Another trip to Eldoret

Earlier this week, Grant, Borrie (mining manager) and I had to visit Immigrations at Home Affairs in Eldoret. I've just received my Dependant's status after six months of red tape; the men are here on work permit status but all three of us had to have other registeration finalized. 

Of course, driving to Eldoret always means a trip up the 24 km, rutted, windy mountain road with 24 hairpin bends! Of course, this also means that, lining the road, is thick bush filled with many species of birds. At the top, just before we join the tarred road, we pass the really big trees which have fortunately not yet felt the blow of the panga (long-bladed woodcutting knife). And when we reach these trees, we always see these specials of the forest: Black-and-white Colobus Monkeys and Blue Monkeys.

I uploaded this photo from my archives. Above is a Black-and-white Colobus Monkey

We spotted quite a large group of Colobus Monkeys first. As Borries had never seen them and was excitedly trying to focus his big camera with an 800mm lense into the bush, I stood next to him indicating their whereabouts. I have many photos of both types of monkeys but didn't get the opportunity to snap these.

Around the next corner we spotted one Blue Monkey in a tree to the left of the vehicle. This time I managed to get a few photos.

And just a few meters ahead was another Blue monkey in a tree with white flowers. It was browsing and eating the blossoms with great relish not at all concerned at the humans below taking photos.

I can never get enough of these very specail primates and am always so grateful that I see them regularly in our part of the world

We arrived in Eldoret and at the Home Affairs only to be turned away because we didn't have original copies of certain documents. We've made an appointment to return next week so I'll have more photos of another post about ANOTHER trip to Eldoret!

On the way out of town, the men were hungry so I directed them to Oasis Milk Bar which sold very tasty,very inexpensive take-aways. While they ordered hamburgers, I strolled around the picturesque area taking photos. Grant spotted a young cat lying in the garden, but on closer inspection saw it was dead. It looked as though it had been mauled by a dog or hit by a car.

I wandered off and spotted another kitten and photographed it.

A beautiful young kitten, the same size as our Ambrose and very obviously part of the litter the poor unfornate [dead] kitten belonged to. This one is still alive and well, and  in good conditioner, but for how long, I wonder?

Just after I snapped this kitten, he walked out into the main road beyond. For those readers who may think I'm overprotective of Ambrose, I'm not too keen on him being hit by one of the lorries which drive up the main road, outside camp  home or worse, being mauled by local dogs which prowl around the perimeters of our camp and whose footprints I've seen on in my garden recently!

Stanley asked us to look for a cell-phone casing as his screen was cracked. We found that the casings were so expensive and bought him a new phone instead

As it's rained regularly for the past three months, and the lane behind our house is always muddy, I've not been able always go out on my short run in the afternoon. Grant suggested we look at a mini-trampoline as a form of indoor exercise. One of the reasons I like to keep active, is to avoid, what is known as Twitchy Legs in bed at night. The formal name for this condition is Restless Legs Syndrome. When I arrived at the sports shop in Ya-ya centre while in Nairobi, I saw they had a sale. I spotted the trampoline I liked and it was marked down by 30%. I 'm enjoying this different form of exercise immensely and like the fact that there much less shock on my joints compared to running along a stony, rutted road. I also have no more Twitchy Legs at night. Bliss!

Ambrose kindly posed on the trampoline while I took the photo

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.