tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108069662011-09-04T11:21:11.386+01:00The journal of Bobby Elliott which he created while on holiday in Kenya during January and February 2005.Bobbynoreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108812695487438202005-02-19T11:28:00.000Z2005-08-22T20:07:15.330+01:00

This blog was created from paper journals maintained by Bobby during his holiday in Kenya between January and February 2005. The dates and times of each post reflect the date/time of the entry in the paper journal.The holiday was special for two reasons: it was the first time that I had been in Africa and it was my 25th wedding anniversary (to Margaret).It is best to read this blog from first

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113087876349107712005-02-11T11:30:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:20:14.343+01:00

We arrived in London at 6am and went from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1 for the flight to Glasgow. The FlyBMI flight was due to leave at 8.45am but actually left at 9.30am. We arrived in Glasgow at 10.30am and got home at 11 o'clock. It's quite a journey - 22½ hours from door to door.The first thing that struck me as I waited for a taxi outside Glasgow Airport was that someone had left on the

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113087563399462232005-02-11T07:10:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:25:56.793+01:00

The flight has been uneventful. I managed to get some sleep so I don't feel too bad. The lights have just came on and breakfast is about to be served. We're due to arrive in London at 6am (15 minutes behind schedule). We're currently flying over Marseille.Kenya Airways are fine. They're on a par with BA. Everything has went smoothly. The only problem has been airport security - your travel

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113087289505774452005-02-10T23:36:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:28:04.313+01:00

I went for a swim at 1pm and we had lunch before returning to the house for a shower before leaving. We checked-out at 3.30pm and I settled my bill. The bill was lower than I expected (you put everything on your room so all of our drinks and shopping were "on account") which reflects the low prices in Kenya (60p for a drink and 50p for cigarettes).The journey to Mobassa Airport was hot. Really

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113340454958167492005-02-10T17:30:00.000Z2005-04-12T22:26:12.076+01:00

Mombasa city centre

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113088180994891302005-02-10T15:20:00.000Z2005-04-10T00:22:03.063+01:00

Margaret and Bobby about to leave.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111710552065959932005-02-10T09:50:00.000Z2005-03-25T00:29:12.066Z

It's check-out day. I've just packed. We get picked-up at 3.45pm this afternoon.We got up at 7.30am and had breakfast followed by a game of backgammon. Margaret won - again. I've been on a losing streak lately.The last day of a holiday is always a bit of a lost day - although we have a few hours in the Sun to look forward to before we leave. Speaking of which, it just came out. The butterflies

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111710020787424642005-02-09T22:54:00.000Z2005-06-13T20:37:10.013+01:00

The meal was great. We ate by the pool. We bought some champagne to celebrate our last evening in Kenya and listened to some African music. There was also a fashion show - done by a disabled workshop in Mombasa. The MC was hilarious: "Miss special girl Sophie is wearing a 100% cotton thing." Clearly, a man after my own heart.We returned to our house at 10pm - with the remainder of the champagne.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111709134541492672005-02-09T19:00:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:33:21.726+01:00

After yesterday's sunburn, I was low profile today. I had a siesta at 1pm for a couple of hours and ventured down to the pool at 4pm for an hour. Some Russians arrived. All men, aged 35-45. They were loud and took over the pool. I presumed that they were part of the Russian Mafia and made sure that I didn't get in their way. The hotel is full of Europeans - mostly Dutch, German and French with

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111709390298386632005-02-09T16:49:00.000Z2005-03-25T00:23:04.746Z

Margaret at pool.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111019688772381222005-02-09T12:27:00.000Z2005-03-17T00:35:56.023Z

We were meant to do a Mobassa City Tour this morning but the bus didn't arrive. So we got up early (6.30am) for nothing. But I didn't mind. Who would complain about an extra day in this place? Especially since the tour sounded more like a shopping trip.We spent the morning pottering around. The couple who lived in the next house to ours were getting married. There were no family or friends -

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111018659379863772005-02-08T22:16:00.000Z2005-03-17T00:25:35.893Z

Dinner was the usual high standard. But the time between consuming and dumping is decreasing at an alarming rate. I expect to sit on a toilet tomorrow evening while I'm eating my dinner.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111018536579390652005-02-08T18:30:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:36:09.826+01:00

It was a bad idea to sit in the Sun this morning without sunscreen. I've got more sunburn. I didn't go for a swim this afternoon because I was so sore. In fact, I spent most of the afternoon reading in the shade. I completed Screen Burn which was very funny.I've now showered and applied some after-Sun and feel a lot better. Time for dinner.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111019956678333292005-02-08T12:39:00.000Z2005-03-17T00:42:51.093Z

Beach

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1111018262174865692005-02-08T11:06:00.000Z2005-03-17T00:21:39.620Z

We slept a little later this morning - until 8am. Then breakfast followed by a game of backgammon. I'm writing this on the patio, where I've been sitting in the Sun for the last hour - without sunscreen. I hate that stuff - it's so tacky against your hair and skin. But it's time to put some on. My token resistance is to wear low factor sunscreen. I'm currently using factor 4. I'm already sunburnt

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1110151590043978472005-02-07T22:16:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:39:50.203+01:00

I spent most of the day in and out of the house, avoiding the Sun. I was determined not to get any more sunburnt that I am already. I went to the swimming pool at 4.30pm and had another game of beach volleyball. This time it was three-a-side. And since two of the players were women (Dutch lesbians I think which is a pity since one was a real looker), I wasn't the worst player today. We won one

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1110151971909121332005-02-07T17:32:00.000Z2005-03-06T23:41:17.930Z

Margaret writing her journal outside the house.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1110150956146167142005-02-07T10:05:00.000Z2005-04-10T11:40:58.966+01:00

I awoke to the sound of rain this morning. This is very unusual. Kenyans like rain and said that it was "lucky". But the Sun was out when we went for breakfast at 8am. We played backgammon before we ate. I won - again.I returned from breakfast in a hurry. When you need the toilet, you really need the toilet if you know what I mean. It comes over you very quickly - and you have about one minute to

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109627817606539622005-02-06T21:52:00.001Z2005-02-28T21:56:57.606Z

After breakfast I did some sun-bathing and reading. I've nearly finished The Sun: A Biography and I've just started Screen Burn which is a collection of TV reviews that Charlie Brooker wrote for the Guardian. It's hilarious. Vicious in parts but laugh-out-loud funny.I had a siesta at 1pm for a couple of hours. I felt a little sore with sunburn. Although this morning was cloudy, I think I got

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109627897256502472005-02-06T10:58:00.000Z2005-02-28T22:20:27.680Z

Margaret walking on beach

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109626328019558862005-02-06T07:30:00.000Z2005-02-28T21:32:08.020Z

We got up at 6.30am this morning to walk along the beach and take some photos of the sunrise. There were lots of boys fishing in the sea with large nets - it looked like a scene from Biblical times. Margaret took some great photos. It was nice to stroll along the beach without being bothered by boys trying to sell things. Normally, within minutes of stepping onto the sand you are approached by

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109533969254918482005-02-05T22:41:00.000Z2005-02-27T19:56:17.493Z

After breakfast I went online to check my e-mail. I promised the kids that I would get in touch with them. Internet access in Kenya is not good. It's dial-up and the line goes down more often than Linda Lovelace. It's also expensive - 20KS per minute - that's about £1.50 for 10 minutes. I wasn't surprised to learn that most Kenyans do not use the Internet.After checking my e-mail, I did some

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109532568013544022005-02-05T08:26:00.000Z2005-02-27T19:29:59.560Z

I got up at 8am. Another stunning day. Margaret got up early (at 6.30am) to take some photos of the sunrise. We're about to go for breakfast. Last night, we met a couple from Switzerland who were here for three weeks. That's not unusual. Some of the dining tables are reserved for two months - presumably to avoid the cold European winter. God knows how much that would cost.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109520416583494512005-02-04T22:11:00.000Z2005-02-27T19:26:01.690Z

After lunch I went for a swim in the outdoor swimming pool. Hooray! The water's warm! The pools at the lodges were freezing. I was invited to play volleyball at 5pm - which I did - badly. I was just getting the hang of it by the end! One other white guy played - and he was as bad as me. I returned to the house at 5.30pm, showered and prepared for dinner.Semi-fromal dress is required for dinner.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109532862097403632005-02-04T16:34:00.000Z2005-02-27T19:35:33.710Z

Pool at the Indian Ocean Hotel

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109367963036161012005-02-04T14:30:00.000Z2005-02-25T22:40:26.240Z

We woke at 7.30am. Wow! What a place! It's Paradise. Totally stunning. Really. Our house is 25m from the beach, from where it's another 25m to the sea. The sand is golden and fine. The path between our house and the sea is lined with mango trees and appears to be a migration path for butterflies - there are thousands of them fluttering along its length. The houses are white and spotless. They're

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109368821978802332005-02-04T14:20:00.000Z2005-02-25T22:03:35.956Z

Margaret sunbathing

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109366970287118902005-02-03T23:47:00.000Z2005-02-25T21:39:03.803Z

We returned to Nairobi today. Our driver (Felix) gave us a short safari at 7.30am on our way out of the park, before heading for Nairobi. The journey from Masai Mara to Nairobi was the usual mix of bumpy roads, shanty towns and begging people. We arrived at the Holiday Inn at 1pm.The Holiday Inn is full of of Americans, Brits and an assortment of other fat-cats. The pool area is full of people

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109201185706374332005-02-02T22:14:00.000Z2005-04-09T21:07:51.346+01:00

It's our 25th wedding anniversary today. Instead of the normal morning safari, we had a balloon safari. It started at 6.30am and we were up in the air until 8am. It was wonderful. We didn't see many animals but we did see a truly spectacular sunrise. The weather conditions were perfect. It was a beautiful morning. Clear skies and no wind. Our pilot (an English guy called Steve) was fascinating to

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109201241852908072005-02-02T07:27:00.000Z2005-02-23T23:28:17.486Z

Balloon safari over the Masai Mara.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109198831838876262005-02-01T22:40:00.000Z2005-04-09T23:43:38.316+01:00

It was a great safari this afternoon. We were told that we might see some cats - and we did. We saw two prides of lions. This place is different from the other parks. It's a savana rather than bush. The animals are different too. We saw dark coloured elephants and the giraffes had different patterns and colours. We saw some unique animals too - such astopi and wilderbeasts.We returned to the

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109198911103843342005-02-01T17:48:00.000Z2005-02-23T22:49:23.876Z

A male lion at Masai Mara.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109115214851751372005-02-01T15:45:00.000Z2005-02-23T22:40:15.070Z

We left Lake Naivasha at 8am to head for Masai Mara. It took five hours on the worst roads so far. Kenya has three types of road - A, B and C. The A roads are pretty poor and half of this journey was on C roads - which are not really roads at all - more dirt tracks with pot holes. Travelling from lodge to lodge is really a bit of a pain because of the roads. We arrived at Masai Mara at

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113340433453419482005-02-01T15:15:00.000Z2005-04-12T22:30:05.040+01:00

Masai Mara

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109115324244032592005-02-01T13:10:00.000Z2005-02-22T23:36:23.393Z

Margaret at Keekorok Lodge

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109014776482532942005-01-31T22:12:00.000Z2005-02-21T21:41:28.933Z

The alarm went once during the night. But I didn't get up. Margaret did and told me that it was a herd of elephants visiting the watering hole. I slept well and got up at 5.45am, showered and was back on the rooftop (with coffee) at 6.10am.We saw the sun rise at 6.40am. What a sight! A couple of large elephants visited. I got some great photos.We returned to Outspan at 7am where we had breakfast

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1113340384146872742005-01-31T14:30:00.000Z2005-04-12T22:25:07.990+01:00

Margaret, Felix and Bobby

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1109014894108609842005-01-31T06:41:00.000Z2005-02-21T19:42:48.623Z

Sunrise at Treetops.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108934252700470972005-01-30T22:35:00.000Z2005-02-20T21:40:10.510Z

We left Samburu at 8am and headed for Treetops. The journey took five hours. We arrived at Outspan (Treetops reception) at 1pm. We had a lovely lunch there. After lunch we were ferried to Treetops for an overnight stay. The rooms are small and you are only allowed to take an overnight bag.What a place! It's beautiful! It's completely made of wood and located between two watering holes - one on

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108934384407942892005-01-30T14:50:00.000Z2005-02-20T21:20:55.730Z

Treetops

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108858846070210782005-01-29T22:15:00.000Z2005-02-20T11:45:52.850Z

I woke at 6am this morning. The first safari of the day started at 6.30am. We saw the sunrise at 6.45am. Beautiful. The sights and sounds are amazing. The place hums.We didn't see many animals this morning. Giraffe, elephants and gazelles. Felix told us that you can be lucky or unlucky - and we were unlucky this morning. But I still got some good photos.We returned for breakfast at 8.40am. The

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108859087575045882005-01-29T17:24:00.000Z2005-02-20T00:26:40.033Z

Elephants at Samburu.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108856729970074902005-01-28T22:34:00.000Z2005-04-09T21:00:51.506+01:00

We left Nairobi at 8.30am to head for our first safari- Samburu National Park about 300km north of Nairobi. We travelled in a seven seater van - with no suspension! What a journey! It took eight hours and the roads were terrible. There are five in our group. Me and Margaret, Jim and Janet Smith and our driver - Felix. Felix is softly spoken and his English is not great which means that I had

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108856820950158982005-01-28T11:47:00.000Z2005-02-19T23:47:45.916Z

We passed directly through the Equator on the way to Samburu.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108595119315979032005-01-27T22:45:00.000Z2005-04-09T23:39:05.920+01:00

We caught the 1.30pm flight from Glasgow to Heathrow (BMI) and then the 7.00pm flight to Nairobi which departed at 7.30pm. We made-up time and arrived on time at 6.25am this morning. Kenya is three hours ahead of the UK so the total flight time from London to Nairobi is 8½ hours. We travelled on Kenya Airways which was fine.When we arrived at Nairobi Airport we had to buy visas. This seems a bit

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108813509551652132005-01-27T14:45:00.000Z2005-02-19T11:45:53.670Z

The swimming pool at the Holiday Inn, Nairobi.

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806966.post-1108595418821151522005-01-26T15:10:00.000Z2005-02-19T11:24:58.663Z

Margaret at Heathrow Airport

Bobbynoreply@blogger.com2