Around the World ... Kenya

1990/1992

II
As a break on a two week holiday at Bamburi Beach south of Mombasa we decide to make a three-day safari. Over sometimes bad roads we reach our first destination: Taita Hills, a nice hotel though less remarkable than the nearby Salt Lick Lodge. In the afternoon we make our first game drive where we notice three young lions resting in the shade. We're allowed to leave the trail and observe the lions from only 10m distance. The savannah is full of game. Grant's gazelles keep a watchful eye on their surroundings. A couple of zebras keep a safe distance from our vehicle. Five giraffes, two of them partly covered by the tall grasses, are watching us driving by. On our way from Taita Hills to our next destination Amboseli NP we stop at a tiny Masai settlement close to Oloitokitok. We're allowed to enter the settlement and are shown around. The Masai inhabitants are as interested in us as we in them. Next to the road a giraffe almost blends into the surrounding bush. A lone wildebeest, or gnu as it is also known, rests in the plains of Amboseli NP. Next to him lie the remains of one of his former colleagues. All the roads in Amboseli are unpaved but many are quite reasonable. A baboon with a young clinging to it runs across the street. The plains seem endless under the blue sky. It's getting warmer and with the temperature rising the animals become less active. After a break during the hottest hours we return to the park in the afternoon. As the temperature becomes more bearable the animals become more active again. We didn't see them very close earlier but today we can spot many elephants at close distance. A mother and young kick up dust but when we come too close she signals with her ears: back off! So we back off and continue with our game drive only to meet even more elephants. Not afraid at all mother baboon and her young watch us passing by. And with the sun going down it's almost time for other animals to wake up and begin thinking about their catch of the day. With a magnificent display of rays touching a distant hilltop the sun says goodbye for today. The next morning we leave Amboseli, a special place in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, with 5892m Africa's highest mountain. The tree line marks the boundary with Tanzania. Our next destination is Tsavo East. We stop for lunch at the Voi Safari Lodge. From the restaurant we have a perfect view over a waterhole frequented by animals. The various elephant families wait for their turn to go to the water hole. The iron rich earth of Tsavo gives them a red brown color. A very distant relative of the elephants below peeks at us from the cover of a rock, hence their name rock hyraxes. Back at the coast we visit the Bamburi Quarry Nature Trail where we meet this large marabu walking in the grass. More exciting, however, is this crocodile lurking in a pond in the park. Visiting a nearby village we're entertained with some folk dancing. The local kids find us much more interesting. Back at our hotel we have some days left to enjoy. Snorkeling at the nearby reef, relaxing in a hammock, reading books and lunch announced with African rhythms. On one of our last days in Kenya we take the time to visit Mombasa. Situated along the east coast of Kenya Mombasa has seen a lot of cultural influences. To guard the Old Port of Mombasa the Portuguese built Fort Jesus in 1591 by order of King Philip I of Portugal. Fort Jesus is located on Mombasa Island. While we have to leave again for home, this agama lizard remains in the Kenyan sun. Two years later we end a trip to Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania with a short stop in Nairobi. The stop is just short enough to do some sightseeing. With some help from Julius Karanya Waweru we're able to get some nice souvenirs. With a last look at Mount Kilimanjaro we head north again.
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