My adventures- Kenya

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and I got a lot of the information from my sister Silje

thank you for reading my blog!

Coming home

The morning we left Kenya was a sad one. I almost cried as we drove away from the beautiful mansion, already missing it.

The plane rides back to Norway were exhausting. I was so tired when we finally stumbled through the door to our house; I had all but forgotten my dog. He was sitting there, waiting for us at the entrance. His tail wagged like Calibri wings, and he greeted us with happy barks. I laughed.

I had forgotten him, left in the care of our grandparents, but I was sure he hadn’t forgotten us. He never does when we leave for holidays.

I managed to catch him in an embrace and hugged him tight. I kissed him in the fur many times, and whispered into the soft cushions of his body that I finally was home.

I was home…

Here's a picture of my adorable dog, because you deserve it!

Mombasa

The next morning was a living hell. We woke up at about 6 AM, packed and ate. Our plane left from the airport at eight, and to say the least, I was not excited. I didn’t want to leave the beautiful savannas for a city filled with trash. But we left anyway.

The plane was old and rusty, and was nothing I would classify as “safe”. Dad actually had to carry me on board. I am not a plane-person. I normally laugh at takeoff and landing, as it tickles in my stomach, but I actually prefer travelling by car, train or boat. My body reacts to busses and planes, making me feel uneasy, so a trashed plane wouldn’t exactly help me on the way.

By takeoff I was sure I was going to die, as the motor creaked, and the walls made strange sounds. I was tempted to scream out loud in the middle of the ride, when we hit a rather powerful fit of turbulence. At landing my whole soul felt devastated and very confused, as I made my way off, and out to the fresh air.

As I suspected “fresh” wasn’t the right term to use. I could spot the highway from where I stood, and if I wasn’t very wrong, I could spot high dumps of trash along it. I was so done with this.

When in our newly rented car, mom and dad surprised us. They told us we weren’t going to stay in town. They had rented a mansion not far from the city. A mansion with servants, pool, big rooms and the garden led right onto the beach where a giant coral reef was silently resting.

We made our way there, and I was very delighted. The house was so big, either of us could have our own room with king size beds. There were giant palm trees all around, and nice sun beds in between them. Already from the car we could hear the soft squeals of monkeys, and the peaceful whisper of waves hitting shore. The warmth from the air itself was melting my worries of a sad week in Mombasa. This was not exactly what you would call “stinking and overflowing with trash”.

Here is a part of our mansion, the pool area.

This is the beach right by the mansion. It was really heavenly there!

Her kan du se ruten vi har tatt hittil!

Maasai Mara!

The day we spent at Maasai Mara was, with hands down, the most fantastic nature experience I’ve had all my life. It even beat the botanic gardens in Bulgaria. It was awesome!

There was great savannas and big forests. Big plains with trees spread around in the tall, dry grass. Lions lazed in the shadows, and the tourist cart took us within thirty meters or so. They were so cute! A big pride, with five females, a male, and around ten small cubs running around playing. I was mesmerized with the beautiful sight.

We saw zebras, antelopes, hippos, giraffes and hoards of different birds! I even spotted a leopard!

The nature itself was beautiful, like brung right out of “The Lion King”, just look at this! Ah! And just if you didn’t know, the crew that made “The Lion King” actually went to Maasai Mara for inspiration!

My sister snapped this picture1 Isn't this just adorable?

The day passed like no other! That evening, when we were at the hotel, we were all so amazed, nothing could bring our mood down. Dad was in his “happy mood”, making him the one of us making the most jokes.

~*~

The next day, we would pack and leave again. To Mombasa this time. On the news the day before there had been some talk about the trash in the streets of Mombasa being a growing problem. I was uneasy. I didn’t really look forward to going to a place filled with filth and trash. That’s why we have Norway after all…

Nairobi and our car ride to Maasai Mara

The second day in Kenya was well spent. We went around, got familiar with the city, went to some really exciting markets and we even visited a snake park! It was right outside the Nairobi National Museum, and no, it wasn’t a park full of snakes. There were a lot of other animals there too! Like this alligator and turtles. I even almost stepped on a chameleon! It was so awesome!

Look at this little guy! isn't he just adorable?

We ended the day at some fancy restaurant, and really had a great time.

.~*~.~*~.

Early in the morning the next day we started packing and cleaning up. We left about 11 AM in a fairly nice car dad had rented. Then, there was the car-ride.

The roads were almost decent for about two hours while we drove. They were smooth and well kept, and we had a great time just talking and joking around. When we happened to pass something interesting we all stared out the windows, but mostly, we were just having fun. Two hours passed by smoothly. We had a short lunch break in Narok.

When we hit the roads again, it was like we had been dropped straight into a warzone. There were dusty, old, abandoned houses right by the road. The landscape changed from green and flourishing life to orange sand and yellow, dried out straw all around. The road itself was full of holes, dumps and ditches. By the time we were halfway I was sure my butt had become the most tender meat any gourmet could ever want. I hurt everywhere, and yet we still had a long way to go.

By 7 PM we were all beat up and grumpy placed in our hotel rooms. I was so tired I just wanted to fall asleep right there, but my stomach otherwise. Everyone took a quick shower, and then- dinner time!

In the evening I sat at the balcony of our hotel room (me and my sisters’), and in the horizon I could just make out the fences of national Park Maasai Mara.

Here is the route we took to Maasai Mara

Goodbye Norway

The day my family and I went to Kenya, was very exhausting, but also very exciting. The morning we left, Værnes airport was very quiet and peaceful. Believe me, I’ve seen it worse. It was about 7 AM, and the early morning air and grey skies promised a sad day for the citizens of Trondheim. Already then a light drizzle was coating the winds in wet, feather light kisses.

The atmosphere in our car was so uneasy and nervous I was sure even the vehicle itself could feel it. Mom and dad are always like that before we travel. Not that I can blame them.

About two hours later, when the plane took off, the uneasy feeling overtook me too. I was really leaving! up until now it had all seemed so unreal, yet there I was. I smiled nervously as I watched the fjords and the mountains disappear behind the grey clouds. My forehead rested on the window, while I watched the comforting rain prickle the windows.

We switched planes in Amsterdam, and then took off again. Arriving Kenya was so weird. Outside the windows, the sun had already set, and the city was covered in a blanket of dark skies. The airplane was so cold I had to wear a fleece jacket, and i was almost expecting the same temperature scince it was so dark, but as I walked out the doors the heat came crashing upon me and I was instantly sweating. Gods! The heat!

Here, you can see a picture my sister took from the window of the plane. It's Nairobi centrum as we saw it form the plane. Gods! What an amazing zoom cameras has nowadays...

My sources

Coming home

Mombasa

Maasai Mara!

Nairobi and our car ride to Maasai Mara

Goodbye Norway