Lake Baringo

Lake Baringo, directly south of Lake Bogoria, turned out to be just as flooded, so much so that they bulldozed new roads up into the hills in order to keep the National Park open when the roads disappeared under water. We were happy to have our 4WD! The campgrounds were all under water, but the ranger told us to camp anywhere we wanted that was suitable. So, we set off to explore the park and spend a night in the wilderness with the Kudos.

A view of where the road should have been, now under water.

The car goes for a swim. Parts of the roads required us to drive through the lake....

Hoping the water won't get deeper...

Admittedly a bit worried.....

Usually the site where hundreds of thousands of flamingos gather to feed, we were told the flocks had just left a week ago. What was left were flamingo carcasses strewn on the road and in the trees. It was a bit macabre so say the least. I asked the ranger if this was normal and he said the flood was to blame. Not only did the extra water dilute the brine and hurt the population of water animals the flamingos feed on, but it disorientated the birds which are used to there being more space between the water and the trees. Apparently they take off from the lake and get stuck in the trees.

 

One of the biggest attractions for the Kenyans are the hot springs at the side of the lake. It's not Yellowstone, but it was hot enough to boil a few eggs for dinner.

And, it was hot!!!

A beautiful spot littered with trash. What a shame!!!

Lone flamingo left behind by the troops.

We surprised a zebra along the way.

 

A sighting of the rare Giant Kudos which can grow to be 2 meters high and only live in the Lake Baringo area within Kenya.

We saw a male Kudo as well, with huge spiral antlers towering on his head, but I couldn't get a picture of him.

After almost giving up, we eventually found a spot which was flat enough without too many rocks to pitch our tent.

Sascha built us a little patio out of rocks so we woudl feel more at home.

While collecting firewood, Sascha discovered perfectly round balls and filled a pail up with them. "They will help the fire" she claimed. What she didn't know was that they were Gazelle and Kudo poop. That's one dirty little girl!!

And they really did help the fire get going. It's only dried grass after all, right?

A view into our kitchen.....

Dinner is almost ready!

Waking up.

Wild animals in the trees outside our tent....:))

Chickens and Rabbits

Things have gotten lively around the house here in Nairobi since the beginning of this year. We started out with a present from Knight, our household help. She brought us two chickens from upcountry. Although agreed, they arrived quite suddenly - Knight called 5 days earlier than scheduled and said "I'm back and want to drop off the chickens." So, they, Bella & Cinderella, slept on our window sill for a few days until we could get a house built for them.

A week later they were gone. A crabby neighbor complained and we were told that the rearing of chickens was not permitted. Luckily, the horse stables were happy to give them a home, and truthfully I think they are much happier there. In exchange we brought home two rabbits and had the chicken coop converted into a rabbit pen. Names: Bella & Schokoladentörtchen.
Now, these rabbits will definitely be happier with us than at the stables. And, we have one happy girl!!

Practicing recorder in a tree......?

Lake Bogoria

We spent a night at Lake Bogoria, a lake with special minerals that cause the lake to look turquoise from above (although I was unable to capture this with my photos from above when approaching the lake. Perhaps this is because the lake is flooded far beyond its normal size, engulfing properties, houses, etc.. This wasn't one of the highlights of our trip, but we did take an interesting boat trip around the lake.

Here are some impressions of the damage, but also people and nature around the lake:

Lake Bogoria has been completely flooded since last April with much of camp where we stayed under water. The last time it was like this was in the 1960s. They expect it to take at least 5 years for the water levels to come down.

A Kingfisher

This is how the locals get around on the lake. The boat is made of a particular kind of wood that is cut from under water. They dry and then rope it together tightly. When the wood soaks up water again, the wood expands and fills in all the cracks. only problem is that the boat only work for a few hours. After that it has soaked up too much water and begins to sink.

White Egret

Another look at a fishing boat.

A stork

The locals collect their water from the lake for cooking, drinking, washing, etc.. Even though they boil the water before drinking it, all the locals without exception have brown stained teeth.

Another of the large varieties of Kingfishers that live in around Lake Bogoria.

The stork

The Jesus Bird, named this way because it appears to walk on water with its large blue feet.

A crocodile hidden in the shore. Due to them and the many hippos, it is not safe to swim in the lake. The locals do anyway, mainly to bathe and fish, but only with much caution and respect for the danger present.

Alot of dying trees in the flooded shore areas.