Suswa

Suswa here we come! Can´t wait to see the view from up there!
A dream is about to come true - I think...
To make a long story short:

Rift Valley, dust road
Cars chased by locals waving a receipt pad
Maasai woman in one of the cars says it is okay, that we don´t have to stop
We don´t stop
Running men cry "Mnataka shida?" (Do you want trouble?)
We don´t, but we don´t stop

Lunch before trekking
Families remain by the cars
Rest of us head for the mountain
No guide, no path, no idea of how to get to the top
Maasai boys show us the way through the bush, to the rim
Discover that there´s another crater inside the one we´re standing on
Realise that we don´t have time to reach the top
Group splits, and some return, including Maasai boys
Want to cross the moat, want to climb up to the inner crater rim,
want to see the view from there
Where is the best way down?
Steep downhill
Bush and scree
Bodies full of scratches
Reach the bottom
Out of time
Steep up again
Where are the cars?
All we can see is bush
Car sees us and picks us up
Other car has left
Phonecall from the first car
Can we pick up the Maasai woman to prove she said we didn´t have to stop?
Road blocked by angry menWe don´t want to pay
We discuss
They want us to pay
We don´t want to pay
We discuss
Not enough diesel and time to find another way
We don´t want to pay
We pay
Men remove the rocks
We go home
The greatest adventures are often the ones that don´t go exactly as anticipated

Some quotes from Lonely Planet (Trekking in East Africa):

"You can go trekking on Suswa, but the logistics of getting there and finding a guide make it a challenge."
"Solo trekkers have been approached in the past and asked to pay for access to the land, but this should not be an issue if you are with a guide."
"As lions have killed Maasai herdsmen here in the past, it´s advisable to take along an experienced guide. Make sure they´re familiar with the territory and aware of recent local developments, especially regarding dangerous wildlife."

Good to know...

A FEW TIPS FOR CAMPING TRIPS...

Either:

1. Make sure your camping stove works with whatever kind of fuel you can find in Kenya.
2. If it doesn´t - bring your own firewood (or a motorsaw), or be prepared that it might take some time to get food...
3. Tools for tyres might be useful, in addition to knowing how the brakes work. You might want to have the tools easily accessible, so that you won´t have to unload the car to get hold of them.
4. Double check regularly that the roof rack tent is well fastened on the roof, especially when the female driver drives too fast on bumpy bush roads.
5. Be prepared for all kinds of weather, e.g. by choosing a campsite with empty cottages that have overstructures you can use as shelter in case of rain.
6. Plan the timing well in order to get time to do whatever you have planned.

Or:

7. Ignore all the above, be flexible and consider everything that happens as part of the adventure. If mood, food, and company are good, and you´ll probably have a GREAT camping trip!