26th Dec - 200km - Lake Natron

Christmas night time at Lobo interesting with Lions roaring not 200m away...the cook from the Sarafi camping next to us up at 03h56 preparing his meals for the next day...left me with little sleep. Next day we packed up and did a game drive from Lobo around and about to the exit gate at Klein's gate. Not too many animals about on boxing day...but we did run into a lone male lion. Road from Klein's gate horrendous.....wanted to make Natron Camp....but was really slow going and a hot stingy sun.
Then 40-odd km's outside Sonjo, stopped on side of road for lunch and sank wheel deep into the soft sticky cotton black mud. We were stuck there for 8 hours. Had about 15-20 Maasai walking past at various stages of the day and helped dig and push and carry rocks and bushes to try get us out....then they all left....then we tried winching 3 bushes and pulled them all out the ground. Brad tried a dead-mans jack bury thing and we whipped that out one-time! Then it got dark and we were just about to have a shower and heard a truck heading to the junction 4km's down the road. Brad did a record sprint and managed to shout the guys down....a big beautiful blue truck...carrying about 20 passengers in the back. Of course everyone got involved trying to help Brad winch and pump tyres and it was pretty hectic. All safely out and $$$ handed over..and we were back on our way to Natron.
After ALL that stress the road just got worse....and it was dark and raining. We'd sat in 40degree temps and not eaten a thing....cause those Maasai would have cleaned us out completely!!! So we were tired and not "lus" at all for these kinds of conditions. Walked through every mud patch to check firmness of ground....cause we saw about 5 spots where others had been stuck and seen the evidence of the rocks and bushes trick.
Then down the escarpment "17 hairpins" in torrential rain now and my nerves were shot!!!!!!!!!
Crossing riverbeds with roads washed away and EVENTUALLY drove into Engarasero (spelling) and into Riverside Campsite....to many happy and welcoming Maasai guides. Showered and hit the bed so hard it must have caused a tremor in Nairobi ;)