Adventure Chronicles™

03.21.01 - Kenya Safari
Nairobi, Kenya - Nasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, & Samburu

We've totally lost track of how many days we've been gone, so no more descriptions in our titles. We can hardly keep track of what day of the week it is anymore. It is nice to live in a world where what day and time it is doesn't matter nearly as much.

We arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, the morning of March 9th. I (Lisa) was feeling tired and more than a little apprehensive, based on Nairobi's reputation as a haven for crime against tourists. But, before I had too much time to be nervous, we were plucked from the baggage claim and whisked away to the tourist office for information and a sales pitch on safari options. After many questions, we felt assured that we were not getting ripped off and decided on an 11 day safari in Kenya and Tanzania, departing early the next morning. The locals even told us not to go out on the street after dark, so we spent the afternoon and evening catching up on laundry and sleep.

The next morning, we joined seven other people at the safari company headquarters and headed for Masai Mara Game Reserve (in west Kenya). Our crew was as follows - Jimmy (our fearless driver/guide), Ritchie (a somewhat grumpy, but lovable, 65 year old from Switzerland), Carmelo (student from Venezuela), Sibila (student from Italy, and a friend of Carmelo's), Debbie (American Peace Core volunteer in Kenya), Rich and Eric (American medical students working/studying in Kenya) and Nicole (Rich's sister, visiting from Florida). It was a long ride out to the park, but I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of Kenya's landscape. It was much more green than I expected, and very diverse. Definitely one of the most memorable and scenic places I've been.

As we got closer to the park, we began to see zebras and antelope, and Jay kept his eyes open for the first girafee. The roads were better than I expected, but got worse as we neared the park. The roads in the park itself were terrible, and I am still amazed that Jimmy got us through in our Toyota mini-van (two wheel drive). The guy got that van through things Jay's Bronco would have had trouble with. We even applauded on a few occasions.

We reached the park late in the afternoon and headed out for a short game drive. The roof of the van popped up a few feet so we could stand up for a better view. As we drove, we saw heards of more zebras, antelopes and wildebeast, and were surprised at how close the van got to the animals. As we drove through an area of hills on the way to our campsite, I spotted a leopard drinking out of a small stream by the road. We were so thrilled, and Jimmy told us we were very lucky, because leopards are often the hardest large cat to find. We sat and watched him drink for a few minutes, and then he headed for a nearby acacia tree. I was content to watch from the road, but Jimmy took the van into the grass and right towards the tree. The leopard climbed up, faced the sunset, stretched his legs and almost posed for our cameras. It was a beautiful creature, less than 20 feet a way. It was an image right off a postcard. I only hope one of the many photos we took does it justice.

After some more driving, we arrived at our campsite, which was staffed with members of the Masai Mara tribe that lives in and around the reserve. The tents were nice, and we were pleased to find flush (although squat) toilets and a shower. I didn't sleep well that night, but it was very cool to lay and listen to the sounds of the animals not far away.

We spent most of the next two days out driving in the park. I have to admit, the details of what we saw each day are somewhat blurred now, but with the exception of a cheetah, we saw EVERYTHING. Elephants, girafees, many kinds of antelope, buffalo, wildebeast, wart hogs, zebra, hyenas and so many lions. Jimmy was so good at getting us good views, usually up close. I can remember seeing so many animals, but I'll list the more memorable highlights here.

On our second day, we spotted a huge herd of buffalo on a hill across the valley, not at all close. All of a sudden, Jimmy says he sees a few lions and takes off in the direction of the heard. Don't ask me how he spotted them, because we were over a mile away, but he was right. He drove up the hill overlooking the herd, and there were three male lions laying in the grass. We were so close I couldn't believe it. As was the case with all of our lion spottings, they seemed so docile, like you could almost reach out and scratch their chins. Almost. We were hoping they would hunt, but as we watched, the roof of our van fell down and scared the crap out of us, as well as the lions. They retreated to the bushes and we moved on.

On our third day, we found a field with large herds of zebra and antelope, like you think of when you think of Africa. As we watched, a few hyenas ran through, and then a herd of 21 girafee came into view. Girafee turned out to be more interesting than I expected. They are truly beautiful and surprisingly graceful. The herd crossed the road right in front of us and ended up grazing in some grass right by our van. We got out and took pictures with them in the background. At one point several of them got spooked and started to run through the field. Hard to describe, but watching them move is one of the things I know I will remember. It seemed effortless, and they didn't make a sound, despite their size. As we climbed back up into the hills, we looked down and saw the herd moving across the savannah as the sun began to set. Another postcard image.

On day two, we found more lions - this time a group of two males and eight females. They walked out of a field and down the road right towards our van. Such large and amazing animals! Jimmy maneuvered the van so that they walked right by us. I pray that the pictures turn out! That day, we also found a large herd of impalas. The group included some young males and we watched them play and fight, which meant the locking of some pretty impressive horns.

The warthogs, which are so ugly they're cute. Surprisingly, they were very shy, and whenever we would encounter them, they would soon turn and run clumsily through the grass, with their skinny tails held high. The babies were the funniest - so prone to tripping and running into one another.

One of the other highlights of Masai Mara was our interaction with the tribe members. Serveral of them performed a series of ritual dances for us one night, and one young man, Samson, explained their meaning and allowed us to ask questions about their culture. It was interesting to listen to him speak. Their way of life is like something I would imagine happening a hundred years ago - very primitive. The Masai way is based on not being afraid of anything, and Masai boys are not considered men until they kill a lion. After a successful hunt, they go through circumcision, and during the process, are not allowed to move or make even a sound. Doing so is considered a great shame. What a way of life.

We also had the opportunity to visit a Masai village, and to go inside their homes, which are built by the female tribe members. I was a little stunned when we reached the village and went inside the fence, because the main area of the village was filled with animal feces and infested with flies. There were children running around, many with no shoes, and the small babies were almost covered with flies. It was heartbreaking. Their homes, built primarily out of mud bricks were small and dark, with living areas for people as well as their livestock. After spending time with the Masai man giving our tour, we spent some time looking at the handicrafts of the tribe and purchased a few souveniers. I remember feeling a little sad as we left, thinking how depressing it was that they had to live this way. Although I still believe the living conditions are apalling, it occured to me that for the most part, they are not forced to live this way, they choose to. Although modernization is slowly making its way in, it appears to me that most of the tribe members favor sticking to a traditional way of life.

Also exciting was the lion hunt that took place during our visit to the village. As we came in, we noticed many of the male tribe members running from the village. Jimmy explained that a lion had attacked some of the Masai cattle and they were going to kill it. Can you imagine a lifestyle of fighting lions? It had slipped my mind by the time we came out of the village, but as we left, the men came walking back, in a line, with Samson in front, the lion's tail attached to the top of his spear. Amazingly, this happened within miles of the safari campsite we were staying at. That night, their were many Masai men posted outside our campsite and we were escorted any time we left the main camp area. I was glad for the safety precautions, but wondered if there really could be lions around. I asked, and the Masai assured me it was likely. Needless to say, I ignored my urge for a middle of the night trip to the restroom and stayed in my tent.

After Masai Mara, we said goodbye to Rich, Eric, Debbie and Nicole and headed for Lake Nakuru. Due to a little van trouble, we didn't arrive until late afternoon, so called it a day at one of the local hotels. A good bed and clean towels was nice after several days of camping. Ritchie and Carmello got in a fight over dinner over Carmello's tendency to be late for early morning safari drives. Jay and I just sat back and watched - pretty amusing. The next morning, we left bright and early (yes, Carmello was on time) for Lake Nakuru National Park. We arrived in time for the sunrise, and watched it from right next to the lake, overlooking a huge flock of pink pelicans. They were such large, round birds, I can't believe they could actually fly. As we drove through the park and around the lake, we found millions of pink flamingos, so every time you looked at the lake, it was tinged with a bright pink rim. Really beautiful. We finally found our first rhinos and waterbucks of the trip, as well as a loan hippo out of the water, which is very rare. It was a quiet trip through the park, but very serene.

After returning to the hotel for breakfast, we said goodbye to Carmello, Sibila and Ritchie and departed on our own private safari in Samburu National Park, which is located in far north Kenya, about 40 miles north of the equator. As we drove, we passed Mt. Kenya and could feel the air start to heat up. By the time we reached the road to the park, the heat was stifling and the landscape very desert like. As we drove to the park, Jimmy stopped to pick up firewood for the campfire. While he was doing that, a group of kids approached the van asking for the usual sweets, pens or just about anything we were willing to give up. At first we said no, but they were persistent and a little charming, so I hunted in my bag for something to give them. I realized I had some chewing gum, but not enough for everyone in the group. I looked at Jay questioningly and we told them we'd give them the gum, but only if they would share it so everyone got some. They nodded and promised, but when I took out the pieces of gum, all hell broke lose! It was a frenzy with kids yelling and fighting to get the pieces. They pulled at Jay's arms and clothes and when one teenage boy stepped in to try and calm things down, a small boy bit him in the arm! Jimmy got back in the van and just laughed at us, shaking his head.

We arrived at Samburu in time for an afternoon game drive, but as we drove through the park, I couldn't imagine how any animal could live in a place so hot and dry. But we found girafee (a reticulated variety that is only found north of the equator), oryx (my favorite kind of antelope), elephants with babies in tow, hyena and a group of female lions with cubs. Our campsite in Samburu was better than in Masai Mara - you were really camping right out in the middle of things. There were baboons running not far away, and we were warned not to leave any belongings outside our tent, or they would steal them away. The cook at this camp was fantastic - he made dishes on a campfire that I couldn't compete with in the best kitchen and with the best recipes. It was still hot that night, but the stars were out in full force. My only complaint was the toilet facilities, so I decided to rough it and use the "bush toilet" as Jimmy called it. Jay, however, found the lizards in the outhouse amusing.

The next day, we found the same group of lions, as well as zebras with brand new babies, a million kinds of birds and pheasants, and finally, a cheetah. Given, she didn't cooperate much and just laid in the grass. Even so, you could tell she was a beautiful creature.

That night, we were eating dinner by the fire and Jay noticed something walk through the light of the next campsite. It was a leopard walking right through the camping area! Everyone reassured us that it was safe, but we just laughed and explained that we weren't scared, we wanted it to come back. Our cook had joked about how leopards would sometimes come and sit on the picnic table in our campsite, but I didn't think he was serious. We vowed to peek out in the middle of the night and check it out, but unfortunately he didn't return.

As we drove out of the park and back to Nairobi the next morning, we caught a quick glimpse of a leopard crossing the road. It was even bigger than the one we saw in Masai Mara, but not nearly as prone to posing for pictures. As we crossed the equator, we stopped for a quick picture, then it was a long drive back to Nairobi and on to Tanzania for the second portion of our safari.

Want to contact Jay and Lisa?

william.gibson@airtreks.com