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November 2nd - 4th 2007 Well, don’t look at us, we warned you!
We specifically told you about the left of centre excursion that is Randa Randa. A road trip that snakes its way through the gorgeous terrains of this great land, meandering through some of the most scenic landscape this planet has to offer and absorbing the sights and sounds of a nation long esteemed by foreigners yet sadly overlooked by its own.
Well, this past weekend we gave the usual shows and performances a miss, and decided to journey with the ladies of Mind’s Eye (Randa Randa organisers) through Konza, Machakos, Muua Hills, Amboseli National Park, Ol Tukai, Namanga and back to Nairobi. Come with us!
:: Day One
T.G.I.F (Thank God its Friday). Leave the office behind – the boss and all his shenanigans. Forget about classes, unfinished papers, lectures and exams. Turn off the cell phone. Get away! Furahi day never sounded better!
If anyone had any doubts that the working week had come to an end, a peek into the Randa Randa mini-bus would have wiped out all doubts. An excitable busload of 22 took off from the city centre just after 8:30 pm, headed off to municipalities and locations they only hear of during pre-election updates.
 On The Bus
 Long Road Ahead
First up was a ride anticipated to last two hours. No thanks to infrastructural challenges, the bumpy ride to Konza lasted well over three. No bother. All aboard couldn’t help but sing along to the jarring tunes blaring across the stereo. The devil must have turned off the conservative praise & worship numbers and replaced them with UB-40! Shindwe!
Under the cover of darkness and fairly excited, the troupe finally got to Konza Ranch, where a certain Mike Mbithi, served as gracious host. With his ancient rifle, and a frighteningly-looking automobile contraption, this conservationist par excellence serenaded the troupe with fascinating stories – from accounts of his (once) pet cheetah, to days spent stalking lions and leopards, his tales were lapped up like the Biblical deer panting after the waters. Speaking of which, we even learnt about the origin of the term Lion Of Judah – did you know that ancient Israel once had huge marauding barbary lions (now extinct)? Fascinating!
Once tents were set up, which took some of our ‘expert’ campers over an hour (sic), and stories about camping and outward bound were exchanged, it was time to knock off. Did I mention we had dinner at 4 a.m?
 The Contraption Served Us Well
 Camp Fire Time
 The Actual Fire
 'Trying' To Pitch Tent
:: Day Two
Just as we got a chance to lay down, it was time to get up. Juice, biscuits, sausages, sandwiches, chaps as well as …rice and beef, were on the breakfast menu. Great! You’d think the troupe were old friends catching as stories flowed – many were meeting each other for the first time. Soon it was time to pack up, and hit the road. Day two was set to be significantly more eventful than the first.
Not too far away from the Machakos junction, car trouble slowed us down. Still we were able to get to the famous Muua Hills, where water supposedly defies gravity and travels upstream. We tested the claim by pouring water on the road, and watching it, albeit for a couple of meters, travel UP the road. Yes, UP! Our driver was vehemently opposed, and not even watching the mini-bus, left on free, inching up the road a meter or two could convince him otherwise. Goodbye gravity! Stranger things have happened in kao-land!
 Beautiful Muua Hills
 Ladies Prepare For Breakfast
 The Water Is Actually Moving Upwards
 Don't Ask
The T-Tot hotel at Machakos is a must visit, especially seeing as they are renowned for the largest samosas on the planet. We were disappointed to find out they had since reduced their size. Shame! Nyama Choma at the dodgy Premier Butchery was a total farce, as its proprioters did everything they could to take advantage of outsiders, leaving a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Never going back there again!
A gruelling 8-hour 8-hour 8-hour (emphasis mine) drive to the Kimana Gate of the Amboseli National Park followed. We sung, slept, talked, slept, played games, sung, and slept, then did it all over again. The road to this prestigious and internationally renowned game park doesn’t lend it any favours, very rough and bumpy. And it didn’t help that we got lost, and had to ask for directions severally, or that when we did get to the gate, it took us close to an hour to get into the park. We seemed intent on breaking the previous day’s 4 am dinner mark – we got into the park at…3:30 am. Still, the route is amazingly scenic and littered with beautiful wildlife strutting across the plains.
 Kimana Gate
 Some Slept
 Kao-Land Is Drrrryyyyyy How Cute, We Spotted Them On The Way Just How Tall Are These Creatures?
:: Day Three
We obviously didn’t come out to the Amboseli to sleep, and no one was complaining. The breathtaking sight of a snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro greeted early risers, as we eagerly filed into the mini-bus, and off we were to a remarkable game-drive. It was hilarious how everyone came up with fascinating…ahem…tales about animals – everybody was now a trained zoologist. We educated each other on why hyenas laugh, what would happen if tigers and lions mated and how the secretary birds got their name. It was great. We got to see wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, elands, elephants, and giraffes. And for the second Randa Randa in succession we were in danger of not catching any carnivores. A pack of hyenas in the distance took care of that.
 Not Quite The Great Wildebeest Migration
 Though The Zebras Were On The Move
 Herd Of Elephants
 Is That An...Eland
 Finally, A Meat Eater...
 Warthogs Look Prettier From A Distance
Back at camp, a surprise ‘morning off’ was welcomed. Back to bed it was. After a heavy lunch we hit the road. We stopped off at the Ol Tukai Lodge, where they were gracious enough to let us use their beautifully manicured grounds (we really have to stay at a place like Ol Tukai next time around). Again, I don’t know what the games are called, but we had a blast.
Off to the border town of Namanga, and it was interesting how effortlessly we strolled across the border and into Tanzania, no questions asked. We could have been smuggling…
The brief drive from Namanga to Nairobi was much more sedate. Seeing as such a fantastic weekend was coming to an end, pre-Monday blues seemed to check in. Who could believe such an enjoyable weekend was coming to an end? We have to do Randa Randa again, we absolutely must!
 Ol Tukai Lodge  Get Low Get Lower Conservationist Mike Mbithi 'Protects' Us  Apparently We Needed The Protection  The Guys Show Their...ahem...Muscle  The Ladies Look Much Better
Much, Much Better
Don't Our Tents Look Good?  To Be Honest, Only The Small Ones Were Ours  At The Namanga Border  And Finally In Tanzania » Post Comment
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