ROBS ADVENTURES

AFRICAN UPDATE( half way)

HALF WAY!!!!!!!!!!!

so,it's time for an update.

it's been 6 months since i started my trip from london and 3 months since updating my blog. even though i left canada last october and have been on the move, i'm calling it 6 months.i have up to dec to get home.looking forward to it!

so where to start... i flew into nairobi from cairo, via dubai airport,next to me was a lady from perth who was now living in nairobi, so i got a lift to my camp area.always a bonus.

driving to the camp was awesome. for years i wanted to come to africa and for one reason or the other hadn't come. now i was here. the country side was just as i had pictured it in kenya. lots of bright green from all the rain they had just had, a good thing because they were having a really bad drout, and rich red dirt,perfect to make mud houses from due to the stickiness of it and the vast grey african sky completed the picture.since then i have had some amazing, what i can only explain as african skys.like the photo of the trees in the serengeti, to the most star filled sky imaginable out in the middle of nowhere with the milky way forming a dome streching as far as the eyes can see either side of me.

i was a bit scared at first going into nairobi, after all the stories and warnings of safety, but the camp was well protected with a fence and 24 hr security, most places seem to have security.the city is very busy and very transient with it being a magor hub in to east africa. hence all the robberys.like all major citys in africa , you want to keep your wits about you and not walk at night. like i was doing with a dutch guy i met at the camp.

it also had some very big churches. i went to a couple of churches in nairobi, one had about 10 000 people and they go on for an average of 3 hours.

so then i headed out and climbed mt kenya. as you can see from the photos. a really cool hike and a lot cheaper than mt kili in TZ.lots of flora and on a clear day you can see in to TZ.it took 4 days to do a round trip.you climb to about 30m short of 5000m, the true summit is another 200m and you need technical gear. we had quite a bit of snow up there and the guide did not warn us what was ahead. it was me an israeli girl, guide and cook.it was lucky i had good boots cause on the last section of the hike, which you normally do during the night in order to see the sunrise,was a frozen sheet of ice,about30 degees.luckly i was able to kick indents into the ice to form steps for lily the israeli girl, who was not prepared and wouldn't of made it with out the steps,so we were not impressed with the guide.

at anyrate the top was amazing. i had it to myself, the guide and lily were behind, and i stayed up there for 1 hour.the photo of me smiling on the top of a mountain is just below the top of mt kenya the other peak is kili which i will get to.there is something about climbing to the top of a mountain and just sitting and admiring gods work, very peaceful.

so i headed to the coast after that and made contact with an orphanage i had mail prio,i got some contacts through a friend nikole in canada, only to discover confusion. it was hard because you don't know how to feel some times when coming into a new and very different culture.i was not feeling good about the meeting. the two people who myself and nikole thought were meant to be working together in the same orphanage, infact one had split up and started his own orphanage. i wont go into it to much, basically they were corrupt and were miss using funds, treating it like a business for them selves.they were getting funding from volunteers who would come and spend time with the kids through a organization who didn't do there ground work to well.the volunteers were pulled out. through it all i met a english couple, who had had history with the two guys and was able to visit a really cool school, orphanage and church they coordinate.then i met a local Kenyon, patrick, who was doing some work in a remote masi village, something that was very appealing to me. what an adventure that was.we stayed at a masi camp near the main road for two days,which is the photo of me sitting with the two men,due to the rain.the rain didn't stop and it looked like we weren't going to be able to continue by car and might have to cancel the trip in. i said to patrick i was keen to go no matter how. at first we were going to hike, i think 50km, then he said we could borrow the elders motorbike..... yes! thats right he's motor bike. i said to pat that i didn't ride well. in fact i'm scared of the things, unless they have 3 or more wheels.he said no prob i have ridden a couple of times. so, in the morning we packed the bike with food water ect and 10kg of nails, total of about 15+ kg on the back tray.the nails were for us helping to go and put a roof on a school, i should stick to cooking!! :-), so the bike is ready, we are in front of the elder(chief)and his brother and there wives and lots of kids, pat turns to me and says- ok! get on, your riding. all i can say is that it was quite the laugh. the good thing was i learnt how to sort of ride and push a road bike on the slipperiest dirt and mud road you can imagine. anyone who has been to africa knows what mud i'm talking about.we made it out and spent a few days with the masi,the other photos,i was amzed that some of them were christians. one impartially i met, abraham, wants to be a pastor.i thought that was very cool.

after leaving them i headed to a island called lamu and just hung out.,in the north of kenya. very cool!!

coming into tanzania... i think we might not be getting into so much detail, i don't want to bore you. actually i hope your still reading :-)

so, i did the safari thing. i wasn't sure what to expect but to my delight i really enjoyed it.went to serengetti, lake manyara and ngorogoro crater.saw all the main animals except a leopard hang out at a chagga village with two crazy american girls who were volutarying there. it was how i got to go. we chipped in and had a party, one normally reserved only for special occasions. Turns out we were pretty special.we were expecting around 20 people and it turned out to be 100. the women from all over the village came together and prepared the acomplaments to the goat the men were preparing. i thought i would spare the before and after photos of the goat.i think it was becuse i was the male guest i got to carve the cooked goat meat and liver, then pass it around starting with the elder.something different hey!! emmily, especially enjoyed the liver wrapped in fat, still better than eating raw intestine straight out of the goats stomach as the elder did. he told me it makes you strong. from the blood they make a soup. hungry anyone......:-)

climbed mt KILIMANJARO!! as you can see in the photo. the first 3 days are really easy. then the fun begins.on the 3rd day at around 11.30am you get to the last hut,you have just come from 3700m, from there you have a light lunch, hang out then have more food at 5, try to go to sleep, very hard at 4700m and at 5.30pm. wake up at 11pm have more food and start hiking by midnight.to the peak, 5895m(19340ft),and back to the hut ,4700m, is around 8-11 hours then sleep for no more than one hour and go down to the second hut at 3700m. the hiking itself is not difficult but due to the way you do it and the altitude, it was the hardest thing I have ever done was so sick I could not even get my camera out to take a photo of the sunrise when I got to the actual summit I got it out gave it to my guide and past out not for long cause you have to go down. Your not allowed to stay up there to long.
the top of kill was the most amazing out of this world view. I don't have one photo of the fluorescent orange sunrise over the clouds at around 3000m,9000ft,shining against the 30-50 ft glacier walls on the top of the mountain. walking around the craters edge was the best and worst part of my trip so far.every step an agonising effort.imagine the worst sea sickness when all you want to do is curl up and go to sleep and then told to walk up some crazy mountain.still i'm glad i did it.

ok, i will try keep it brief now.

so i make it to the coast of TZ and over to zanzibar. a tropical island off TZ. with perfect beaches and skyscraping palm trees it's the place to be if your wanting a get away with the better half and go swimming in perfect turquoise coloured waters and amazingly fine white sand. Pity i got it rainy ha ha!!!

i spent a week with michael and his family. another contact i had.he is involved with youth development and a project for planting churches in remote areas.the hospitality i received was amazing i was feed really well, given housing and treated like an honored guest.the village had a school for church leaders and man these guys are committed. every morning they start the day at 4.30-5 am . i know they this because i heard them every morning, and believe me they don't hold back when worshiping. they start with worship then pray and i think a little study.before actually starting school.i was impressed.

i then took the train down to the malawi boarder. a pleasant 24hr ride.... i shared my cabin with two girls from the states and a 24 year old male Argentinean model,exotic dancer. he was a very good looking man to say the least.we had a good chat.a nice guy who has been blessed with good looks. he hopes to start a business with in the next two years and get out of his current line of work.i asked him if he had a girl friend? he tells me it's impossible for him to only have one girl friend at a time in his line of work.a different conversation to the others on my trip.

i make it to malawi. i've been here for 11 days. this chapter i will leave until next time.......

ohh!!! the world cup... for all the italian aussies, it must of been an emotional one for you guys.i was really gutted. still they did really good and played excellent.
tonight i have the porkos against the pomes. very exciting!!!!

so for now i say good bye,my pray of feeling homesick for the first time came true on this trip.i'am really looking forward to getting home and setting up shop. scary......but equally looking forward to what god has for me on the rest of this trip.
lots of love and blessing you heaps
keep in touch