Kisumu & Lake Victoria

Welcome to the second of my African Adventure blogs, with an update on my plans and preparations for my impending visit to Kenya!

First, here's a brief background, both historically and geographically, on Nancy's hometown...
Kisumu is Kenya's third largest town/city, and is the known as the administrative centre for Western Kenya. The town lies just on the edge of Lake Victoria, and up until the 1970's it was a busy port with connections to other ports in Uganda and Tanzania. Unfortunately since then there has been a steady decline in trade by boat across the lake, and Kisumu is not as prosperous as it once was.
Kisumu is also home to Western Kenya's largest market which sells just about anything!
Dunga village, just to the south, offers the best views of Lake Victoria, with its hippo and rich bird life. The lake straddles the equator and is Africa's largest covering 26,550 sq.miles, and is the second largest fresh water lake in the world. (If any of you can recall the Top Gear Africa special, when the lads went in search of the source of The Nile, they actually started alongside Lake Victoria).
As for the climate, when I'm visiting in April it's in the middle of the rainy season...so no worries about taking the factor 30!

So that's the history and geography lesson over with...so what about my plans?
Nancy has told me so much about Lake Victoria, and the fun times she has spent there, that I can't wait. As stated above, hippos can be observed around Dunga, and there's even an open group on Facebook called 'Chillaz@Hippopoint Dunga Lovers' where many photos have been uploaded, so I hope to witness some wildlife for myself in April.
The most impressive lake that I've ever witnessed was without question Lake Wakatipu on New Zealand's south island, especially when driving along the highway with all its spectacular views as you approach Queenstown ~ (I recently shared a photographer's snapshot on Facebook of this very image). The fact that I skydived above it only re-confirmed my thoughts. But I believe I'm going to be changing my opinion very soon, once I experience what Lake Victoria has to offer, especially when you consider the circumstances...in New Zealand I was very much a solo trekker in total awe of all of my surroundings, whereas in Kenya I am gonna be alongside my lady love sharing many happy times!

I am so looking forward to visiting Nancy's home, and letting her show me all the other sights and places nearby. I'm also looking forward to meeting all of her friends and family...I just hope that I come up to scratch! Being an older, white guy doesn't particularly phase me but I would obviously like to make a very favourable impression if at all possible, especially as I fully intend to re-visit time and time again.
I recently re-watched 'The Long Way Down' dvd of the TV series, featuring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, as they travel down on motorbikes from the north tip of Africa to Cape Town in the south, including passing through Kenya. This really got my travel juices flowing and filled me with inspiration, anticipation and excitement.

I'm on holiday next week when I'll be receiving my final set of jabs and starting to purchase miscellaneous items in readiness for my amazing journey ahead. I'll also be receiving confirmation of my actual flight and hotel details for my first night on arrival in Nairobi with Nancy. Due to my lack of access to a computer there will be no blog next week, but watch this space for further updates!

Steve Muskett

An African Adventure Awaits...

Welcome to a brand new blog: 'An African Adventure...'

The last overseas holiday that I experienced was my second trip to New Zealand, in March 2009.
This was the culmination and fulfillment of a lifetimes dream, and one which will live with me forever. Now five years later a new dream awaits me, one which will have an even greater impact on my life...visiting the lovely Nancy in Kenya!

For the past six months we have been communicating either online, via mobile phone, as well as writing letters (the old-fashioned way, because I'm an old-fashioned gentleman!), and our feelings have grown stronger with every day that passes. In two weeks time I finally hope to be in a position financially to enable me to travel to Kenya, so that we can be together in April. Our mutual excitement is beyond words, and with just six weeks potentially remaining prior to my intended flight, the clock is counting down fast...

It's been quite amusing and interesting to witness the different reactions and perceptions to my plans and to our romance. A lot of my mates think I'm crazy, and appear to have very limited ambitions with regards to where following your heart may take you, whereas a majority of my female friends believe I'm an old romantic and are full of much appreciated support. The bottom line as far as I'm concerned is simple...I'm 46 years of age and still looking for that special lady to share my life with, so if she happens to live up the road, over the other side side of the world, or in Kisumu, then I'm gonna journey to wherever it may be, and follow my heart and my dreams!

Kisumu is in Western Kenya in East Africa, near the equator and alongside Lake Victoria ~ I will write more about Kenya's third largest city in my next blog. What's most important to me is that this is where Nancy lives, with her beautiful daughter Joy, and with her sister Lucy, and all her other family and friends nearby.
The plan is for me to fly in to Nairobi, where Nancy will greet me at the airport, (that in itself is gonna be a heartwarming moment), and to spend a few days sampling Kenya's capital city. We'll then travel back up to Kisumu and spend the rest of an amazing two weeks together. Nancy has many places she wishes to show me, and I just can't wait. They say travel broadens your horizons as well as your mind, and to explore a totally new country and culture is going to be absolutely illuminating for me. The fact that I will be sharing this experience alongside the love of my life, hand-in-hand, just makes the whole adventure so very exciting, and I am so full of wonderful anticipation.

With six weeks to wait there is still much to do. I hope to book the flight during week commencing March 3rd, (when my budgeted funds should be available), as well as buy some holiday clothes and other essential items. My intended date of departure is around March 29th - 31st, depending on availability and cost. In the meantime I need to get all of my jabs and vaccinations administered. I've just had the second of three Hepatitis A+B injections, as well as receiving tablets for Typhoid, and when I have the third Hepatitis A+B jab I will also have a Yellow Fever injection too. This jab isn't necessarily compulsory, but depending on how you arrive into Kenya this isn't always the case. If you fly directly into Nairobi via Europe there is no need for proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination, but if you arrive via certain other countries then you do. At this stage I obviously don't know which route I'll be taking, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, it is recommended that visitors journeying to Western Kenya should have the jab. Incidentally, there are only two airlines which fly direct from Heathrow to Nairobi (British Airways and Kenya Airways), a flight journey time of nine hours, and the most common stop over destinations are either Dubai, Switzerland, or Turkey (depending on the particular airline that the flight is booked with). I think I will have to take whatever I can get...so long as I can arrive in Nairobi safe and sound to be with Nancy, then I'll fly via Timbuktu if necessary! All that then leaves me to organise is some anti-Malaria medication, which I will also hopefully sort out during week commencing March 3rd.

During my adventures in April, I shall try to keep a diary which I'll transfer into future blogs, along with accompanying photos which I'll upload either on here or via Facebook, but the main purpose of my visit to Kenya is to be with my sweet girlfriend, so the writing won't be my priority...sharing precious quality time with Nancy will. Between now and then I'll keep you all updated with my planning and my preparations for this exciting journey.
So let the adventure commence...
Je T'aime my darling, see you soon.

Steve Muskett