Welcome to Camping Paradise + Voi

The most incredible hot sauce I've ever had!

Mpala Research Centre, to the North of Nairobi with Mt. Kenya not far off in the distance, was described to us a few weeks ago as camping paradise/heaven. I tried not to let my imagination get ahead of me and build it up in my head so as not to be disappointed when we finally arrived there. But it’s hard to be disappointed by anything that Mpala has to offer. The tents were huge canvas tents with real beds inside- think Meryl Streep and Robert Redford’s tents in Out of Africa. My roommate Brianna and I would often open up the front doors so that we had a view of the river in front of our tents. The river was a beautiful sound to fall asleep to- it reminded me of being home by the mighty Mississippi. Each morning before we woke up, the staff at the site would come around with warm water and filled two buckets outside our rooms so that we could wash our faces with warm water as soon as we woke up. There was a FREE laundry service included in our stay which was a total treat because I am woefully inept at hand washing my clothes- they never get quite clean again. The food at Mpala was absolutely sublime. I should mention that the centre is where Princeton academics come to do research in East Africa. This means that it is completely funded by Princeton alum. While we lowly McGillians were absolutely blown away by the food, the Princeton students there had been keeping a comment book that had suggested improvements to all of the meals. My favourite meal there was a dish of excellent beans, a delicious veggie rice pilaf, and a beef stew. Dessert was perfect pineapple slices. The crowning glory was an amazing hot sauce that I think was simply ground up chilies. There were also jugs of cold water on all of the tables at every meal (cold water is unheard of here) and tea, consisting of a coffee cake and biscuits, was served everyday mid-morning. Another great thing about the site was a bonfire pit ringed with a bench with oversized colourful pillows. Amazing. Mpala is close to Laikipia National Reserve meaning it has a very high density of wildlife. During our stay we saw hippos and giraffes, as well as heard hippos. There were hippos right outside our tent one night which might sound cool but is actually pretty scary considering hippos can be just as dangerous as lions.

While at Mpala we continued with our classes. We did lectures in the airy library at the station and went on trips into the field with local guides. We looked at different plants and learned about the many multifarious ways in which people here utilize their plants.

After a luxurious five-day stay in Mpala we loaded up the trucks and embarked on a thirteen and a half hour (!!!) bus ride to Voi- a town in between Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West. Google Map it- we went from Laikipia National Reserve (north of Mt. Kenya) to Voi in one day which means we travelled across half of Kenya in one day. We arrived at a beautiful lodge run by a lovely German proprietress with dinner ready for us. The lodge had a bar and a pool so we unwound from our dusty bumpy ride in the pool under the stars. It was perfect. I’m writing this as we drive away from Voi eastward toward the coast. We’re all very excited to get to the Indian Ocean, although our excitement is a bit tainted because the coast means that the end of the program is imminent. I’m trying not to think about that too much though and am still loving every minute of this adventure. Love you all! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!