Blogs from Kenya, Africa - page 4

20221103 Maasai Mara Part 2 Thursday About mid-day, we pulled up in a scruffy barren area. I was wondering why when someone exclaimed that a small concrete monument marked the border between Kenya and Tanzania. Shaken out of our somnolence, we leapt out of the vehicles. A solemn plaque forbade entry into Tanzania, although Lucas assured us that a twenty-metre grace was allowed; beyond that anyone, particularly poachers and smugglers, could be prosecuted if found by rangers. We took silly photos across the imaginary line. Large birds stalked across the landscape, presumably finding insects and grasses to their taste. Sometimes the ostriches pecked almost continuously, and sometimes they just strolled aimlessly. Seen in the wild, their incongruous shape seems quite natural. From a distance, the full feathered body could be mistaken for a termite mound. The ... read more

Back on the road after lunch, we moved more slowly as we entered the private North Mara Conservancy, where fenced farms were not allowed. (Conservancies allow unfenced farms; National Parks do not allow any farms.) Lots of zebras were immediately obvious, then warthogs, distant rhinos, gazelles, and many more Topi. Far towards the horizon, giraffes became apparent, sometimes resembling sticks because they were so far away. To my surprise, I began to catch sight of the animals on my own. Thomson’s Gazelles were easily identified from the distinctive curved black line on their sides. We were slowly climbing a towering escarpment out of the Rift Valley. The road led to the lowest end, steadily rose, then took a sharp turn to go all the way up. The Mara West Camp parking lot was busy when we ... read more

Instead of a boxed lunch (thank heavens!), Lucas brought us to an upscale local restaurant for a lunch of Kenyan foods. We were asked to wash our hands at an outdoor tap and sink before entering. The buffet lunch included mashed-potato-corn-greens, chicken pieces in a peppery tomato sauce, goat, ugali (similar to polenta), steamed shredded cabbage and carrots, triangles of chapatti, and small deep-fried potatoes. On the table was a sweet sauce and a mild chili sauce. My favourites were the tender goat, potato-corn-greens, and the small potatoes. Potatoes in Kenya are particularly good. I had black tea afterwards – I really like this Kenyan Gold tea, both black and green. We drove for another hour on the highway, until reaching Lake Naivasha , one of seven lakes in the Kenyan part of the url=https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispe... read more

At the end of our morning drive, we passed a young (5 years) elephant lost and distressed. Steve thought it had stayed in the wallow after its mother insisted on leaving. Eventually, through smell and distress cries, it should be able to reunite with its family; meanwhile it was vulnerable to predation. Steve explained that wallows start as holes from ground termites. Then increasingly large animals use the soft, slightly hollowed space, and gradually the depression becomes big enough for all. Since it is a depression, even small amounts of water sink into it, making it cool and somewhat or wholly muddy. We next visited the Chimpanzee Sanctuary for orphaned chimps. This is the same one started in Rwanda by Jane Goodall . When the url=https://huma... read more

I am sitting in a highly-constructed tent – the epitome of “glamping”: complete bathroom, excellent electricity for charging batteries, tables and chairs, and a hard floor. No key. The receptionist repeated about three times that we zip up and zip down, no key. Beyond this front row of tents is a field roamed by impala, guinea fowl, waterbuck, and lots of little birds. A ditch protects the resort. This is the Sweetwaters Serena Camp. We are in Ol Pejeta Conservancy . The gate is only ten minutes away, but we spent almost two hours driving through the dry grassland capturing photos of animals. Only about 100 metres into the park, we watched a pregnant Black Rhino stroll across our field of view. Without moving, we caught sight of a few old male ... read more