Finally got to wash my hair, got a few ‘wows’ for the hairdryer.

7am time for my first game drive 🎉

Spotted:

Gazelle

Wildebeest

Zebra

Giraffe

Lion

Gnu

Hyaena

Buffalo

Hippo

Hartebeest

Ostrich

Toppi

Elephant

Cheetah

The river that separates Kenya and Tanzania

Crocodile

Warthog

I can now say I’ve been to Tanzania.

Stopped for lunch with a view of hippos over the river and monkeys running around next to us 😍 one stole a banana right from under my leg 😳 screamed.

A guy with a rifle then took us for a walk along the river. Need a baby hippo in my life.

5pm arrive back at camp. Safari is so me 🦓

Indian peeps invite me to join their campfire. They asked if I wanted vod so I said yes and they mixed it with water 🤢

Some hilarious dancing and singing happening.

Managed to get a hot shower this morning, which quickly became too hot and basically burnt me.

Discovered one of the doctors has a WiFi thing so asked him for the password 😏 five mins to try and catch up on real life. Made me late for the school.

The kids had exams so I was helping to mark. My chaperone came at 12pm to take me to lunch.

We then went to a sheep and cattle market. Some sad sad sights. Hitting them with sticks and yanking them about by one leg 😦

Next was the food and clothes market. I now know exactly what happens to the shoes and clothes you put in the clothes bank outside Tesco.

On our way back to camp and major rain started so we hid out in a ‘hotel’ until it stopped.

I went back to the school to finish some marking and then I asked if I could go on safari tomorrow but was told I can’t change my programme 😭 I shall try again later 😏

WiFi man returns so manage to get a quick phone-call with Mumma ❤️

Haggled a safari for tomorrow

Discover my first bite, two-nil mr mosquito.

The electricity in the camp is only from 7pm-10pm so I have to get ready in the dark. Can’t work out how to get hot water so cold shower it is.

7am breakfast for one: 4 slices of toast, 1 giant omelette, 5 pancakes 😰

8am escorted to the school where I watch their, what I assume was, assembly. I am then assigned to class 3 and first off is teaching Maths.

There is only one other volunteer at the school, a guy from New Jersey. He saved me in the break by drinking my tea for me.

The teacher of class 3 appears to spend most of his time on the phone and not a lot of teaching was happening. Thank the lord for Madame Lauren.

12:40pm lunch for one: about 4 potatoes worth of chips, 2 boiled eggs in tomato sauce and a whole tub of vegetables.

2pm back to school for another lesson before games. Kids can’t get enough of Madame Loz, all fighting to hold my hand to walk over to the field to play football.

School finishes- to the ‘pub’. A lot of harassment before I can finally escape back to camp.

7pm more people arrive at long last 🎉 a group of 30 Indian doctors, I’m in safe hands.

Over and out.

Saw a family of monkeys on the way back from the shower, just monkeying around on top of the tents.

Sprayed Deet in my eye.

Got some brek and packed up again for my 8am pickup. Drove to the centre of Nairobi where I was dropped at a bus to meet some people from Alabama on their honeymoon and two people from California. We then had an extensive tour of the back roads of Nairobi trying to find the other pickup- two people from Korea.

Finally began the long drive to Maasai Mara, stopping off at the Great Rift Valley on the way where I discovered what a rock hyrax is. So many cows and sheep and donkeys wandering at the side of the road and a few monkeys too, as well loads of people cooking and selling corn.

Next stop was lunch where I was also pressured into buying a stone hippo.

Enter the Maasai Mara- first animal spotted is the striped Zee dog, otherwise known as a zebra.

Super bumpy dirt tracks through the Mara. They called it a free African massage. Randomly in the middle of nowhere there would be the odd small ‘town’.

Necks (next) spot- the giraffe. Life is complete.

Little kids wave to you as you drive past and I have never seen anyone so happy to receive a wave back.

7 hours later we arrive at our camp. I am dropped off on my own and the others are in a separate camp. Just me and the natives.

My guide arrived a bit later and took me to the school to meet the headteacher, we then went into the village where he showed me around and we watched Manchester United play football in the pub with a Guinness!

Quote of the day: “my brother chooses my wife for me and I get to choose the second. I want to have three, maybe you will marry me”

Come back for dinner and bed before I start my teaching career in the morning.

1 September 18, made it to Nairobi all by myself. Got picked up from the airport for a v awks 30 minute car ride to my first camp as I couldn’t understand what Mr Driver was saying to me.

Not sure what I was expecting from Kenya but was instantly confused by loads of people wandering around at the sides of main roads. Where did they come from, where did they go? Also several men weeing at the side of the road and one lil stray looking doggo.

Arrive at the Wildebeest Eco Camp via a dirt track and some confusion. My room for the night is a luxury tent with a shower block round the corner.

First attempt at putting a mosquito net up turns into a bit of a battle. One – nil to the mozzies.

Buffet din at the camp before an early night for tired ol Loz. Safari tings await.

A day in the life of the Travelling Harps.

Hold on to your lil hats frens

1:30pm Exeter, Devon- as Willie would say, on the road again

6pm Heathrow Terminal 3- arrivé. Let the lonely times begin