We woke up this morning with excitement in the air today, all going well, we will reach the coast! Well, the day went superbly, and after a 15 km walk, we arrived!! We can only describe our day as surreal and understandably emotional after 61 days and just over 750 km.
Many of the walkers who have joined us on the journey ask us, “What was the favourite thing you have seen or done?”. Believe it or not, it’s a tough question because we find it impossible to choose just one or even two or three for that matter. Was it the day when we walked with lions? Was it the overnight stay at Lake Chala? Was it the 182 elephants that we saw in one spot in Amboseli? Was it the day that we snuck into the pool with Rory at a lodge in Tsavo and had the most refreshing swim (clothes on, of course!) and then ran as fast as possible to our driver's vehicle while on a one-day driving safari? Was it teaching the guys to play Cardi? Or was it the moment that we greeted a young child who was wrapped in fear meeting the first mzungu he had ever seen? With a lot of smiles and some kind words, and sometimes a quick game of peekaboo, seeing that fear melt away and possibly a partial smile…sometimes. There have been literally thousands of moments like these along the way.
How will we ever “unpack” this experience when we return home? We’re not sure of the answer. Perhaps this has already been done because of the blog that Roisin has been keeping for us, as it’s really our story’s book and has captured so many of these amazing moments on a daily basis. Thank you, Roisin, for giving us that gentle nudge when we were in camp feeling exhausted with the thought of writing about our day simply seemed too much. We know we will cherish the blog for the rest of our lives, and we can’t wait to read it cover to cover.
We feel honoured to have been given this opportunity. This 61-day journey has been the most amazing and the toughest thing we have ever done. It was a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual journey. A journey that broke us down and then built us up over and over again, with each time resulting in a better version of ourselves (we hope!).
There are so many people to thank for this opportunity, starting with our family and colleagues, who each have made sacrifices of their own for us to be here.
To our beloved drovers. Words cannot describe how much we appreciate you. You are strong, brave, funny and compassionate men who are the heart and soul of Bobong Camels. You keep us safe, you work so hard to ensure we have the best experience ever, you make us laugh and you care for us when we need a little more support along the way. You are all outstanding men and our times with you on this journey will be cherished forever.
To the walkers that we joined and have joined us along the way. What an amazing opportunity to get to know you and walk with you sharing a common bond. Thank you so much it’s been a blast!
To John and Amanda Perrett, the owners of Bobong Camels, and two people we are honoured to call our friends. Without you and your drive for the impossible, we simply would not have been here. Your love for the camels, the drovers, your country, and most importantly, each other is incredible and very inspirational! Asante Sana.
Thank you to the absolutely stoic line of camels. None of this would be possible without you. You amaze us every day with your strength and grace. Ndallili will forever be remembered as our boy.
We would also like to thank those of you who helped along the way by offering a campsite, a meal, words of encouragement and support, all of which was greatly appreciated and helped us reach our end goal.
Also, to the bobong staff behind the scenes who helped keep the “train rolling”. So much work by so many that was perfectly executed.
And finally, to you, our blog readers. The messages we received along the way kept us walking and kept us inspired. Reading your comments before falling asleep at night helped us take the steps the following day!
We will now enjoy our days at the beach with our team. We will then travel to Lamu for a few more days before travelling home to our families before Christmas. This team has become a family of its own, a family which we look forward to reuniting next November when Lalmba Canada will bring a new team of Canadian walkers for a 10-day walking safari. Until then, Bobong, with so much love in our hearts for you all and for this amazing country and the kilometers we shared. Asante sana ❤️Kenya - our lives will remain enriched by you all and this incredible experience.
With love
Bev and Kathy
