SAMBURU, KENYA SEP 23-25, 2012

SARUNI SAMBURU SEP 23-25, 2012

SUNDAY SEP 23, 2012

SAFARI LINK PLANE FROM NAIROBI

MAASAI GUIDES FROM SARUNI SAMBURU LODGE
MEET TERRY & NEIL

Arriving at Wilson domestic airport Nairobi after our flight from Amboseli, our bags were taken off the Safarilink Caravan plane along with us and we were told to stand at the side to wait to be told which plane and when to board for our flight to the Kalama airstrip in Samburu.  Saruni Samburu is located in the 95000 hectare Kalama Conservancy (part of the Lewa Trust) next to the Samburu National Park.  We saw our bags disappear and be placed next to a plane then we were taken to a different plane but we did manage ultimately to load both the bags and us onto the same Safarilink Caravan plane flight.  

We arrived at the Kalama airstrip around 50 minutes later and were thrilled to see the Saruni safari jeep waiting for us along with our Samburu guides Sambara and his tracker Simon (who's Samburu name was Basele).  They both gave us a very warm welcome and after a few photos we were on our way in the 7 seater open sided land rover with seats covered in the traditional red tartan blankets.  The Samburu love to decorate themselves and they are literally covered in brightly covered beads from head to toe: head dress,many necklaces, multiple bracelets, belts, chin chains, anklets - you name it they wear them and look great in them!  They make such colourful photos and no matter where we were in the parks all the clients wanted photos of our guides!  We think it is so special to fly into Samburu and be the only vehicle with driver and guide all dressed in their traditional costumes.  Everyone else is so jealous!

It took about 1 hour to reach the entrance road to Saruni stopping along the way to see the wildlife along the way. The Samburu community live here as well so we saw a mix of goats, cows, sheep, camels and the very young boys who look after all the animals during the day.  They take the animals out early in the morning to where they can find food for them and then take them back to the village at night to be protected within the thorn bush circular fence of their village.  We saw two young boys who ask for water which we gave them, the boys are sent out each day without any food or water from their parents.  On our return two days later we saw the same two boys and gave them water again - very shy but very sweet children with a huge responsibility each day for all the animals which represent the entire wealth of the village.

THE RARE GRAVEY ZEBRA 

Wildlife on the way included the black capped social weaver birds, the long gerenuk which stands on its' hind legs to eat the leaves from higher up in the trees and bushes, the tiny dik dik (they are everywhere in the Conservancy), the vulterine guinea fowl which are a type of Guinea fowl found only in Samburu with bright blue chests along with the spotted black and white feathers.  Then there were the 8 black and white goaway birds - as they call to each other it sounds like "go away go away!"

Soon we could see the huge rocks and the cottages built on top which are Saruni Samburu - an amazing location overlooking the Samburu savannah and hills for miles in all directions.  The spot on this rock was granted to the Italian owners of Saruni by the Samburu after an extensive search for an appropriate location.  It is actually a sacred spot for the local community (and does have a cave with very old rock paintings).  The entrance is as stimulating as ever and was a great surprise for Neil and Jackie - the land cruiser has to climb up the side of the massive boulders to the top - no trail or track here!  Waiting at the top was the Camp Manager, Darrell, along with his staff to welcome us with cold drinks and ice cold wet face cloths scented with eucalyptus. Then we walked into the main dining and living area where the breath taking views stretched out before us in all their glory - the scenery stops you dead in your tracks and all you can do is gaze around in awe!  The almost Morraccan architecture of Saruni is blended with the scenery and open air - there are as few walls as possible so that the views continue uninterrupted wherever possible - this includes the rooms where there is no front wall, and at night should you wish the canvas can be dropped or the mesh, or you can leave everything open with just the mosquito netting around the beds - this is what we prefer!

VIEW FROM OUR ROOM - SIDE WALL OPEN ALL NIGHT

Our spotter guide was Joseph, now a fully fledged guide versus two years ago when we met him when he was still a trainee.  Our driver was Boniface, a delightful Samburu who we really enjoyed - both of them were so open and easy to talk with and had a good sense of humour. Both young men had long hair that is dyed red with ochre and they keep it tied back in hairnets most of the time.   Our room was a new room since we were last there in 2010 - #1 A and B - this is a huge room with two bedrooms, 2 massive bathrooms and dressing rooms, two living rooms - yes - it was very large and the views spectacular!  Each room stepped slightly down the rock and every room totally private with no wall at all looking out over the drop to the valley floor below.  The pathway from the reception and general areas to the room is uphill and very hot and you certainly know that you are not at sea level!  We were very glad of the porters who carried our bags to the room.  After checking in we had lunch before heading out for the afternoon game drive at 330pm with Joseph and Boniface in the open air land cruiser - but the roof on the land cruiser protected us from the heat of the afternoon sun since it gets very hot in Samburu, in the high 30's while we were there.

After driving down the rocks, always an adventure!, we saw Gunther's Dik Dik who live on the rocks, and then the Kirk Dik Dik down on the plains in the bush - and there are huge numbers of Dik Dik in Samburu!   We crossed the dry Kwenea river bed  which runs with water, a flash flood, for about 20 minutes in the rainy seasons - April/May and Nov/Dec, before the water drains into the sands and disappears again!  The bush looks grey and dead, but actually it is alive and well and Joseph assured us that as soon as there is any rain the leaves all pop out on the bushes and trees.  For birds we saw sane sand grouse, Somali bee eaters, chanting goshawk, white headed buffalo weaver and for wild life: hare, ground squirrel, Beissa Oryx with a baby, Impala, Grants gazelle, reticulated giraffe (not the Rothschild giraffe that we saw in Nairobi, or the Maasai giraffe that we saw in Amboseli), and elephants who eat 250kg of grass and leaves each day and 200 litres of water!.  We made it to the Uaso Nyiro River that runs through Samburu National Park and had  a leisurely and interesting game drive.   

We passed the spot called Leopard Rock (guess why it's called that?!) where the staff from Samburu Intrepids were setting up on top of the 25 foot high rock for Sundowners for their guests.  Boniface drove slowly back and spotted a very shy cheetah with her cub!  We saw her lying down behind a bush but she raced off as soon as she realised we had spotted her.  Then along came the Kenya Wildlife Service heading out for the night to protect the animals in the Park from any poachers - they stopped to talk to us (we took their photo and gave them some candies) and they told us to get a move on since we were supposed to be out of the Park by 630pm and it was already later than that!  A few miles up the track Boniface stopped and he and Simon served us Sundowners.  Clearly they did not care about cheetahs or park rangers!  Sundowners are always a special time of day and another time to chat with our so-knowledgable guides.

CUTE LITTLE ROCK HYRAX - VISITING OUR ROOM

Back at Saruni we enjoyed a G&T sitting around the camp fire on top of the rocks and then a lovely dinner where our surprise was to have Jake Grieves-Cook sitting with us for dinner (one od the owners of Gamewatchers).  Jake was spending one night at Saruni and did not realise we would be there at the same time.  It was a lively and enjoyable evening and we learned that Jake had lived in Kenya since the 1970's and he had actually built the hippo pond and deck at Keekorok in Mara back around 1979 - he had lots of interesting stories!  All too soon it was off to our wonderful bed with the amazing views and night sounds!

MONDAY SEP 24, 2012

The alarm was all too early at 5am and after our hot chocolate and cookies delivered to our room, we left Saruni in the cool morning at 6am with the sun almost ready to break into the new day.  Joseph and Boniface were busy looking at the tracks from last night in the dry sandy trails, and soon spotted both Caracol (cat), and hyena prints - we'd heard the hyena on and off all night long.  We saw 3 rock hyrax - the cute small furry animal who's closest relative is the elephant, understand that if you can!  Lots more Kirk's Dik Dik, lesser Kudu, impala, ellies, gerenuk (the long necked antelope who stand on his hind legs to eat the leaves from the taller branches), baboons - troops of them all heading as a family unit along the rocks where they spend the night for safety, towards the Uaso Nyiro River where they spend the day.  We travelled very slowly along the rocks and Joseph and Boniface eventually spotted what they were looking for - a leopard!  We sat quietly and watched him through our binoculars - then he moved on top of a huge rock and we could see just his face and tail as it flipped lazily up and down, then he jumped down from the rock and walked around the area peeing on the bushes to mark his territory.  It was great to watch him but eventually we lost him and so moved down to the river where most of the wildlife hangs out during the daytime.

ELEPHANTS (MOM AND CALF)
ALONG THE UASO NYIRO RIVER

This river does flood some years during the rainy season and in fact in 2010 when we were booked to stay at the Samburu Intrepids located on the river, the river flooded in the middle of the night in May and the Serena was badly  damaged, they had people  clinging to tree tops as the river rose until they were rescued.   Intrepids was not sure when they would have the lodge refurbished ready for occupancy and so we went to Saruni Samburu instead in 2010 and loved it.  The Serena Samburu was also flooded and is still not refurbished and open for business, and Serena has not yet decided whether they will indeed reopen in their current location right next to the river.  This year we visited the Samburu Intrepids and although they suffered yet another flood, not so bad, in 2011 the Intrepids Camp is fully functional this year and a great location.

BUSH BREAKFAST

The bird life is always amazing and we spotted Lappet Faced vultures, tawny eagle, yellow billed hornbill, and yellow beaked stork.  As we drove the track along the side of the river we also, very unexpectedly, came across a huge rock python!  It was probably 15 feet long and was just lying in the sun with impala close by.  When we stopped it started to move, not particularly fast, back into the bush where it could hide.  It slid over a large tree trunk laying on the ground and the movie I took shows it seeming to take forever to disappear - an indication of how long it was and it was also very fat!

By now it was getting very warm and so Boniface found a somewhat open space by the side of the river and we parked and got out for our bush breakfast of hard boiled eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, cheese and breads with fresh fruits and coffee - a perfect bush breakfast watching all the wildlife coming to drink at the river on the opposite bank (and keeping our eyes open for lions and pythons!) This is the same river that runs over the Thomson Falls and flows from the Aberdares - so when it rains in the Aberdare Hills the resulting water flow is what can flood when it reaches the sandy plains in Samburu. 

SAMBURU VILLAGERS

We also sat (in the Land Cruiser!) for a long time watching a huge Nile crocodile slide into the river and, against the flow of the river. move very slowly upstream towards a group of impala drinking at the rivers' edge.  They were very jumpy and kept sipping the water and jumping back - as we got closer we saw a smaller croc very close to them so they were being very observant!

When we visited Samburu Intrepids Camp and were given a tour by the Manager, we saw 2 baby ostrich - very tiny and fluffy!  Apparently the mother had been killed by a lion, so a Samburu warrior had gathered up the babies and walked 8km to take them to Samburu Intrepids and asked them to look after them.

We arrived back at Saruni for a late lunch overlooking the watering hole several hundred feet below where a leopard had walked through that morning while we were on the game drive.  The meals are served by the Samburu so each dish is brought to your side and you help yourself to what dishes you would enjoy - never a shortage of food!  We had a lovey salad (feta, mint leaves, watermelon), snow peas and pine nuts, potato, onion and cheese pie, followed by lemon and fruit sorbet accompanied by ice cold wine.

Back at our tent room 1A we indulged in a shower - and these are outside overlooking the watering hole and savannah below - simply a fabulous experience! A short rest and look in the new store which opened just two days prior, and then off for our 4pm game drive.  The store has some very interesting pieces including jewellery made by ladies in the Kibera slums in Nairobi using recycled metals and bone - expensive but very different and stylish.  The store also carries beaded jewellery and other items made by the Samburu ladies in the local villages, and there were books by the owner of Saruni, Riccardo?.  He used to be a BBC reporter and has a couple of very interesting books for sale.  He was the last reporter to interview IdI Amin (Uganda PRESIDENT 1971-79).

SAMBURU MOTHER

By now the temperature was over 35 degrees Celcius and very hot - the breeze as we drove along was very welcome!  We saw Dik Dik, warthog mom with 3 very young babies, and Eastern chanting goshawk - plus much more as we drove to a Samburu Village that we were going to visit that afternoon.  We were welcomed by the ladies at the LOLNGERDED village, and Jackie and I were given beaded necklaces to wear and asked to participate in the dancing with the ladies - you mostly keep your body quite still and move your head and shoulders - which makes all the multicoloured rings of beads bounce up and down in a very spectacular way.  Some of the ladies wear many rings of only red beads and others wear huge numbers of brightly coloured beads which look fabulous.  I was really surprised to learn that these beads are sewn together behind the ladies' necks and are never taken off - I would hate that!  We had several chuckles with the ladies even though we laughed together but didn't really know what we were laughing at!  Then we went and sat in one hut and were told how life in the village worked, by our own guide Joseph who actually lives there.  There were no Samburu men in the village  they were all away looking after the livestock.  This village cost us just $10 USD each which we gave to the designated lady, and there was no vendor market afterwards where they tried to sell their goods - this is done via Saruni at the store in the camp.  This was a very poor village and since the drought, when all their cattle died, they don't even have cow dung to pack the wooden twigs and branches of their houses so everything is covered (or not) with any plastic or covering that they can find.

Then it was time to return to Saruni, so off we went and as the sun set, stopped for a sundowner.  And as it got darker we were so lucky around 710pm to see an African Wild Cat.  We stopped on the track, then imagine - Terry heard this meow and there was this tiny tiny kitten , so small it could not see and it was crying for Mom.  Mom had hidden behind some bush and could not reach the kitten who was right next to our Land Cruiser - so we just headed away knowing Mom would come right out to rescue the kitten - so adorable. We also saw 2 bat eared fox but the best surprise was still to come!

BUSH DINNER WITH MAASAI WARRIORS DANCING

It was pitch black by now (well, there was a practically a full moon but it was very dark) and as we neared the camp the Land Cruiser pulled down towards the dry river bed and it was lit up with a big bonfire and candles all around the perimeter, it was a surprise Bush Dinner (we had requested a bush dinner for Jackie and Neil prior to arriving at Saruni) - it was awesome!  There was a full bar lit by candles, chairs around the camp fire, and a table set with table cloth, china and crystal!

Dinner was awesome, and when we heard the spine tingling deep throated sounds of the Samburu warriors stamping their way from the darkness into the firelight it was just perfect.  They sang and circled us several times, along with 3 young girls in Samburu dress and necklaces, they did their jumping challenges, each trying to jump higher than the others - it was wonderful, and there was Boniface and Joseph participating and loving every moment.  The young unmarried Samburu get together each evening from around 9pm until 1am and this is what they do every night for themselves as their own way of entertainment and they love it - dressing, singing and dancing for each other - along with the very long red ochre died locks of the men.

It was a very special night never to be forgotten!  We were driven back to Saruni Camp around 10pm and fell into bed - still hearing and feeling the wonderful sounds and sights of the Samburu.

INCREDIBLE VIEWS FROM ON TOP OF THE ROCKS

TUESDAY SEP 25, 2012

I woke up sometime in the middle of the night and looked straight outside to the almost full moon looking at me - it was huge and bright - a few clouds glancing across the middle , and then it slowly sank behind the mountains - I knew I should have sprung out of bed and taken a photo of this incredible scene but I was so at peace just watching from inside the mosquito netting around the bed.

MORNING COFFEE FROM OUR LODGE ROOM

The alarm starting beeping at 6am and I turned it off quickly before it started getting louder and irritating me even more!  We had a perfect start to our day - a shower in our outside shower overlooking the valley and the sun came up while we were there!  The amenities are beautiful using rosemary as a base so we smelled fresh and natural to start the day.  Peter delivered our hot chocolate and we sat on the deck for a peaceful few moments before heading up to the restaurant for a cooked breakfast before we departed.  Yes - leaving is always hard, Saruni Samburu is such a special place and after 48 hours relationships have been rekindled and new friends made.

Credit card charges were  processed - we had to walk to the top of the cliff to the spot where we could see the cell data tower on the next range of hills and after 3 tries the transactions worked!  This also happens to be the spot with a big H on the cliff where it was somewhat level for a very small area - this is the helicopter landing pad for clients arriving by helicopter $2000/hour for one hour which could bring 4 clients from the Laikipia airport which is near where we are heading today to spend one night at the Sweetwaters game reserve and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.  We waved good bye to everyone - the construction crew busy finishing the new room #6A and 6B, and the new swimming pool - both right on the very top of the cliffs - the views will be amazing overlooking the sacred Ololokwe Mountain and the Mackenzie Range.  Yes - we will be back!

Our last ride down the sheer rock face at 745am and off to meet our Gamewatchers Safari Jeep at the entrance gates to Samburu National Park. Kwaheri Saruni - we will be back and Boniface and Joseph, the junior warriors,  have promised to invite us to their weddings when they find a wife!

SINGAPORE OCT 8-11, 2012

MARINA BAY SANDS HOTEL, SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE OCT 9-12, 2012

RENDEZVOUS HOTEL - PRE ORION CRUISE

Monday Oct 8 - Tuesday Oct 9, 2012    
FLY VANCOUVER - HONG KONG - SINGAPORE

FLYING OVER ALASKA

Well it had finally arrived - our flight across the South Pacific to visit the city of Singapore, then cruise through Indonesian Islands with the main focus being Borneo where we would visit Camp Leakey and get up close and personal with the orangutans!  When the ORION II ship arrived in Bali we would disembark for 9 days of enjoying fun in the sun and exploring the geography and culture of Bali.  Then we would fly home from Bali and spend 3 nights along the way to explore the modern City of Hong Kong.

CATHAY PACIFIC FLIGHT

The group of 13 of us meet at VancouverAirport - all friends and acquaintances from Sechelt, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert and Halifax - we were so ready!  We  left Vancouver at 320pm arriving Singapore the next day at midnight (after the long 13 plus hours flight to Hong Kong then a quick transfer for the 3 1/2 hour flight to Singapore)  At midnight when we arrived the very modern and clean Singapore airport, it was hot and humid - the palm trees were blowing in the breeze - beautiful!   Our private shuttle was waiting for us and we quickly loaded the suitcases (lots of them) into the bus and were soon at the Rendezvous hotel off Orchard Rd.  Within minutes we were registered and everyone disappeared quickly to the very comfortable rooms and welcome beds!

Wednesday Oct 10, 2012  -   HOP ON HOP OFF BUS AROUND SINGAPORE 

We were all so excited and ready to hit the town!  We were registered in rooms on the Club Floor at the Rendezvous Hotel - so first we all enjoyed a lovely breakfast and lattes, tea and coffee in the Club Room.  Some enjoyed the large breakfast in the Straits Cafe on the main floor.  By 930 we were all waltzing along the sidewalks, past the world renowned Raffles Hotel on our way to pick up the Singapore Hop On Hop Off bus and tour the city.

TEMPLE IN LITTLE INDIA

The bus is open air on top with the last few rows of seats under a roof - we soon sat in these covered seats since the sun was blazing hot and it was also humid.  The views up here are spectacular and we were soon laughing and clicking away very soon with our cameras.  There is commentary in English throughout the trip but at times it was hard to hear.  There is the red heritage  route which takes you through Little India and Chinatown, and the yellow city route, and the purple original route.  We took both the red and yellow routes and enjoyed every moment. This took essentially all day!

Singapore is a big modern city and country - on a fairly small island.  The city has been building like crazy over the last 20 years, a lot of which is on reclaimed land - what used to be a harbour when we visited many years ago is now covered in amazing modern buildings.  They have done an amazing job of keeping lots of the old colonial buildings and building the new structures around, on top and net to the beautiful old buildings.

RAFFLES HOTEL

It is truly a city worth touring.  Some of my favourite buildings are the original Raffles hotel which was named in honour of Sir Stanley Raffles (1781 - 1826) who is credited with being the founder of modern day Singapore.  Raffles was originally built on the waterfront as a 10 room hotel opened on Dec 1, 1887.  It now has 103 rooms and is now blocks back from the water due to land reclamation!  It went into receivership in 1931 during the GreatDepression and during World War II was used as a transit hotel for POW's.  Of course, one of its' claims to fame is the creation of the Singapore Sling cocktail and now served around the world.

The newest world famous hotel is the Marina Bay Sands built 54 stories high in 3 towers with a roof top structure that to me looks like a giant surfboard and pans all 3 towers with an infinity swimming pool on top and the exclusive Ku De Ta nightclub and lounge.

KAMPONG BOYS SCULPTURE

There are beautiful modern sculptures in various areas within Singapore but I always love the bronze of 5 Kampong boys jumping off the wall into the river and depicting when Singapore used to be a care free fishing village.

The other area in Singapore which everyone knows is Orchard Rd - this is the shopping street and has everything from the cheap Chinese imports to the most expensive designer apparel.  However, I must say that at the Marina Bay Sands they have now built a world class casino and shopping centre which is beautiful and has every name brand store that you can think of - all to enjoy in air conditioned comfort and along withe casino after a busy day's shopping there is also a free laser light show to sit outside and enjoy, or  a theatre with wonderful shows (Last time Terry and I were in Singapore we saw The Lion King in this Theatre).

So we all had a wonderful day touring Singapore and determining were we would come back to the following day to further explore.  Around noon we hopped off the bus and went for lunch at the RENNthai restaurant at Clarke Quay - it was so hot we really appreciated the air conditioned restaurant!   The green mango salad was amazing followed by excellent pad thai noodles and washed down with a very cold TIGER beer.

MERLION FOUNTAIN

After lunch we took the boat cruise down the river, into the harbour and admired the Marina Bay Sands hotel from vantage point of the water - it is truly quite spectacular.  We also saw the MERLION statue, a mythical creature resembling a mermaid with a lion's head and and fish's body.  The true name of SINGAPORE is SINGAPURA - coming from the ancient sankrit word SINGA which means LION, and PURA sanskrit word means place or state.  A lion was once seen on Singapure Island.

After lunch and the boat ride (included with the Hop On Hop Off bus ride) we walked the few blocks to the RENDEZVOUS hotel arriving shortly before 6pm - very hot, sticky and satisfied after a great day!  After a quick freshen up we all met in the Club Lounge to share a couple of glasses of wine and appetizers.  After the long flights yesterday and the busy day touring Singapore we were all very ready for a shower and early night in bed - what a great start to our trip!

Thursday Oct 11, 2012 - LITTLE INDIA, SHOPPING ORCHARD RD, 

We were awake early after hitting the bed around 9 last night, so time to catch up on email before heading down for breakfast in the STRAIT coffee shop just after 7 to meet Sue and Audrey - who had been awake since 3am! The breakfast buffet is very comprehensive with Asian and Continental hot and cold selections, with lots of fruit and coffee. It's a popular hotel and so a mix of business folks and vacationers.

CONDOM SHOP 

By 915am a group of us were in the lobby and ready to go shopping along Orchard Rd which is the main shopping street in Singapore - although don't ever doubt that EVERY street and alley in Singapore seems to be a shopping street!  The stores don't open until 10 or 10:30am so our first few blocks were window shopping and we had fun - especially gazing into the window of the HOUSE OF CONDOMS store - yes, that's exactly what they were selling!  The tropical foliage in Singapore rivals the amazing architecture, there is so much green everywhere, and so many very old trees - just huge and so beautiful.  In fact this morning another group were heading off at 10am to the Botanical Gardens which are apparently beautiful and have an orchid garden there as well.

We passed the Istana Domain which is where the Singapore President holds all his meetings and where important visitors to Singapore are hosted.  This has lots of security out front but the grounds are amazing right out to Orchard Rd - beautiful green tropical foliage under a canopy of beautiful old trees. I could have stayed for hours enjoying and looking at the plants and soaking it all in......

SHOPPING ON ORCHARD RD

But the stores were waiting and so we wandered on and shopped haphazardly, especially with 5 ladies and Terry!  Then 1 of the group remembered that she had forgotten to lock her safe and she had all her various currencies sitting in the open - Singapore dollars, Malaysian ringgit, Indonesian rupiahs, Hong Kong dollars - and of course Canadian and US dollars!  So she raced back to the hotel and caught up with us 45 minutes later, everything still safe in her room but now safely locked away.

The shopping in Singapore is varied from Gucci and Prada down to 3 for $10 accessories made in Korea.  We had fun and most of us bought a new pashmina in a wide variety of colours along with watches and hair clips! By 12 noon we were close to the top of Orchard Street and caught the Hop On Hop Off bus outside the Marriott Hotel back down to the Rendezvous Hotel - we're lucky since the bus stops right out front!  Next door is a 711 convenience store where we each bought a cold lime Breezer ($6.50 each)!  Mmmm good!  As Michelle says - you don't see any drunks on the streets in Singapore - booze is just too expensive!  It started to rain quite heavily as we walked across the street back to the hotel but 60 minutes later as we headed out again the rain had stopped.

LITTLE INDIA MARKET

We walked the 6 blocks to Little India and then wandered along Serangoon street which was all decorated for the Hindu New Year - "Happy Deepavali" which starts Oct 15 - so just a couple of days after we leave tomorrow Oct 12 on the ORION cruise to Bali via Borneo and Camp Leakey.  We wandered in and out of the various markets including the Little India Arcade - the amount of fresh flower garlands, saris, jewellry, shoes and everything else you can imagine was for sale at very economical (cheap) prices.  Michelle had a henna dragon fly drawn on her left shoulder - cost $5 and took about 2 minutes to do - very intricate and all done free hand by the lady in the store.  The artist said to not touch it for preferably 2 to 3 hours but that it would dry in about 20 minutes - it was beautiful.  There was one local Indian father with his daughter getting a very intricate design drawn onto her hand.

It was unbelievably humid and sticky and we were all sticky and bedraggled but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Around 3pm we stopped into the Jungle Tandoori where we enjoyed ice cold Tiger (local) beer and a pina colada for Michelle.  The inside was air conditioned and decorated unbelievably well.  It was all iron wood chairs and benches, looking sort of like burlwood pieces, and fake green trees and bush everywhere along with Tarzan and Jane swinging form the trees and stuffed animals everywhere - leopard, tiger, panther, monkeys, elephant etc - not sure about the polar bear though!  It was a lot of fun especially when we scared the bejesus out of Michelle with the rubber snake and cobra!! 

INFINITY POOL MARINA BAY SANDS

We caught the 4:15pm Hop On Hop Off bus at the bottom of Serangoon Street and enjoyed the tour again but jumping off this time at the Marina Bay Sands Resort complex finished in 2010 at a cost of 5.7 billion (yes, billion) dollars - the largest most expensive resort in the world - it encompasses the amazing 3 tower 57 floors, very upscale hotel with the top structure that looks like a ship or surfboard complete with bars, restaurant, viewing platform and infinity pool!! and casino, massive shopping centre with indoor canal, food hall, skating rink, and outdoor entertainment centre - amazing!   

Since September this year they do not allow non hotel guests to view the infinity pool unless yo take a tour (maximum 50 persons per tour at 10am and 4pm each day) - we had missed the tour so decided to return tomorrow morning.  no one wanted to pay the $20 fee to go to the top if we were going to come back in the morning.  However, Terry discovered that we could get a free pass to the Ku De Ta open air lounge up on the 57th top floor so up we went and enjoyed the spectacular vies up there.  The cocktail menu was amazing - every drink $20, water $8 but we really enjoyed ourselves - Angry Bird, ?? were what we drank.  There is a dress code enforced at 6pm so we left then (we were all in sweaty shorts and t-shirts) and headed down to the shopping centre and food court.

COCKTAILS AT KU DE TA 54TH FLOOR

Linda and Carrie decided to go back to the Rendezvous but Jenn, Michelle, Terry and I carried on deciding to eat some local food and then enjoy the light show spectacular at 8pm in the events venue.  The shopping centre is amazing - every brand name you can imagine along with the Gucci, Versace, Jimmy Choo, Victoria's Secret, Columbia Sportswear, Pandora etc etc but there was also a very nice shoe store Charles and Keith where I got a great buy on a pair of tropical sandals!  Dinner was excellent, 3 of us had Indian with wonderful rice, nan bread, Dal and chicken curry and Jenn had rice, veggies and chicken from another counter.  All between $7.50 and $9.50 each.  The selection was awesome and really excellent food - hundreds of locals eating there - all the tables set around the ice skating rink but no-one skating while we were there!

THE LADIES IN THE GROUP ON THE RIVER CRUISE

After dinner it was outside to take photos of the night skyline of Singapore while we waited for the light show to start.  The show was amazing - good music and lots of fountains and big bursts of water using the water as a backdrop for regular camera footage and lettering - really well done - the theme being "what a Wonderful World".  Jenn didn't make the show - she was waylaid by the stores and arrived too late so had to make her own way home on the MRT train arriving shortly after us.  It was only about 3 stops requiring a change of train - easy to use system, the cost $2.20 on a card then your return the card to the ticket machine when you are finished and get a dollar back!

Back at the Rendezvous the rest of the group staggered back after a very full day themselves - they had even been at the same light show even though we hadn't seen each other!  Their morning was spent at the Botanical Gardens and they were enthralled and amazed at the Orchid Gardens for over two hours, so that sounds like an amazing attraction to enjoy.  Everyone I think fell into bed and hoped to get a good nights' rest!  Tomorrow we have a late checkout at 3pm so lots of time in the morning to do those things we haven't managed to do yet!  We have arranged a pickup on a 19 seater bus for 2:30 and boarding the ORION at the International Cruise Ship Pier is between 3 and 4pm - so a big day tomorrow! 

FRIDAY OCT 12, 2012

ORCHARD RD BY ISTANA

Well it has arrived - the big day that we have all been waiting for when we will board the ORION II and take our cruise all the way to Borneo to see the orangutans at Camp Leakey, the highlight of the amazing expedition cruise that we have been looking forward to for so long! Then after 10 wonderful days on the ship we will disembark in Bali.  But first we had one more full morning to enjoy in Singapore.

After breakfast in the Club Room we headed back over to Orchard Rd to view a couple of items we had seen the day before but had not purchased - today was the day!   We were the first customers in the store (the air conditioning was very welcome!) for a couple of minor purchases - stopping along the way on Orchard Rd to enjoy the wonderful (and sometimes colourful) sculptures along the sidewalks.  After our brief shopping excursion nwe caught the Hop On bus back to Raffles to participate in enjoying the world famous Singapore Sling!  Joan, Suz and Pete were already in the Long Bar at Raffles when we arrived - and Joan was enjoying her prize of a Singapore Sling that we awarded for the best suggestions of "free" attractions in Singapore - Joan came up with the Laser Light Show which we had all enjoyed at the Marina Bay Sands on the Harbour Front the previous night.

SINGAPORE SLINGS

ENJOYING RAFFLES LONG BAR

Today was also Clark & Linda's anniversary - and sadly Clark had been unable to join us on the trip due  to pressing business matters and had to cancel at the last minute - so we toasted Clark & Linda's Anniversary along with Raffles 125th Anniversary in true style - with a Singapore Sling!  After enjoying eating peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor in true Raffles style, we walked the 2 or 3 blocks back to the Rendezvous Hotel.  It took us very little time to finish packing, although most of us were so hot and sticky that another shower was in order before we went down to the Lobby to catch our shuttle to the cruise ship terminal!  We had all thoroughly enjoyed our 3 nights in Singapore and what it had offered us as tourists - we heard many comments that Singapore would be a city to come back to in the future!

MBWEHA CAMP, SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY - NAKURU GREAT RIFT VALLEY SEP 25, 2012

WHITE RHINO WITH BABY, NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

MBWEHA CAMP, SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY - NAKURU KENYA, GREAT RIFT VALLEY 

- Wednesday Sep 25, 2012

Mbweha means JACKAL in Swahili,  Jackal Camp.

Well it was very chilly when we woke up this morning!  If we opened the front flaps on the tent there was a very cool breeze blowing in, so we shut those up pretty quick!  I was awake by 4:30am and busy working on the diary for the blog which we managed to post before we went to breakfast at 7:15am.

We had a quick visit with GM James Odenyobefore leaving Sweetwaters Tented Camp at just before 8am - the camp is just 10 minutes from the main Rongai gate where we exited so no game drive on the way out.  SAFIRI SALAMA - Swahili for Travel Safe.

The drive was expected to take about 4 hours but ultimately we arrived at Mbweha Camp at 130pm - 5 1/2 hours, stopping along the way.  The roads were mainly good with several bumpy stretches and a couple of diversions - the best diversion being in Nyeri town (home of the current President of Kenya) where we turned down a vey narrow with a huge petroleum truck trying to turn down behind us - not sure he was going to make it.  At the opposite end we came face to face in gridlock with a Police truck - the Policeman who was driving very unhappy since he could not get the car behind him to reverse and the matatu (mini bus) in front of us refusing to depart!  Eventually all was resolved and we were all on our way.

There were several markets in the towns along  the highway (including the town of Chuka where the Chuka drummers come from who do such a great performance at the Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari Club), with all sorts of goods and produce offered for sale - the huge avocados looking very tempting!  The vegetation is healthy - including the huge euphorbia candelabra trees (they look like massive cactus) and the wild aloe vera with their red flowers.  The euphorbia are also called milk trees due to the milky white rubbery sap (latex) which they produce which is toxic.

CROSSING THE EQUATOR

We stopped for Steve to top up his National Parks smart card at the Aberdares HQ around 930, this would save us a 20 minute detour on arrival at Nakuru National Park later in the day.  The smart cards have been introduced for the Kenyan Gov't to control the cash from the substantial park admission fees averaging $80 per day per International visitor and included in the safari price by all good tour operators who then pay the fees for their clients as they enter each Park. The Aberdare Mountains  (Nyandarua Mountains in Kikuyu language).

The weather was sunny with some clouds about but pleasant for the drive.  We stopped at Point 79 (79k from Nanyuki town) on the Highway, right on the equator just after 11am and used the clean toilet facilities, shopped a little in the curio store where Benson was selling his hand made banana leaf pictures of scenes of Africa.  We also  watched the clockwise versus anti-clockwise, versus static display of the water and matchstick depending on whether we were standing dead on the equator or South or North of the equator - I always find this fascinating!  You can give the demonstrator a tip, and also buy an "EQUATOR CERTIFICATE" with your name on for $5 USD each. Every village, town and corner has the motorbike taxis, known as 'bonda bonda" the name for blacksmith who is always repairing them! 

THOMSON FALLS

We reached the town where the Thompson Falls are located - this is the Wasa Nyeri river which we had spitted wildlife along in Samburu just two days prior.  The town is no longer called Thomson Falls but is now the Kikuyu name: Nyahururu.  The admittance fee is 200 Ksh per adult (about $2.40 each) and we also had our photo taken with 3 colourfully dressed young folks at the Falls and at a cost of 200 Ksh per photo for all 3.

Just after 12noon we reached the spectacular SUBUKIA viewpoint at an altitude of 2550 metres overlooking Subukia town and the Great Rift Valley which runs 9600km from Israel to Mozambique.  This is a great place to stop and admire the view and participate in bartering with the local vendors - they actually draw and paint some fine soap stone plates here showing the complete map of Africa and showing the Great Rift valley.  We paid 1000Ksh to a young man who was busy painting the plates in his booth.

After the viewpoint you descend into the valley down a steep road and the valley is beautiful - full of tea trees looking like a solid field of green (groomed carefully short to maximise production) and coffee bushes which are all grown in straight lines with space around them, quite different than the tea trees which can grow t over 15 feet if not groomed.  We saw rows of ladies at the Berea Farm Tea Estate all bent over picking the tea - back breaking work all day long. 

We continued on our way and passed the town of Nakuru and took a side turn for the Mbweha (jackal) Camp arriving at 210pm into the most beautiful cultivated grounds and such a serene and peaceful setting!  The welcome was warm as our bags were unloaded and taken into the lounge which this awesome half circular sofa and pillows with about 40 or 50 seats - it was massive.  In the centre there was a massive fire place, a bar on the opposite end, along with gift store, bathrooms, and more smaller tables and sofa - all under a very tall thatched  grass roof.  We drank a glass of wine while we had our orientation and then after being shown to our tents we returned to the dining room for our lunch before the game drive.  The menu was hand written on a large 5 foot by 3 foot white board and there were way too may selections - we settled for avocado salad, followed by vegetarian crepe/vegetable marsala, and for dessert centred on a plate with Karibu Nyumboni written in chocolate around the edges - 'welcome home" in Swahili  - so special.

GREAT RIFT VALLEY

We left at 2:30 for our game drive in Nakuru National Park - we were staying in the SOYSAMBU Conservancy adjacent to Nakura NP but you have to go out on to the main road and back into the main gate - about 20 minute drive.  The weather was very threatening - major black clouds and there was a huge deluge while we were on the game drive but fortunately all on the other side of the park to where we were!  As we pulled into what we call the "back entrance" (not used so often) there were 20 vans pulled ut of Nakuru Lodge in front of us - traffic jam in the Park - but pretty soon evryone went there own way and we had a lot of time on our own in the Park.  By the way more than 50% of these vans (maybe as high as 80% were filled with Asian clients!).  We had a very interesting and successful game drive, at least 15 white rhinos including a 1 1/2 year old rhino and a 2 month old baby! Burchell's zebra, baboons, Grant's gazelles, Thomson gazelles, amazingly large herds of Cape Buffalo,, a black backed jackal, the very large eland,, spotted hyena and many birds: the beautiful pink flamingoes that Nakuru is know for - the lesser flamingo which is very pink, and the greater flamingo which is a much paler pink, African spoonbill (white and red), black Glossy Ibis, crested crane (National bird of Uganda), and all too soon it was time to head out of the park before the cutoff time of 630pm when everyone has to be out of the Park or the guides get fined and banned from the park (the same in all of Kenya's national Parks).

CAPE BUFFALO WITH BABY

On the short drive back to Mbweha suddenly a huge spotted  hyena jumps out of the hedge by the side of us and runs across the road in front of the Land Cruiser - it was a female, you can tell because of the size of it - the females are 20 to 25% larger than the males.  It stops on the other side of the road and turns around and looks at us - just standing still long enough for a photo in the fading light.  Jackie and Neil had really wanted to see a hyena and the hyena in the park earlier that afternoon was quite a ways off - so what a bonus!

Back at camp we sat around a huge (read HUGE) campfire under the thatched roof drinking wine and eating excellent fresh cheese and crackers before dinner - at the same time charging all our electronic devices at the central charging station at the bar.  Each room has solar power but not enough electric for charging.  They are circular stone cottages with thatched roof, large beds, spacious bathrooms with very hot showers and monsoon shower heads - decorated very nicely - the Mbweha was built in the conservancy 10 years ago.  The SOYSAMBU Conservancy is owned by Lord Delamere - third generation of the Lord Delamere's.   The white wine I chose was Gato Negro sauvignon blanc right out of the fridge and perfectly chilled - 2600 Ksh.

LALA SALAMA - GOOD NIGHT WITH VANILLA SLICE

Again the dinner menu  was presented to us by the wait staff and 4 courses were offered along with 4 choices of entree!!  We chose the tilapia fish with chips and fresh vegetables followed by brownie and whipping cream - again this was presented on a large white dinner plate with Lala Salama written around the edge of the plate in chocolate sauce "sleep well Good night" - such a special touch. We have really enjoyed this camp.  We all headed back to our own "tent" or stone cottage and had a nice early evening and a sleep interrupted only by the hyenas who were very active all night long!

Nakuru to Maasai Mara Thursday Sep 27, 2012

Well I was awake again at 4am so we were soon showered (lovely and hot!) and off to the dining room at 545am to do a little work on the trip diary before breakfast - eggs cooked to order with fresh fruit and cereals - the mango juice was excellent!  Steve (our driver) found a flat tire when he went out to wash the land cruiser so he had that fixed before we were scheduled to depart at 730am - we were all ready and even a few minutes early!  We said our farewells to the GM James Odenyo and headed out  "Safiri Salama " - Travel Safe.  (By the way they sell amazing to the floor bathrobes at Mbweha Camp made from the red checked shucru Maasai blanket with bead trim, and lined with red terry towelling $125 USD each).