The Jade sea – Lake Turkana

Day 1 – Saterday 3 August – Nairobi to Nanyuki

We drove to a a shop about 10km away from our route to buy square plastic cans for the extra petrol that we need to drive from Maralal to Konso, about 1000km. We needed to carry  an extra 60L for the trip. It was huge fun for Arno and the sellers negotiating in the rain and the washing of the cans with soap water (Arno had to do that afterwards again), but he was happy about his purchase. Fanie in the meantime were already on his way. Our meeting point were Mountain Rock Lodge/Campsite, Naro Moru at the foot of Mt Kenya. We had the “fantastic” opportunity to drive through the chaotic madness of the centre of town before getting on the Great North highway. The traffic is something to experience and one even see men walking with their wares pushing a cart while the cars give them a chance to get into or out of the road. There are no traffic rules. Everyone gives another a chance of getting in or across a road by flicking their lights. no road rage, no hooting……South Africans can look an learn!  We had long conversations though about the frequent senseless bumps on the highway. On arriving at our campsite Fanie was already there. Arno and Fanie had a fun hike down to the river to recover  Fanie’s six-pack beer that a huge baboon grabbed. We couldn’t see the mountain because of the cloudy weather. It was very cold with an icy wind blowing. It seems the nearer we come to the Equator, the colder it becomes!

The beer hunters

Obviously the baboon did not like the beer

Working out routes

Cooking in freezing cold! A group Dutch families camping behind us.

Camping cost R135 for the night

We stopped for a photo of the old Italian war dam that was build by Italian prisoners in the second World War. The interesting story about the Italian War prisoners that were kept here is that 3 of the Italians decided to climb Mt Kenya. They escaped out of their camp, climbed the mountain and came back to their prison camp. The one soldier actually wrote a book after the war ended about their escape and climb. There was also a movie made about the climb.