Happy times. My friend, Dianne, was able to come visit whilst on her way through Kenya (she is also travelling with Odyssey Overland as I did last year but on the northbound trip Cape to Cairo). It was very surreal to see Athena (the truck) turn the corner at the Meru / Isiolo junction with Alison and Rogan in the cab and Di jumping out of the back. (For those Odyssey Overlanders who travelled with me last year you should remember this junction well. It was where we broke down on that long drive from Samburu to Nakuru..). It was great to be able to show Di my new life here on Lewa and provide her with a much needed night of luxury. Having spent months camping, I think she was more than happy to have a night in one of our guest cottages with 2 four poster beds and 2 sitting rooms! The contrast between life at Wilderness Trails and life on the Odyssey Overland truck could not be greater. I was reminded of this when Di commented at dinner how fantastic it was to be served a three course dinner at a table with napkins, wine glasses etc rather than eating off a metal plate that is burning your lap (not to mention having to drink wine out of a tin cup!).
Even though Di was only here for less than 24 hours, we found time to go on a game drive and a horse ride. Saw lots of rhinos which was great for Di as they are not so plentiful in other game parks across Africa. We then headed up to Samburu to catch up with the truck. Samburu is about an hour’s drive north of Lewa but it was my first proper road trip unaccompanied so it was quite exciting for me. Had to have a lesson in how to change a tyre from one of the mechanics before I left as I am always getting punctures which on Lewa is fine as there are always people to help you. Out on the open road it might not be so advisable to accept offers of help – may end up being robbed at the same time.
It was fun to go back to the Samburu campsite where I had stayed for two nights last year and spend a night being an “overlander” again. Also great to catch up with Rogan and Alison, drink champagne on the roof of Athena and watch the sunset by the river. Samburu is such a different landscape and climate to Lewa. Very flat and dry and also much warmer – no need for warm clothes once the sun goes down there.
It was quite strange watching the new Odyssey Overlanders break camp and pack up Athena in the morning. That was my life for over 4 months last year so it was odd to come back to it again. There was a part of me that was slightly envious of the adventures they have ahead, but it’s a long bumpy road through the rest of northern Kenya (and a potentially dangerous one, particularly the Moyale border crossing into Ethiopia where tribal fighting is escalating right now). So for me it was a nice early morning drive back to Lewa and my life of luxury… No roughing it on a truck and not showering for days on end!
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