Ar y Lein
The series
- Programme 1 : Brazil
- Programme 2 : Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands
- Programme 3 : Borneo
- Programme 4 : Singapore and Sumatra
- Programme 5 : Kenya (1)
- Programme 6 : Kenya (2)
- Programme 7 : Uganda
- Programme 8 : Gabon
Programme 5 : Kenya (1)
We travelled on to eastern Affrica and followed the Equator through Kenya. Because Kenya is such a large country, Bethan only travelled as far as Aberdare National Park in this programme. Unfortunately, there isn’t a connection between Aberdare National Park and Wales. Although the mountains and green landscape are similar to Wales, the Elephants and Buffaloes wandering the land showed the difference.
The journey begins in Meru, where production of the drug “Miraa” is an industry that makes about £100,000 per day. The drug is illegal in Britain and the United States but is exported to parts of Europe and Somalia. Miraa is a kind of leaf with branches and grows in Meru and the surrounding area. It’s big business for the locals – the problem is that they chew nearly as much as they collect! Bethan met a farmer who grows Miraa and some of the men that collect it.
Bethan said, “They say that it makes them feel happy and confident and makes ideas flow. Oh? From what I saw, it made them drowsy and limp and not very useful!”
From there we travelled to Nanyuki and walked through thorns and bushes to find black rhinos – one of the rarest animals in Kenya! Then we drove halfway up Mount Kenya – which was a journey and a half. This is the only place with snow on the Equator. Bethan also met one of the largest of Kenya’s tribes – the Kikuyu tribe. She met the tribe leader and also took the opportunity to dance in the “traditional way”!
View images of Bethan's journey in Kenya