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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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Nairobi 2-7-07
Roland the what?, I can hear being whispered throughout the land. Well the song matches the mood for many reasons. First it’s a great funny song that mentions several African cities, none of which I’ve visited but that’s besides the point. Secondly, it’s the last performance Zevon gave on Letterman before he died. Third, you feel like need a Thompson gun sometimes in Kenya. Not for the crime but to deal with the ineptitude. And last but not least, after missing my first flight of the trip through no other cause than a faulty memory, I’m feeling quite headless today.
Since Zanzibar I’ve spent five straight days on the road traveling, a different hotel every night. It caught up to me when I assumed my flight back to Cairo left on Saturday morning. Nope, that would be Friday morning which I realized 8 hours before my flight, after paying for the night’s hotel and the next day’s safari, 4 hours from the airport. Bag it. I’ll just catch the next flight two days later. Ah, the life of leisure eh?
So enough whining about my brainlapse and on to Kenya. Nairobi is nuts with mass traffic, but far cleaner than other big cities I’ve seen and the infamous crime rep hasn’t touched me at all. I did the big touristy thing the other night and had dinner at the Carnivore restaurant. Totally overpriced and hokey but it’s just something you have to do here. Waiters walk around with huge hunks of meat and keep slicing off pieces with a machete until you’ve raised the white flag, literally, in defeat. They used to serve all sorts of game from the reserves but the most exotic thing they have on the menu these days are ostrich meatballs and crocodile. It was good, but I’ve had better alligator in the East Village.
Lake Navaisha 2-7-07
Next day I made my way up to Lake Navaisha and was pretty much the only guest in this huge campsite/cabin hotel. I sat down to eat and a dozen waiters and bus boys tried to help me because they had nothing else to do. I think that’s what bothers a lot of visitors to East Africa. The entire population is looking to help you with every thing they can the second you walk though the door. My guess is there aren’t enough jobs so people are looking to find any work they can, even if they have no idea about how to get you what you need. It get’s a bit tough on the patience after a while. The camp was very relaxing though. Horses grazed right on the lawn in front of the rooms (see pics) which motivated me to take a ride. My mare wanted back to the lawn the whole time and the best scenery was the nearby road, but hey, I road a horse in Africa. What do you think of that KK?
Hell’s Gate National Park 2-8-07
The following morning I made my way to Hell’s Gate National Park and rented a mountain bike for my own little solo safari. The big cats are there but sparce so they let people bike or hike through the park unguided. After all those days watching from a secure and elevated vehicle to get down in the dirt and eyelevel with the animals was cool as, well, Hell. I cycled up this dirt road watching the early dawn gleam off these amazing cliffs and pinnacles seeing mostly antelope and zebra. At one point a hyena ran across the road a few feet in front of me, snarling all the way. That got the blood pumping a bit but he was off scouting a slow gazelle and could care less about me. Knowing the lions and cheetah were in the park somewhere, however rare, was enough to make the bike safari the most fun yet. I didn’t see that much game but it didn’t matter. After a few miles ride I hiked down into this gorge and to another big pinnacle. Again, hiking through the forest with the possibility of game nearby was just plain fun. I met this young Maasai kid looking to guide me around. It was worth a few shilling just for the conversation and a peek at the cheetah tooth he found that morning.
Lake Nakuru National Park 2-9-07
So after much matutu (shared taxi van) and wrong flight stress the afternoon and evening before I wake to my final safari in East Africa, at least for the time being because I really hope I can return one day. Today is all about the Rhinos. And the flamingos. But mostly it’s about the Rhinos. I saw two black rhinoceros at Ngorogoro but they were asleep and so far in the distance that it was more like watching a beaten tank. Nakuru boasts a huge population of white rhinos so that’s why I was there. No disappointments. We got very close to one who was awake, another close but asleep and three more from a distance. Also saw some Waterbuck antelope that I hadn’t yet and of course the pink nightmare itself, millions of flamingo. Is it Jay or Scott that like those pink ceramic birds so much? Anyway, a good day all in all and a great way to end my animal fascination. It’s back to Egypt now, two days late, and I’m looking forward to a change. East Africa was better than I ever hoped, but doing it on a budget can get tiring. A little RnR on the Red Sea might be just what is called for. See ya there and Assante San.
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Comments or Questions for the Author
Bill Benson says:
Wow, first Liam's nephew uses my stuff for a science project, now I'm a fullscale lesson. East Africa is amazing, but I'd say stick with an safari based itin. You can lay on a beach anywhere but Lions are rare on the Shore.
Nick Lakiotes says:
"Desperados under the Eaves" greatest Zevon song penned, next to "Keep me in your heart." Never knew you were into him. Him and Jimmy Buffet hung tight. If you don't put that picture of you and the skull on the back of your first published work, your slipping. Be safe. Check you by the sea moey.