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Published: January 13th 2005
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NAIROBI (Oct 19-20)
No previous life experience could have prepared us for our arrival in Nairobi. As soon as we left the baggage claim area we were bombarded by touts trying to sell us every possible service including safari packages, accommodations, city guides, taxis, and meals. Once we found one another in the sea of touts, we fought our way through the crowd to the ‘Government Tourist Bureau’ in hopes of coordinating transportation from the airport and accommodations in the city. After a quick orientation to the highlights of Kenya and a basic language lesson, it became evident that the tourist bureau was in fact a private tour company trying to make a hard sell on a safari package, which of course was leaving early the following morning. An hour later, we managed to leave the tour office with a highly commissioned taxi to the city center and an overpriced hotel room for the night. At least we didn’t have to fight the masses again.
Based on the Lonely Planet Guide recommendations, our plan was to stay in the city center and spend the afternoon visiting selected safari companies before paying for a safari. Apparently, there are a lot of
Big Mama and Baby
Our guide figured this baby was a couple of days old. scams in the industry; some companies spend the week driving outside the park gates to avoid paying the fees, others do not maintain their vehicles. We planned on visiting three reputable companies, all within a two block radius from our hotel. We left the hotel, only to find that our taxi driver and one of the touts from the airport were waiting for us in the lobby, both claiming to be able to get us the best deal at the best safari company. Despite our best efforts, we could not get rid of these guys. Once in the streets, we managed to attract the attention of every tout in sight. Within a block from our hotel, we had an entourage of 20 or more, each person calling out why we should go to ‘their’ company. Amidst the madness, we even witnessed several ‘gang robberies’ and were told that ‘muggers’ were following us. Absolute craziness. After two hours of trying to loose our tout pack, we finally managed to make it to one of our selected companies: Best Camping Safaris.
SAFARI (Oct 20, 26)
The following day, we began a week long safari with Sheilagh and Gale, a mother and
daughter pair from British Columbia (believe it of not), and our guide, John. We spent the first two nights in Samburu, a night at Lake Nakuru, and three nights in the Masai Mara. Samburu is a small National Park in central Kenya which draws crowds to see the less common varieties of zebra and giraffe that are native to the park. Lake Nakuru is home to millions of flamingos as well as the endangered black rhino (among other animals). The Masai Mara is the northern extension of the Serengeti, where the famous wildebeest migrations occur; millions of wildebeest migrate south in the Fall and North in the Spring in search of water. Luckily, we witnessed the end of the migration south so the wildlife was plentiful.
During our week long safari, we saw all the ‘Big Five’ animals (buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, rhino) and many other species you associate with the African Savannah (i.e. cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, baboons, dik diks, gazelles, warthogs). It is truly incredible to be parked meters away from a herd of elephants strolling, a tiger feeding, a leopard climbing a tree, or a pair of cheetahs resting. Pictures and videos do not give
justice to their shear size and strength. At each encounter we were both awed by the animals and saddened by the fact that they are followed and photographed day in and day out. A cheetah feeding would often be surrounded by five or more vehicles. The grim reality is that they would be extinct today if the safari industry did not exist. At least most guides seem to respect the animals and stay off the open fields, keeping to the dirt roadways throughout the park.
During our stay at the Masai Mara, we had the opportunity to visit a Massai village. The Masaii are the most populous and well-known tribe in East Africa. Both the men and women wear colourful beaded jewelry and the men wear red blankets, tied over one shoulder. The Masaii do not believe in piercing the land and therefore do not engage in agricultural practices. The Masaii men graze their cattle in open fields throughout the countryside and traditionally live on a diet of cow milk, cow blood and beef. Adolescent boys become warriers after they have killed a lion with a spear; groups of boys will leave the tribe until they have accomplished this
The Endangered Black Rhino
The horns look much better on the animal than on a wall. goal. The Masaii are semi-nomadic, setting up temporary huts made from sticks and cow dung throughout East Africa. As you can imagine, this traditional lifestyle is greatly threatened in todays’s society. Today, Masaii women try to earn money by selling their jewelry in tourist destinations and the men work as security guards (with their spears) for lodges and hotels throughout the region. They are at a crossroads.
Overall, the safari experience was amazing. We had two to three game drives each day, hung out by the fire sipping Tusker Beer each evening sharing stories with our fellow safari mates and listened to the various wild calls and other noises from our tents at night. On day seven, we traveled through the lush Rift Valley back to Nairobi for a much anticipated shower and change into clean clothes. We would definitely recommend this experience!
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anonymous
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Ahhh...Nairobbery...
...it's a wonderful place, from what I understand. - Maclock