After a very good breakfast (once again – but the fresh fruit is too delicious) we started our drive to the main gate of the opposite park from yesterday – Tsavo East. Mel again took over the transit to the park and Andreas took the wheel only in the park. We just didn’t want to take the risk of being stopped by the police again, since Andreas does not have an international driver’s license, which is mandatory in Kenya. Andreas held the wheel with his left hand and the camera with 600mm lens attached always ready for action with his right. A little feeling of Miss Daisy and her chauffeur came up, only that the “road” conditions were even worse than the day before.

So we drove first to the waterless Aruba Dam and then to Crocodile Point, where Andreas could test the climbing abilities of the four-wheelers on rocky ground. Here we were even allowed to get out of the car (which is forbidden for safety reasons in almost all parks, because of the wild animals) and so we could at least spot a crocodile in some distance. The drive led us to the Lugard Falls, where several baboons were doing their mischief. During the whole drive we drew a nice plume of dust behind us, which didn’t give us much thought at this point. We continued to Mudanda Rock, where we were told that leopards could be seen quite often. Strangely enough, getting out of the car was also allowed here and so we climbed – after a short bush toilet break (always one active while the other “stood lookout”) – the rock. Everywhere on the rock we could see animal excrements, however, no trace of the leopards. Maybe that was just as well. So we were left on the rock only the view of an almost animal-free waterhole and the seemingly endless expanse of the African bush.

So we had already explored the majority of the park after 6 hours and about 240km, since the northern part is permanently closed to visitors. What should we do with this started day now further? Shortly decided we decided to start a 2nd attempt in the Rhino Sanctuary in Tsavo West, although we had to pay the entrance fee there again. In general, the entrance fees to the national parks are not that cheap. Under 35$ per person almost nothing goes and for a 5-seater again about 5€ are added (the entrance is valid for 24h, so at least our information from the Internet. If you want to stay overnight in the park, sometimes extra fees are added). Punctually at 16 o’clock to the opening we reached the gate of the Rhino Sanctuary. At the main gate of Tsavo West the lady with whom we had the little discussion the night before let us in without comment. So now we drove through the area in search of the rhinos, but unfortunately we had no luck and so we made our way back to the main gate in time.

Back at our accommodation, we were blindsided. We ourselves and the interior of our vehicle looked as if we had come back from a joyride on Mars. The fine, red, African dust was everywhere. On us, the seats, in the ventilation, just everywhere. We don’t even want to talk about the inside of the trunk. This dust is so fine and clingy that a) it was to be found in really every crack and b) it should accompany us despite repeated cleaning attempts in the next days still up to the return of our faithful vehicle.