness with her cubs (photos of course!). The lioness then started feeling her cubs, which called for more photos! (Not to mention when the lioness yawned!).
A lion could be up to 300 / 400 kg in weight. Female about 200 kg. Lifespan is about 25 years. Then saw vultures.
When we got back from the Game Drive a girl in the group had just come back from the doctor – turns out that she also has Malaria (and, like Shane, she is taking Lariam). I am now very worried about also getting it because it can be dormant for a while and with all my midge bites I’m concerned.
At night it poured with rain and we had another huge thunder and lightening storm, which was really scary.
Saturday 22nd July
Went on an all day Safari round the Masai Mara. Saw a Secretary Bird – so called because of long feather at the back which people took to write with. (Also because it supposedly looks like a Secretary with long legs, black skirt and a white blouse!).
Saw some Hyenas. Saw a cheetah very close! Saw a group of Wilderbeasts that are migrating from Tanzania. Also saw Masai Giraffes (different from previous giraffes – others were more brown than yellow). Then we saw a lone buffalo (been chased away from herd by young males because it’s too old). The lone buffalo is always a male. It is the most dangerous animal in the jungle and will kill for no reason.
Saw loads of elephants, including many babies. The elephant has 5 sets of teeth over their life, which spans about 70 years. They die out of hunger because they eventually end up with no teeth. When an elephant gives birth the herd surrounds it because that is when the elephant is most likely to be attacked. No one (for this reason) has ever managed to get a photo of an elephant giving birth (except from the air). The dominant female is the boss and always leads the group. Expect to find 3 or 4 males in each group.
We had some scary moments in the truck when we got stuck in various ditches! We later saw a group of vultures eating a zebra. They sit with their wings out when they’re happy. They make lots of noise (on sound recorder, along with gnus and hippos).
Saw a bird called “Cory Bastard”!! (Looks quite like a peacock). Saw Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles. In 1890 Thomson and Grant managed to close the Masai land because Thomson had artificial top teeth and when the Masai people came to attack them he removed his teeth, opened his mouth, and they ran away!
Saw lots of Wilderbeasts migrating. The males are first because they come to find the land. Then the females follow behind. The zebras also tend to follow the Wilderbeasts and, as usual, the Hyenas will be around waiting for scraps of food!
Took a photo of a Sausage Tree – really funny with sausage like things hanging down from the branches! (Sausages are used for making a local beer).
The Masai Mara is apparently about the size of Ireland! Then stopped and had a ‘girlie’ photo at a triangular stone which apparently marks the border between Tanzania and Kenya. We then stopped off at a lake to see hippos and crocodiles. Also got a very good picture of 2 monkeys sitting together.
After lunch we saw a cheetah and her 2 sub-adult cubs going on a hunt – I was in the little (quiet!) Nissan van now! We got extremely close to a male lion – probably within 6 metres of it!
I felt a bit ill in the afternoon – I got bitten again last night, so I’m hoping it’s not Malaria. After tea I went and chatted to some people in the bar. While there I was shocked to see that Steve (Lt Colonel) had bought a big bottle of Rum especially for me! He poured me a rather shocking amount of it, and people found this most amusing! I ended up sitting by the campsite until 11pm – 3 Rum and Cokes later! When it came to getting up I found I had clearly drunk too much! I attempted to get into someone else’s tent and had a huge fascination of Tortoises, which made Laura laugh!
Sunday 23rd July
Not surprisingly, I didn’t feel very well this morning so was unable to get up at 7am for the Safari. However, I later discovered that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t go. I felt better at 9am though, after a good sleep.
At 11am (when everyone was back) we had a yummy Brunch. Two goats then turned up and we were told they were “Yum, Yum” tonight. (i.e. tea!). After Brunch we went on a half an hour walk to a Masai Village. We were shown around by one of the people who live there. The houses are made from a mixture of tree branches and twigs and also cow dung! We saw one being built (all houses are built by the women!) and got the chance to take photos.
We then saw a Masai grandmother, who was 100 years old. I got a photo of her – she had a camera film box in the hole in her right ear, which apparently contained snuff. Also took a photo of her grandchildren. We were then given the opportunity to go inside one of the houses. They are very small and dark, but at the same time very impressive structurally, considering how they’re built.
The house contains 3 rooms – A communal kitchen, bedroom and sitting room.
There was then a small bedroom used for if there was a visitor or friend staying. Finally there was a little room for the family cow, which is milked each morning. I took a couple of photos inside the house but it was so dark, I’m not sure how they’ll come out.
The houses only last for 6 – 7 years, after which time a new one has to be built, and the old one left to fall down. The houses can hold up to 6 children, plus the Mama and Papa (i.e. one family).
We then met some Masai Warriors, but weren’t allowed to take a photo of them. One of the cows, from one of the houses, was then led out and a strap was put around its neck, trapping one of its veins. A guy then went up to it with a bow and arrow and shot the bow into the cow’s vein. Blood was then collected in a little wooden container (photo). We were going to get the chance to drink this blood, but it was too bumpy!
We then daundered back to the camp – by this time I felt really sick, so just went for a lie down when I got back.
Phil then came back at about 5pm to say that another girl has Malaria (and she was another one also taking Lariam). It is thought it was the midges back at the Africamp, which worries me as I’ve got lots of midge bites and am still not feeling well.
At night we had the goat meat (the 2 cute goats we’d seen earlier), then had tribal dancing, round the campfire (sound recorder!) and finally we heard the life of a Masai Man.
Monday 24th July
Got up at 6.45am. Packed up the tent, etc. Had breakfast at 7am – managed to limit myself to only 3 slices of toast! We left the Masai Mara at about 9am. I went in the Nissan because I had a bad headache and sore stomach. We took 10 hours to get back to Nairobi. When we stopped for a rest by Mt. Longonot a 24-year-old man, called John, seriously proposed to me! He said he already has a wife and 2 children (a boy and a girl – 1 and 1 ½ years old), but that he is looking for another wife and that he really liked me! I thought he was joking but his brother, Patrick, told me he was serious!! I gave him my Uni address for a joke, and he said he’s going to write to me and send me a Botique, necklace and earrings, in the hope that I will then change my mind an become his wife! He (John) kept asking why I wouldn’t marry him and move to Kenya!
Got back to Africamp at 7pm. At about 8pm we went to a nice restaurant called “Three Wheels” where we had lamb and chips. Came back at about 11pm, because we were knackered. I still felt unwell and now have a sore throat and cold too.
I also found out tonight that about half an hour before we arrived at Nairobi airport on the 5th of July, the whole trip had fallen apart – the climb was off, etc, but then (thankfully!) it all came together again.
Went to bet at about 11.30pm – all slept on the floor of the hut.
Tuesday 25th July
We left the camp at about 11am and Gavin drove us to a 4 star hotel in Nairobi called “Silver Springs” – very posh with hot showers in the rooms, etc. I felt far too filthy to be going into a place like that, but felt good after a shower!
In the afternoon we got the bus (only 10p!) to Nairobi and Steve (Lt Colonel) took us to Africa’s equivalent of McDonalds for lunch. I then went with Steve, Eileen and Laura and got a Kili map and a Masai Mara map and Eileen bought an African bicycle.
At night Gavin came and picked us up to take us to the world famous Carnivore Restaurant. This place was also quite swish. We had soup, etc, to start with. Then we had meat served to us on swords. Order of meat – chicken, pork, beef, zebra (quite nice!), ostrich (not so nice – reddish, chewy meat), and crocodile (so good I had seconds, but probably helped it is done in garlic!). We then had ice cream.
When Gavin came back I thanked him for giving me the chance to do Kili and we joked for a bit – he’s a great guy, but quite quiet. Returned to the hotel at about 12.30am.
Wednesday 26th July
In the morning I went to the YaYa centre with some of the others. We then went for a daunder around Nairobi and then came back to the hotel in one of the Makata (?) buses, which was a scary experience!
The buses picked us up from the hotel at about 3pm and we got to the airport at about 4pm. Checked in as a group so we could sit together. I felt really ill on the plane- such a sore stomach that I thought I’d never be able to last the whole flight. Felt even worse during landing at Dubai.
Thursday 27th July
Arrived at Dubai at 1am. The temperature there was 34 degrees Celsius despite it being the middle of the night! I still felt VERY ill. I mentioned this to the next set of cabin crew. The flight (10 hours) was most definitely the worse flight I’ve ever been on – it seemed to take even longer because I was so ill. 10 hours seemed like 10 years instead! Everyone else was able to sleep but my stomach was so sore that at times I was totally unable to move. I was very glad when we landed, and then we had to say our good-byes, which was sad. Most of the group went to Heathrow, but Laura and I stayed at Gatwick.
I have been told I may well have Malaria, so I tried to get an earlier flight back to Edinburgh, but with no success, as the only other, earlier flight, was already overbooked. Laura left for her flight at 1pm and I had to then sit around until 2.40pm for mine.
Once back home (about 5.30pm) I went straight to the doctors. He told me we mustn’t risk it, so I’ve to go back tomorrow morning.
The outcome…
I had a blood test and thankfully it came back negative, meaning I don’t have Malaria. However, this does not guarantee I won’t get it – you can get it as much as 2 years after returning from a Malaria country. (Infact I had a Tropical Disease afterall – Giardia – parasites living in my stomach… lovely!).
