Lakeside

These blogs will be out of sequence, since they all essentially depend on Internet access, and it makes more sense to write "in the moment" & catch up on other things later. Finished the last day of my Safari with Adventure Panorama Safaris - sort of, and have nothing but praise for... The animals we saw. I'll cover that later. But having been dropped off in Naivasha Town, I have been able to experience the cost effective genius of the matatu (like the Tunisian Louage but without the slavish attention to Health &. Safety). The matatu is a small bus ploughing a particular route, but with elements of a share taxi in that it picks up and sets down wherever it pleases, and it only sets off on its travels with a decent mob on board (I'm told that some run according to time tables - I don't really believe it).

The matatu holds - theoretically - 14 people. The matatu conductor was happy to admit that they cram over 20 people into something smaller than a transit van, something necessary partly due to the fact that there are 2 conductors. One handles financial issues (he was a touch reluctant to hand over my 150 shillings change from my paltry 50 bob fare), the other stops and starts the bus by tapping signals on the roof. Although they take up a bit of space, they are sometimes happy to ease over crowding by hanging into the outside of the matatu, bus surfing their way along the insane Kenyan roads.

Eventually a cargo-carrying woman, that my bag and I had pinned squishily into a corner, decided to get off. I had become so crushed into the matatu that, having got off to allow her freedom, I couldn't muster the energy to ease myself back on board. The three strong matatu crew were a little mystified by my insistence on walking the final kilometre, but as it made a trip on the Piccadilly Line feel like aversion therapy for arm-pit fetishists, I was happier trotting along. A very nice Kenyan man and his three boys accompanied me for some distance. He introduced his son as "Blazing". He himself was called Stephen. OK

I arrived at Crayfish Camp, Naivasha. They are renting me a room the size of George Osborne's social conscience for £40 per night. To make it worse, they rent bikes for £2.50 an hour, when the going rate in town is £3 per DAY. Avoid if you don't want to feel like you've just been mugged in downtown Nairobi.

Tomorrow, Hell's Gate. Sounds like this hotel. I've just had to relocate to follow the signal for my shitty $5 wireless connection that now only works in reception. Twats.

Believe it or not, I'm having a whale of a time. Or at least a buffalo.

(pictured, Mario, Lauro & Sally, my safari crew)