Spoffords Travel

Day 3 May 8, 2025 Nairobi to Lake Elementaita

We started the day with a very nice breakfast in the hotel. We met the group and our tour manager in the lobby at 8:00 am. We were given water bottles, hats and light blankets. There are only nine of us on the tour. Definitely off season. Our transportation is two four wheel drive vehicles. Five ride in one and four in the other. Our tour manager is David and the assistant is Philip. They have African names as well but the Christian names are much easier for us. The drive out of the city took 45-60 minutes. Traffic is incredible. Hard to believe there aren’t more wrecks. We drove through several suburbs with markets and numerous trucks. Lanes in the road are of no significance because everyone drives wherever they can squeeze in. By the way they drive on the left mostsome of the time. Besides trucks, cars, jeeps, buses and motorcycles there are significant speed bumps and potholes. It’s best to look out the side windows and not the front. Of course then you see how close the vehicles are together. You can easily shake hands with someone in the vehicle beside you. There are no traffic lights only traffic police. They don’t seem to do much. We were told that they do take bribes in lieu of traffic tickets. Out of the city the road becomes more narrow and winding. Then we got into fog as we drove along the Rift Valley. In a couple of places we were able to see down into the valley. It’s a long ways down but very beautiful. Passing is difficult because of all the oncoming traffic. The shoulder isn’t there either. The elevation is about 7000 feet.

We passed near a fresh water lake. We see lots of sheep, goats and cows along the side of the road eating the grass. Some are tethered but most are not. The landscape is very green and lush. Some of the herds have all three animals while some have only one. Occasionally there is a donkey or two. The colors are mixed with no one color being dominate. We did see a few zebras scattered along the way.

Nairobi’s population is about 5 million and Kenya’s is about 50 million. The bus system is well utilized. The buses have lots of paintings on them and are very crowded. In some the passengers dance and sing. About 45% of the GDP comes from agriculture with coffee, tea and avocados leading the way.

We made one bathroom stop at a souvenir shop. We passed an area where the locals were grilling corn to sell. The baboons were here waiting for anything someone might give them. Several stands are selling onions. They are in red bags if they are red onions and yellow bags for white onions. The stands are quite colorful.

Eventually we turned off the highway onto a dirt road. Then the fun really began. These roads have lots of ruts as well as places where the water has carved deeper ruts in the road. The road is barely wide enough for one car let alone two. Sure glad the traffic has decreased. Then we started up. Quite a climb. Seat belts help hold you in your seat. The soil looks like a red clay. Small farms are on both sides of the road.

We finally arrived at the Lake Elementaita Mountain Lodge about 1:00 pm. The view out the dining room window is incredible. We can see all down the mountain and across to the Lake Elementaita. We had a nice buffet lunch and then were taken to our rooms for a short rest. The rooms are individual houses scattered all down the mountain. The road is very steep and built of pavers. We were lucky and got the first house. Those further down the mountain took the hotel van.

After our short rest it was back up the hill to the lobby. We are going to one of the game reserves. That means back down the mountain in the vehicle. Walking up the hill feels like a 45 degree angle. We took a somewhat different route down the hill. Not much improvement however.

This is the Soysambu Conservancy. We stopped at the gate to pick up one of the rangers employed here. The terrain is more jungle than we expected. Everything is very green and lush. The Conservancy goes along the shore of Lake Elementaita. The lake is alkaline so during the dry season the lake changes color as the water evaporates.

We don’t have to go far before we spotted our first animal which was a monkey high up in a tree. In the clearing is a herd of impalas I think. There are so many different antelope its easy to get confused. A little further is a waterbuck which is a larger antelope. These are darker in color.

Several different birds inhabit the area as well. At sometimes during the year large flocks of flamingos live here. These are not nearly as pink. The water is too high so the algae they feed on is more difficult to find.

Domestic cattle are also here. They are many different colors and look like small Brahmans. We got out of the vehicles and walked along the lake with the ranger. He described the environment and pointed out different plants and wildlife. We even saw an abandoned nest with three eggs.

Back in the vehicle and down the way we found a couple of male water buffalo. The horns on the males meet in the middle. The females on the other had have a small gap between the horns.

It must get dry here some of the year because here and there are huge cacti that are as tall as some trees. They have wicked looking thorns.

More antelope of some kind and then some zebras. The vehicles don’t seem to bother them. I figure they see them often enough. In the same area is a herd of female water buffalo and some antelope. Plenty of food for everyone.

Next is a small herd of giraffes. It includes one male several females and a couple of youngsters. The male is much darker in color due to his age. Male giraffes have three horns while females have only two. They are eating leaves from a tall bush that has the most awful looking thorns. They must be at least two inches long. Somehow the giraffes get their tongues around these. The bush however has another survival mechanism. It secretes a bad taste so the giraffes only eat a few leaves from a bush before moving on.

We have a welcome and get acquainted dinner at the lodge before retiring. Breakfast is early in the morning so its early to bed.

Day 1 & 2 May 6 & 7, 2025 Boise Idaho to Nairobi Kenya

We left Boise at 10:40 am on May 6 and arrived at our hotel in Nairobi Kenya about 9:30 pm on May 7. We flew from Boise to Seattle on Delta Airlines. Then from Seattle to Paris France on Air France and on to Nairobi on Air France. All flights were close to on time with no serious problems. When we landed in Paris we were way out on the tarmac and had to be bused to the main terminal. From the time we stopped until we got to the gate for our next flight was more than an hour. We were at the back of the aircraft so we were on the last bus to go to the terminal. That meant waiting for the need assistance passengers. Then the drive to the terminal is long due to construction. Once inside the terminal its a long walk to the security checkpoint. Luckily they let us go in the priority line. After security it was another half mile to the gate. Thank goodness for moving sidewalks. No thanks for all the retail stores. The flight to Nairobi was not even close to full so we each had a row to ourselves. It must truly be off season. We were still not impressed with Air France. We got through customs in a reasonable amount of time and then both bags were at the carousel. Gate One was waiting for us outside. The drive to the hotel took about 30 minutes. Sure glad we don’t have to drive in this. They drive on the left side and cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles drive all over the road. Lines have no meaning. We went to bed as soon as possible.

Day 12 October 26, 2024 Marrakech to Casablanca 164.5 miles

The drive to Casablanca takes about 3 hours. Most of the way is flat and very dry. Some farms with olive trees. We made one stop for the rest room. The scenery was nothing new or different.

Casablanca is a big city of about 4.5 million residents. Lots of industry and commerce. Very little of historical significance. It sits on the Atlantic Ocean and has a large seaport. A big cruise ship was in the port. Most of the city tour was done on the bus. Just as well since traffic was terrible. Many of the streets are narrow especially when buses are trying to pass in opposite directions. We did make a stop at the Lady of Lourdes Catholic Cathedral. Mass is held here on Sundays.

We drove by the main square. Preparations are underway for the marathon to be held tomorrow. Looks like it will be a big event.

Next was the Hassan II Mosque. This was a drive by only at this time. We returned after lunch to visit from the outside. No one in our group wanted to pay the extra 140 dar (1$14.00 USD) to go on the inside tour. This is no longer included because too many times it was closed when the tour arrived. The mosque is very large and took 7 years to complete.

We went to the ocean for restaurants for lunch. Lunch is on our own and there were several to choose from. Some had ocean views and some not. The shoreline is rocky along this portion. A lighthouse is visible in the distance as is the minaret of the mosque. We chose the nearby McDonald’s so we could use the restroom. Well its closed for renovations. The drive through however is open. So we walked up to the window and ordered. We set on a bench to eat it. The service like other restaurants was slow. A small hamburger meal and a small fish meal were a total of $9.00 USD.

After lunch we walked a little further down the way and then set on a bench and watched people. Lots of variety in age size and nationality. We were allowed two hours for lunch.

Then it was back to the mega mosque. Our guide got us further inside the complex to take pictures of the outside. This is the second tallest minaret in the world at 689 feet. It is the second largest mosque in Africa and the 14th largest in the world. The cost was estimated at 585 million euros. Funds came from the government, individuals, businesses, foreign countries and loans. 1400 men worked on it during the day and 1000 at night. A couple of us rode from the near the entrance to the mosque in a golf cart. Sure was better than the walk in the sun. We took pictures and then Rob and a few others rode the cart out so we could ride back.

Off to the hotel to relax before the farewell dinner. The bus came to pick us up again and take us to a very nice restaurant in another part of town. We had a wonderful meal with live music in the background. We had a glass of wine, stuffed seafood salad and fish or beef. Then dessert was fresh fruit and fancy desserts. We all had to waddle out.

Rob made the last souvenir purchase for this trip. A red Morocco hat from the bus driver.

Day 11 October 25, 2024 Marrakech to Essaouira and back 221 miles

This morning at breakfast they actually had bacon and deli ham. The signs posted in front of the items showed a picture of a pig. This is the first bacon of any kind that we have seen. Definitely shows the influence of tourism.

A smaller group of us departed this morning for Essaouira located on the Atlantic coast. This was an optional tour so not everyone went. It’s a three hour drive to get there. The terrain is a mix of farmland and desert. They raise grapes, olives, chickens, melons and Argan. We were told that goats sometimes climb the trees in this area. Rob was the only one to see a goat in a tree. Unfortunately he did not capture the image.

Two towns of interest on the way were the town name translated as Baby Chicken. Many chickens are raised in the area. The other is the site of a festival today. The farmers will be racing horses to celebrate the harvest. Many horses were in the town. We also saw a large truck load of hay.

Just before reaching the city we stopped at Marjana Cooperative. This is made up of about 80 women who produce products made from the seeds of the Argan trees. The farmers wait until the fruit falls from the trees because the limbs have sharp thorns on the ends. The fruit is gathered and then dried. Once dry the women begin their work. The first step is to separate the fruit from the seed. The seed at this stage is about the size and shape of a small almond. Then the shell must be broken to get to the actual seed which is much smaller and flat. Then it is ground to extract the oil. All of this is done by hand by women sitting on the floor. The oil is used in numerous cosmetics and a few food items. Very labor intensive which explains the cost.

Only a few minutes later we reached the city of Essaouira. The area has been inhabited for centuries. The port is one of the better ones on the coast because it is protected by an island just off the coast. The fortified city was designed and built in the 1760’s to be a merchant trading center. It was used by the Portuguese and went by the name of Magador for many years. The site was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Portions of it were used to film the Game of Thrones. Numerous Spanish canons still line the ramparts. It’s often windy here so it makes for great parasailing and surfing. The sandy beach is appealing to just enjoy. Inside to walls is a busy place full of locals and tourists. Items made of silver are a main industry so we stopped at a silver shop. Naturally they do beautiful work. We bought a small silver pendant. We walked all through the walled city. There are also lots of artists trying to sell paintings. We walked through the city until about 1:00 pm and then returned to a seafood restaurant for lunch. Service was very slow so our free time was very limited. Rob and another one of our group returned to the spice market to buy cinnamon.

On the return trip there were far more people on the beach including several paragliders. They seemed gathered in one area so that must have been the strongest winds.

Rob computed the price of the low end gasoline to be $5.22 per gallon. No wonder there are so many small motorcycles.

The activity at the horse racing had increased significantly. Hundreds of people are headed for the arena. Even some horse and riders were headed that way. A canon was fired a few times for an unknown reason. Would have been fun to watch some of it.

When we got back to Marrakech the streets were packed. It’s their Sunday so lots were out enjoying the nice weather.

Day 10 October 24, 2024 Marrakech 13.7 miles

Today started cloudy but became only partly cloudy by mid morning. The breakfast this morning was better or we are becoming accustomed to the lack of flavor.

Our first stop on the city tour was at the Medina or old city. We entered through the gate of the Kasbah which surrounds the Medina. At one time everyone lived inside the Medina but now the city has grown significantly all around. The French did a lot of construction during their occupation of the country. They used concrete and rebar instead of of mud bricks. Our hotel was built by the French and is considered new construction at 100 years of age.

We walked through some of the streets to the tombs of ancient kings. On the way we passed several buildings damaged by the 2023 earthquake. Some of the damage has been repaired but not all of it. Inside the shrine is a lovely garden with mosaic tablets on the ground. These are graves of soldiers and servants of the kings. Some have marble pieces to designated someone of more importance. There are three main rooms. The first is the woman’s room. The mother of the first king and other wives are buried in this room. The next room was for the kings. It has marble pillars and gold on the ceiling. The third room is for the children. The marble came from Italy since Morocco doesn’t have any. They traded equal weight of sugar for the marble. Our guide said Morocco got the better deal because they still have the marble but the sugar is all gone. The gold on the ceiling was obtained by trading salt.

Then we walked through the Jewish quarter to the royal palace. The Jewish quarter used to be home to over 700 Jews but when Israel was created many of them left. Now there are less than 100. Two synagogues are still in use. The remainder have become houses. Lots of shopping activity. The streets here are large enough for cars and delivery trucks to pass so the streets are very busy and you must be very careful.

The royal palace is the only one open to the public. It is no longer in use by the royal family. It is considered one of the must see places in the country. Based on the number of people visiting today it certainly is. Lots of mosaics on the walls and the floors. The ceilings are beautifully painted with natural dyes. There are administrative rooms, wives rooms and harem rooms. The king had four wives and 24 concubines. Of course if a wife died he could marry another. He was a busy man. He had 500 children. Most likely the rooms would be cool if not for all the people inside. Some of the areas are under renovation from the earthquake so they could not be visited.

Back on the bus to go to the main minaret or mosque of the city. This is the tallest building in the city. No buildings in any city can be taller than their minaret. On top is a crane looking structure which points to Mecca. In this case it points East. Very near the minaret is the main square. So much going on! The square is large and paved. Lots of small shops and street vendors. Also snake charmers and monkey handlers. Lots of people, cars, trucks, donkey carts, motorcycles, tuk tuks and bicycles. Some of our group remained to shop and some of us returned to the hotel.

We relaxed until time to depart for our cooking class. We made chicken tagine with raisins, tomato salad and eggplant salad. The whole process was really interesting and the end result was delicious. We most likely will not be making this at home. You need a special pot and some spices most likely not found in Boise. Rob made the best rose out of a tomato peel in the group. That will probably not happen in Boise as well.

After the cooking class we returned to the hotel in one of the horse drawn carriages. They took us on a much longer ride than expected. It’s much cooler at night and more locals are out and about. The carriages go on the same roads as the cars. Everyone seems to make it work. Sure glad we aren’t trying to drive.We have seen the results of two vehicle wrecks and as anywhere in the world they were not pretty.

Day 9 October 23, 2024 Valley of Birds to Marrakech 197 miles

We both had a lousy night sleep so a nap on the bus already sounds like a good idea. We are up a little earlier this morning. Breakfast had lots of choices but nothing outstanding. The temperature is cool and looks like rain.

We drove about 1.5 hours to the first bathroom stop. Turns out they only had Asian style toilets. Connie was very glad she elected not to go. This section was relatively flat with mountains in the distance. Drove along several miles of continuous houses. They belonged to different villages but you could not tell one from another. Connie napped most of this drive.

We drove through the village of roses. They have a big festival every year celebrating roses. The whole town smells wonderful at that time. Lots of rose related products sold here. A statue of a vase of roses is at both ends of town.

A short drive took us to the Atlas Film Studio. We got a tour and explanation of how they could change sets to be whatever and wherever you needed to be. Amazing what they could do and how easily. Another movie was being filmed out a ways but we couldn’t go there. All very interesting.

Next stop was the fortified city. Connie and another lady opted to remain behind. When the others returned several said we made the correct choice. The “stairs” were made from pieces of rock stuck in dried mud. Uneven and irregular, well you get the idea. We had to buy our own lunch today. We split a skewer of chicken and that worked very well.

When we left the restaurant we could not believe how many tourist buses and vans were parked in the area. There was hardly room to walk between the vehicles. One man was trying to help direct traffic.

It’s two hours to the next stop. What a drive that was. We went over the mountain range again. The highest elevation was 7250 feet. The road twists and turns a lot. Some are serious switch backs. The road is in great condition but narrow. There is very little room for error. Lots of traffic too. Cars, buses and trucks are all sharing the road with a few street vendors. New construction is also underway so big equipment is along the side. At some time or other huge cuts in the mountain have been required. Many of those have cement ditches to help carry the water down the mountain. Another spot had a major landslide that they routed traffic around. Snow falls here in the winter making the road impossible to drive until the road is cleared.

We saw several large trucks carrying cattle somewhere. The cattle are up high in the truck bed and covered with netting to hold them in place. Sometimes it takes a little while to realize they are live cattle.

Villages are scattered all over the mountains. They are up little gullies that look like they could slide down any time. It did rain on us a little bit. All the locals were happy with that. Even with the rains over the last few weeks the rivers are very low.

We made one last restroom stop that was long enough to buy two magnum ice cream bars. They cost about $3.00 each.

On to Marrakech. The roads are getting wider and traffic is increasing. We arrived at the hotel with about an hour before departing for dinner. We are going to the home of a local family who will prepare the meal. The house was very large and modern. The food was delicious. The mother and three daughters all introduced themselves. All spoke English. Her brother-in-law was also there. He owns a restaurant in Mexico.

Day 8 October 22, 2024 Sahara Desert Region to Valley of the Birds 148 miles

We have a little bit earlier start this morning. Lots of activity as tour groups get ready to depart for wherever they are going today. The temperature is cool so a light jacket feels good.

The terrain is fairly flat and dry. Small villages are scattered here and there. The local lady’s dress has changed from black to white. The towns also seem newer. The architecture is a little different. After about an hour and a half we stop for a short break. The road is a narrow two lanes but not many pot holes. There are a few places where the road may have been washed away by the recent flash floods.

About another hour we stopped for lunch. Another thirty minutes we reached the highlight of the day. An incredible gorge with a small river running through it opened in front of us. The cliffs reach as high as 800 feet straight up. People are wading in the shallow river and two people are climbing one of the peaks. Lots of street vendors line the cliff side of the road. Not much room for all that goes on. Some construction was happening in one spot. A big shovel kept scooping dirt in a land carrier until it was full. Then cars could pass until the truck returned. No road flaggers involved. One time Connie looked down at passing traffic and saw a small truck carrying six donkeys go by. Didn’t get a picture unfortunately. All doors facing the street in this region are supposed to be painted green. Most were.

Another hour to the town where our hotel is located. We drove through town and to the nearby valley with a stop for pictures. The hotel sits on the hill above. When we arrived at the hotel we were greeted by singers and drummers. Based on the age it’s a job for seniors.

This is rated as a four star hotel. Our room is small with no place to sit and no place for the luggage. The bathroom is through a narrow door one foot above the room. We have a terrace but the step to get to it is another foot up and wide. The internet doesn’t work either. The decorations are unique.