This camel needs a fifth gear baby!

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Trip Start Feb 19, 2009 Previous
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  Ukunda, Zanzibar Archipelago, Kenya
Monday, March 9, 2009

First thing is first; I'm on an accelarated course of Hep B immunisation which I wasn't able to complete before I left the UK; so having travelled halfway across the world and managing to keep the third injection below 25c (ie suitcase to fridge); and two weeks after my second injection (instructions from my Doc in UK), it's time to take the third and final injection to complete the course; so the choices I have are to pay the local doctor 1500 Kenyan shillings to go to his hot house and wait with 40 sick Kenyan's or ask the local vet (who'll you'll remember chopped off Mickey and Toto's balls) to come to the house and inject me for 50 shillings - Not rocket science - I choose the latter (funds are tight)!!  So here I am with the local vet feeling the sting!!  But I kept my balls!!

..... I realise for some of you urbanites in the Home Counties my blog takes a leap from hey this looks like fun to Amanda get the hell out of there

A Man U butcher's hop!

!   So reckon it's a time for some more fun............

By the way; the pictures are never in any order; I have to finish typing my blog and then I download 5 pictures (never anymore that's my limit for each entry); Travelblog then spins the photos around and weaves them into my entry randomely; so one minute I'm telling you some poor fella got his leg chopped off and you are looking at a picture of me falling off a camel slightly merry on one of Mombasa's tourist's beaches where you go blind looking at the powder white sand!  Please get used to it and use your up and down key and imagination a lot; you'll soon get the picture!!

So after 3 day's of Orphanages and a lot of despair I think this old bird needs a different view; so armed with my camera, 5,000 Kenyan Shillings (about 50 quid - which is more than I've spent in near on three weeks here); a back pack, my writing journal, a spare pair of knickers, dettol soap and two day's worth of malaria tablets, vitamins and sickness medicines I head off with my lovely 21 year old French guide (Geoffrey) to the South Coast............... in Ka Ka's Matatu (bus in Swahili); the open road - back through Mombasa's quiet country roads!! A Ferry across the river (Mombasa is an Island for those of you who dont' know that), and let's go see what the tourtists do around here

Dinner for 4 girlies with a cumlative age of 200!

!

So 8 hours later, sharing a packed ferry and seeing some odd sights and sounds we arrive at Diani Beach near Ukunda just south of Mwabungu - now we are talking baby!!   

Yes this is rather nice; lovely bar/beach hotel called "Forty Thieves" on the longest stretch of white powder sand I've seen in my lifetime; it doesn't get much closer to paradise than this I thought.....................

So Amanda does what Amanda needs to do; she fixes on the camel and say's how much for the donkey ride Sir!!   250 shillings will get me 500kms up the beach and back; enjoy the ride!

I fell off; so much for my 15 years of experienced horse riding; the camel took exception and deciding that he'd had enough of us pale white folk going yee ha!! decided to break into a trot then a gallop; 2 minutes later; no brakes, no little black man to beat this donkey with a stick, 12 feet off the ground and white water heading in my direction I decide to take a leap for safety - good move Bailey; I survive with a sprained wrist and watch as my Camel heads off into the Sunset (with no owner)

Making my acquaintences with the local Masi

!  Guess that was his flee for freedom.....

No problem; lot's to do and lot's to see or so I thought......................

Back to the bar and a little G & T to take the edge off my slightly wary nerves; the heat is now 38 degrees and the humidity somewhere between treating yourself to a gust of blow torch and standing under a waterfall in full clothing I think a swim is in order; no such luck! We are a month off of monsoon now; this is the hottest month in Africa where sun bathing and swimming on the Equator is guaranteed skin cancer unless you treat yourself to Factor 50!  It's also shark season and swimming is best accompanied by the local guides - but the local guides have run off down the beach looking for their runaway camel - Oh dear!

So instead I say to Geoffrey we can't stay here after dark; it's now getting dark; it's not safe to travel at night back home; I think we should consider some local B&B............. "Did you bring your pyjamas young man?"

Would love to finish this now but my lift is here and it's taking me 15 attempts to write this much and download a few pics  but I promise I'll be back before I head off to Sans School tomorrow morning......

Hope all is well.

Take Care Axx

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The local vet gave me my 3rd Hep B injection

Where's fifth gear on this donkey!

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