Official day 1 starts with orientation and then a shopping trip for cash and food supplies, to a glittering air conditioned mall with security guards and metal detectors to gain entry, western fast food chains, a tiny amusement park and a carrefour supermarket selling everything you can think of - at a slight premium. The place is NOT busy, and is a huge contrast to the dusty roadside stalls and taxi buses congregating along the roadsides outside.
Leaving the city the truck stereo is pumping Toto as we pass lines of colourfully painted shops and market stalls interspersed with fields, cows, schools with slogans like "best young minds", they are proud of education here.
Then suddenly the landscape opens up - in a big way - the rift valley stretches into the distance below us until the red earth of the landscape disappears into a white haze....
A first zebra sighting, an artic lorry toppled on its side, several miles of dutch flower farms
After a couple of hours we arrive at lake Naivasha, set up camp and take a boat ride to see some hippos sitting around and a variety or bird life. Then it starts to rain in a big way, just like that Toto song....