We’ve now posted our latest Kenya images in the Photo section, including pictures of animals unique to Northern Kenya. We had great sightings overall and this safari – our first in Eastern Africa – was a great way to spend Christmas and New Year.
Christmas in Nairobi
We arrived in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Christmas Eve and overnighted at Macushla House in Karen, an upscale suburb. While the food was excellent (particularly the chili beef with yoghurt sauce), the accommodations were adequate rather than luxurious.
After Christmas Mass at St. John’s we had a great lunch at the Rusty Nail garden restaurant. Who could argue with a mimosa and a 3-course served meal with a list of choices a page long? I had prawns wrapped in basil and flame grilled in brandy & cream, roast turkey and honey-glazed gammon ham, boozy Christmas pudding with brandy butter (and a strong coffee!).
Easing into our safari at Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru
We were driven for 3-hours along the ridge of the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha. Loldia House was nestled under the 50+ foot spread of an ancient Fig tree, and managed by Peter Njoroge, who England’s Country Life magazine described as “probably the world’s best butler.” Peter and his team (including William, James and the chef) had been together for over 15 years, and it showed in the warmth, attention to detail and clockwork precision to the service and hospitality. Oh and the food, particularly the Royal Chicken (recipe from a Thai Princess, no less) and Pork a la Grandma. We bought their cook book – ‘nuff said.
To help work off our hearty meals, we hiked at the Hell’s Gate National Park. The name should have tipped us off: rather than a relaxing walk, the trek to the stream at the base of the valley saw us climbing up and down steep rock faces, sometimes hanging on with just fingernails and toes! Photographically, the highlights of our stay at Loldia were a boat ride on the adjacent Lake Naivasha (we came close to Pelican and Hippo), and a day-trip to Lake Nakuru (we saw thousands of pink Flamingo and several White Rhino and Cape Buffalo lazing near the lake shore). This was the first test for our new 300mm 2.8L IS telephoto lens and, while bulky and heavy at first, a monopod and bean bags helped quite a bit. As for the quality of the results, the photos are in our Gallery for you to decide.
The wilds of Northern Kenya
Shaba National Reserve in Northern Kenya, in a word, feels wild. The first permanent camp was not set up until mid-2006 and the animals are not habituated to humans. We stayed at Joy’s Camp, named after naturalist Joy Adamson and located near her original camp site, but also near the site of her death. Joy’s reinforced our growing belief that the best Kenyan safaris are not just about game but also about style. The tents were sumptuous, inspired by traditional Bedouin-Somali designs. Dinners were sit-down multi-course gourmet events. Nonetheless, the camp was environmentally friendly, featuring solar panels and efficient LED lights.
There were several unique species that we were fortunate to see in Northern Kenya:
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• Reticulated Giraffe – white areas are reduced to thin borders around large brown patches
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• Gerenuk – slender long-necked antelope that stands on its hind legs to browse high branches
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• Grevy’s Zebra – thinner white and black stripes than the more common Burchell’s Zebra
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• Beisa Oryx – distinct markings and more adaptable to hot climates than Gemsbok
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• Somali Ostrich – males’ neck and thighs turn blue rather than pink during the mating season
But, our highlight at Shaba was a very unusual Leopard. Leopards are shy and elusive by nature so any sighting is a bonus. So we were shocked to see a young Leopard sitting calmly by the side of the road, who then turned his head to reveal that he only had one eye. In place of his left eye was a swollen, black sphere. The Leopard didn’t seem bothered by his handicap and, after scanning the surroundings, calmly walked off and disappeared into the bush.
New Year with the Masai, more feline encounters and an ambitious young Eagle
Kenya was unusually wet in Dec 2006 - Jan 2007, turning air strips to mud, washing away bridges and severely testing guides’ 4x4 driving skills. The Masai Mara was particularly hard hit since Black Cotton soil does not readily absorb rainfall. Without knowing whether we would be able to land or reach camp, we set off from Shaba on Dec 31 and, muddied and 2 hours delayed, reached Richard’s Camp in the Masai Mara. The beautiful lawn was soggy as a bog and we sank beyond our ankles in mud.
Our spirits were low but how that soon changed. Our Samburu guide, Andrew, and our Masai tracker found 3 lion cubs sitting on rocks and, rather than worrying about the return of their mother, we spent some time fascinated by their antics. Before sunset we drove to a hill overlooking the plains and found that Richard Roberts, owner of Richard’s Camp, had prepared a special Sundowner. Topper and Elle were there as well, mixing a tasty English cocktail of champagne and brandy. The day’s travel had been a stressful ordeal but as we sipped our cocktails, enjoyed good conversation and watched the last sunset of 2006, we wondered how things could get any better.
As night fell, a piercing war-cry split the darkness, followed by more whooping and yelling as a group of Masai charged towards us from a hill. The camp fire had not yet been lit, we had no flashlights and we were confused. Was this a raid? What did they want? We stood frozen and as the charging group reached us, they circled us and... began to sing and dance! Richard had this one more special surprise and the sound of their harmonizing filling the night was indescribable! Though we did not understand a word, we were filled with joy. It was too dark for photos, but we were able to record their singing for posterity.
We started off before dawn on New Year’s Day. Though it was still wet and overcast, the previous night’s festivities kept us on a high. The Masai Mara had two more special sightings for us.
Investigating reports of Leopard sightings, we spotted a kill that a Leopard had stashed high in a tree – an Impala with its innards hanging out. Driving slowly along the dense thicket we saw not one, but two Leopards! It was Supu, featured in the BBC’s Big Cat Diary, and her nearly grown cub, who 2 weeks before had been given the name Sophie. Though branches obscured our view, we saw Supu licking and grooming Sophie in between playful wresting sessions. That afternoon we found Sophie perched alone on a low branch. She started to stalk nearby Impala but her youthfulness showed as she would frequently stop to play with twigs & leaves. She scampered up a tree when a Hyena came trotting by and we last saw her sprinting at full speed through the bush, chasing a tiny Dik-Dik (the smallest Antelope at just 3 pounds).
On our last full day in the Mara we saw a juvenile Martial Eagle apparently limping in tall grass. But, when we stopped we realized it was dragging an Impala! This inexperienced Eagle had managed to kill a prey larger and heavier than itself! It tried to fly but the Impala was too heavy and so it began to rip away fur then flesh with its sharp beak. Its meal was interrupted by the mother Impala who submissively yet doggedly approached. When she was less than 2 meters away, the Eagle drew itself up and raised its wing to intimidate the Impala and block her view of her dead fawn. After a few tense moments, the Impala backed off and the Eagle resumed its meal. When satisfied, the Eagle flew off and the mother Impala returned then, pitifully, smelled and licked the lifeless body of her fawn several times. That afternoon, the Impala was still lingering, perhaps unable to comprehend or accept what had happened. But, there was no sign of the body, not a bone or scrap of skin, indicating that Hyena – a scavenger par excellence – had probably come and gone.
Among giants at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro
We ended our safari at Amboseli, known for its Tortilis Acacia trees and herds of big-tusker Elephants. Unfortunately dense clouds prevented us from getting a clear view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. But, in spite of rain that make the grassy plains look like flooded rice paddies, we saw a matriarch whose tusks nearly touched the ground. Nearby was a small bachelor herd of large bulls, who were playfully wrestling with each other and pulling each others’ tusks with their trunks. It is always amazing to note how such huge animals – as much as 6 tons – can be so totally silent.
The rains were stronger on our 2nd day at Amboseli so we decided that we would end our safari quietly, relaxing in our tent. Fortunately, there were no important sightings that afternoon, which we spent napping and reviewing photos on the Mac.
Close encounters in Nairobi
After Amboseli we spent a final night in Karen, where we had our closest encounter of the safari... We visited the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where we were able to play briefly with baby Elephants! These Elephants had been orphaned for various reasons – including poaching – and receive the care they need until they are mature enough to be re-released into the wild. The Trust accepts contributions, and has a program that allows even small donors to contribute to sponsori a young Elephant for a year. We were very pleased to hear that Sir Richard Branson recently visited and made a generous donation.
We next visited the Giraffe Center, a breeding center for the highly endangered Rothschild Giraffe. As recently as 1979, only 130 remained in the wild but, today, there are around 500. The highlight of the visit was hand-feeding food pellets to fully grown Giraffes! Their heads were massive, nearly as long as our arms. They eagerly stuck out their long dark tongues in anticipation of being fed, and some kids even went as far as holding the pellets in their lips for the Giraffes to lick away. We didn’t participate in this inter-species interaction!
All this excitement was tiring and, after a morning with the Elephants and Giraffes, we were glad we were staying at the gracious House of Waine. Ironically, it was at this genteel mansion that we first tried native Kenyan food – a nice contrast to the Italian-inspired cuisine we enjoyed in the bush. We had chemsa (stir fried beef with a spice called ruiko), irio (mashed potato, peas and corn fried with ghee and onions), mwiraru (unripe banana, potato and beef that are stir fried then mashed) and sukuma miki (kale, the Swahili name means “push the weed” since it is so cheap and plentiful). It was a delicious meal and, after spending 2 weeks in 5 different parts of Kenya, we felt that we had now completed our introduction to Kenya. We look forward to returning!