Karibuni Kenya

On my second day in Mafia, I went for a boat trip to try and see the whalesharks.  It is the off season at the moment, but they are still spotted quite often, and I had heard good things about them so thought the risk was worth it.  There was another guest at the camp, Greg, who also wanted to go, so we split the cost and headed off.  They hadn’t been seen for two days, and usually aren’t seen in choppy seas, so we were hoping for good weather.

The weather was not good, windy and a bit of rain, so the seas were very choppy – not a good start.  Nevertheless we go in the boat and headed off to ask the fisherman if they had seen any.  WHen we got deep enough and found another boat our captain asked them if they had seen any whalesharks.  The reply ‘uko hamna’ (over there there are none).  Not a good answer, especially given the expression of the fisherman who couldn’t seem to underrstand why we even thought there might be any in such rough waters.

AT thart point hope was very low, but our captain has a personal interest in the whalesharks and is conducting some research, so was happy to keep looking and so we headed more northwards into different waters but still found none and started to head back home, slightly dissapointed.

Suddenly an arm shot out at seven o’clock, he had spotted a shark.  The boat instantly turned and started heading towards it, and soon we came by its side and could see the huge mass that was a whale shark in the water, as well as its fin out of the water.  We jumped in with mask and snorkel to see it, but it went under the boat and out of sight before I got a chance to see it.

The boat picked us up again and we continued to search for more sharks, and saw one or two, although not close enough to get into the water with them again.  Even so it was a wonderful sight just to see them from the boat and I felt satisfied as we failed to see anymore and began to start heading back.

Again though the captains arm shot up andthere was a shark just on our right ‘be prepared! be prepared! when I say, go, jump in’.  Then after a little pause and cutting the engine ‘go!’  We jumped in and right there was the whale shark, its huge, wide mouth open and little fishes swimming close to it.  We were able to swim with it for a little, watching the huge body glide past us until it began to dive and was lost from sight.  We clambered back onto the boat and headed for home, deeply satified with the experience, which is indescribaly wonderful and worthwhile.

The whahelsharks are an absoloute must if you come to Mafia.  On a nice day the boat trip by itself is lovely, and as long as you are ready to accept the dissapontment of not seeing the whalesharks is worthwhile, and if you do get to see them it is just amazing, and one of the things I feel should be done before you die.  There is just something about being in the water with them that is indescribable, and must be felt to be understood.  They alone are reason enought o come to mafia for a few days or a week, and there’s plenty to do while you wait for the right weather, or else just take the risk and hope for the best.  For those who like slightly less touristy places, Mafia is ideal and much better better than Zanzibar, and there is loads to do and explore, which Carlos can organise for you.  Definately, if you go to Tanzania, go to Mafia Isalnd.

Having arrived at the airport, I decided to walk to the camp I was hoped to stay at, since it was meant to be only a kilometere or so away.  It was a decision in some ways I regretted, since the sun was still up and I sweated profusley the whole way, carrying 17kgs one one shoulder and about 5kgs more in my rucksack on both shoulders (the bag I brought with me has only a single shoulder strap, and sadly really isn’t designed for carryin heavy loads long distances).  I got to the camp after about n20 minutes of walking, and booked in, getting my own banda for 15 dollars a night (it is 15 dollars per person, not per banda, but even if there is only one of you they still only charge 15 dollars in spite of there being two beds in the banda).  A little pricey perhaps, but well worth it since the banda was nice, and the view from the bar and dining area was beautiful: true to its name one can see beuatiful sunsets with the white sails of dhow boats gliding across the water beneath a beuatiful setting sun  in a red tinted sky.

Staying at the camp was a PHD student at my uni, york, called Ana Lisa.  She had been there for several weeks, and so knew the island well and was helpful in suggesting things to do as well as helping to organise an expedition to try and see the whalesharks.  We also had a wonderful converstation with one of her frineds who had come to stay about poo, farts and the various different bites and illnesses and larvae one could contract or have growing in you in Africa, which was good fun.

All in all a wonderful place to stay, a good location with good food and not too expensive.  Definately the place to go in mafia for those on a bit of a budget.  The owner, Carlos, is also very helpful and very concerned about the wlefare of his guests, as well as knowing plenty of people who can orgainse excurcions at good prices and of a good or at the very least reasosnable quality.  A good bloke.

Sitting in the lounge, I heard the call for Mafia and so followed the man who had shouted it and was led out onto the tarmac.  Looking at the plane, it said tropical air on the tail, even though I had booked through coastal aviation.  Thinking nothing of this, assuming it was just another company contracted to fly y coastal, I got on the plane.  There someone came on and said they didn’t have my name on the flight list, which was just a sign in sheet for those flying.  Although I had already signed another sheet, I assumed this was a new one or the one for tghe plane rather than the airport, and so just signed my name again, although I was careful to ask him if they had my bag, to which he answered in the affirmative.

So we took off, had a lovely flight with some brilliant views, and then landed and they unpacked the baggage.  Mine wasn’t there. Bit of a drama, especially as I was told this was the only flight for the whole day.  I talked to the guys running the shack that is the airport, and asked them to call dar es salam.  After a few phone calls they said it might cme on the next flight.  ‘Next flight?’ I asked, ‘yes, the coastal flight’ he responded.  ‘oops, I think I may have got the wrong flight’, I said and showed him my ticket.  Sure enough, I had got on the wrong plane.  I had arrived in the right place, byut one hour before I was scheduled to do so.  A short wait and then the coastal flight came in with my bags and evrythingwas ok.

Some tips from my experience: 

- If flying a domestic flight, say you are a resident, since they never seem to checkon domestic flights if you have booked it through a travel agent and it saves a good amount of money.  Also, if flying to Mafia try to fly with tropical air as they are cheaper, although no one seems to know how to contact them (I will enquire and put up details if I find them).

- Assume nothing, and make sure you are on the right flight before you depart!

When we arrived in Tanzani we went to Isaacs guest house in Namanga to see how the building work was progressing.  It wasn’t going too badly, although there were a few things which needed sorting.  Hopefully, though it should open in a few weeks, and then makes for a lovely place to stay on the border for anyone travelling between Tz and Kenya (more details to follow when it opens).  After a lively debate over drinks and chipsi mayai (chip omlette, very nice!), Isaac headed off for a Gorilla safari in Rwanda, while I headed to Dar es salaam to explore a bit more of Tanzania.

I went to arusha to enquire about a flight, but it was too expensive, so I had to bus it.  Thismeant another day in namanga, before leaving at 5am to arusha and from there getting a bus to dar.  It went smoothly, and I was soon on my way, given a coke, werthers original type sweet and a small bottle of water by the bus company for the trip, and stopping off for lunch in a little drive in where I got my self a bag of chips.  arrival in Dar was at about 5 in the evening, from where i had to try and find libya st. for my accomodation.

I had a slightly outdated lonely planet guide with me, borrowed from fishermans, and so after talkiing to a few people and working out roughly where I was I decided to walk.  Not realising the scale of the map, and with the sun setting, I thought it better to get on a dla dala to posta, where they all seemed to say they were going, although none of them knew libya st, and hope for the best.  It was a plan that worked, since there was a nice old man on the dala dala who knew where libya st wasand so told me when to get off and then where to walk.  With the street found, I booked in to Jambo inn and then had a walk round a few of the streets that night, and a meal of kassava, bananas beans and spaghetti cooked by a woman on a street corner.

The next morning I headed back to a few travel agents I had seen the night before to organise flights to Mafia Isalnd, a place that had come highly recommended by John and Sheila.  It was a bit trying, but eventually I found a palce called karibu holidays, who were very ehlpful and got me a residents rate for the 3pm flight that day.  As soon as I got the tickets I headed for the airport, since if there was heavy traffic I was running a bit late.  Te traffic was only light though, so I arrived at the airport early, checked in and then waited in the lounge for my flight

Once the safari was finished, we headed back to naivasha to rest up for a few days before Isaac began another safari with some Spanish doctors who were working in Kibera and Lake Turkana with a charity highway international.  Two of his guests were leaving earlier than the others, and so had opted to come to naivasha for a few days before going back home, while the others would be in the Mara with Isaac.  I was called in to help, organising the accomodation, and checking they got settled in to crater lake and had some game drives and walks to do before  picking them up with the boat the next day to take them to naivasha. 

The water was quite choppy and rain was heading our way, so although the boat trip started well, towards the end the two spanish were a bit concerned, constantly asking me if the motion of the boat from side to side was normal.   We arrived safely, though, and the next day headed for hells gate.  We were meant to do this by bike, butone of the guests had hurt her neck the previous day, so we had to go by car instead.  Thankfully Nigel was around and helped out, driving us around in his old banger, which remarkably still runs even thoguh it is filled qwith dust, the seats dont stand upright and it squeks constantly as it goes along.  That said, if in the right mindset it is a lot of fun and adds a bit of flavour to the safari. 

After finsihing their safari, including a walk through hells gate gorge some way off the beaten, unexplored track, I had only a little to do with the next guests – again taking the boat to crater lake and then picking the car up and driving it back to fishermans for their hells gate safari the next day.  It was all a good learning experience, and fortunately the guests were good people so it was also quite fun.  All the time, though, Isaac called me the garia garia, which basically means slave, although not quite, since I was doing a lot of the footwork.

Having finsihed the safaris we left for nairobi so to sort a few things out and so I could get my hair cut in a salon run by Leonard, the demon barber of Nairobi, someone i got to know through Nigel.  He’s a good bloke and can be very funny, so when in Nairobi with slightly long hair I always stop by for a trim. 

Then when we’d sorted everything, we headed off to Tanzania.