title Narok to Naivasha and Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya, Africa - 5th November 2010 intro The next leg of our honeymoon in Kenya takes us back up the unbelievably-potholed road to Narok and Mai Mahui and then left towards the town of Naivasha, or more precisely the lake nearby. Apparently home to the largest expat population in Kenya, as well as hungry, hungry hippos, it's a popular stop on the regional safari circuit. We spend just one night there, but cram in a boat trip on the lake and watching hippos graze at night. The next day, Will gets hold of a bunch of bikes so we can cycle around Hell's Gate National Park, just up the road from the lake and one of only two parks in Kenya where walking or cycling are permitted. Nosher's bike barely makes it up driveway to the park entrance before the chain snaps, and so an alternative bike is sourced. From there, it's a nice cycle around - although the bike is too small - and we get to see a bit of the local wildlife: giraffes, warthogs, gazelles and numerous birds. We park the bikes at the ranger station and then head off for an energetic but rewarding hike through the gorge and generally get shown up by the hordes of school kids out for a ramble who clamber up and down the rocks and trees like there's nothing to it. At the end, we return the bikes and drive back to Nairobi. imgp7484 Walking around the village imgp7489 People look like they're off camping imgp7490 A load of washing on the line imgp7499 Sheep are herded past a pond imgp7500 A herd of donkeys imgp7502 A woman in the bush imgp7504 We're back on (or off) the road imgp7507 A goat herder imgp7509 We stop off at a "truck stop" imgp7510 Souvenir belts, and bananas for sale imgp7512 Isobel gets a coffee in the café imgp7513 The Cactus Bar imgp7514 Bundles of road-side wood for making charcoal imgp7515 A street scene in Narok imgp7516 Outside the Narok Highway Pharmacy imgp7517 A petrol station by the Meeyu Bookshop imgp7519 Construction work in Narok imgp7520 A lorry park in Maai Mahiu imgp7523 An ancient car sits on old tyres in Maai Mahiu imgp7524 The Musafi Hotel does chips, apparently imgp7526 Shops in the rain, Maai Mahiu imgp7531 The bucolic Fisherman's Camp by Lake Naivasha imgp7542 A view out over Lake Naivasha imgp7546 Isobel and a bottle of waiting Tusker beer imgp7547 Isobel in a pizza café imgp7548 Nosher and Isobel imgp7551 Isobel and Will stride out to the boat imgp7553 Will and Tony: a study in orange and green imgp7554 A random dock-side stall imgp7558 Isobel surveys the lake imgp7561 Nosher, with a stubble thing going on imgp7562 Tony, Isobel and Nosher imgp7569 A heron perches on a flimsy tree imgp7573 Pelicans hang around imgp7577 A pelican takes to the air imgp7578 Floating lily pads and spindly trees imgp7581 A blurry hippo imgp7584 More floating lilies, and a calm Lake Naivasha imgp7595 A hippo out to graze, only metres from the bar imgp7599 Our cabin's facilities imgp7600 The bathroom "sink" imgp7601 Isobel sorts out the ever-present mosquito net imgp7607 Our cabin imgp7608 Another view of our camp imgp7609 Isobel heads off imgp7610 Our luxury apartment imgp7613 A Splendid Starling pokes about imgp7627 A side street overlooking the lake imgp7630 Will cycles a rented bike towards Hell's Gate imgp7631 Isobel and Will on the dusty road imgp7636 We cycle into Hell's Gate imgp7637 Cycling around near Fischer's Tower at Elsa Gate imgp7643 Isobel pauses so we can catch up imgp7645 Isobel nearly misses the giraffe in the trees imgp7647 A large eagle or falcon surveys the scene imgp7649 Isobel by a picnic spot imgp7652 We clamber down in to the gorge imgp7654 Perfect layers of sedimentary rock imgp7655 The going is tricky and wet in places imgp7657 Will and Isobel walk along the dried riverbed imgp7658 Isobel stops for a moment imgp7659 Years of graffiti carved in to the sandstone imgp7662 Will and Isobel in the gorge imgp7666 Isobel pauses with a group of school children imgp7667 Another "school photo" imgp7668 Nosher and Isobel wait to climb down imgp7672 A crowd of schoolgirls waits for us to pass imgp7675 One of the boys has taken a shine to Isobel imgp7676 A lad fills his bottle with hot water imgp7679 Isobel takes an impromptu shower imgp7682 Inspecting the warm water imgp7686 Nosher and Isobel back on top of the gorge imgp7689 Will is overwhelmed by dust from a passing van imgp7690 Another pause on the bikes imgp7698 Authentic roadside grub at Maai Mahiu