Thursday we took a very long and bumpy drive down the Rift Valley to see Lake Magadi. This really gave us appreciation for the magnitude of the issue surrounding access to water and healthcare due to terrible roads. Almost half of our drive was on single lane roads with so many pot-holes, we had to drive off the paved area to avoid them. It was surprising to us that this is a very common, normal thing to do here. Although the drive was long, hot, and painful, we were greeted at our accommodation with a cold towel and soda – such a relief! Later that night, after settling into our tents, we were brought to visit the nearby hot springs. The water was very soft and was hotter than any hot-tub or bath we have ever been in!
It was a beautiful experience as there were hundreds of flamingos around, and their pink feathers almost matched the pink of the sky at sunset. Shortly after, the moon was full and the stars were out above our heads. We really liked this area, so we wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy it, and to spread out the long 8+ hour bus rides each way. (Don’t get us started on the trip back to Elsamere on Friday…. It is quite a story, but one for another time.)
By: Lucy Reid and Elva Ou (MMASc in Global Health Systems in Africa Candidates) and Aggrey Wandera (BSc Egerton University)
The Africa Institute Blog 