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Arrived back home in the Netherlands again, Sunday morning. Only one night in an airplane flying from Nairobi to London, and another hour to Brussels was enough to bring me back into what feels like the other world. So far, I still fit in here surprisingly well.
But it was weird to drive home; everybody in his/her own shiney, fancy and luxurious car. A speed of 120 km/h was easily reached on the perfectly gliding roads. No people walking along the road. And its green, wet and windy here, makes me feel like its fall already. Another thing; everything and everybody is so clean; the streets, the houses and their gardens, shops, the super market, the people plus clothes they wear. Everything. Clean and wealthy, that's what it is here.

Enjoyed drinking milk (drank milk only two times while I was in Africa, almost puked once), eating yoghurt, cheese and meat that's no chicken or goat. Enjoyed a real toilet, where there's toilet paper :) Enjoyed a bed at home, with fresh sheets, smelling better than anything else in the world.
And of course I am enjoying decent music with guitars, bass guitars and other essential stuff, most of the time I'm awake.

Anyway, although without my pictures I dont really want to 'talk' about the last part of our travels, I still feel like I have to tell you more about my last one and a half week.


We picked Leonie's boyfriend, Ruben, from the airport around seven in the morning Wednesday two weeks ago. All five of us left at six in the morning for a two-day safari to Masaï-Mara the next day, after another (I would almost say boring) day in Nairobi. If you're looking for some BAD roads, I know where to find them! Our minibus driver needed to use the whole road, and parts of the land left and right of the road to keep us moving for most of the time.
The landscape in (crowded) Masaï-Mara was gordious, with very long grass and beautiful colours. The big migration hadn't arrived yet and together with the tall grass, we drove around without seeing anything for quite some times. But there was still enough we spotted; many (!) elephants, 2 rhino, ostriches, topi, hartebeests, wildebeests, giraffes, lions, tomson and grants gazelle, vultures, eagles and zebras. Masaï-Mara is a reserve, and no National Park, so the Masaï were living around.
Arrived back in Nairobi on Friday, where we spend another free night in some beds of the safari bureau. The whole Saturday was spend travelling in a big bus from Nairobi to Mombasa. All other people in the bus thought we were crazy, taking the back seats voluntarily. But with our heads almost through the roof sometimes, we could at least sit all together. Had birthday cake for breakfast in a little park in Mombasa, place of little glue sniffers. The rest of the day we had a good look around in the second largest city(/town) of Kenya, with a rich history and still being one of the largest harbours along the East African coast. Visited Fort Jesus; very bloody and violent history.
Veerle, Bram and I travelled North, to Watamu, Monday morning, for some last cheap days filled with sun, the white beach, beautiful sealife and clear water. Visited Gede Ruins in the afternoon. Spend my next three days in and along the water, my only companion my diving glasses. Wow! Green anemone, red starfish, white sand, yellow/black fishes, sea cucumbers, black sea eagles and corals. Whieu, and the waves; now I understand why my mum was always scared when we enjoyed big waves. I was swirreled around as if I was nothing, weighed nothing. Mighty!
Back to Mombasa Thursday, and to the police station late at night. 'Quickly' picking up some police reports the next day (the guy still needed to start when we arrived in his office) and after worths it was back in the big bus again. Ten long hours to get back into the capital; bad roads, traffic, pole pole (no hurry). And than, early Saturday morning, we dropped the two boys at Nairobi Airport. The rest of the day was left for us, the three girls again (the way it's supposed to be :); some internet, some shopping, some walking around, some souvenirs and the very last Tusker...

AAAARRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Dear f@#$%^&$%^#@#ng thief,

Thanks for making me realize how important my camera and the pictures I take are to me.
Every time I'm reaching for my camera, I have to bite my lip, realizing it's not where it belongs; in my pocket. I feel like there's a limp amputated. Feel like screaming. Feel like running till I'm exhausted, till I drop down with cramps. Feel like hitting or kicking something (or someone) once for each of the more than 600 pictures I lost, for good.
I know that in a way you've been nice; you were there in our room, you could have taken everything, while you only took my camera and all pictures from the last seven weeks. I'm lucky to be healthy, to still have my ticket and passport. Lucky I'm getting into a plane tonight, holding my family again tomorrow.
And that if problems like these are my biggest in life, I shouldn't complain, but still. Still the camera wasn't working properly anyway, so you're not going to be able to use it anyway. Next time please take the camera, take my money, take it all, but PLEASE leave the memory cards on my bed...

Ohhh. I would do everything to get them back. But its not going to be possible.

Promised images

Part of the huge crater

The two other visitors in the little tea house

The combination of rain season, black and white cows and the fresh green products growing on these fertile soils, show a different Africa

Lady cleaning fish at Lake Victoria

Carwash open tonight!

Posting from Nairobi

A lot happened since the last time I reported to you. We're in Kenya now, for example. We stayed in Arusha longer than planned; we changed our plans together with some new friends, Saturday night, after a day of walking around in Arusha and using the internet. The next morning we waited for one and a half hour for Tom, after that another hour for Steve (with Landrover!). We spend the rest of the day watching a couple of cars in a dangerous rally, eating cheeseburger and pizza, while drinking some beers. Monday morning we've seen the rest of Arusha and in the afternoon we had an awesome lunch at Steve's place, we also watched three (!) movies...
And Tuesday it was of to Nairobi with the bus, from 7 am till 1 pm. Busy. Noisy. Traffic. People in suits. High buildings. Crazy. But, even though it surprises myself, I kind of like the city. Wondered along the streets the rest of the day, while avoiding getting hit by a vehicle. After some very funny hours with drunk people in a bar, we took of for a (cheap) night at the airport. I might have slept for 3 hours, on the floor, because Nairobi Airport doesn't seem to have benches...
And than there was Bram, Veerle's friend. Toured around on foot in the city the rest of the day and found out the National Museum is still under construction.
The four of us left for a two-day safari which we arranged on the airport. Ready at 6 am, arrived at Hell's Gate NP at 9.30. We were allowed to actually walk around, as long as we staid on the path. So now I can say I ate a bammetje with hagelslag (thanks to Bram) not far from wild zebras, oryx, waterbuck, elands, gazelles, giraffes and buffaloes. Have seen lots of bee-eaters, hyrax and monkeys as well. After a quick stop in Naivasha we drove on to Nakuru, where we arrived at a fancy hotel called the Waterbuck. I felt like being in the wrong place with my dirty clothes.
Visited Lake Nakuru NP on Friday; three million flamingos, gazelle, buffaloes, impala, giraffe, monkeys and black and white rhinos (we've seen 15 in total). So, now we've the big five complete!!
Saturday, after a lazy start and me getting my trousers fixed again, we hiked 10 km to a nearby crater (forgot the name). We had to seek shelter from the rain on the way back; ended up drinking tea and playing a card game in a tiny local bar/tea house. We took the bus to Kisumu, at the second largest lake of the world, Lake Victoria, early Sunday morning, where we arrived late afternoon. The road was so bumpy the driver decided to drive next to the road sometimes, or at the right (wrong!). Met a lot of mosquitoes while walking around trying to get a good spot on the lake while seeing the third largest town of Kenya. Yesterday we hiked to Hippo Point. No hippos. Hiked further in the sun, through villages and the local African life, till we found a boat which took us on the lake to see the noisy hippos, and egrets, herons, king fishers etc.
And now my story reached today. We're in Nairobi again, after mini buses from 7.30 till 16.30. Tomorrow morning, at 6 am again, another friend is arriving, Ruben, Leonie's boyfriend. But we decided to stay in town for some sleep tonight; we're gonna take the first bus to the airport tomorrow.