Surprised by the atmosphere, i didn’t regret to get up so early to reach the park entrance. Mist floats over a hilly area, birds chirping in the bush and the old volcanos looks promising. I’ve hardly seen any other vehicles in the park, but got on very remote tracks on top of volcano or in deep bushland. Stunning views and the loneliness of the place will keep in my memories. Most impressive was the last hour, actually on my way out of Tsavo West. A bit disappointed not having enough time to spot black rhinos in the rhino sanctuary, i got a clear view on a leopard, but missed to take a photo. Another leopard crossed my way around 20km further. This time i had my camera quickly on hands. Unfortunately, the light was already dimmed and my camera setting didn’t allowed a clear shot. It’s unbelievable that i got sight of a third leopard this day. It was next to the road, roaming slowly next to my Land Rover and allowed me to taking series of pictures of it. Sometimes the luck don’t come once, but trice 🙂
Schlagwort: Landrover
Hidden Mount Kenya
To circumnavigate Mount Kenya and making pictures from the area was the goal. But i choose the wrong time for it. Or the gods sitting on the mountain didn’t agree to get pictured. It started, like mostly, with the traffic jam in Nairobi. Passing Thika, up north to Nyeri, visiting the memorial park and grave of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the boy scout movement.
Just south of Nanyuki my Land Rover crossed the equator line from south to north. The first time since i drove to the southern hemisphere at Gabon in 2010 (http://photoglobo.blogspot.co.ke/2010/03/gabon.html). But also on the northern and eastern side of Mount Kenya it’s hiding from my camera. There are few nice spots though. The eastern side surprised me with lush green forest, coffee plantages and waterfalls.
Back in Nairobi i knew, i have to go again. Next time with more time and less clouds.
kitchen stuff
times of repairs
On travel, there are times of joy ..and there are times of repairs. Happy to see my Land Rover again, but there was quite few things to repair, to improve and to test again. The clutch must be replaced, as the pedal didn’t work properly too. To replace the word battery seemed to be an easy thing, despite the narrow place under the seat, that’s why i also put some switches and wiring in different places. Wondering why the new board battery won’t charge lead to a problem on the controller of the dual-battery-system. We took it out and put a manually switch between the batteries instead. Now the fridge didn’t work anymore. A few coffees later, and after i took some cash in hands, Gabriel could fix my precious fridge. There was more small things to fix, including a photo lens (fixed quick by Nikon Service in Thika Road Mall), but meanwhile i learned to be patient on traffic jam too. There seems only one rule on Nairobi’s streets: no rules! The start of rain season didn’t make it easier to navigate trough the city, especially at night. On the camp of Jungle Junction soaked the terrain to a muddy flat.Just right to test the couple new Maxxis off-road tyres i got here. 🙂
making of: music clip with my travelcar
At first sight of the scenery i got confused. A girl was dancing on my dirty Land Rover and many spectators were watching her. As i noticed the film crew with all the equipment and the loud music from the back, i realized my Land Rover gonna be part of their music clip. I didn’t find that clip on internet now, but desperately wanna see it when it’s published. And i’ll share it with you!
Tanzanian Beach Life
A crowded ferry sets hundreds of people over to the southern beaches of Daressalam. At Kigamboni i found a little paradise to camp and got stocked for more than two weeks. Every morning i watched early sun pushing trough the clouds and chased them away, made my coffee with the friendly words of the staff, did some laundry or small repairs before taking my book to the hammock at the beach.
There’s always been people to talk with too. As i met energetic Radhia, who told me about life here and all the many ideas and projects she has in life. Or two young volunteers just finished their time on a project in Rwanda and were on search for a perfect beach before heading back to Europe. I offered to drive south to more remote and unspoiled beaches …and we found was we were looking for: A lonely, white sanded beach with crystal clear water.
Tanzanian Maasailand (part 2)
Silence woke me up early in the morning. Camping in African bushland is always a great experience, with vast scrubland or desert around. For my new „friends“ joining me trough Maasailand there’s all new kind traveling. Little things has to be learned, like to cook and dishwashing with a little amount of water or to use a shovel if you’re going to bush toilet. The nature gives back many little things too. The chirping birds, slightly waves of the wind, the scent of wildflower …and sometimes annoying flies.
The path lead us to a dusty, little town called Naberera, where we get some more supplies from a tiny shop. I asked for banana beer to let the girls taste it later that day. The shop lady was shouting into the backyard and few minutes later a guy appeared with the ordered drink. Meanwhile my tourist girls started to go around and having fun by making selfies with locals. It wasn’t the first time i noticed they hardly try to avoid having me on one of their selfies. Although we started as friends, i feel treated as a tour guide for free. This feeling persisted when i stopped next to a village for the opportunity to meet real village people. A dozen women gathered under a big shady tree to listen to man who taught them something or gave a speech. The girls wanted rush into the village, as i hold them back and told them to wait till we get invited from the inhabitants. Not long after that two younger men arrived, started to talk in Kwisahili with us. He asked us to wait and got an elder man, presumably the chief in village, who spoke some English. He looked uncomfortable but couldn’t refuse the repeated request of the girls to show us the village. While i tried to learn more about the village and life, the girls had fun taking selfies, teach them Dutch phrases and asked them several times to jump around as they expect all Maasai people doing it permanently. The chief looked awkwardly with the GoPro cam and selfie stick in his hand, not knowing what to do with it. When the situation got unbearable to me, i thanked the people for their understanding and kindness and asked the girls to continue our trip.
The young Maasai men and warriors, those ones who use to jump for rituals and to impress the girls when they look for a wife, are usually outside the village to protect the livestock. We’ve been lucky to meet some at a pond next our route. Of course, the girls got a lot of attention. The men came shyly closer, but start soon to have fun by showing their weapons and teach the girls how to use them. After awhile -and many selfies- we proceed our journey towards coast. But not without taking an elder man as an hitchhiker a few villages further. The next day we reached the tarred highway, let beautiful Maasailand behind us, but bringing a bunch of new experiences with us.
As we got closer to Daressalam, the traffic got heavier. The girls pushed me to drive faster and overtaking the big trucks, since they wanted to reach the ferry to Zanzibar. I suggested to stay together at the southern beach to celebrate the end of our trip, as friends suppose to do. But they wanted leave desperately. I’ve been even asked shamelessly i really want the money for fuel, since they’re late to reach the ferry and would have to withdraw cash first. HELL, YES!!
Tanzanian Maasailand (part 1)
It’s a little while since, but i don’t want hold back the pictures from my last Tanzania trip any longer. After the safari tour to Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater with – a rather disappointing – safari tour operator. I was happy to continue traveling with my own car and pace. On the safari tour i met two young tourist girls, who wanted to go to Daressalam too. I offered them to join me trough Maasailand instead of a boring, long bus ride direct to Dar. They agreed for sharing fuel and food.
The day before departure, the three of us went to local market to buy food. It’s hard bargaining if one goes with typically dressed tourist girls to the food stalls. Somehow we managed to get our supplies, as the girls told me about their appointment with the owner of the safari company we went days before. The same guy who cheated me and gave false informations to me, was inviting those young girls for pizzas and swimming pool at the most expensive hotel in Arusha and paid them even their room in a backpacker hostel. I joined the girls for that appointment and got at least a pizza myself and some relaxing hours with wifi at the pool at „Mt Meru Hotel“. The pizza was tasty, the pool refreshing and the view of Mount Meru splendid.
The first day traveling didn’t brought us very far, but to a wonderful oasis i knew from earlier visit. Hot spring and pool with crystal clear water was a delight after a dusty road trip. Since we supposed to travel as friends, the girls had to help with cooking while i pitched their tent for the night. With the highest mountain of Africa – Mt Kilimanjaro – we camped just next to the hot spring.
On the next day, we got deeper in Maasailand, with no specific route, just follow south on dusty roads. We passed some huts and villages which seemed to be abandon. Some kids lead cows somewhere, looking bewildered as we crossed their ways. The rain brought much green food for their cows. For us was it easy to find a quite place to camp in that lush, green bushland and enjoy a peaceful sunset.
Lake Malawi – Malawi See
Lake Malawi. There’s hardly a better place for a first stop in Africa, I was thinking, and brought my travelmate from international airport direct to the shore of this huge lake. For the next days we enjoyed the sound of waves on the beaches, the mild winter sun of Africa and the hospitality of local people. We travelled slowly along the coast, passed small towns, visited different beaches. Fishermen showed how they repair their nets, food sellers offered strange meals, monkeys watching out for food. Along the road are rubber plantations, truck accidents and boys leading cattle to grassy places. Found a spot to stay overnight, we looked out to the lake, seen the phenomena of thousands of insects gathering over the lake what looks like big smoke, before sunset painted wonderful colours on the sky. It’s Africa at its fullest.
Der Malawi See. Es gibt wohl kaum einen besseren Ort, um gemütlich in Afrika anzukommen. Ich holte meine Reisefreundin vom Flughafen ab und brachte sie direkt zum Strand. In den nächsten Tagen horchten wir dem Flüstern der Wellen, sonnten in der milden Wintersonne Afrikas und genossen die Gastfreundschaft der Bevölkerung. Dann reisten wir langsam dem See entlang, kamen an kleinen, quirligen Orten vorbei und besuchten verschiedene Strände. Fischer zeigten uns wie sie ihre Netze reparieren, Marktleute offerierten uns seltsame Snacks und Affen hielten für Fressen Ausschau. Entlang der Strassen waren Kautschuk-Plantagen, Lastwagenunfälle und Junge, die Kühe auf grünere Wiesen brachten. Zum Übernachten fanden wir Plätze mit Sicht auf den See, beobachteten Insektenschwärme, die sich wie riesige Rauchschwaden über der Wasseroberfläche sammelten, bevor der Sonnenuntergang seine herrlichen Farbe an den Himmel malte. Afrika zeigt uns all seine Seiten.
Spider Transport / Spinnentransport
Cleaning my car, i got also rid of all the old cobwebs inside my spare tyre. To my surprise there was still a inhabitant, who crawled out angry. It almost seemed to attack me before went down to ground. On the back side i found an distinctive red mark. Just days before, while that spider was still living in my car, i had a talk with an American guy about the poisonous spider as Black Widow and its Australian relative the Redback Spider. To find out what i carried over last thousands of kilometers i googled and found out i brought the African relative of this species with me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_spider
Bei der Autoreinigung entfernte ich auch endlich mal die löten Spinnweben innerhalb meines Reserverads. Zu meiner Überraschung war dieses aber noch bewohnt. Eine Spinne kroch hervor und schien mich sogar noch attackieren zu wollen. Sie liess sich dann aber zu Boden, wo mir dann eine auffällige rote Markierung am Hinterteil auffiel. Nur wenige Tage zuvor sprach ich mit einem Amerikaner über die giftige Schwarze Witwe und ihre australische Verwandte, die Rotrückenspinne. Neugierig geworden googelte ich und fand heraus, dass ich offensichtlich die afrikanische Version dieser giftigen Spinnenart mit mir herum transportierte: Button Spider
Siehe auch:


