http://www.shareapic.net/content.php?id=8577193&owner=ontheroad100
April 10th, 2008
We pack up again to head to the Lion Hill Lodge at Lake Nakuru.
For some reason we were out of beer. Luckily we had to pass thru Nanyuki again and made a fuel stop. I was able to re-provision but no ice was to be found.
The girls bought more cookies and Amarula.
http://www.amarula.co.za/us/
This was the roughest ride to date. The roads were unimproved with gullies, detours and potholes. There was zigzagging, accelerating, braking and horn honking. Tailgating is redefined here. The flat front of our van was only a few centimeters from the back of overloaded trucks belching black smoke while our driver waited for an opportunity to pass.
Bicycles loaded with 5’ stacks of lumber or bags of sugar cane shared the road.
We starting rationing beer for two reasons; 1) Pee breaks were infrequent 2) The ride was so rough most of it would spill if you held on to it for any amount of time. To work around this someone would time the opening of a can or bottle for a flat stretch of road, take a quick gulp and pass it around. This was done with a high level of proficiency.We crossed the equator again at Nyahururu at stopped at the Mrefu Curio Shop.
We were treated to a demonstration of the Coriolis effect by one of the shops' employees.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_effect
Stanley had a bowl with a small hole in the bottom of it, a pitcher of water and a matchstick. We stood at the equator and marched 20 meters to the north. Stanley poured some water into the bowl and placed it on the pitcher, which he had set on the ground. Next he had Donna place the matchstick in the bowl. It rotated counterclockwise with the whirlpool.
We collect everything and march back to the equator and 20 meters south of the line.
Repeat the demonstration and the matchstick rotated clockwise. Next we do the demonstration on the equator and the water drains straight down and does not create a whirlpool. I was impressed and bought a certificate for 300 ksh to mark the occasion. The certificate was suitable for framing but did not include a frame.
Back on the road again, the next stop is Thompson Falls. We pull into the parking lot and are greeted by shopkeepers asking us to come and look inside their shops after we look at the waterfall. The overlook at the falls is a wooden platform with a rickety hand railing.
The fall is over 200 feet high. The water cascades down the rocks and splashes into a mist covered pool below.
I take some pictures of the falls and am approached by three young men in tribal garb offering to pose for money. I agreed and got a nice photo.
We load up again for the last leg to Lake Nakuru. It had rained a bit so this helped to keep the dust down. There are numerous towns on the road. Typically it is a line of shacks with tin roofs. Bar with Butchery, Safari COM cell phones and a hotel or two make up the mix. Most of the hotels had a cloth front door and when the wind blew you could see to the back door. Vendors were selling their wares from makeshift displays constructed from salvaged sticks and boards.Many relief organizations dot the highway. They consist of Christian Missionaries, Aids education and treatment centers and secular groups working to teach the people how to farm better and manage their natural resources for the long term. Many vehicles on the road have signs proclaiming “Allah Akbar” (with a saber) or Jesus Saves. This is a complex society with 40 tribes and various religious and political groups vying to make their presence felt. Alliances form, shift and dissolve regularly, many times with violent outcomes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nakuru
We arrive at the Lake Nakuru National Park and park. The driver gets out and checks us in. There are several Vervet monkeys hanging out. Some of the males have big blue balls! The contrast from the silver and black fir is startling. I take some pictures to document the event.
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/vervetmonkey
While we are waiting on the driver it is time for a round of cookies and a Tusker.
We are casual at this point. Martha is facing into the van with a cookie in hand by the open window. Donna screams “Watch Out!” Well blue balls swooped up and grabbed the cookie without touching Martha’s fingers! It was a lightning fast swoop that caught us all off guard. It is these unscripted moments that make a vacation a vacation.
Next we drive to the Lodge and get checked in.
http://www.travellers-choice.co.uk/kenya/lionhill.htm
This place is on the grid so we should have power around the clock. The other lodges that we stayed at were self-contained with generators. To save fuel they were shut down for several hours a day and late at night.
The power was out when we checked in and the back up generator was not kicking in.
Hakuna Matata.
It is time for another game drive. We head to the lake and see thousands of pink backed pelicans milling around at the edge of the water and perched in trees. Marabou Storks mingle with the pelicans.
My director/producer Bob points out a good shot of waterbuck next to a pool of water. I start clicking away. 
We spot a flock of pink flamingos and they are very pink. For a second I thought we were at a mobile home park in Florida. They get their color from the Spirulina that they feed off of.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Flamingo
There was an area that we could get out of the van, watch the birds, and stretch our legs.
This was also a good time to do a tire pressure check (take a leak.) Might as well open a Tusker and pass it around.
A lone rhino was grazing in the distance. He slowly worked his way toward us. We inched closer to the van. I did not bother to ask if anybody wanted his or her picture taken with the beast this time.
The game drive resumes and we pass some spotted hyena lounging in the grass. They must have full bellies.
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/hyena
We stop for some zebras. Their black and white stripes are muddy. One looks at us and I ask “What are you in for?” No response, just a long horse face.
The sun is getting low in the sky so we started easing back to the lodge. We stop to admire a fish eagle that is perched proudly in a tree. It was a magnificent sight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Fish_Eagle
An antelope is limping by the side of the road. He tries to walk but when he puts the back left leg down he flinches, an easy meal for the carnivores. Another antelope is missing a horn but is well nourished and nimble.
A water buffalo blends into the darkening sky as we end the game drive.
More to come....
http://www.travellers-choice.co.uk/kenya/lionhill.htm
This place is on the grid so we should have power around the clock. The other lodges that we stayed at were self-contained with generators. To save fuel they were shut down for several hours a day and late at night.
The power was out when we checked in and the back up generator was not kicking in.
Hakuna Matata.
It is time for another game drive. We head to the lake and see thousands of pink backed pelicans milling around at the edge of the water and perched in trees. Marabou Storks mingle with the pelicans.
My director/producer Bob points out a good shot of waterbuck next to a pool of water. I start clicking away. We spot a flock of pink flamingos and they are very pink. For a second I thought we were at a mobile home park in Florida. They get their color from the Spirulina that they feed off of.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Flamingo
There was an area that we could get out of the van, watch the birds, and stretch our legs.
This was also a good time to do a tire pressure check (take a leak.) Might as well open a Tusker and pass it around.
A lone rhino was grazing in the distance. He slowly worked his way toward us. We inched closer to the van. I did not bother to ask if anybody wanted his or her picture taken with the beast this time.
The game drive resumes and we pass some spotted hyena lounging in the grass. They must have full bellies.http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/hyena
We stop for some zebras. Their black and white stripes are muddy. One looks at us and I ask “What are you in for?” No response, just a long horse face.
The sun is getting low in the sky so we started easing back to the lodge. We stop to admire a fish eagle that is perched proudly in a tree. It was a magnificent sight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Fish_Eagle
An antelope is limping by the side of the road. He tries to walk but when he puts the back left leg down he flinches, an easy meal for the carnivores. Another antelope is missing a horn but is well nourished and nimble.
A water buffalo blends into the darkening sky as we end the game drive.
More to come....
