After the M3 junction things eased up a bit and we relaxed a little, though the snow started getting worse and worse. We just kept thinking of the sunshine we'd have the next day!
On the was to the gate we saw a young couple rush up to First Class check-in for the same flight as us. The guy looked like J from Five, but I couldn't see properly. They got rushed to the gate to check-in (they were going on to Mauritius).
We managed to sleep ok on the flight and arrived a little early at Nairobi. It was nice and warm, but the airport is a bit of a dump. They are doing lots of renovation ("rehabilitation" according to the signs!). We were about 3 hours early for our transfer to Mombassa and managed to get put onto an earlier flight. When we arrived at Mombassa, we called our hotel (the Lagoon Reef on Diani Beach) to let them know we had arrived and they sent transport to take us. We hadn't realised how far it was. It took about 15 minutes to get across Mombassa, then we had to go across a ferry and then had another 30 minute drive!
The journey was well worth it, as you can see from the following photos of the hotel:
photo:P0000811.jpg View of pool area - breakfast and lunch were served by the pool each day. photo:P0000696.jpg The pool was always nice and warm. photo:photo0006.jpg Having lunch by the pool. photo:photo0005.jpg The view of the beach from one of the bars. photo:P0000706.jpg Camels on the beach. This was the only time we ventured onto the beach itself as you got surrounded by people trying to take you away to see their stall or to go on their boat or something. photo:P0000703.jpg There was plenty of wildlife even around the hotel. This peacock was always wandering around and the baboon here appeared on our first day. photo:P0000704.jpg A close-up of the baboon as it passed the back of our room. photo:P0000708.jpg Every afternoon a troop of Vervets wandered through the grounds searching for things to eat. photo:P0000709.jpg A baby hides in a bush... photo:P0000711.jpg ...and finds a banana skin. Ahhh... page:masai:A Trip to the Masai Mara tag:The Masai Mara Although most of our time was spend being very lazy around the pool, we did go for a two day visit to the Masai Mara National Reserve. The trip was very expensive, but certainly worth doing.
We stayed at Little Govenor's Camp in the west of the Mara. The journey there was by a Let L-410 from Ukunda airstrip near our hotel. We made a couple of stops in the Mara for others going to different lodges before we arrived at our stop. After a ten minute jeep ride we arrived at a river which we crossed by a small ferry to the camp.
Little Governor's Camp is made up of tents. They are pretty luxurious for tents, though, with a bathroom built in to the back with shower, toilet and even a bidet!
The following give a bit of an idea of what it was all like: photo:P0000712.jpg Boarding the plane at Ukuna. photo:P0000713.jpg A Masai Village spotted as we descend to our stop. photo:photo0007.jpg The river ferry to the camp. photo:P0000719.jpg Our tent. photo:P0000718.jpg Inside the tent was very comfortable... photo:P0000717.jpg ...with all the comforts of home - almost! photo:P0000714.jpg The view from our tent across the swamp with elephants in the background having a drink! photo:P0000720.jpg Simon relaxing with a view back to the dining tent. page:safari1:A Safari After Lunch tag:First Safari Drive After lunch we had time to get settled in and have a look around the camp. Then it was time to go back over the river to meet our driver for our first safari into the Mara. There's quite a few photos here, so be patient while they all load...: photo:P0000722.jpg I think these are impala. Whatever they are, antelope of all kinds are just everywhere and you start getting a bit bored of them after a very short time. photo:P0000723.jpg Topi (according to my guide book!). photo:P0000724.jpg The book says these are Thomson's gazelles... photo:P0000725.jpg This is a stork, but I can't remember what kind. A fairly ugly bird, anyway! photo:P0000732.jpg Elephants (but I supose you guessed that, didn't you?). photo:P0000733.jpg More elephants. photo:P0000734.jpg Some more of those ugly storks with young - looks like a reverse ugly duckling scenareo to me! photo:P0000736.jpg A hyena lounging about. photo:P0000737.jpg Ostriches. I have never seen another animal that looks less like it belongs in the wild than these birds. photo:P0000740.jpg Zebras are very skittish so it was very difficult to get close enough for a good photo. photo:P0000741.jpg Some sort of strange bird. It just stood there are we drove passed completely ignoring us! How rude! photo:P0000742.jpg Lions! We were so pleased to see them. They didn't seem particularly bothered to see us, though. You can just make out the male to the left. There were four females in this group. photo:P0000743.jpg Another view of the lions. photo:P0000744.jpg Can't get enough of them! photo:P0000745.jpg Wilderbeest (that's gnus to you). photo:P0000747.jpg More zebras. photo:P0000748.jpg You can just spot a jackal in there. It was wandering towards us, but by the time we got our cameras ready, it spotted us and ran off. photo:P0000755.jpg On our way back to the camp, we stopped off at a Masai village. Normally, they shun tourists as they are fed up of idiots sticking cameras in their faces, but this village encourages it. You have to pay Ksh600 (about £6) to get in, though. Our guide was one of the sons of the village who spoke excellent english. photo:P0000749.jpg The women of the village singing a welcome song. We felt like intruders into their lives. photo:P0000750.jpg Simon trying not to tread on all the cow dung. photo:P0000753.jpg Masai warriors (they looked about 15). I got the feeling they were jumping because that's what they think tourists expect them to do! photo:P0000754.jpg Children from the village. photo:photo0008.jpg Before we left, we were invited to peruse the local shops. We didn't buy anything, though. photo:P0000757.jpg On the way back to the camp it was beginning to get dark and the clouds were looking pretty dramatic. It didn't rain, though. photo:P0000760.jpg Back at base round the campfire. page:balloon:A Balloon Ride Over The Mara tag:Balloon Ride Over Mara After a fabulous dinner, we retired to our tent. Gas lamps had been lit for us. Simon hardly slept at all during the night due to the noises. At one point there were animals right near our tent fighting!
I didn't notice any of this as I slept soundly right through!
We were woken up with coffee at 5:30am while it was still pitch black outside. The reason for this was that we had booked to do a balloon safari and that was due to start at 6am with the first light of dawn.
The basket of the balloon is massive. It is split into four compatments which each fit four people, plus a space in the middle for the captain.
I was feeling a little nervous (what with a fear of heights) but I needn't have as there was nothing to it. It was a very smooth, gentle flight for about an hour and a half before we landed (again, fairly gently) for breakfast.
I didn't take many photos as we didn't see many animals (mostly antelope startled to see a huge rainbow balloon drifting overhead) and mostly we just enjoyed the views. photo:P0000764.jpg In the pre-dawn light, the balloon is filled with air using high-power fans until... photo:P0000765.jpg ...with a dramatic glare, the burner is lit. photo:P0000767.jpg Looking back over the camp as we lift off. photo:photo0009.jpg Crossing the Mara river. photo:photo0010.jpg A gentle landing. photo:photo0011.jpg Unfortunately, they have to pull the balloon down so you end up having to crawl out. photo:P0000775.jpg Not the most dignified of positions! photo:P0000777.jpg The captain pours our champagne. photo:P0000778.jpg Cheers! photo:P0000779.jpg Cooking breakfast. photo:P0000780.jpg How civilised! Eating breakfast in the middle of the savanna with buffalo in the distance (and the possibility of lions stalking them!). page:safari2:And a Safari Drive Back To Camp tag:Second Safari Drive After breakfast, we split up into three groups for another safari drive back to the camp. We were hoping to see leopards or cheetahs as we hadn't seen them before. Although we didn't, what we did see made up for it.
On the flight back to Mombassa, we were also lucky to get a parting in the clouds and caught a glimps of Mount Killemangaro.
The rest of the holiday was more lazy sitting by the pool doing very little. A couple of days saw the temperature rocket to about 40°C which is far too hot for me.
All in all, an excellent time, so without further ado, here are the final batch of piccies from the Masai Mara: photo:P0000781.jpg The buffalo heard that we had seen while having breakfast. photo:P0000783.jpg The rarest animals here are rhino. This female is the only one this side of the Mara river. Apparantly, a couple of years ago a male found its way into her territory. She got a little upset, charged it and killed it. Although we were fairly close, we kept a watchful eye on her and a respectful distance as rhino have very poor eyesight and will often charge anything that moves in case it is a threat. photo:P0000786.jpg We held our breath and hoped we didn't look like a threat. photo:P0000787.jpg After a couple of minutes, she got bored of us and walked off. We left her to it and felt thrilled to have seen her - very few people do. photo:P0000788.jpg A hyena pops its head up from its den to see what the noise is... photo:P0000790.jpg ...and comes out for a closer look. photo:P0000791.jpg We spot a crocodile pretending to be a log. photo:P0000793.jpg A couple more lie in wait for the unwary. A few more were drifting in the river. photo:P0000794.jpg A huge troop of baboons crosses our path. photo:P0000795.jpg Some of them stop for a snack. photo:P0000796.jpg The leader struts his stuff, however... photo:P0000797.jpg ...a challenger gets too close and is seen off. This was very scary as they were fighting only a few yards from our truck! photo:P0000798.jpg The hippo pool. photo:P0000799.jpg Hippos like nothing better than to wallow in the water. photo:P0000801.jpg Hello! photo:P0000803.jpg Some strange crested bird the name of which escapes me. photo:P0000806.jpg A couple of giraffes watching the tourists. photo:P0000804.jpg Back at the camp for lunch... photo:P0000805.jpg ...with that view over the swamp. You can just make out an elephant in the background. photo:P0000807.jpg The plane that took us back to Mombassa. photo:P0000808.jpg During the flight, I noticed some sort of muddy lake below. The colours were spectacular so I thought I'd take a photo. photo:P0000810.jpg Killemangaro. The highest mountain in Africa. photo:P0000809.jpg A close-up. Somehow it didn't really look as impressive as I thought it would.