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I just tried to upload afew photos, but the internet is a dial up and it would take me all afternoon, So only two photos and text.
You still have to visit us at oude Wellington to see the rest ;o))
28.06.07 “ red elephants and hungry lions”
After breakfast we moved on to our first night in a Kenyan Game park Savo East National Park via Mombass along the coast. The ferry crossing and travel hrough town was uneventful. The outskirts of town are oper crowded, polluted and extremely busy with mtatats, busses etc, competing for every meter of unbroken tarmac. But we made it just fine and saw our first game by 16:00. We encountered a large family of red elephants. The soil in the park is deep red from iron and the elephants dust themselves for sun and insect protection. It just looks so different from the normal gray colour we were used to. A little later we found two young male lions, who look quite different from the ones in south Africa. They have a short struppy mane and a more elongated face. While photographing the lions Vanessa accidently dropped the camera outside the window.
A moment of angst stepping outside - picking it up and jumping back into the car, all happened faster, then the pure lion could believe. Dreads, no supper for him tonight. Hence the heading “ red elephants and scary lions”.. The park is incredible rich in animals. We saw herds of giraffes, buffalo, elephants, Thompson and impala, dassie, lizards, baboons and more. The public campsite is basic and the ablution even more basic. But the night entertainment program had as in awe. After sunset a crackling noise had our attention. Next moment an elephant came rather close grazing the nearby tree. We had just returned to our supper (stirfried pork with Chinese noodles and veg) when a huge elephant, the type you feel insignificant against came visiting much closer than the previous one. We were absolutely silent hiding behind the car and only peeking over the hood to follow his movement. I did not dare to make a photo, the flash might have startled him and the wreath of an elephant is deadly. It was heart beating exiting. The adrenalin level were high I can assure you. We have been near elephants before, but never on foot and never that close and certainly never as close and on foot at the same time.
30.06.07
Waking up in the morning the baboons were all over our car trying to rip off anything that is loose. Another medium sized elephant stood just meters away grazing the trees. Sitting in bed we had a prime watching spot. After breakfast we moved on and we are now sitting at Voi safari lodge inside the park for coffee and some electricity to reload my laptop, as I am writing these lines.
What did we know, what this day would still have in store for us. After we left the lodge we meandered some of the loops, among them the Mudanda rock loop. We had our breakfast there with prepared sandwiches and watched a few waterbuck and marabou storks at the small lake. The rock formation is like s scaled version of Australia’s Ayers Rock and has interesting natural exact round holes and pillar like rocks at its foot. Well, we also visited the other side of the rock and Vanessa climbed it to have a view of the entire area. Next thing she came running down shouting from a distance “I saw a kill right in front of me” The rocksurface is actually prepared rto climb with afew steps added to its steep surface, so one can assume it to be safe to step out of the car and climb them (but do the lions know that too?). We quickly drove back to the spot we had our sandwiches earlier and witnessed the awesome scene of a slim lioness who had killed a fully grown waterbuck in the water and was now busy to pack it by the neck and pulling it out of the water onto dry ground. A second lioness was watching from a distance, but made no attempt to intrerfere or help. We stood so close, we could see her ribcage rising and falling from her exhaustion as the waterbuck was bigger and than herself. We watched her dragging her prey under a bush and starting opening it. All of the experience we had on our own, no other vehicle anywhere. It was awesome (I hate to use this word, but I don’t know any other one better suited). Was this a day or what? Well,….. there was more in store. We finally left the Tsavo East park and continued wit the Nairobi highway to enter the Tsavo West park, which is a separate game park in its own right. It also houses a black rhino sanctuary, which we visited later in the afternoon. We did not see a single rhino in solid two hours driving to all the known water holes and asking the knowledgable and by radio connected game guides in their funny tourist matatus (imagine a Nissan minibus with a lift off roof, that makes it look like an umbrella on stilts). On our way back (one has to leave the sanctuary at 18:00) we encountered a leopard directly next to the road, posing for us for several minutes, yawning and stretching like a house cat. We were thrilled with this day. We then arrived rather late at Kilagumi lodge (very elegant luxurious lodge with a magic illuminated waterhole in front of the restaurant) We are now going to dine here before being escorted to our campsite.
… did I write escorted?? Well, in the end we just drove ourselves the 7Km to the campsite arriving 22:00 at a closed gate. The campsite is just outside the gate the guide book said. A sleepy gate guard arrived carefully toarch in hand. We asked him how the security is at the campsite for both four and two legged dangers. “no problem” was his answer. We checked out the campsite a few Km away from the gate and we both felt a sense of insecurity and vulnerability. Taken the warnings we had heard from Phillip the previous campsite attendant, the guide book recommendation and our own feelings, we decided to go back to the gate. The campsite was deserted and littered and generally in a poor state. One could see it hasn’t been used for quite some time on the track to it was only our own tyre marks, no others. A grumpy gate guard, this time brandishing an automatic weapon finally allowed us to park right outside the gate.
01.07.07
We woke up early with the sound of hyenas and a blaerring radio transmitter from the gate. A curious girl (we parked just meters away from her doorstep) watched us in disbelief climbing out of our roof bed, getting dressed and collapse the roof, all in a matter of minutes.
We made off for an extensive game drive and although very early we did not as nearly as much as the day before. We saw the snow capped Kilimanjaro from afar though. Hyppo, Kirk-Dik-Dik (tiny hare sized antelope with two little tooth-pick sized horns) for the most. Tken our previous experience with the campsite into account we went to check out the second option at the northern gate. A small albino frog in the dry shower was all wildlife we saw. Again the campsite was poor and unkept. We then decided to give Nguila Bandas a try. Now that is holiday. The bandas (small thatched huts) are glued to the mountain side overlooking a waterhole and magnificent views over the plains. We decided not only to stay but to extend at least another day. John at the Oude Wellington restaurant assured us, that all is well and in order on the farm. We also spoke with Lionel to let him know we are coming.
02.07.07
Waking up with a grand view over the plains. A lazy day ahead of us. At 16:00 the restricted area of the rhino sanctuary is opened for two hours. A swarm of white mtatos (minibuses with lift roofs) with their eager drivers rush into the park and radio each other for the best views and animals seen. Most of all the endangered black rhino is the sought after sight. But like the other day the rhinos were illusive again. We then decided to wait it out and positioned ourselves at a waterhole all alone. Mtatus passed by and went - we stayed and finally were rewarded with a beautiful specimen of a female black rhino cautiously approaching the waterhole. Two eagles and a flock of strange horned guinea fowls the only company. What a sight. The meanwhile familiar red dusted look blended in with the surrounding very well.
03.07.07
We spend another lazy day.
04.07.07
Early morning we were off to Nairobi (also known as Nairobbery) and beyond. The climate and landscape changes constantly. In the hills near lake Naivasha it became incredible green and the gardens left and right of the highway lush and well maintained. The highway was for a large part very good but turned realy nasty 100 km south of Nairobi. Driving on a track is easier as the “middle mannetjie” (the tar is warped to form a ridge sometimes several centimetre high) at least is of sand not tar. The car jolts sideways and it feels like driving on ice.
We are now at Lake Naivasha and will spend a day or two here. John from the restaurant should still have our cellphone number as I phoned him two days ago.
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Vanessa Lucas
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JEALOUSY...
I am so incredibly JEALOUS of the fantastic sights you're seeing! But I am very glad to hear that you've had no major mishaps and that you're enjoying it so much. I am back in SA...missing the bush like crazy but making plans now for the rest of the year. Keep the blogs coming, I wish I was there too!