Point and Shoot

Finally Weeks

2011-11-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Our final 10 days before this epic journey comes to a close. We travelled back from Tsavo, stopped off at Muhaka the main camp to do some washing and freshen up before we moved onto Kaya, in which we participated in forest conservation. It was about a mile down dirt roads from Muhaka, and the newest of the camps, built when we arrived for Camp Kenya. They had set up tents for us to sleep in like in Mwaluganje. In my honest opinion, this was by far the most boring camp. The projects consisted of planting baby trees, foraging in the sacred forest (sounds like something out of Avatar) for seedlings and clearing weeds and unwanted shrubs. The forest was protected by the community and we were told to be respectful when walking through. Our camp was on the boarder of the forest.

Walking through the sacred forest with our guides, looking for seedlings to replant

Front of a house on the edge of the forest

Where the trees and seedlings were kept and planted. We were tasked with the mission of getting rid of the dead plants. Chris and Sam found a different way of 'destroying' them

Our third attempt at making fudge. This was better the last two but still didn't set properly. Looked more like ice cream sauce

Our filing system for the plants

After 5 days of being in Kaya, we returned to Muhaka for the final 5 days. To be honest, it never really felt like we were going to leave. We had been there for so long and grown so close, it almost felt like home and everyone felt like family. The 3 monthers had continued with the community toilet while we had been away and it was looking very impressive. They had bricked up the sides and now we had to start on the foundation. 15 feet of pure awesomeness.

The start of the foundation

We decided that before we left we needed another party and decided on a toga night. The girls also cleared one of the unused bedrooms and made it into a party room and decorated it..as girls do. It was SUCH a good night. Everyone was in an amazing mood.

Chris and myself decided to make a challenge, for anyone who was up for it, to . Well i say challenge, more of a who wants to be sick challenge. We bought mustard, chillies, cinnamon for the contestants to eat and see if they can survive. There were 3 contestants who nobley stepped up to the plate. The challenge consisted of a tablespoon of mustard, a chilli from the local market (and they were not your average chilli) and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Not for the faint hearted

Although they suffered throughout the task, as shown, they all came out victorious. It was very funny seeing there expressions as they completed each stage

One of the guys had the idea of cooking our own dinner, so in the spirit of being in Africa, we bought a goat from the local village. One of the cooks agreed he would slaughter it and cook it for our dinner. The goat stayed with us for 2 days before we cooked it. We all gathered one afternoon for the event, which is quite disgusting. We were waiting to see something be slaughtered. However we were told that only 2 people could watch, due to religious reasons. The end result was incredible. The cook seasoned the goat and barbecued it. It was the best meal of the trip and it fed the whole camp with seconds! Thinking we should try this back home

The side of the the toilet a day before we departed. Before we left, we had completed the walls. All that was left was painting and putting the roof on it

We went out the last night and didn't get back in until 4 in the morning. It was a very eventful night, especially with one girl having a seizure, but i knowing our group i always knew that it would be. Ended up sleeping on the couch in 'The Crucible' (main area of the camp). The Cranleigh boys (Sam, Alex, Sammy D and I) had a flight to Zanzibar at 10am that morning. The time that i hadn't really thought about all trip, was here. The time I had spent here had flashed passed. We were leaving about 6 hours before anyone else. Had our alarms set and had packed just before we went out that night. It was very surreal finally saying goodbye. We didn't get the chance to say goodbye to everyone as they were all sleeping, but the majority where there. We heard our truck pull up outside and we quietly walked to the entrance of the Camp. There was lots of sobbing (on the girls part) and it was quite depressing. The people who basically became family, we were saying goodbye to. But thats life, you move on, another stage of my life was over, but another one was waiting for me. I can't put into words how amazing those 2 months were. I am feeling emotional just writing about it. It really was the experience of a lifetime and i would do it over and over and over again. As we pulled off, we lent out of the jeep, waving frantically as they got further and further away until they vanished round a corner. Camp Kenya was all over...

Tsavo

2011-10-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Tsavo. Where to begin. An incredible change in scenery. From green lush bountiful trees to dry, brown desert with only the huts we slept in and leafless trees as shelter from the sun. We were driven by truck again and also used the safari jeep due to everyone coming (1, 2 and 3 monthers). The camp was 30 minutes from the closest road, and soon became apparent that we were in literally in the wild again. As soon as we stepped out, we were greeted by the manager of the camp, Sammy. He was so welcoming and made me even more excited than I already was for the weeks ahead. He outlined our itinerary and where everything was on site. Then we were showed to our rooms and begin our adventure in Tsavo.

On our first safari, the first point of interest we came to was a week old carcase of a giraffe

One of the native monkeys in Tsavo

Elephants at a watering hole

Survival day. We were taken to a remote rock away from the dry plantation, and were taught how to survive if we ever got lost in the wilderness. We obviously wouldn't be celebrating!

Making a fire was so difficult. We used two bits of wood, and One of our guards showing us how its done

Every day in Tsavo, we were given pack lunches containing boiled eggs. We challenged Jerry to mix his with ketchup, salt and pepper in his mouth. He took the challenge like a man and smashed it in the face

Our shelter that we made. Homely right?

First sighting of Lions. We were doing a local game drive and saw them about 5 minutes away from our camp, thats how close we were to the wildlife

Cattle being herded

For two days we were sent to the Imani Womens group, an organisation situated on the edge of the sanctuary set up to generate income for the women involved. It provides emotional, educational and financial support for women in immense poverty and lagging behind in development issues. We had four projects we worked on will we were there, making a base for a large water tower to be placed so they could collect water, painting the community hall, plastering 2 bedrooms which they were planning on renting out and fencing the area around the compound.

Sam getting the wrong idea about the plaster

We had to use machetes to cut the branches into fence poles and place them round the compound

Sam, Alex and I with Imani womens group on the day we left. They were incredible women and what they were doing for their community was truly inspiring. It made me angry that people back home do nothing and still recieve money from the government while these women were working longer and as hard as us in 30+ degree heat without water to help the whole community

After the Imani women's group, outside our camp, there was a patch that had been eroded by the rain and an antelope had got stuck in it, the rains had then filled up the hole. The elephants then came to drink, not realising the antelope was in the pool and trampled it. We were tasked with fill the whole up with dead trees and vegetation so it made it harder for animals to get stuck in the hole

Celebration after the hole was filled

Sunset rock, the Cranleigh lads

Our group spent three days at the local school teaching, building and helping the teachers sort out paper work. This is the blackboard outside the teachers lounge which showed the amount of money they received each year to keep the school running. It totalled at 107,970 chillings per year, just £691.65. The school had 6 classrooms with at least 60 children in each

The schools kitchen built by Camp Kenya the previous year

After teaching, we brought our iPods and showed them a little english music... and they loved it

Break time

The teachers lounge/common room

End of another incredible day, another incredible sunset

While we were doing our survival day, we started talking about the mountain/ very large hill we could see in the distance and asked if we could climb it if we had a spare day. Found out we did after being at the school. The hill took 6 hours to climb, but was a lot of fun. The first part of the trek was through open unsheltered hillside, and the second part was through dense forest like in this photo

Group shot at the top

2nd Safari in Tsavo

Love this photo, taken as we were driving back to the entrance on the last part of the safari. The elephants cover themselves in dusk to stop themselves getting sunburn and block the sun

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

2011-09-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

We only had a couple of days back at Muhaka before we were off again to Mwaluganje, the elephant sanctuary. Thought it might be a good idea to get some washing done in town before we moved away from civilisation again. So a group of us decided to take some bikes to the laundry matt as they were the cheapest way of getting around, and the most fun.

Bikes we used to get to the laundry, outside Muhaka camp

Morning came and it was time for us to begin the 3 hour drive to the sanctuary. We said our goodbyes to the 3 monthers and loaded onto the truck. Everywhere you go in Africa, you cannot take your eyes off the views. The scenery is so beautiful. Even in the cities and slums there is so much going on its hard to focus on one thing for more than a couple of seconds.

The road to Mwaluganje camp, an hour truck drive to the nearest paved road

Some of the first elephants we saw at the sanctuary, and the first of the big five I had ever seen in the wild

The front door of a villager outside the Sanctuary. Ironic

Villager getting water from a tap outside her house

For one of the projects we were asked to carry out a survey around the houses in the village outside the sanctuary. There were 15 questions to ask on the topic of how they felt about the elephants and sanctuary being there and how it had changed there way of life. Camp Kenya, along with the sanctuary was helping to increase the villagers standard of living by giving them more of a voice. Around 90% where unhappy that the Sanctuary was there and it had changed there way of life, for the worse. A lot of them had had land inside the sanctuary before it was established. They had been given a small sum of money and some land outside of it. By small I mean insulting. For every acre of land they had in the sanctuary, they were given 100 chillings each year. Thats only 80p, so no wonder they hated the elephants. On top of their land being stolen, the land given to them bordered the sanctuary, which only had a fence keeping the elephants from getting out. It was electric but not enough to keep the elephants away, and for the 36 km of fencing, only 2 guards patrolled with dart rifles. When we asked why they don't have a higher voltage or more security, they replied with the moto of Africa, 'The government does not have enough money'.

The group before us had built a new kitchen for the local school, and so our second project was to build the stoves inside the kitchen.

Clearing the plantation around the schools kitchen

Sammy D with our local guards

Left over paint from the kitchen couldn't just go to waste, so we had a paint fight, naturally

Our group decided to chip in a purchase a chicken for the nights meal. We tried to experience as much culture as possible during our stay

Sam after the chicken

Makongeni Camp

2011-09-21T03:18:00.000-07:00

During the week we spent at Muhaka, I noticed that I still wasn't 100% well, and by the fifth day, I was practically feeling like I did before the camp. It may have been the night out that threw me over the edge, or being exhausted by the work we where doing, or the fact that I was diagnosed wrong again, but the next day I was back in hospital and on a drip. Took three days in hospital, but i felt like a new man, and I was off to the Mangrove Camp (Makongeni). I was 2 days late for it, but just so glad to be better. Time to make the most of the one and a half months left.

The first project I was introduced to when I got there. A 'Jigger' is small insect that burrows into on your hands and feet, eating the flesh in and around it and because majority of the people, mostly children, cannot afford shoes, it is a big problem. To get the jigger out, you have to clean the feet and/or hands and then soak them in iodine solution for 10 minutes and then let it dry. This kills off the insect and cleans the wound, but it has to be done more than once to ensure it has worked. Again, the cost of this is too much for majority of the locals to attain themselves and so Camp Kenya provides the treatment for the local community and is also trying to prevent this by investing in shoes for the children of the local school.

Boy being treated. He had such a severe case that they had to dig out parasite with tweezers from this hands. It was very hard to watch as the child was in so much pain, tears streaming down his face, screaming.

Relieved it was over

To entertain ourselves in the night, we played the wheat-a-bix game, where you get a cereal box, and without using your hands, you had to pick it up with your mouth. Every-time you are successful, you cut an inch off the box. Its surprisingly hard!

Our accommodation, the nicest during the two months we were there.

The Mangrove swamp. When the tide came in, this was all filled with water. The boardwalk was something we were helping to build. The community was going to open a restaurant at the end of it once it was finished, cooking and selling fresh fish from the local ponds.

One of the pond we were digging out

Pure Bliss

Sunset. The end of another day in paradise.

A 2 week old baby in the local community. We pooled some money together and bought the family a large bag of rice

The Local Health Clinic (one of the nicer clinics we visited)

Camp Muhaka (June 2011)

2011-09-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

The beginning of Camp Kenya. I arrived at Muhaka, the main camp, two days late after being diagnosed wrong. No one was around as it was R&R day, sunday. I was still quite exhausted due to being ill. Sammy D and Quant had saved me a bed, got unpacked and then had lunch at main eating area, soon to be nicknamed 'The Crucible'. Suddenly i heard the sound of a trucks engine and voices, lots of voices. I distinctly remembering one of the girls say 'Is that the new guy?'. I was quite anxious but I was soon to find out that they were some of the nicest people I have ever met. The next day was World Environment day, so we teamed up with the community and two schools to plant trees in a section of the forest that had been cleared.

Joe with a child from the Village

Tom giving one of the village children a piggy-back

Three girls from the local school who was helping us on World Environment Day

WWF presentation in Kaya camp, down the road from Muhaka, after we planted the trees

Myself with one of the teenagers from the Village, we partnered up with some of the villagers to get to know them

Lucy in her Camp International T-Shirt

D having a go on a villagers bike

Teachers sitting outside the local school on there break

The pit, which was one of the projects that we worked on in Muhaka, was a drop-toilet we were building for the local community. It had to be 15 feet deep, not a small hole

One of the Camp Kenya Staff being helped out of The Pit, by some of the children

At the end of the week, we spent a day on a local farm nearby. They were sustainable farmers and sold what they didnt use in the market at the end of the week. They grew coconuts, maze, root vegetables and also had live stock, including goats which we took for a walk!

A well in the farm

Taking the goats for a walk

One of the staff made a hat out of the leaves off a coconut tree

Villagers making a fishing boat carved from a tree trunk

African Journey Begins (June 2011)

2011-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

The flight over took just over 8 hours and we took off at 8pm. The time difference is only 3 hours and as I was flying over night I wouldn’t be jetlagged. I thought that I would be able to get a good rest on the plane, but I was very mistaken. 6 hours into the journey and I was still watching a movie, someone had thrown up and I was feeling like I was going to ‘chunder everywhere’. It may have been the in-flight curry or the stench coming from 4 rows behind. I had the Kenya airways sick bag ready in my hand just in case and I was getting a lot of bad looks from my neighbours.
Once off the plane, I had the task of finding accommodation for Myself, Sam and Alex who were joining me out here. We had 4 nights before the volunteer course started. Information desk. Asked for a 20/30-dollar place a night. She pointed to a couple on a piece of paper, of which I had not a clue where or what they were like. A random man approached. He will take you, she said. Although the likelihood of being kidnapped is very very slim, you cant but think in those situations, especially when he had no id and it was my first time in Africa. He was amazing. He took me to 4 different hotels, a wide variety of places, from 20 dollars, every time bartering with the receptionists for the best price. After the Swahili discussion between them, he would give me the price and his opinion. We had been to 3 places before coming down this unpaved off road track to a gate. A man in green convict suit/ one-zee opened the gate and we drove down. It was a number of white buildings. Got shown the rooms and price was 30 dollars including breakfast. 3-person room. Right on the beach. Perfect. Paid for 4 nights as the taxi driver said if you don’t pay up front then they can kick you out if another person comes. The room was nothing special. 3 beds, with mosquito nets, a shower and sink linked to the sea, so they spewed out salt water, and a fan. Could not wait until the guys got here.

A man trying to get fruit down from a tree by throwing rocks at them, off the road our hotel was on

Walk back from a restaurant on the beach

D and quant unhappy about last nights dinner. Ordered Rice and spaghetti Bolognese, took over an hour and a half and was cold. We were the only three in the hotel at that time. African service is the worst i have ever come across

View from the Hotel

Us with the waiter we nicknamed Manuel after the Forty Towers character because of his mannerisms

Fort Jesus in Mombassa

Boy bathing by an abandoned cannon outside Fort Jesus

A boy running away from our tok tok after he tried to steal out water from out of the back

A Security firm building that looked like it needed to hire Security, in Mombassa City Centre

View from our $2 a night hotel in Mombassa

Night View from Hotel. Had a shocking night sleep. Had bad sweats and the noise from all the cars, trucks and the mosques outside were almost unbearable. Felt so ill. Went to have a check up at the doctors. Make sure everything is all right. Found out I had malaria, but it was at a very early stage, got medication. Worst news possible. Checked out of the hotel we were staying in and went to a place with air conditioning, a lot nicer. The journey there though was horrific, I felt like I was going to die. Sammy D and quant very helpful, got money for me and checking if I was ok. Ended up staying there 3 nights and finding out that i was diagnosed wrong and didn't have malaria. Ended up getting to Camp 2 days late

Skate Park (May 2011)

2011-09-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Headed to the Skate park the next day down in Cobham.

Planking became something of a craze before i left for Africa.-The art of planking is to lay horizontally across any object or the ground with their arms by their sides, aiming to occur in daring situations or a brotherly display of core-strength/ being stupid

Let the good times roll (May 2011)

2011-09-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Chilling at Rudd house, nels waves to the camera with the moon in the background. Beautiful night.

Harry attempts a swan dive into the fire

Harrys new Puppy, Ivy

Harry watches with baited eyes as Nels attempts a kickflip

Adam sits with Ivy by the pool