The Diary of our Duo Safari

Sandy and I selected the East African Explorer trip to celebrate a milestone birthday. She is a keen photographer and I love working with my video camera so it seemed a good opportunity to complete a joint venture.

We arranged to visit Kenya and then Tanzania and this diary records our experiences in both countries. As well as treks and wildlife safaris we wanted insights into the way of life and cultures of local communities. By spending some time in local villages and visiting cultural activity programmes we did indeed recognise the benefits that foreign visitors can bring. This became a very important and rewarding part of the trip.

We were promised dinner around a camp fire,
starlit skies and camping under acacia trees. We experienced all of that and much more and I have put together a selection of still photos and video clips to share our memories.

I hope you enjoy
Sylvia

Technical Notes:
Broadband connection and Macromedia is required to stream the video clips. If a video frame is displayed with an arrow in the play line, then you have everything required. A normal dial-up connection allows you to view a slideshow of the stills. Click on the photo in the frame to start. It will link to my web album where you can select the slideshow option.
The front page will contain all the daily postings or you can navigate around this site by selecting a link to an individual posting/location.

Day One -En route

Our tour operator was IntoAfrica with Samuel as driver, Patrick as cook and William the garrulous guide! The company operates a Fair Traded Policy and we had selected their East Africa Explorer which offered a mixture of Cultural visits plus the excitement of game drives.

The first glimpse of the Rift Valley was impressive although quite misty but William explained a great deal about the valley and the formation.

En route we stopped at a colourful market and Patrick made some food purchases for supper.

A picnic lunch gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs and to learn more about our traveling companions. Leanne is a young student from California and Liv and Stein are Norwegian.

Samuel, the driver, impressed me with his working knowledge of Spanish and we quickly became good friends.

We then traveled to our camping site for the night and immediately the lads set to work getting the camp site prepared.

William the took us off on a short trek to the little Maasai Village and introduced us to Jonathan the leader. Before making contact with the Maasai, William explained a few things about when we could take photos and how to greet. It was delightful to be made aware that the children came up and bowed their heads for a gentle pat and greeting of ´sopa´ (probably got the spelling incorrect but I could remember it because of the Spanish word for soup!) I quickly became ´Mama´which I learnt is a term of great respect and is usually used to address older women. As the matriarch of the group this name stuck and I grew quite fond of it. We took lots of the photos of the children and they were enchanting.

We left the ladies with Spanish fans and children with Yo-yo´s . It brought so much fun and laughter.

Jonathan proudly showed off his new young son and then kindly invited us into his home ´boma´. That was quite an experience and we felt very privileged, especially when we learnt they shared it with a bee´s hive! (considered very lucky!)

Back to camp and Patrick had put on a great spread . We dined under a magnificent star lit sky and sat around a huge fire telling stories and comforted by the fact that we were well protected by the Maasai .

View a slideshow of photos from my web album

Under the Stars

Jun 12, 2006 - 17 Photos

Day 2 - The Trek

After a great breakfast we went trekking with Jonathan as our guide.
Walked amongst zebra, giraffe, impala, and wildebeest.

Had a lot of fun with William and Jonathan competing with their expertise with a yo-yo and using a Spanish fan. Leanne was shown how a Maasai warrior proposes to his lady.

We then moved on to the next camp in the Masai Mara which was wonderfully tranquil .

Check out the photos.. and the video

Day2 Trek

Jun 12, 2006 - 17 Photos

Click play to view a video clip

Day 3 Into the Mara

We spent an afternoon/evening and an early morning in the Masai Mara and from the moment we entered the Game Reserve we knew we were in a magically protected area. This is a safe haven for so many animals and birds.
Vultures in a tree gave the clue to witness a lion with a recent kill. We only got some brief glimpses of it in the bushes but William confidently told us that 3 others were around, including females.

The brilliant colours of the birds were quite a surprise to some of us, especially the vibrant Starling. The weaver birds were busy making nests on the shady side of the acacia trees.

The following slideshow can be downloaded or individual photos

Day3 Into the Mara

Jun 14, 2006 - 17 Photos

or view the video clip of the lion with his kill

Day 4 Lake Naivasha

A quick stop at Narok to make a few purchases and get some money. Then it was a very long hot, dusty drive to Lake Naivasha. The roads were just appalling and Samuel did a wonderful job trying to make the journey as comfortable as possible.

Sandy brought out the playing cards and William attempted to teach us a card game. We all suspected that he made the rules up as he went along.. always in his favour. By this stage we had become a close knit family and shared many stories with a lot of laughter.

It was such a relief to arrive at our banda home for the night. It was an idyllic thatched cottage with an upstairs sitting room that looked over the lake. Patrick conjured up flasks of hot drinks and some pop corn whilst we freshened up and removed some of the dust. After a great dinner we all retired early, Samuel to his rap music whilst we were content to snuggle under the protection of the mosquito nets and look forward to an early start on the lake.

Going out onto the lake whilst the early morning mist was still rising created an ethereal atmosphere and a great backdrop for all the birds we saw. Not just birds.. there were also plenty of hippos and some were just returning from their nocturnal forages.

Look for the fish eagle in the photo slide show and in the video clip you will see it fly with a fish in its claws

Day 4 Lake Naivasha

Jun 13, 2006 - 13 Photos

Day 5 Lake Nakuru

Nakuru turned out to be a well ordered, bustling and colourful town and we would have loved to have spent more time there. However, we had to press on into the Park and find our `palace`for the night. The lodge was basic but the location just perfect and we set off before we lost the daylight to explore the lake a little. It was wonderful to alight from the vehicle and walk on the damp sand along the lake edge. The density of the pink from the flamingoes is just hard to describe.

We watched a magnificent sunset as we returned to the lodge for dinner and opted for an early night. We had been warned that we would be out at the crack of dawn and return later for a brunch.

This proved to be a perfect decision as we witnessed a wild dog chase and catch an impala. Dear Leanne wanted to know why the dog was not on a leash.
We were treated to a close encounter with white Rhinos with a baby but just as we were about to return to the lodge the most magical sighting of all.. just above our open roof lay a contented leopard. We spent some time in awe as we watched it yawn, stretch, scratch and eventually move into another tree .

The brunch table atmosphere was electric with excitement as we recounted our morning to Patrick .

The photos will demonstrate just how close we were but the video clip will highlight the tension and excitement we felt that morning.

Lake Nakuru

Aug 9, 2006 - 20 Photos

Play this 2 min clip to hear our excitement

Day 6 Mt Kenya & Gitero Primary School

It was a happy group that moved on to Mt Kenya, stopping first for a picnic lunch at dramatic Thompson Falls- Here we avoided the painted warriors who posed by the roadside for tourists to photograph.

We dined in a marquee and it was noticeably colder. Next morning we trekked with William who explained about many of the plants en route. Sandy tried to help some ladies carry their firewood but could hardly move with the load.

Johnson and Esther were perfect hosts and each explained their special project to help the area. With a large donation from Canada and some engineering expertise, water is pumped into the area powered by wind mills. Esther had plans drawn to set up a technical school to train the children after primary level.

Solomon proudly detailed that Gitero Primary featured as 3rd in the list for academic success in the region. The children were a great credit to all the staff and sponsors. The lessons for the morning? Pythagoras and drawn on the board for us by little Ken.

Check out the link to see how IntoAfrica and the guests support both schools and projects.

Hope you can stream this video clip to view.

Day 7 Farewell to Kenya

This is a good point to sum up the Kenya part of the trip. Over the 7 days we had become a family. We cried with laughter and at times could have cried with sadness.

William, Samuel and Patrick were true professionals. Whenever possible they sat around the table with us to eat, play cards or scrabble. On our return from a safari drive, Patrick would be waiting with flasks of hot drinks, popcorn or other wonderful snacks. He was always keen to share our day and experiences or view the photos.

William, as our guide, was a fountain of knowledge and stories. With Samuel driving they made a perfect duo. Frequently we were the first on the scene.. and even more frequently the only ones. Static from short wave radio was not a factor I had to cope with on my video sound track. These guys relied on local knowledge and fantastic spotting skills to find us our wildlife. Samuel would patiently manipulate the vehicle so that we could have a better view and always turned off his engine so that my camera did not pick up the motor. Whenever we wanted to stop, whether it was for wildlife or a dramatic sky, he would wait until we were ready to move on. We could see dust clouds left by vehicles anxious to return to lodges for sun-downers or be in time for dinner, whilst we were left to enjoy the scenery and tranquilly. Of course safe in the knowledge that Patrick would have something special for us on our return. OK, so I did look longingly at the table and polished glasses and the wine awaiting a group from a luxury lodge at a special viewpoint. However, I was smug with the knowledge that we had just seen óur´leopard and watched him yawn, stretch, scratch and think about his evening snack. For that I could take a rain check on the glass of wine as I came to Africa for better pleasures.

Sadly Leanne was leaving us in Nairobi to return home, the crew had another safari to take out and with Liv and Stein we were about to embark on the Tanzanian adventure.

The video clip of our farwell to a special crew.

Back to Scotland

Sunday 25th June

Posting from Amsterdam Airport.. whilst in transit.

I will post some items from my diary with photos soon.

It has been a fabulous experience but it is heaven to have a shower and good toilet facilities again! Lots to write about and some wonderful people.

Sylvia

Itinerary for Visit

Kenya Section

Sun June 11th Drive from Nairobi to the Maasai town of Narok for lunch and colourful market visit. Then into the bush to a small Maasai homestead (“boma”) for insights into their fascinating culture and way of life. . The visit here supports their small primary school .

** This is the school that Sandy has linked with the Brownie Group to make a presentation of their scrapbook and the items they have raised money for.

Overnight camp under huge acacia trees by a small spring – dinner round camp fire, starlit skies and sleep to the sounds of the African night – often lions and hyenas roaring in the distance. (Don’t worry! – our camp is guarded by the Maasai all night).

Mon June 12 th 2-3 hour walking safari along small river course and through the savanna for wildlife viewing with the Maasai as guides and interpreters of their lands. You can take a refreshing dip in a swimming hole and walk amongst giraffe, impala, zebra and wildebeest. Drive to our secluded camp in the Masai Mara and afternoon game drive - ecologically the Mara is an extension of the great Serengeti plains and teems with wildlife.
Overnight in a permanent safari camp.

Tues June 13th Another game drive in the Mara. This is where you can see elephant, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard, zebra, giraffe, hippo, crocodile and a whole ark-full of other animals. From July to September, the Mara is home to the great wildebeest migration.

Then on to Lake Naivasha and overnight in cottages by the lakeside.
Wednesday 14th Naivasha is a vast freshwater lake, famed for its bird life particularly fish eagles, love-birds and pelicans. There are also many hippos and we take a morning boat trip to see some of them. Then on to Lake Nakuru, a soda lake and home to millions of pink flamingos. Afternoon game drive here with an excellent chance of seeing the rare rhino. Camp overnight at the Wildlife Club of Kenya bandas inside the park.

Thursday 15th Another early morning game drive in the park then up the Rift Valley escarpment for lunch at Thompson’s Falls. Then on to the base for two days on the forested slopes of Mt Kenya. Afternoon relaxing around the grounds or gentle walk through the forest where local natural history expert will reveal the medicinal plants, birds and animals of the forest environment.

Friday 16th Culturally oriented tour through the local Kikuyu villages and farms. School visit and also the local market with traditional wool-spinners . A fascinating insight to the lives of the people who live on the mountain slopes, enhancing your Mt Kenya experience and also helping to provide an income for the locals.

Saturday 17th After breakfast return to Nairobi. Lunch stop in the city before transfer by shuttle bus to Tanzania.

** Note Shuttle bus means local bus!

On arrival at Arusha we will make contact with Mike (nephew of Peter Beechey a WE Group member) who runs a Mission in the area.
See website http://www.missionoz.com/


Overnight in our small Arusha guest house on the slopes of Mt Meru – B&B & eve meal. Tanzania SectionTanzania’s safari parks are spectacular and understandably popular destinations - but nearly all visitors blaze past the bemused locals leaving only trails of dust. We visit these famous parks but also include insights into the way of life and cultures of many of the people living here. This enhances your understanding of the Tanzanian environment and helps the locals benefit more from your visit.

Sunday 18th Depart Arusha and drive to Ngorongoro Crater. Lunch en-route then descend to crater for afternoon and evening game drive. Ngorongoro is collapsed volcano - an incredible natural amphitheatre teeming with all of the African big game. Overnight at campsite on Crater Rim.

Monday 19th Another game drive in Ngorongoro then on to the Serengeti. Endless rolling grasslands criss-crossed with forested riverine valleys plays home to millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles making this one of the world’s most famous wildlife spectacles. Camp overnight in bush campsite.

Tuesday 20th All day game drive in Serengeti. Best time for the wildebeest migration is Dec to June but there are spectacular wildlife sights at anytime of year. Camp overnight in bush campsite.


Wednesday 21st Further game drives in Serengeti and on to Olduvai Gorge (site of the Leakey’s archaeological digs where the earliest human tools and fossils have been found) then continue to Mto Wa Mbu. Arrive in late afternoon with time for local market visit or relax in permanent campsite.

Thursday 22nd Leisurely walking safari through farms and villages along the richly cultivated foot of the rift valley escarpment. You can discover the farming, irrigation, fishing and cattle husbandry techniques, visit houses, school in term time, sample local cuisine, visit income generation projects, wood carvers and generally gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyle of the people who live and work here. Also afternoon swimming pool option at the camp. Camp overnight in Mto Wa Mbu permanent campsite.

Friday 23rd Game drive around Lake Manyara National Park. This park is famed for the bird life around the soda lake - flamingos in particular, and is home to unusual tree-climbing lions. It also has a large elephant population. In mid afternoon on to Longido for Maasai lands and life experience. Camp with the Maasai overnight.

Saturday 24th Maasai cultural insights around their village. Here you can visit traditional settlements, spot animals on a easy walking safari in the bush, find out about the medicinal uses of the savanna plants and learn from an elder the history and culture of these fascinating people. Amongst other things our visit supports a cattle dip project for the local people. Return to Arusha for late afternoon and shuttle bus to Nairobi


Note from the Tour Operator:

General: Accommodation is in bush camps (fully supported), permanent tented camps, cottages and bandas (small huts) . The camping section on this trip allows us access to wilder areas. We do not generally use the luxury lodges but neither do we compromise on health, safety or reasonable comfort. Equipment will be carried by vehicles or local porters, you only carry a day-pack with personal gear. When camping you will not have to participate in camp chores. We buy fresh produce locally and to ensure good standards of hygiene all food is prepared by our own staff. We can cater for special dietary requirements (hence I am becoming a veggie for 2 weeks to join Sandy but the only reference I have found regarding wine was a comment from a previous traveller.. doubt if we will ever see Tanzanian wine on the world market!)

Leaving Spain on Wednesday 7th. .. Sylvia