The flight to Kigali was quite short, only about 40 minutes. It was interesting as we went over a number of mine sites in both countries.
I was last in Kigali in 2004 as part of a mission looking at a mine collapse at the former Shinkolobwe uranium mine. We flew in a small jet an HS 125, but my memory was of many old aircraft lying around the place at Kigali. We landed and it was just the same still with many old planes lying about.
I saw at least 3 DC-3 and some russian helicoters with no rotorblades and a Yak-40 and some other aircraft that were probably russian and a big old biplane. We stayed on the aircraft and then after 45 minutes were off again flyinh back over Zambia to Nairobi in Kenya.
Lots of interesting views of clouds and lakes and the Rift valley. Even the odd volcanic cone to look at.
The arrival at Nairobi airport was interesting as the walk from the plane was up a long ramp that had steps in it - neither one thing nor the other for wheelchairs. I sat around for about 90 minutes and then we boarded the flight to Kilamanjaro. The flight was with Precision Air in an ATR 72 twin turboprop and although it was late in the afternoon and clouds were forming up we did get a glimpse of the snow-covered slopes of Kilamanjaro to our left and Mount Meru on the other side as we came into the airport.
The formalities were pretty fast at the airport and so, asI had only carry-on baggage, I was soon meeting up with the driver sent to take me to Arusha about 45 minutes away. The drive was in the dark so I saw little of the country side. The Impala Hotel was finally reached at about 7 pm and I checked in to find that the hotel wi-fi cost extra and then would not reach to my room on the 8th floor. The good news was that the hotel has an excellent Indian Restaurant so I was happy to be having curries every night for dinner . The local beers were of course Kilimanjaro and Serengeti - there was also Safari, and Tusker from Kenya.
Sunday morning I was awake earlyand the reward was a great view of Mount Meru before breakfast.
The counterpart came for a meeting to sort out the work programme at 1100 and then we off for drive around the city and a visit to a snake park where I saw a lot of creatures very similar to Australian wildlife and then had to hold a snake - but no pictures. The countryside was pretty flat with a few Masai villages and cattle herds to look at as we drive around.
In Arusha the city clock is famous as the halfway point on the drive fromn Cape Town to Cairo!
The object of our journey was a snake farm where I was allowed to pay $10 US to be shown around a reasonable collection of snakes and other reptiles including monitor lizards, two sorts of crocodile, tortoises and a sort of bird sanctuaey/hospital with a number of injured animals being looked after. The guide was pretty god and knewhis stuff andf discussed about Australian fauna quite well. WE did not do the camel ride and then it was time for lunch. SO we gathered up the driver and off we went to the Elephant Club just down the road.
The club was set back off the road in a garden with plenty of planted trees to provide shade
including one thorn tree that has been supported on a frame to make it even shadier....
Lunch was fried bananas and goat meat chunks washed down with yet another local beer. or actually two..........
Back to the imposing lobby of the Impala Hotel with its interesting collection of carvings
.
No comments:
Post a Comment