I have traveled since I was a little kid. I still remember being six years old in Hawaii and the jokes that our guide and friend, Mr. Makalee, used to tell on that trip. The long drives across country in the Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon with the license plate XDT965 that I memorized so that I could tell my mom when they asked for it at the hotels we stayed at when we weren't stopping at camp grounds.
But it wasn't until I was quite a bit older that I realized that I wouldn't always be able to remember all the little stuff. So, along with the pictures I was taking, I began to write it down. Mostly for myself in my dotage. But now for you too. If you care to join me.
Life is a Safari
February 2007 in Florida and we are sitting on the bed. Dusty says, “Let’s do something special for vacation this summer”. I suggest things like Tahiti, touring Europe, Australia, and things like that. She says, “We can do all that when we are older. I want to do something that we will regret if we don’t do it now. While we can.” I ask for a little guidance. “A safari” She says. The rest is up to me.
South Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya are all good candidates for the experience that I think will satisfy the requirements. Since we are traveling in the summer it rules out South Africa since it would be too cold there south of the equator. Tanzania looks pretty good too, but it is Kenya that comes to mind when one says safari. Safari, which means journey in Swahili, is what I hope to design for our once in a lifetime trip. After researching on the internet and trying to find the right combination of wild Africa and civilization I find that local travel agents are not up to my challenge. Groups are either too large, too expensive, or both. Eastern and Southern Safaris is owned by Kenyans, is a respected member of the Kenyan board of Tourism, and has been in business for many years. I read reports written by previous travelers with them that felt like honest praise for a job well done. Searching for any “scams” on the internet with the name of the company comes back with nothing. After many e-mails to Serah, the owner, I was comfortable with her answers and scheduled the trip.
Booking a flight was not as easy as I had hoped. Eventually I got tickets with Emirates Air flying through Dubai to Nairobi. Since there is a seven-hour time difference between Florida and Kenya I scheduled to have one full day to get over jet lag before beginning our safari. Our trip was to start and end with short visits to Dusty’s mother, in New York. On the way out I was suffering from some nasty sort of a cold with a temperature of over 100- degrees. In spite of that we had a nice visit with her family. We went to a farm market called Frog Pond and even had a picnic in our honor with her cousins. I practiced with my new digital SLR camera taking pictures of deer, rabbits, and robins in anticipation of lions, leopards, and ostriches.
After being pulled out of line for a “special” search at JFK airport we finally got to board our Emirates air flight. We knew that things were going to be different when the door closed and the flight attendant came through with hot towels for us to refresh ourselves. It was followed by a travel bag with eye masks, slippers, and earplugs. We ate real food with real metal forks and knives. The change of planes in Dubai was unremarkable except that there were concrete palm trees in the terminal and you could buy a BMW at the duty free.
We arrived in Nairobi a little early and went through customs with hardly a question. A very nice driver from Eastern and Southern met us at the airport and took us and our luggage to an old van that smelled of gasoline. Driving through traffic in Nairobi is not something that I would recommend for an amateur. There are traffic circles and bicycles and pedestrians and some unwritten rules that only the locals know. Since Kenya was a British colony all the excitement of driving is done on the left side of the road.
We arrived at the Sarova Panafric Hotel in the late afternoon with our bags and without incident. We went to our fifth floor room determined to stay up until a reasonable bedtime. Dusty turned on the television and I stepped out onto the balcony. Below we could see dozens of men in slacks and jackets walking here and there. Women were equally well dressed, for the most part and everyone seemed to be moving with a purpose. The top of a large tree came up to the level of our balcony and it was soon occupied by one after another exotic bird. First was a sunbird with a bright yellow belly and an iridescent blue-green head. Then a massive pied crow, which looked like a large crow wearing a white vest landed on the tree. So I began taking my wildlife pictures before we had been in our hotel room for an hour in the middle of Nairobi. I planned for us to have dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant the following night because I had heard that it was a unique experience.
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