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The approach to South Horr over the next few days was sparse vegetation and real African bush. Lion prints were all around and we would often see vultures circling within a few miles of where we were, probably waiting for access to a kill. Route finding was easy: head for the hills! We saw many Dik-Dik’s which are one of Africa’s smallest antelopes. Completely adorable (and tasty, apparently) they live a monogomous life with their partner on a bed of their own faeces.

Romantic, I know.

Arriving in South Horr was an awesome feeling and it seemed to take forever to get there. South Horr has fresh water aplenty and it was a great place to spend the day. But more importantly they had very fresh food. And after the last two weeks, we were yearning for a feast. We selected a goat…

Awww… how cute!

How brutal!

How tasty!

It was a fine meal indeed.

We discussed the possibility of going on to Marsabit but given the trouble decided to do a few safari parks instead. It’s worth saying that Carls was prepared to refund the entire rest of the trip at this point so we just renegotiated a new daily rate based on the parks I wanted to visit (Nakuru, Hells Gate, Mt Longonot).

I was a little disappointed about not going to Marsabit knowing fine well that I was now acclimatized to the heat and environment. I’ll have to go through another week or so of hell when I return here.

The walk down from Mt Kulal to Ortrot (a small village with a broken water pump) took almost 8 hours. As we were descending, the day got progressively hotter and we didn’t stop at all. Around 2 o clock we stumbled up on a lot of commotion. From a distance, all I could see were some Samburu guys machetying something to pieces on the ground.

What was this?! As we approached, it became clear they were hacking apart a camel. The only word I could make out was “Simba” which obviously means Lion. The camel had been killed within the last hour or so by a Lion. They showed us the neck wounds and how it was killed. There were lions here? News to me! I won’t walk ahead of the other guys so much! “Ah, yes” said Carls, “lots of Lions here, but they fear man!”

No, *I* fear Lions!

They gave us a load of camel meat which was one of the finest meals I’d ever had. Camel meat is chewy and I ended up yielding a filling. But a fine meal, none-the-less.

I really, REALLY wish I’d got a photo of this but I was a bit wary of getting out my camera… a big regret

Looking back on Mt Kulal. A very long, hot day

We spent the night just outside of Ortrot. They had coke here! Lukewarm Coke, but Coke. And Carls was reintroduced to a TDI Land Rover he had driven many years earlier and sold to someone who had sold it to someone who had sold it to the owner of the shop where we got our Coke. North Kenya is clearly a small world.

We camped under a tree just outside town. I heard talk of Hyenas and wild animals here. Indeed, two camels had been taken in the last few months from just outside of the town by lions. Wild animals? I know how to deal with this. I’ve been to Africa before. There is only one answer!

Put the tent cover on. Wear ear plugs. And sleep. Shut out the world!

Camping wild in Africa *ROCKS*!

This turned out to be a good choice on my part. Carls and the guides kept Hyenas at bay for quite a bit of the night, donkeys being one of their favorite dishes.

A few years ago, a child in the town of Gabat (on the top of Mt Kulal) was bitten by a dog and needed a rabies vaccine. The cost? 70 dollars. Unable to pay, the child’s parents pleaded with the hospital to gave them the vaccine. A deafening “No” was the answer. Instead, they went to South Horr to try and sell their livestock to get money for the vaccine but the child died on the way.

Similar things happened several times over a few years (rabies is endemic here), and so the owner of the campsite in the town set up a vaccination program. The dogs wandering around the town now have a marker around their neck showing they have been vaccinated. Every year, there is a big town get-together and everyone brings their dogs to be vaccinated. Everyone in the town is aware of this program. They like it, they understand what it does for them and they want to be part of it.

It is working. There is no infrastructure for this. No offices in Nairobi. No international fund raising lunches. No air conditioned Landcruisers or satellite phones. Just one guy trying to make a difference and it seems to be working.

If you happen to be passing by and want to make a donation, you’ll find him at the only campsite in town.