It
was during a casual lunch out with friends that we conceived the idea of
visiting Kenya; I was the least enthusiastic one among six of us (including my
husband) for the simple fact that I don’t understand wildlife. Planning started
well in advance (in March), as we intended to visit during peak season of
animal migration i,e; Mid July to Mid of August. Initial bookings were done,
but then I went through a personal tragedy that stretched for almost two months,
it put me into absolute oblivion. I wanted to back out from the tour; my
friends resisted vehemently and today I am grateful to them for that.
It
was an eight days trip that started with taking a direct flight to Nairobi from
Mumbai. We reached Nairobi at ten in the morning, representative of our tour
operator Buymore Adventures (Ms. Nadzua) was waiting for us outside the airport
with a pack of sandwiches, local SIM cards for each one and a most endearing
smile. We were introduced to our guide cum driver Kaka, a young man of Luo
tribe from Lake Victoria. Almost immediately we started for Amboseli National
park in Southern Kenya near the foothill of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was a four and
half hour drive, last one hour of which was quite bumpy; this was the only
leg of our tour where we took a road trip, intended to get a flavour of the
countryside.
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| A vegetable market on the way |
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| The landscape |
We
stayed in Ol Tukai lodge inside the park, a spread out property surrounded by
sky range of green pasture in three sides and the mighty Kilimanjaro on the other.
Tired and grumpy, as we passed through the lounge after the welcoming protocol,
the unspoiled green with zebras grazing freely opened up in front of us; in one
instant, all discomfort forgotten I was in a stupor. We were allotted elephant
view cottages that provided unhindered view of the pasture, only a thin wire
fence separated us from the animals. It became dark soon after, so the bar and
dining hall were left to be explored for the night.
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| In Amboseli |
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| A Tuskar in front of the Cottage; biggest of the big five |
It
was still dark outside when I woke up the next day; my husband was getting
ready to join the group for early morning safari. I already opted to stay back;
the property had too much to offer that I wanted to explore in my own way. The
first glimpse of Sunrise appeared in the horizon like a sacred dream; in a daze
I started moving towards the pasture where the zebra and buffaloes were in a
silent march creating silhouettes on a celestial landscape. Next few hours I
strolled around the property absolutely immersed into the sanctity of nature,
listening to the sweet melodies of unknown birds, observing the orderly
formation of the wild animals; the lively baboons freely playing around in the
remote area of the lodge weren’t bothered about my presence either. It was a
morning to be treasured in my chest of memories.
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| The Pasture |
F
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| The Sunrise |
In
the later part of the morning, we went to the nearby Masai village as part of
our itinerary. Our interaction with the son of the Kraal Chief and their
medicine man appeared to be phony, so was the Masai dance and visiting their
huts. A makeshift school with its sole teacher and handful of students was in
dire need of patronage, if to be taken seriously. Frankly speaking the entire
episode of the proud Masai clan trying to impress the tourists made me feel
sad; I had much more honest interaction with them in the lodge and during my
solitary bush walk at Masai mara.
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| Masai hut |
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| The Masai ladies |
A
delayed lunch followed by a leisurely chat and photo session at the poolside in
the winter afternoon Sun was thoroughly enjoyable. I spent rest of the daytime
sitting at the veranda, sipping Darjeeling tea (Yes, I carry that everywhere).
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| Elans, the biggest bucks |
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| The Ostrich |
Next
day, early morning well spent in the open ground post breakfast we set out for
the nearby airstrip to catch a charter flight to Naivasha, scheduled at 8.30 am
in one of the lodge vehicles (our own vehicle went to our next destination the
previous evening). We could manage quite a few sighting of animals and bird at
the roadside swamp on our way, driver of the vehicle facilitated photography by
halting suitably. On reaching the airstrip, we were informed that our flight
was late by an hour, but we can go in another aircraft already waiting on the
runway. ‘What about the passengers of this plane?’ we asked gingerly, ‘They
haven’t arrived yet, may be they take your flight’ the porter already helping with
our luggage declared with a laugh. This was my first experience of a charter
flight, so it was my fancy to be photographed with the Pilot. Accordingly, I
approached the porter, ‘Can I take a selfie with the Pilot?’; ‘yes of course, I
am the Pilot!’ Before I could react, he obliged with the selfie and went into
the cockpit assuredly; I lacked his confidence though for the entire flight of
an hour.
In
the evenings, guests were supposed to call for a guard to be escorted to the
dining hall, across the garden yard. We were a bit casual about it and went
without one on the first night; while returning to the room, a guard insisted on
accompanying. A hippo was grazing at the garden at arm’s length, ‘they will
tear you apart if come on their way’ his simple warning took away my courage.
That night symphony of Hippos’ growling (can’t term it particularly melodious)
helped us to have ‘Sound sleep’; I woke up at least twice with a start just to
check below the bed.
Next
morning we went for a day long trip to Nakuru Lake National Park, the road trip
was enjoyable with good road and picturesque landscape. The park was surrounded
by the vast salty lake with deep blue water stretched till the horizon. Here we
spotted white Rhino and also lion for the first time in our trip; though two of
our team members who took night safari in Amboseli, saw lion cubs there also.
An elaborate lunch at the hill top Sopa Lodge with spectacular view of the
valley added to the charm.
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| White Rhino, one of the big five |
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| The Jungle King |
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| Nakuru Lake |
We
had a morning flight next day to Masai mara at 10 am, due to miscommunication,
the hotel ordered for the cars late (we had to take two cars due to our
luggage) and the airstrip was a long drive of about forty five minutes. We
ladies started in the first car that arrived earlier, the driver wasn’t fast
enough, when insisted he just gave a most charming smile, by now the second car
with the men drove past us. We panicked as they went beyond our view line; when
insisted to catch up, the fellow gave a heart-warming answer, ‘I don’t know the
road to airstrip’. One of us called up a friend in the other car, as we thought
we have spotted the car ahead. ‘Please take your hand out from the window, so
we know we are in the correct road’ was her suggestion. There was no response
from the car ahead; I muttered all the abuses that I knew, fortunately I have
very limited vocabulary for that. As we reached, ten minutes late for the
flight time, our friend from the other car started barking, ‘I flapped like a flamingo
all through the road, you idiots couldn’t see?’ It was another car that we
thought was theirs we realised. Anyway, with great luck this time also our
flight was late by an hour; the airstrip staff (basically two guards) went to
sleep on the grass at the entrance, the moment we were in. Finally when our aircraft
was about to arrive, one of the guards went to the runway riding a bike, we
thought to be witnessing a new trick for landing; it was to ward off the
grazing zebras in order to make room for the plane we realised later.
In
Masai Mara we stayed in Kikorok Lodge, a beautifully maintained estate with a
Hippo pond (Hippos became a constant companion to me in this trip, I realised) and
a widespread un-fenced grassland where not only zebras, wild buffaloes, leopards
and even lions pay a regular visit at night. In the three days that we stayed
there, our safaris were unforgettable with all possible African animals spotted
near at hand. The early morning balloon safari followed by champagne breakfast in
the open; the private bush dinner at a most thrilling atmosphere heightened by
sudden mock ambush by the Masai warriors were all experiences of a lifetime. On
the last day evening I took a Bush walk with a Masai reception staff of the
hotel that will also remain as a treasure in my memory forever.
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| Our Cottage in Kikorok |
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| We rule the Jungle, the mightiest of big Five |
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| Brothers in arms |
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| Wild buffalo, one of the big five |
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| Do I need to say more? |
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| The Hyana |
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| The ultimate affection |
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| The Exodus, wildebeests |
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| Zebras at Mara river crossing |
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| Where Eagles dare |
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| Who am I? |
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| Leopard with a kill, the most dangerous of big Five |
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| A Cheetah |
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| The landscape |
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| Sunrise from Balloon safari |
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| Mongoose, Taken from Balloon |
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| At the bush dinner |
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| At the Hippo Pond |
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| At Mara River crossing |
On
the final day of our trip we took a mid-day flight to Nairobi (again an hour
late), had lunch at carnivore restaurant that serves all kind of meat available
in African Jungle (I ate a vegetable pizza quite apologetically), did some
shopping from the local market and took a night flight to Mumbai. It would be wrong
to say ‘with that our journey ended’; it was actually the beginning of a
romance for me with wildlife and with Africa.
***
All photographs of this blog are personal property of Mr. Dilip Pal. Copyright (c)dilippal 2017
Copyright (c)ananyapal2017
ALL RIGHT RESERVED
