AN UNFORGETABLE SAFARI

I have never been on an African safari before. However,  I am willing to bet that I will never have an experience equal to what I  am about to share with you.

In April 2021, a safari was organized by a Kenyan Travel Writer named Rupi, who is a friend of my wonderful hosts Kelly and Denis.

Heading out into the wild

Before 2020, I had never really had any interest in visiting Kenya. For, it wasn't one of the African countries from which slaves were kidnapped and brought to Jamaica. So it never featured in any stories  told by any our ancestors.

Nevertheless, when my friends Kelly and Denis were posted there and begun to share photos of the wonderful flora and fauna in that country, I fell in love instantly. 

Despite the pandemic raging everywhere, I had to take advantage of the opportunity to join Rupi's safari when I heard about it and its a blessing I did.

Our one bedroom fully-equipped tent

The reception area

We were booked to spend four days at the Amboseli Porini camp in the Selenkay Conservancy. It borders Amboseli National Park. 

To get there we travelled on  excellent highways from Nairobi, with signs pointing out how close we were getting to Tanzania. Then our very experienced driver swerved off into the bushes, where only special four wheel drive vehicles dare to tread.

After about a twenty kilometer ride off-road, we arrived at the camp. But it was much better than I expected. For in my days of camping, it had been a simple tent with sleeping bags and everything outside.  

The reception area here was very welcoming and our tent had two large beds, inside plumbing and electricity. 

Solar power of course.

The Vervet Monkey aka blue balls monkey

We were met by the nicest young men, who were quick to assure us that everything we wanted would be available including sumptuous international dishes. Three meals per day too.

The bush bar

We settled in, had some refreshments, then they asked if we wished a mini- introduction to some animals in the conservatory.

The observation deck

Wild horses couldn't stop me,  for already I had become hyped-up, seeing cute monkeys playfully scampering around our compound.

 Unfortunately, they were very scared of humans as they were not at all accommodated in the camp, due to their penchant for stealing everything in sight!

 I was told that this was a common breed known as Vervet or blue balls monkey.

It took me about two days to find one that would expose those balls, so I could get the evidence that they were really blue!😎

That afternoon, we boarded the safari vehicle for a trip out into the wild with an adequate supply of liquor to calm our spirits at the bush bar. We were taken to a platform not far from the camp, which overlooked a water hole. 

Michael, standing in the shadow of the snow-covered Mount Kilimanjaro

We were informed that the animals came there when they were thirsty or simply wanted to frolic  around in the cool mud. 

As we waited for some to appear, someone pointed excitedly to the distant bushes, behind which he said he saw elephants that were coming our way. Full of excitement we all peeled our eyes in that direction. But no elephants emerged. 

Minutes later, the guide said there was a huge elephant behind us! It was then we learnt that though monstrous, these massive creatures move around silently because they walk on tiptoes.

Nothing I have ever experienced came close to preparing me for that grand elephant with tusks almost touching the ground. 

 Our guides said his name was Michael and he was around 30 years old .

Michael hanging out with antelopes at bedtime. (a Michelle Wright photo)

Totally ignoring us, he headed straight  to the water hole. There he played around, spraying water all over his body with his trunk and rolling in the mud. We kept our eyes pasted on him to ensure that we missed nothing. 

About half an our later, almost  a dozen other elephants marched in single file to the water hole. Not knowing what to expect, we waited with bated breath to see how this huge occupant would react to the crowd. But they must have been family, for as they arrived, they immediately started mingling pleasantly.  

We humans could barely be contained as we watched the interactions in awe. 

I have had close encounters with elephants before, having ridden and fed them in Thailand, but believe me, nothing can beat seeing these gentle creatures in the wild.

That was when it occurred to me that it is scenes like these, which cause people to throw in their lifestyles and move back to nature to watch and study animals.

The elegant Great Crowned Crane

After that group interacted for a long while, another group of around six elephants approached the water hole, and guess what? 

The first occupants left. 

We were told by the Maasai guide that this was the protocol among elephants when others wanted to use a water hole!

We remained there till nightfall, gawking at the herds.

Would you believe though that when we finally left to return to the camp, we again ran into Michael! 

This time he was standing with a group of antelopes.

Jacana bird

He must indeed be the king of that conservatory.                                                                                     Every day during that four day safari was filled with exhilarating experiences.                                                                                                                          Waking up in the bushes to the sound of the birds and other creatures, was memorable. Even the presence of the 'go weh bird' whose quarrelsome, screeching noise, sounds exactly like its telling you to go away, could not spoil the chorus of other exotic sounds.                                                                                                                                                                 I  was especially enthralled by the tale of the female  Jacana bird. She  has sex with male birds, lays the eggs then moves on to the next male while the previous mate is left to incubate the eggs and raise the babies.

How like so many of  the males in the human race !😅

Posing beside a termite 'castle'

An elephant feeds behind our tent

We were also introduced to the elegant, endangered, Great Crowned Crane, which incidentally is the National Bird of Uganda. It is so highly regarded there that it appears on their Coat of Arms. 

It lays its eggs in the swamps, feeds in the grasslands and roosts in the trees.

SO MANY BIRDS, SO LITTLE TIME.

Posing beside a termite 'castle'

I will admit to being slightly concerned at the camp once, on seeing a huge elephant feeding close to our tent.                                                                                                                                                            Fleetingly, I had visions of  a crazed elephant  charging through our tent-village as I once saw in the movies.  But no such excitement was a hand, for he continued feeding nonchalantly, totally oblivious of the vehicle were were in or the concerned occupants.                                                                                                    Other days were filled with other thrilling treks into the wild including a visit to Amboseli National Park.  

Traveling there,  we constantly had the exotic Mount Kilimanjaro  in sight. It is located in Tanzania, around 70 kilometers from where we were staying. As we drove along, its snow covered peak shimmered in the sunlight, appearing to take on every iridescent color in the universe from all angles.

I was also introduced to the most humungous termite nests I have every seen anywhere. In fact, some looked like they had been architecturally designed.

 I went close to one, but being allergic to reptiles, it was with some trepidation. For I was warned that these were a hangout for the large  Monitor Lizard. Some of

my friends on the safari, saw one atop a termite hill but thank heavens I missed that one! 

Amboseli park, with its beautiful lakes teeming with flamingos, massive hippos and open spaces occupied by frisky zebras, playful elephants, wildebeests, buffalos etc. was quite busy with safari vehicles when we arrived. Most of the passengers appeared to be Kenyans, reveling in the beauty of their blessed country. 

Amboseli  National Park  seems to be a place which is visited by affluent tourists who fly into their fully equipped airport rather than abide the bumpy ride on unpaved roads through the bushes.

      As I saw the planes parked there, my mind flashed to the wicked Trump boys who had posted a picture in the newspapers, of them posing with the poor wild animal they had murdered for a photo opportunity.

 Again I celebrated the Kenyan government's efforts to protect its wildlife. For everywhere, they have  heavily armed rangers, who are licensed to detain or kill anyone who hurts their animals.

I also salute the Maasai tribe of Kenya who have made it their life's work to protect the wildlife of their country.                                                                                                                                    During our stay at the Conservatory, we had the honor of meeting Chief Jonathan Kanka  from Tipiliti village. 

It is that tribe which leased 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of their land to the operators of the conservatory in which our camp is established.

 According to the chief, the Maasai do no eat wild animals. There is great value to the tourism industry in having the wild bests around. 

One disadvantage though, is that they now have more wild predators attacking their animals. But the conservatory does give them some compensation for that. In addition, it provides employment for their people and they also operate a gift shop there. They are paid a percentage of the earnings the camp draws in from visitors staying there.

The Massai also no longer take their cattle to feed on that land, except to eat down the grass when its getting too tall. (Tall grass allows destructive predators to sneak around unseen!)

Chief Johnathon and his aides

This agreement is not only mutually beneficial to all concerned but to us visitors from all over the world and generations to come. For watching animals enjoy their environment in the same way we are allowed to enjoy ours, is the experience of a lifetime. 

SWEET MEMORIES

(169) Joan Williams, author - YouTube

The Maasai et al

 While Wikipedia claims there are forty-two tribes in Kenya, my very knowledgeable Kenyan acquaintance, said the real figure is actually is forty-seven.

Forty two or forty seven, tribal politics in Kenya is something that would take me many moons to understand. So, after a mere two weeks, I would not be prepared to say I know anything about it.

Red is a dominant color among the Maasai, as it is said to repel lions. Third left is a Kikuyu

However from the little I was able to glean, the Kikuyu is the dominant tribe. Not not only are they largest in number, but in the true spirit of 'divide and conquer,' when the British ruled Kenya with an iron hand, they gave 'special privileges' to that tribe.

Even  today therefore, they are still dominant in every area.

Lessons in changing a tire

.

Kenyans, I understand, tend to vote along tribal lines, and the Kikuyu have held the reins of power since independence. 

This has led to some resentment among other tribes, and between 2007-2008, serious violence erupted after the general elections.

Maasai approach to observe the tire-changing activity
Some Kikuyus contend that this stemmed from as an attempt to displace and even eradicate them. They insist they won the elections fair and square.

Ask just anyone in Kenya 'who controls the wealth in the country'  and they will most likely tell you its the Kikuyus.

Even some Kikuyus though, will admit that that the government led by Kenyatta is extremely corrupt.

 

However, many contend that they have to keep voting for them to protect themselves from the other tribes which would like to remove them from power and even eliminate them. '

Maasai herder at Ndong Mountain

I was invited by a Kikuyu informant who is an activist, to ask anyone from other tribes, what they thought of them and did try.

One opinion I did get was that that the Kikuyu are so power-hungry, that they are even trying to replace Swahili as the national language with their own! 

(Like in most of East Africa, Swahili is the dominant language but most people speak some English plus their tribal language.)

Another bit of information I garnered, was that, types of professions and employment usually follow tribal lines.

So while the Kikuyu dominate commerce, many professions and politics, some other tribes are predominantly laborers.

 The Luo tribe to which Obama's family belongs, is the fourth largest tribe in the country and they tend towards intellectual activities.  I was quite amused though, that when I enquired of my Kikuyu informant whether Kenyans celebrated the ascendency of Obama to the  presidency of the USA, I received the cryptic response "The Luo did.")😂

I was genuinely shocked as I had (wrongly) assumed that Kenyans all, would have been overjoyed to have a descendent of theirs, in the Oval Office. But the more I learnt about that county, the more I realized that most Kenyans did not care too hoots about America, what they said or did and most surely would even accept their money!.

The offending creek

That caused my curiosity about the tribal situation in Kenya to really peak!

One person even told me that she could tell what tribe someone belongs to by their body shape!

I can only tell who belongs to the Maasai tribe, and that is because of how they dress.

They are best known internationally as a result of their intimate knowledge of wildlife, which is the heart of Kenya's safari/tourism industry.

While Kenya has a population of some fifty million, the Maasai make up only around two million.  

Despite the massive changes taking place around them, they seem determined to stick to their traditional nomadic/herding ways.

Their wealth is determined, I was told, by the number of cattle they have and most of their land is community owed.  

You therefore see the herders with their flocks of sheep, cattle and goats, roaming lands which are not fenced off.

 I was told by Chief Johnathon from the village near to where we stayed, that individuals can purchase private property by applying to the government. How much land you are permitted to purchase, depends on the size of the family. Most however prefer to continue using community lands.

Chief Johnathon (minus his staff!)

My first encounter with Maasai people was when we were on the way to spend a few days at a safari camp.

We drove for around three hours from Nairobi on an excellent highway. To get to the camp in Maasai land however, we had to take a dirt tract which could only be accessed by a four wheel drive.

As we crossed a creek, there was a loud bang, followed by signs that we had a puncture.

Then it was as if from nowhere, that a small a group of mostly women,  appeared. 

And guess what, they were anxious to take photographs with us, as long as we paid them!

All the Maasai people I met over the next few days, turned out to be extremely curious but nice, helpful people.

Their village adjoins the conservancy where we were staying and in fact that land was leased to the operators by that village council.  Most of the workers therefore were from the  village.

I learned some interesting facts about their lifestyle.

A Massai compound

⚉ Most have Angelified first names but their surnames are their tribal name.

⚉ While the men are generally the herders, the women are housewives and even build the mud houses!

⚉ Maasai in general do not eat wildlife anymore.

⚉ You know who is the chief by how he holds his staff.

⚉ You know a Maasai's wealth by how many cattle he appears to have, but never ask a         Massai how many cows he owns!

⚉ To have respectability a Maasai man should have at least two wives.

The Kenyan tribal situation appears fascinating and even contradictory at times, and it is is something I would certainly love to learn a lot more about.

However, AS TO THE MAASAI, I MAKE NO JUDGEMENTS. AS I GET IT I REPORT IT!😒😒 

(169) Joan Williams, author - YouTube

NAIROBI- 1ST AND 3RD WORLD

      View of NAIROBI CITY from the Nairobi National Park (A Denis Bouillon pic)

Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, is a huge metropolis of approximately 696 sq kms, (269 square miles) and a population of between 4 to 6 million (depending of who you ask) is a very modern city. 

Well kept green spaces everywhere

I found it quite cool during the rainy season when I visited, but that is understandable, as the elevation is almost six thousand feet (1795 mtrs) above sea level.

From all appearances, this city has a large middle to upper class, if the houses in the suburbs and traffic jams all over the city caused by the vast number of high-end vehicles and SUV's, is anything to go by. 

I was quite overwhelmed by the massive construction of roads, high-rise office buildings and apartments which was taking place all around. That encouraged a fleeting question in my mind as to why such a huge county needed so many high rise apartments? But I suppose it has a lot to do with the time it takes to commute and security concerns. 

The security business is booming there, and even in the most affluent areas, you see massive walls topped with electric fences.

Video of flowers, pots and other products on the sidewalk

This is not necessarily a reflection on the current crime situation in Kenya itself though,  for apparently the real threats they face comes from outside. Especially from groups such as Al Shabaab,

Beautifully designed high rises

whose well armed gunmen, carried out a midday attack in 2013 at the upscale Westgate Shopping Mall. 

That assault left 71 people dead and some 200 injured. 

That foreign terrorist group is also blamed for another attack in January 2019, in the West Lands section of Nairobi. This attack left 20 persons dead. (These attacks are said to be as a result of those Islamic militants being upset with Kenya's involvement in their neighbor, Somalia's, civil war)

As a result, one gets the impression that there is a high security alert everywhere. So, at the numerous exclusive shopping centers and malls, security is ultra tight. One therefore cannot enter, without vehicles being thoroughly searched and people having to go through metal detectors.

A section of the Commercial district downtown

On the other hand, the fact that one sees virtually all unused land on the roadsides being fully cultivated by persons who set up stalls right there to sell their produce, but leave everything untended in the nights, gives the impression that  theft in that city is minimal!

The city seems to be very well laid out, with numerous attractive, architecturally-designed high-rise buildings and an ample amount of well-tended green spaces. Even on Ndong Road. This takes you to the very upscale, mainly white area known as Karen. But  all along that road where you can find almost every manufactured product, from metal works to flower pots for sale on the sidewalks, everything looks beautiful, safe and orderly.

In terms of service, my experience is that in Nairobi, there are no goods or services that are available in any major first-world city. that you cannot find there.

Outlying towns are not as orderly-looking

In fact, I was very impressed that while when I was travelling to Kenya and needed a covid PCR test no older than 96 hours, I couldn't find a place in New York that could guarantee me the results in less than 24-48 hours. However, for the return journey, I was able to get an internationally recognized test result in Nairobi in 12 hours!

I was also impressed with their sophistication in doing business, as it is almost a cashless society. 

A colorfully panted minibus

Very few places outside of tourism entities, accept United States dollars as they use the Kenyan Shilling. Also, many business establishments have signs saying "no cash accepted." 

Making payments for anything, from a pound of flour to high priced products, is easy though. All it requires is to transfer the funds to the phone number of the seller. That takes seconds!

 Of course, debit and credit cards are also accepted. 

On the fringes

The roads are generally in excellent condition. They have installed lots of speed bumps on every road, and it seems to have greatly decreased the level of accidents. (I didn't see one accident in the city in two weeks!)

I was a bit disappointed though, with the lack of sidewalks in the upscale neighborhoods where workers generally must walk to their jobs. They therefore must trudge on muddy tracks to get to their places of employment. 

Also, in the low-income sections of the city starting near Two Rivers Mall, the largest shopping center in East Africa, the main roads are excellent, but side roads are unpaved and all appeared muddy during this the rainy season.

With reference to third world in the title therefore, it seemed clear that on the fringes of the city, the same attention to building regulations and good infrastructure was lacking.

A boda boda with an umbrella!

There was a marked difference in the transportation system in the two Nairobi's too.

This city does not appear to have a central transportation system. Apart from private vehicles terefore, commuting is via foot; minibuses; dray carts; big buses (mainly for long distance travel); scooters (called piki piki); bike taxis called boda boda and tuk tuks. 

Tuk tuk is a vehicle converted from a humble three-wheeled scooter. 

A 3-wheeled  scooter converted into a commercial vehicle

They play a major role in the transportation system. Metal bodies are welded on the scooter to transform them into passenger vehicles carrying up to five people, or to carry commercial goods.  

Regardless of the obvious differences in the appearance in the various sectors of this enormous metropolis, Nairobi is a modern, developed, bustling, city with services and technology as advanced as any in the first world.

This is so contrary to the impression given by the western press, when it portrays life everywhere in Africa!

OTHER PICS OF METROPOLITAN NAIROBI BY DENIS BOUILLION

(169) Joan Williams, author - YouTube