What day of the week is it?

One of the joys of living in Kenya is that I rarely register the day of the week or have much idea of what is going on outside of my “Lewa bubble”. However, one constant each week is that Sunday lunch is always curry. I believe this dates back to some strange colonial tradition and it is one that is continued here at Wilderness Trails.

There seem to be giraffes all over Lewa at the moment. It is a very beautiful sight watching them walk along the ridge of the hill opposite our open sided dining room whilst you are eating breakfast. They are so majestic when they move. I never get bored of seeing giraffes whilst out riding either. You get a true sense of their size when you are on a horse as they tower over you with their long necks.

So far I have been very fortunate in that I haven’t had a single guest fall off their horse. Clearly, this couldn’t last forever. The saving grace was that on this occasion it was only a family member of the owners and not a paying guest. Also, she wasn’t injured as children bounce very well! That said, I was quite relieved to find she was okay as there isn’t much you can do when a pony canters off apart from stop your own horse and watch the horror unfold. I won’t be trusting Oyster (the naughty little pony) again with children who can’t ride…

No more foals this year. Both mares that were supposedly in foal tested negative when the vet came last week. In some ways, I am relieved as the foaling is quite stressful but it is also very exciting and rewarding so I am a little disappointed that I won’t have any more foals to watch grow up.

The horses are still hard work but I have managed to get out and about a couple of times. One evening for sundowners (drinks at sunset on the hill enjoying the Lewa views), although we were a little late reaching our chosen point due to a puncture. We did see a couple of lions en route though which was a treat as big cats are often hard to find. Fortunately, they weren’t around when we were changing the tyre! Also went on a game drive one evening. Lewa is vast (over 60,000 acres) so there is still so much of it to explore. I often think that I will never learn my way around entirely. There are not exactly a huge number of signs to follow and the “roads” are just dirt tracks.

Signing off now as the polo ponies are due back from their ten days away at tournaments. It is cold where they have been so I think they will be happy to be home to the warmth of Lewa and to get off the lorry and stretch their legs after an eight hour journey. I’m just hoping they don’t look too dreadful after the rigours of polo and travelling…

Back to Kenya!

What a whirlwind of a week. It has flown past and I am struggling to recall what exactly has gone on.

It was fun driving up from Nairobi to Lewa seeing Kenya again. Everywhere looks nice and green after the rains until you get to Lewa which is really not green at all. It seems to have rained everywhere else but here! In fairness, there has been some rain but not as much as people would like. Despite taking the main entrance into Lewa (the longer route to Wilderness) to maximise our game viewing, there was surprisingly little game around. No time to dwell on these things as it was then straight back out to the polo club for an evening of drinking and dancing. The polo season is upon us and club chukkas (kind of like weekend practice sessions) had started at the local polo club about 45 minutes drive away. I did quickly manage to race up to the stables first to see my gorgeous foal, Champagne. It was almost dark but she was of course pleased to see me and she has grown beyond belief! She is no longer a little baby, although she does still like to have tantrums…

The other two foals have also grown so much – I barely recognise them. Santa has changed colour from a bright bay to a very handsome dark bay. He still has one bad leg but it is slowly healing and hopefully one day he will be a really lovely horse. Sheba is the most unfriendly foal ever and, like her mother, is very aloof.

I would like to say that the other horses are all well but that would be a lie. I am very glad that Ness (who has been covering for me) has been here all week to help out because there are so many problems. We are injecting horses left right and centre, bandaging, stitching, cleaning wounds, etc, etc. Could these horses be any more accident prone? Ness has now gone off to the polo tournament at Gilgil with six of the polo ponies leaving me with the four injured ones to look after. Thank goodness we actually do have the vet coming out next Tuesday to spend the whole day here. I think he could be busy…

We also have three new horses come to stay at livery for the next couple of months. They are Friesan cross Boerperd (a South African breed) which makes for a very large well built horse. They look huge compared to ours and the syces cannot get over the size of them. The farriers are particularly amazed by the size of their feet as they have never shod feet that size!

Nothing else to report other than horsey stuff because all my time has been taken up with them. The lodge reopens to guests tomorrow.

The South West Coastal Path: St Ives to Penzance

As my blog site is entitled 2011-12 Travel Adventures, I figure that any travel experience during this time warrants a blog post. Unlike my other adventures though, this one doesn’t involve foreign travels – just a trip to Cornwall.

Hence I find myself on a somewhat dreary bank holiday Monday stepping off the train in St Ives. I am pleasantly surprised by the beautiful sandy beach and clear water, the refreshing sea air scent, and the brightly coloured shutters of the old fishermens' cottages lining the narrow streets. After a 10 minute stroll along the harbour and up a steep winding street, I reach my surprisingly nice guest house. At this moment, the heavens decide to open so I wait a couple of hours for the rain to pass before heading out for an early evening stroll. It really is very pretty with the harbour full of fishing boats and houses built into the hillside. There are a myriad of tiny little streets and cobbled alleyways to explore full of quaint little boutique type shops and art galleries. Quite impressed with St Ives!

St Ives

Day 1 of the walk – St Ives to Pendeen billed as a “severe” 14 miles taking approximately 7 hours. As it turns out, that was a very accurate description. The day dawned bright and clear and I quickly found myself walking in just a t-shirt as the sun shone and the breeze was very light. Stunning coastal views, golden sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters – a truly glorious morning. As the morning went on, the trail became increasingly challenging as the beaches gave way to rugged coastline and a steep, narrow and rocky coastal path. Five hours in and I am really feeling it in my legs. The trail turns to moorland with lots of heather. I can see Pendeen Lighthouse way in the distance and it seems to take forever to get there along a very boggy wet path. From there, I head into the village of Pendeen – the largest settlement I’ve seen all day – to find my decidedly average B&B at the local pub. On the plus side, my en suite has a bath for which my aching limbs are eternally grateful…

Views along the walk from St Ives to Pendeen

Day 2 – Pendeen to Porthcurno 15.6 miles graded “moderate” taking approximately 6 hours. Day 1 equals sunburn, Day 2 equals drowned rat! Such a contrast from the previous day – full waterproofs definitely required. For the first couple of hours, I could only hear the waves crashing on the rocks below because the fog was so dense that I couldn’t actually see the sea. The first part of the walk took me past several old tin mines and across lots of moorland before I reached Cape Cornwall mid-morning. Cape Cornwall was originally thought to be England’s most westerly point but, unlike Land’s End, it is entirely deserted. Then it was some rugged cliff side walking before dropping down to the impressive beach at Seneen Cove where I stopped for lunch. After lunch, on to Land’s End which was shrouded in fog so not much to see there (unless you like tacky tourist shops). From this point on, the weather really turned and walking in torrential rain and strong winds wasn’t that much fun. Not least because it was also incredibly foggy so I actually had no clue where I was most of the time and just hoped I hadn’t taken a wrong turn anywhere. Time to dig in, trudge along and dream about that hot shower and dry clothes at the end of the day. It was a shame that the weather was so bad as I’m sure parts of the walk would have been stunning had I been able to see anything.

Cape Cornwall

Seneen Cove

Land's End

Day 3 – Porthcurno to Penzance 11.5 miles. Porthcurno Beach is regarded as one of the best in Cornwall but on a damp foggy morning, it was completely deserted. The first half of the walk was strenuous – lots of up and down into rocky coves along narrow paths. Once again, views were not great due to the mist but the trail itself was pretty with bluebells lining the path for much of the morning. Later there were some forested areas which made a pleasant change from being out in the open and provided some respite from the coastal breeze. The waves were fierce and it is easy to see why so many vessels have come unstuck in these unforgiving waters. This part of the trail was very desolate and I saw barely a soul for the first three hours of my walk. By lunchtime, I had reached the small harbour town of Mousehole (pronounced “Mow-zell”). A pretty little fishing port and from this point on, the coastal path becomes very urban, easy walking following a cycle path running parallel to the road. On to Newlyn, a busy commercial fishing harbour, and then my final destination, Penzance, and a well earned Cornish cream tea! Not that impressed by Penzance as it has that sense of faded grandeur that so many British seaside towns seem to have.

Mousehole

Three days and over 41 miles of the South West Coastal Path complete. I would recommend this section of the route to anyone who likes the great outdoors. It’s very remote at times but the reward is great views and deserted coves and beaches – especially if you undertake it out of season and / or when the weather is shocking…

Lewa Horse photos

Polo ponies enjoying a roll after their morning exercise



Me on Golden Princess with the giraffes




Sheba, just a few hours old. Mummy Coco and syce Akangi watching over her!




Rhinos joining us for a bush breakfast!




Champagne and syce, Paul




Di riding Dancing Cat, with baboons in the background




Santa and Champagne playing together



A Taste of Lewa - photos

My  house



Inside my house



The pool at Wilderness

Views across Lewa to Mount Kenya



Evening game drive on Lewa




White rhino




Giraffe




Herd of impala





Grevy Zebra (on a very green Lewa - this photo was taken in December just after the rains)




The waterfall below Wilderness - a great swimming and picnic spot




Up, the donkey, enjoyed a rest after bringing lunch down to the waterfall




Waterbuck




Elephant by the swamp




Ann and I after our bi-plane flight




Cheetah




Warthog



End of the Season

Peace and quiet at last. All the guests have gone and the season is officially over. Wilderness is now closed until the end of May. Sadly the rains are still yet to arrive. Normally they start mid to late March but despite a few afternoons of threatening clouds, the rain has still not started. It may seem strange to those of you reading this who live in the UK, but in Africa the rain is essential to life and everyone is desperate for it to come. If it doesn’t, then the next rainy season is not until November. All the grass is dried up already so the animals will suffer and even die through lack of food. That said, I am told by guests that there is a “drought” in the UK at the moment. Somehow, I doubt that it compares to a drought in Africa..

After saying in my last blog post that slaughtering animals is not a regular occurrence here, a big staff party was held to celebrate the end of the season and an ox bought, killed and devoured in one day! Admittedly, there were probably close to a hundred people to feed but by the end of the day, there was not a scrap left – no part of it goes to waste and once again, the drinking of the blood is a big part of the ritual for the Masai people.

On to more pleasant subjects, I am flying home tomorrow! Very excited, although I will miss and worry about the horses, I think it would get very boring here with no guests and the majority of the staff have gone on leave. That said, for a couple of days, it is nice to enjoy Wilderness without guests and have the pool to myself. So I will be back in the UK until almost the end of May and then back to Kenya ready to start the next season.

Had some good rides and wildlife sightings recently. One of the great things about riding here is that every ride is different because you never know what you might see. Sometimes it is just the small things such as the ostrich eggs hatching. We had seen a male and female ostrich looking after their eggs for some time, and then the other morning it was lovely to see them with nine little ostrich chicks bobbing along beside them. Or yesterday, two cheetah relaxing on a termite mound. Seeing cats is always special as they are so hard to find and normally keep themselves well hidden in the long grass. Some days you just see so much out riding, for example, twelve rhino and a herd of buffalo within the first fifteen minutes of leaving the stables! The buffalo are tricky customers as they can be very aggressive. Had to wait a while for the two by the river blocking our path to move on. Today, we exercised the polo ponies on the canter track with around thirty Grevy zebra lined up along the airstrip watching us! So it’s never boring and, at times, quite surreal.

Anyway, once I get back to the UK and faster internet, I will endeavour to get some photos posted so you can see what Lewa looks like!

Slaughtering a goat Masai style

Thinking about what has happened over the past week, one thing that springs to mind is the evening we slaughtered a goat. This isn’t something that happens on a regular basis here, but one of our guests (a blood thirsty teenage boy) wanted to see how the Masai kill a goat. As you may be aware, the Masai also drink the blood of the slaughtered animal so I was intrigued to witness this ritual. Hence a very large billy goat was bought to camp late one afternoon. I had expected the animal to be killed by slitting its throat but actually they pin the animal down and suffocate it first. The throat is then slit and they take it in turns to drink the blood directly from the animal! Very gruesome as you end up with blood all over your face. Suffice to say, I did not try this myself! The actual meat once cooked still retained the billy goat smell and tasted pretty awful.

Finally today I saw the wild dogs which was brilliant. They are such a rare sight so I’m very lucky to have seen them. Even one of the guides who has been here three years said this was his first sighting of them. They had killed an impala not far from Wilderness so I got to watch them for 20 minutes before they headed off up the hill and disappeared into the long grass.

Our newest baby foal has been named Sheba. She is very sweet and naughty. It is great watching the three foals playing together, but the other two are a bad influence and have already taught her how to bite! Poor Santa has had an eye infection so he is now very distrustful of humans – he did not appreciate having eye ointment put in his eye for five days. Champagne is back on form now that her stitches are out and her wound has healed. She demands to be centre of attention and won’t let me spend any time with Sheba. She comes up to me and pushes me in the back, pulls at my clothes and then bites me if I ignore her! When Santa is having his legs bandaged, she comes over and tries to disrupt proceedings. Her favourite trick is grabbing the medical bag in her mouth and throwing the contents all over the ground. So Champagne and her mum are moving up to the Wilderness stables today (from the farm) to live with the rest of the herd. I am praying she doesn’t get kicked (her cheekiness could get her in trouble with the other horses) and makes some friends so that we can then take mum away and get her weaned. Santa and Sheba are going to miss her though as they both really look up to her and I feel very mean having to separate them.

I probably shouldn’t say this because something will go wrong, but amazingly it has now been over two weeks since I last had to inject a horse. Fingers crossed, they continue to stay healthy. The polo ponies had an eventful day last weekend when they went to the nearest polo pitch to practice some “stick and balling”. I had a go too and it is so much harder than it looks – you definitely need strong arm muscles as the stick is heavy. Anyway, there was lots of rain later that day and the lorry could not make it back to Lewa. The poor ponies had to hack all the way back from the tarmac road to Wilderness. Given lorries here don’t have ramps (they use loading bays instead), I don’t think I want to know how they got the horses off the lorry. The syce said they found a slope to back the lorry up to so they could get the horses off, but I strongly suspect it was not exactly level with the back of the lorry and the horses had to jump down. Nevertheless, they all survived their day out. Given how bumpy the Lewa roads are, it was actually probably preferable for the horses to walk back. In a car, the roads are terrible so for a horse in the back of a lorry, it can’t be too much fun either.

That’s about it for now. Our last guests leave on 8^th April and then the lodge is closed until the end of May because the “long rains” are due to start any day. The “short rains” are in November. Lewa is very dry now so the rains will be most welcome. I will be coming back to the UK at some point during April and May for a “holiday”. Can’t wait to see my family and friends. The last 11 months have been truly amazing and I am looking forward to reading back over my blog to remind myself of all the incredible things I have seen and done since I left the UK at the beginning of May last year.