Kenya > To the Thompson Falls

I wake up to the sound of fellow travelers. My alarm hasn’t gone off yet. It’s a quarter past six in the morning. My tent doesn’t have to be cleared until an hour from now. I wash at the tap, get dressed, and calmly pack my luggage. Coffee and breakfast are already ready at the restaurant. This morning we’re having French toast. Handy, because it uses up some of the older bread. After breakfast, all the gear is loaded back onto the truck. With some fitting and squeezing, everything finds a place. The truck’s space is used efficiently. We agreed with Patrick to give a collective tip per accommodation. It’s easiest if someone from the group hands it over. I take the lead. On behalf of the group, I thank the staff for their hospitality. It was a nice place. We say goodbye with “See you next time.” I don’t know if that will happen, but you never know. Today is a long travel day. We drive part of the route we took two days ago and then head towards Thompson Falls. A good moment to let the memories settle. We stop for a bathroom break. They ask for ten shillings to use it. That’s less than 8 euro cents, but I don’t have small change. I toss the coins I have into the donation box, even though it’s not enough. Inside I order a coffee. There’s a proper coffee machine. So the coffee is good. We return to the equator in the town of Nanyuki. The town was founded in 1907 by British colonists and is one of Kenya’s oldest towns. Along the main road, several bank branches sit side by side. Some travelers haven’t yet succeeded in getting enough cash. They can withdraw here. I probably have enough for the days in Kenya. I stroll past the shops. Everyone greets me enthusiastically. After crossing the equator, we drive back onto the grounds of Bantu Lodge around half past twelve. The place where we stayed three days ago. On the lawn, the kitchen is quickly set up. According to the chores roster, I’m assigned to help cook today. Quickly we prepare a fresh salad. Many hands make light work. The salad is supplemented with rice and vegetables. Silvia prepared these from yesterday’s leftovers. It’s good that nothing is wasted. On the benches where we sat around the campfire earlier this week, I eat my lunch. After all the gear is washed and loaded again, we hit the road. In Naro Moru we turn off and head west. We cross the equator again, then shortly after turn westward. Soon we cross the equator once more and drive on the northern hemisphere. Late afternoon, we arrive at Thomson Falls. The water falls 74 meters. Around the waterfall is a park full of amusement rides. Our lodge lies right next to the park. To visit the park at the waterfall, you have to pay a small entrance fee.

Kenya - A small shop in Kenya

From the lodge, only the top of the waterfall is visible, not the deep gorge. I leave the waterfall for now and first go to my room. In a beautifully landscaped garden stand some apartments. I have room twelve. The boy carrying my luggage walks ahead. When I think I’m at room twelve, he explains there are two room twelves: 12-1 and 12-2. I have room 12-2. This is the first room of the next block. Looking at the numbering, one block goes from 16 to 12 and the other from 12 to 7. They probably made a numbering mistake. The WiFi password is ‘since1930’. Although everything looks neat, the accommodation feels a bit dated. Could it all date back to 1930? In the room is a large fireplace for heating. The shower is heated electronically. No matter how I turn the knobs, barely any water comes from the tap and it’s cold. Interestingly, water does flow from the left knob of the tap, which I don’t think is intended. I wash a bit under the cold stream. After three days of camping, I also want to shave. I boil some water with the kettle and pour it into the basin. As a plug, I press the soap bar into the drain. Late afternoon, hippos come ashore in the nearby river. The lodge organizes a tour. Two guards accompany us to the river area. In the distance, I see some hippos lying in the river water. They play with each other. Mary, one of the guards, tells us the colossal animals come out of the water around sunset and graze where we are now standing. This should be around six o’clock, she expects. We wait patiently but see no change in the hippos. At half past six, I give up. The animals will probably come graze, but I’m not waiting any longer. I walk back to the lodge. In the lodge garden, I order a beer. Silvia has the day off today. A buffet dinner is prepared at the lodge. It takes some getting used to after the delicious meals by the truck. The buffet tastes good. While eating, I tell Veronica, the accommodation manager, that the shower doesn’t work. She says I’m probably not doing it right. She sends someone to take a look. The staff member fiddles with all the knobs. After a while, he gets warm water from the tap. Probably because no one else is using water at this time. After several attempts, the heater switches on. Proudly he shows me the warm water! When I try myself a little later, the water remains cold. Only after dozens of times turning the tap on and off does the heater activate. Quickly I jump under the stream. The water is way too hot. I can’t get it cooler. I dry off quickly. I pull the mosquito net over my bed and quickly fall asleep.