I arrived into Kenya from Australia via Johannesburg, and was pleased to see that although there were guards at the gates to the hotel, the building was not surrounded by razor wire like they all were in South Africa. Suddenly I waved goodbye to living like a poor backpacker and was treated fantastically by the hotel staff. Saluted by the guards as I left my room and walked to the lift, waited on hand and foot by the bar staff and at last I had a comfy bed in which to sleep. Once in my hotel I sighed a huge sigh of relief and lay back to relax for a few moments - for my arrival had been somewhat traumatic. For starters, at Nairobi airport there are no fancy walkways that join the plane to make your transition from seat to terminal safe and easy - no, one has to climb down the aircraft steps, dodge the other aircaft darting about the place, try not to get sucked into the engines and then negotiate the many service vehicles whizzing about - which I am sure are out there to try to mow you down... Once inside the terminal building you are left to fill out all the paperwork yourself - if you can actually find the paperwork that is... And then, once that was all done and I moved through to baggage reclaim I was disturbed to not find my bag on the conveyor.... Eventually I discovered that some very helpful chap had lifted it off and hidden it behind a post! Still, I got through the streets ok - which was another experience I will not forget - I dont think roads in Kenya have any real rules, nor are there rules about being 'inside' vehicles as opposed to clinging on the outside in any way you can!

Soon enough though I left the bustling city of Nairobi and headed out with my tour group towards Nakuru and the National park (stopping off for a spot of lunch overlooking the rift valley floor!) And that was when it really hit me - it was while driving on that road that it suddenly dawned on me that I was in Africa! Had it not hit me then, while weaving inbetween all the other traffic, then it certainly would have done when I got my first sight of African homes in Nakuru (see pictures). It was quite a shock to the system having just arrived from the comfort of Australia and the cleanliness of the Panafric Hotel, and it instantly struck me that although these people had very little, almost every single one (children especially) was wearing a smile - and not just any old smile, but one which was an absolute clear indication of how joyful they were, just to see us white people 'roughing it' in the back of a truck!

Lake Nakuru National Park was the perfect place to start my African Safari, on the very first day we headed out for a game drive and almost straight away I was snapping away with my camera. The sight of thousands upon thousands of Flamingo at the waters edge was breathtaking, as was the first glimpse of a wild White Rhino. All of my previous fears and worrys about surviving in Africa disappeared and I knew that I had made the right decision to come here. Programs on the television about the wildlife of Africa are all fantastic, but nothing compared to getting up close to the animals yourself, being almost close enough to touch and certainly close enough to feel a little uneasy when a Rhino (or later Elephant) decides he's had enough of you being in his space... Another sight I will never forget was watching the sun rise up over the Lake, and slowly seeing the mist lift to reveal the lake once more!

I couldn't have wished for a better introduction to Africa!