Kenya....

So this is the tale I told a friend of mine and this is what has prompted this blog.....


It was Kenya last July. I booked a week all inclusive at a hotel on the beach for just me, and planned to do an over night Safari and book it when I was there. I heard the wilderbeast migration was likely to be in the Masi Mara, so I was keen to try and get over there.

It was looking so unluckily I was going to get to the Masi Mara, and bless the Kenyan rep, he phoned around all his contacts and managed to get me a flight and night at a camp site. While it was looking unlikely I ended up booking another safari to Tsavo East and West. So ended up on Sarari for 5 days!! (Whilst looking at the sky and thanking my grandma, as it was with my inheritance from her that I paid for it - she loved travelling so it was in her memory as she'd never been to Africa and she went with me in my heart).

Anyway as you can tell I've not even started on this story... 

I was never alone and met so many people. I always thought I was independent and the one thing it showed me, was I'm so reliant on other people, in a good way. I spent a lot of time talking to the Kenya Safari driver/travel guide. I learnt a lot about his life. He took me back to the hotel via the scenic route and showed me what real Kenya villages and communities were like, the road was rough and he apologised and I said "it's OK, I trust you", he replied by taking a pause and saying "I trust you too." I made a new friend. 

Then the next day I flew on a small aircraft, not sure if I slept or fainted on the flight over there! Then as driving to the camp site I saw the wilderbeast migration, I so wanted to see it, and hoped it would be in the masai mara when I was there, and it turned out the heards were grazing right outside the camp site I was staying!!



I got to my "tent" and burst into tears. I just couldn't believe how lucky I'd been, to have the 3 previous days at Tsavo East/West. To seeing one of the modern wonders of the world, then to get to the beautiful setting of my tent (4 poster bed and on-suite bathroom btw!). (I also cried the next day when I was lucky enough to see a 4 day old giraffe!)

Some of the hotel staff were wary of me, and you can understand why from a culture where they are always in groups, always with their community. Surely there must be something wrong with someone alone, never mind a woman travelling alone. Most of the staff were lovely and wanted to stop and talk to you. On my first day, after walking past one member of staff saying hello, as I was continuing to walk they would say "how are you?", and I would say "good, you?" Then after a couple of times of doing this, I wondered what I was doing, why didn't I stop and chat? What was I in such a rush for? So every time a member of staff spoke to me, I stopped and chatted. 


On my last evening at the hotel, I was determined to have a meal by myself as I never had due to all the friends I'd met. At the end of the meal an American woman, about the same age as me came over to my table to say "I see you're by yourself too, and was wondering if I could have some company." This woman turned out to be one of the most fascinating people I have met in my entire life. She is a missionary working in South Sudan, working as a midwife, and she told me so many stories and gave me such a good insight into a world we don't see, know or truly understand. 

I could go on and on and on!!!!

So I came back and vowed to go contracting, so I could earn more money, so I can take big breaks and see some more of this world, to try and understand and become a better person through it all. Hopefully along these travels I'll come up with a plan of how I can help and add some kind of benefit to this planet, somehow, some way!

And that's me.... the annoying thing is, I get caught up in this rat race and get distracted by a new pair of shoes or something. Then I regain focus, remember why I'm working hard, remember to save the money to see some more of this world.