Val's African Adventure
October 2007
I
dreamt of going to Africa for years - and now, finally this October I
was able to fulfill my dream, so I wanted to share some of my photos and
experiences with you. Many of you already know that this trip really has
been a dream of mine for a long time. Before I left I read “Too
Close to the Sun”, a biography of Dennis Finch Hatton, “Out of
Africa”, Karen Blixen’s novel about her life in Kenya and
relationship with Dennis Finch Hatton. I watched “Born Free”,
“Out of Africa”, “I Dreamed of Africa” and Michael
Palin’s series about Hemingway – (Hemingway shot his way across Kenya!)
Everything and anything that I could find about Kenya and Africa but
nothing really prepared me for the wonderful experience that I was about
to have.
After flying from Denver to Nairobi via London I finally arrive in Kenya. I was met at the airport by my driver Ray from Gamewatchers and immediately I see my first giraffe! Nairobi National Park skirts the airport perimeter - I am astounded - this is going to be a great trip. The Jacaranda trees are in bloom, Nairobi is bustling and people are walking everywhere. We head for the sanctuary of my hotel, The Palacina.
After
a good night’s rest I join up with my roommate Kate, we head for Wilson
Airport and board a 12 seat Safari link plane to Samburu National Park
in North Central Kenya. The planes lands on a little red dirt airstrip
with no buildings other than a thatched hut - which serves as the
airport lounge! We are met by Intrepids camp staff and transferred via
jeep to our camp, Samburu Intrepids. Already we are seeing impala and
dik dik on the short drive to the camp. We head to our tent, but this is
nothing like the camping experiences from my childhood. These tents are
gorgeous, complete with granite tiled bathrooms and mosquito net covered
beds. After afternoon tea we head out on our first game drive. We see so
many animals; impala, dik dik, grevy’s zebra, cape buffalo, reticulated
giraffe, crocodiles and the birds…. hornbills, eagles, honey bee eaters,
vulture guinea fowl, lapwings… We head back to the camp for a sumptuous
dinner. I can’t sleep for listening to the wonderful sounds of the
night.
The next day began with an early morning game drive, we came across a herd of 30 or so elephants and were surprised by our host with a bush breakfast by the river. In the afternoon we visited a Samburu village - we purchased jewelry and were treated to some beautiful dancing. We then visit the local school. At the present time elementary school is the only free education offered in Kenya. Hopefully with the elections coming up in December, secondary education will be free for everyone too. These people are in desperate need of schools supplies; I leave determined to do something about it. We head back to camp for afternoon tea and our afternoon game drive. This proves to be a very exciting game drive. Our guide spots a leopard in an Acacia tree. He then spots a mating pair in a clearing close by. Much excitement from our guides we stay a lot longer than we should - they have not seen such a sighting for possibly 6 years. We head back to camp at break neck speed. Our driver seriously could participate in the Paris to Dakar rally! We make it back to the National Park gates with seconds to spare. (Kenya’s National Parks have strict rules about game viewing times, anyone found out after 630pm without a special license is fined severely, this helps with identifying poachers) After another fabulous dinner I listen to the baboons down by the river from bed in my tent.
After
a leisurely breakfast and goodbyes to Francis (our Samburu warrior
guide) and Dominic, we drive to our next camp; Porini Rhino Camp in the
Ol Pojeta conservancy. Ol Pojeta is wonderful - tons of animals; zebra,
impala, elephant, warthogs, giraffe and most of all rhino’s. The
conservancy is home to 83 highly endangered black rhino. The camp has a
spectacular, very quiet location and, Masai Warriors walk you to your
tents, as this camp has no fencing so that the animals can wander freely
in and out of the camp. Because this is a conservancy we are allowed to
do a night game drive which is very special and we are able to view
Jackals and hares and we see our first cheetah and lion.
After a breakfast in the bush with views of Mount Kenya, our morning game drive takes us to a chimpanzee refuge. These chimps came from Rwanda due to the efforts of Jane Goodall but unfortunately cannot return at this point. This afternoon we get to walk with our Masai warriors, whilst our guide explains about the local flora and fauna. On this afternoon’s game drive I am told by Harry that if I ever change careers I should become a spotter, I am thrilled. Tonight tucked up in my tent with my hot water bottle (yes, it’s cold at night) I hear lions in the distance.
After
fond farewells to our guides Harry and Daniel and the camp manager Paul,
our flight this morning takes us to the Masai Mara. Nanyuki airport must
be one of the cutest little airports in all of Africa, and it straddles
the equator in the Aberdare Mountain Range. After about an hour’s flight
we arrive at the Intrepids airstrip which is a few minutes from our next
camp. The camp is very pretty, right on the river. After we freshen up
and have afternoon tea we head out for our game drive. This afternoon we
are treated to 3 cheetahs extremely close to our vehicles, impala, hippo
in the riverbed and a saddle billed stork. Tonight’s dinner was
extremely good. They even have resident bush babies in the rafters of
the restaurant.
The next morning’s game drive was very exciting and
although we did not actually see the kill we were able to get very close
to 2 buffalo kills made by a pride of lions. The lion’s bellies were so
full that they were panting with exhaustion. We had a chance this
afternoon to have lunch at Porini’s Lion Camp. This camp was very
similar to Rhino camp, located on a conservancy adjoining the Masai Mara
National Park. It has a wonderful location with a hippo wallow in the
river close to the camp and it is also open with no fences so animals
are able to wander in and out of the camp. After our afternoon game
drive we return to camp for our last great dinner with the camp manager
David.
Today we head for Nairobi and the Palacina and then back to the London for an overnight stay and then home to Denver.
Since returning, I have dreamt of Africa for 10 days in a row - and finally I dream of other things. But I am still reading voraciously. My present book is “¬¬The White Masai” by Corinne Hofmann. I know that I will go back soon – and often - and I hope that my trip inspires you to go soon too. It’s a life-changing experience!
