Kenya > To the Keiyo Valley

Last night we slept in Nakuru at just over two thousand meters altitude. This meant that, just like the first camping night outside, it was only a few degrees above zero. Although it was chilly last night, I wasn’t cold inside my sleeping bag. However, it took me extra effort to crawl out of the sleeping bag in the morning. At half past six, I took a cold shower. Last night, the water in the large plastic tank had run out. The water was refilled, but in the dark it could no longer warm up. I washed the dust from yesterday out of my hair. Patrick came to help with breaking down my tent. Before I knew it, the tent was back in its storage bag. In the kitchen, I helped Silvia with preparations for breakfast. Today we leave Nakuru and drive to Keiyo Valley. In a suburb of Nakuru, fresh food can be purchased, giving me time to wander through the town. I choose not to enter the big shopping mall. Instead, I stroll along the stalls. Boys hanging around on their motorcycles greet me. They’re waiting for passengers to take somewhere. Judging by the reactions on the street, tourists don’t come here often.

Kenya - A cafe in Nakuru

Together with a fellow traveler, I enter a small restaurant. Local Kenyans are having breakfast here. We order coffee with milk, which basically means a mug of warm milk and a sachet of Nescafé. It tastes surprisingly good. Behind a small window, the cashier waves at us. The opening she looks through is barely twenty centimeters wide. Behind it, a big smile when I wave back. We pay her shortly afterward. Outside Nakuru, the road winds into the mountains. Our bus struggles as the road climbs. We slowly crawl uphill. Around noon, we arrive for the last time on this trip at the equator. This is the only good place to have lunch, Patrick explains. Further on there are no good facilities. So it’s an early lunch. While salads and fruit are being prepared, various saleswomen try to sell souvenirs. Each saleswoman has a small shop about the size of a garage. They all sell practically the same things and all want me to come into their shop to look. I visit a few but don’t see anything I like. I’m not really looking for new trinkets either. After the lunch break, Patrick predicts another hour and a half of driving. We approach the Keiyo Valley. First, we descend sharply before climbing again. The travel time to the Lelin Overland Campsite is longer than I had hoped.

Kenya - View over the Keiyo Valley

Around four o’clock, we arrive at the upper side of the valley. It is over two thousand meters above sea level here. According to the schedule, we will stay here two nights in tents. Due to the high altitude, it can get chilly on the mountainside. The lodge still has nine rooms left—two twins and seven double rooms. The upgrade price is 1,500 KES per person per night, about 11 euros. The problem is that there are not enough beds for everyone without forcing solo travelers to share a double bed. Two fellow travelers offer to sleep in tents. This almost solves the problem. Only the question remains who can have a room alone and who must share a room. This leads to some irritation. In the end, we draw lots to decide who shares a room. I don’t participate in the draw—I had already offered to share a room. From the veranda, I have a beautiful view over the deep Keiyo Valley. I take a shower. At first, the water is cold. I realize I had the tap turned up too much, so the electric heater couldn’t warm enough water. With a smaller flow, I have a fine shower. I rinse the dust of the past days from my hair. During dinner, Timothy explains the walking options for tomorrow. In the morning, there is the option to take a three to three-and-a-half-hour walk through the valley. In the afternoon, it’s possible to visit a small farm near the lodge. I’m already looking forward to the walk tomorrow. Meanwhile, outside, a campfire has been lit. I order another beer and take a seat by the fire.