Whenever you go on a trip to Africa, there are varying comments . Some say it is wildly exciting, some say it is strenuous, some say the weather is unpredictable, others say the game drives can be disappointing, some say the roads are too atrocious and the law-and-order situation is not that good. All are perhaps true. But in our view, a Kenyan Safari tour is unmissable, something which you must do in a lifetime.
We landed in Nairobi, 6 hours behind schedule, spending most of the waiting time at Mumbai airport.
On arrival we were presented Safari hats and were whisked off to a small countryside resort where a welcome iced drink greeted us.
A lunch spread was laid out, and consisted amongst other things, of fresh cut and whole fruit, which is an unique feature of all our meals in Kenya. Our meal was under massive trees filled with the nests of the weaver birds. Bougenvillas were everywhere.
Then we started off for Ambroseli National Park, about another 5 hours away. The Nissan Urvan car or a close prototype (our car was labelled CHUI, Swahili for Cheetah) was driven with frenetic speed by Dennis. We were made aware of all the 8 axes of movements for about 21/2 hours in pitch darkness. We bumped, twisted, jumped, angled and spun our way upto the game resort, getting a mouth and lungful of dust everytime we slid the glass window panel back, in a journey which we were cheerfully told was an African Massage!!!!
We stayed at the tourist Resort there where there was good food and comfortable accommodation, before going on a morning Game drive.
Our morning was highlighted by the sight of the majestic Kilimanjaro mountain rising massively in front of us.
Ambroseli was an arid area with frequent dust storms, but all that was forgotten as we started viewing the animals on both side of us. The Zebra packs and the gazelles loped around , ferreting out grass shoots. A group of ostriches walked away with their noses in the air.A wart hog careered off and then suddenly we spotted three cheetahs resting under a massive tree. As if on cue, one and then two climbed up a tree trunk and were marvellously etched against the sky.
All around we saw the dead lying around. There was no burials or cremation—only desecration by vultures, maribous, or other scavengers.Skeletons lay strewn around—a grim reminder that time or tide waits for no one. Beside them, life flourished. Green grass abounded, as did trees. Birds flitted around, the zebras and the gazelles grazed, lions and cheetahs were on the prowl, and we watched with awe and astonishment that maybe this is what crude life is worth, and that we only build sandcastles of culture and beauty over it.
The lions then were sighted, as they walked towards us, disdainful of the puny humans cowering inside a car.
In the swamp lands further on, adult elephants capered in the mud.
Wildebeests and Zebras found the terrain to their liking.
Water buffaloes wallowed to their hearts content with their Egret friends.
On this happy note, we made our way back from Ambroseli and set out for Nairobi.
Descriptions of the rest of the safari will follow. So do come back again. Meanwhile click on these links below for more pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/indrajitsardar/Compressed2?authkey=Gv1sRgCNfpobbF6KDsQA&feat=directlink
