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Published: April 12th 2011
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Back in Nairobi again, we quickly made our way back to Wildebeest to grab our safari gear. Our final safari in the shadows of Mount Kilimanjaro in the land of giant elephants had finally arrived. True to her shrewd personality, our safari agent Joyce was unwilling to send the driver to pick us up from our hostel (we later discovered the Savuka house was only fifteen minutes from us). Instead, we were instructed to wait for the safari driver in a shopping center. Unsure of our location, we anxiously waited as the long minutes dragged on. Finally, a city driver for the company picked us up and transported us to the Savuka guesthouse where we were forced to wait another hour. The safari group that we would be joining suffered a lengthy delay, but finally arrived. After the luxury of our private safari in Masai Mara, we were curious to meet our travelling companions. Over lunch, we instantly connected with Sam and Sarah. Natives of London, the pair were on an adventure strikingly similar to our own. Both twenty two, Sam and Sarah had graduated university this past May and were off to see the world. Front loaded with safari, their
time summed to just under a month- complete with a stint volunteering. Rounding out their time away was a six week camper trek across Australia.
Our late departure for Amboseli scrapped our first day game drive. Though we were too late to enter the park, we rolled into the Ambsoseli region just before sunset with enough light to catch our first glimpse of the menacing Mount Kilimanjaro. With its snow capped imposing round dome, the view of the mountain was well worth the difficult drive. Prior to departure, we were forewarned about the rugged living conditions at the Amboseli camp. We were pleasantly surprised to find large tents enclosing comfy beds with linens! Completing our campsite was a generator powered dining area, warm showers, and a relaxing fire. All four of us turned in fairly early to be fresh for our full day of elephant viewing. Far earlier than our wake up alarm, a poke in the side quickly woke me up. Lauren had decided that 5:36 was a good time to go pee. More than half asleep, I clambered out of bed and we walked in the cool morning darkness to the bathrooms. Gazing into the distance, I
quickly realized how fortuitous this early morning call of nature was. The dark horizon glowed with sublet orange and pink hues. We watched as the sun slowly climbed in the sky and illuminated the rest of the valley. The tranquil morning was highlighted by the breathtaking view of Kilimanjaro. Clear and blue, the clouds that tightly veil the mountain had drifted away, leaving a completely unobstructed view. The white cap of the mountain reflected all of the many colors of the rising sun as we quietly watched.
Sam, Sarah, and the rest of the camp woke up shortly after the sun had brought complete daylight to the area. After a delicious pancake breakfast (which I have had an insatiable craving for throughout the trip), we loaded up into the van for a full day game drive. We putted into the park and were greeted by scores of elephants. Massive herds of the tusked beasts lined the entire horizon. We quickly noted the immense difference in size between the Amboseli elephants and their Mara cousins. Turns out, Amboseli was relatively immune to the devastating effects of poaching in the 1980s. One of our most personal interactions with the Kenyan wildlife
came early in the drive as we encountered a pack of elephants marching across the road. We pulled up close to photograph the herd, complete with untusked newborns and formidable bull. As we leaned out the van to photograph the scene, some of the heftier elephants became agitated by our crew lurking nearby. They turned our way and began angrily flapping their ears, swinging their tusks, and “growling.” Our guide quickly flipped the van around and we made our escape. We were all captivated by the scene, save for Sarah who was traumatized by the elephants for the rest of the journey. For lunch, we pulled up to Observation Hill. A short hike up stone stairs led the four of us to a small hut that offered a spectacular panoramic view of Amboseli. The rest of our day was spent viewing hippos, scattered grazing species, and a plethora of colored birds.
We returned to camp for a full spread dinner fitting of a camping expedition. We spent the night swapping stories by the fire of our travels around the world. The following morning, we toured the park again as the sun rose. After having such fantastic company for our
Amboseli safari, we convinced Sam and Sarah to tag along with us to Wildebeest for our last night in Kenya. Back at Wildebeest for the last time, we made our way to the market and picked up a few rounds of beers, somosas, and mondazi- a perfect last night in Kenya.
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syl family
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WOW!! loving the view!(even from here)