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| Crossing the Equator |
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Leaving Nairobi we had a long and difficult journey north to Nanyuki. This woild be our base for the next few days as we went on our 'Game Drive'.
It's known as the gateway to Mount Kenya and the wilderness of Mount Kenya National Park. First of all we had to survive the journey. Talk about the 'Road to Hell'. If I thought Nairobi was bad this was worse. There is no road etiquette , it is every man for himself. Undertaking is the norm , traffic lights are an irrelevance and nobody lets you in or out. On top of that everybody wants to get in front of the car in front of them, regardless f a car is coming the other way ....
The town was started by British settlers during the early days of colonial Kenya in 1907. The British Army still keeps a base at The Nanyuki Show Ground (NSG) from where it conducts yearly desert and jungle training exercises on the mountain. Nanyuki is situated just north of the Equator (0° 01' North).The Equator line passes 6.5 km (4 mi) south of the town.
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| Home for the next 3 nights |
It was a welcome relief to arrive some 4 hours later in one piece! our lodge was a superb 5 bed-roomed house with amazing views stretching far across the plains. Straight away it was possible to see Vervet Monkeys, Thomson's Gazelle and Ringed Water-buck. I understood that the lodge was in a 'non predatory' animal area. There was a a perimeter fence separating us from the all the dangerous stuff so what could possibly go wrong.
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| A large Warthog |
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| Vervet Monkey |
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| Water Buck |
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After the horrendous car journey I needed to stretch my legs and get some air. I decided to go for a wander 'into the great wide open' beyond.
It was wonderful to be out among nature and not knowing what I was going to find. What I did find was a massive surprise to both of us, A huge , tusked Warthog. We stood staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally the Warthog had seen enough and trotted off back into the cover of the bushes. Although capable of fighting aggressively, the Warthog's primary defense is to flee by means of fast sprinting. It is only likely to attack if threatened or if protecting it's young.
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| Beautiful Sunset. |
When I got back I got another shock. Apparently it is not uncommon for Leopards to jump the perimeter fence and come searching on our side for something to eat..... I'm glad I didn't know that while I was out walking. Especially with some of the strange noises and rustlings that I heard .
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| View from our bedroom |
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| Mount Kenya looms in the background |
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| Well earned rest prior to travelling back to Nairobi |
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