Nairobi

As descibed earlier I did a wonderfull hike up an old crater called Mt. Longenot. the hike took somthing like 6 hours all in all and here are some of the views!

This is actually a small vulcanic went on the side of the main crater, behind it is a small swamp and in the very background u can see Lake Naivasha

The fantastic view inside the main crater, the crater itself is perfectly circular, and the hike around it offers amazing views to all sides. It is possible but not advised to go into the crater, we saw one path going down, but was later told that it is a path made by a lokal cheeta and a lokal leopard who lives inside the crater but comes out to hunt on its outer sides at night. On the outer side buffalos roam freely and we were advised to be very carefull if we were to meet one. Luckily we saw only their remains..

At the peak! tired and quite proud :-D nxt to me is Bent also from Denmark.

(first attempt on foto blog! hope it looks goooood!)

Ok I think Ive found out hov to do the foto thing.. So heres what Ill do.. Ill post fotos of the past month (oh my time flies!) and comment on them, and from now on try to ad fotos to each blog comment..
Well since last time Ive been on safari in Sweetwaters and seen my first real wild animals! Ive hung out with Morani a tame rhino (see pics I hope) been on a night safari drive, wery nice!
I spend this monday, tuesday and wedensday visiting programs in the countryside with representatives from CDTF (comunity development trust fund) observing how YOUR tax money is being spend! And bekive me they do make a difference!
Well back to trying to show u pics..
OOh by the way Big congrats to My Bro Esben on his 24 birthday! And to Big bro Ulrik and his beautifull and now pregnant wife!
And a later congrats to Jane and Raz who are expecting twins!!
Take good care back there!!
Hugs Asger
(PS Im of to Masai Mara this weekend to hopefully catch the last of the wilderbeast migration!!)

Time flies...
Internet acces is still quite scetchy, the embassy has been without intranet and internet for some 5 days now, we are apparently waiting fot support from Cph. My personal workstation cant be set up untill we can connect to Cph. So Im still in limbo.
My emidiate superior is concentrating on her main field wich is agriculture and as the environmental programs mannager is not starting untill in 2 weeks I am mostlikely not going to be put to do anything serious untill then.. bummer...
I looked at cars this weekend, almost bought an old suzuki 4wd but my mechanic friend told me to back off and offered me an old landrover instead. 200.000 Ksh. = ca 18.000 Dkr. and he would be willing to buy it of me when I leave.. Have to talk to my netbank though..
Sunday was spend on Picnic with Maria and Mario + 20 of their friends and their kids, hicking in a cool and beutifull forest, stepping over elefant dung and looking for monkies in the trees, saw loads of beutifull birds, but no larger mammals, the walk ended by a beutifull little waterfall. Later we did a huge bbq, loads of Meat were consumed, after dinner I went on a small but nice bike ride in the forest. (pics will follow (i hope..))
gtg for now enjoy your Indian summer!!

I have finally managed to find my self a more permanent home!
From now on Ill reside on the abowe mentioned adress! I am to share a house with Claire and Matt a couple from England, Matt works for Save the children mainly with Somali refugees in the north of Kenya and Clarie works for some WWf like organisation (she is to spend the nxt 4 weeks counting animals in Masai Mara..)

The house (pics will follow I hope) is a lovely one storey bouilding set in a wonderfully old garden with all kinds of tropical plants. The actual household concist of Matt, Claire, Me being the Muzungus, Kipangi the Askari (guard) our house lady (whose name Ive forgot, 2 great dogs + some chicken. Kipangi is an elderly but watchfull fellow who stays on the premisses from 18.00 to 6.00 in the morning helping the dogs guard the premessis. Our houselady does all the cleaning, washing etc inside the house as well as managing our tiny kichengarden.
The area Loresho is reputed to be one of the safest in all of Nairobi, both muzungus and locals live here, but all the people are pretty well of.
Transport to and from the embassy might turn out to be a bit tricky, but just this very day Ive been looking at a car that I probably shouldnt but probably will buy..
(a suzuki LJ80 from 81..)

Well its weekend and i really havnt got any wild plans.. Ill probably have a sundowner later on, to morrow I might do some shopping to make my room a bit more "homey" and sunday the rich upperclass are hosting a carshow on the nairobi Racetrac..
Take care in DK!

Whoooaaa!

The coast is absolutely wonderfull!

Finally got the definite GO! and quickely hooked up with Beatrice a Kenyan girl Ive met through Maria my seconf landlady.
Beatrice acted as a guide on most the trip and that saved me a lot of trouble..
We initially wanted to go by 2class night train, but as we found out that 2class is gender divided, we went for a first class compartment, that was a really good idea! the trip took about 8 hours and was smooth and comfy.
As we arrived in Mombassa in the morning we emidiatly started to head south were Beatrice had already booked a beachhut with a friend. After a mataturide, a trip on the local and public(free) ferry, another mataturide and finally a taxiride we finally arrived at Maweni cottages.
our cottage was basic but had all we needed, kitchen, shower etc, we were advised to close the kitchen door at all times as the monkeys were very apt in opening fridges.. We decided to head straight for the beach.
As we walked down towards he beach we agreed upon doing absolutely nothin for the rest of the day as Beatrice had to return home to work the very nxt day and really needed to chill..
when we arrived at the beach a few local boys were just leaving, broadly grinning the welcommed us to a perfect little cove (pics will come!) stunningly white coral sand, cliffs defining the outer edges, and absolutely nobody but us.. the rest of the day we had the beach to our selves and did nothing but swim, talk and relax.. utter bliss!
finished the day with seafood on the local restaurant and a glass of redwine on the porch.
nxt day we once more had the beach all to our selves but had to pack up and head towards Mombassa around 16.00.. we found a little guest house for me and a bus home to Nairobi for Beatrice.
I got in contact with Mogen and Mellanie , the Danida and the EU advisors to NEMA (national environmental management agency( who were my real excuse to be by the coast) and found out that I was late for a dinner invitation. We dined at "the Tamarind" probably the best and the most expensive seafood I have ever had, oysters, lobsters, crab, mussels, everything + great wine. the bill took a seriouis chunk out of my car bying plans..
nxt day we had a meeting with the district officer to the whole of Mombassa, not the mayor, but something very close.. a seroius loking very black man in a huge office overlooking the whole town, Mogens and Mellanie presented them selves and their (Danida and EUs) intentions and were assured that they and their money would be most wellcome. we left to meet with the actual people on the ground, the DEOs (district environmenatal officers), the story from them were all the same, they lack funds, office equipment and means of transport.. In the afternoon I toured around Mombassa, visited the old portuguese Fort Jesus. and looked around the old town, people and the whole "vibe" is alot more relaxed and friendly in mombassa compared to Nairobi.. as the saying goes "it is easy to get to Mombassa, but it is very hard to leave..)
My cheap hotel unfortunately had a bedbugs so I didnt sleep all that well..
Nxt day, we went up the coast to beautifull Kiliffi and Melindi. A long drive on bumpy roads in a hardsuspended Landrover.. The cities and the coast was beautifull but we were there on business not pleassurer, so Ill have to come back some day to enjoy the ocean and the tranquill.. (pics will come!)
Last day we participated in a workshop in mombassa on coastal zone management, quite interesting to meet and work with the actual stakeholders, people living and working on the coast. everybody had different agendas, yet everybody worked together. I ended up in group working with education and awarenessa and learned among other things that most kenyan villages has an active adult education system where the chiefs teach the citizens whatever he finds interesting (usually to read and write..)
Infortunately we (The Muzungus:Mogen, Mellanie and I) had to leave for Nairobi early that evening and could not participate in the final day. Mogens and Mellanie went by air, and i opted for the most expensive of the many bus companies servising the Nairobi Mombassa rute.. 8 hours in the night bus was not funnnnn
gotta log of now more to come!

mail me ur adresses and postcards might follow !

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