Sure as Kilimanjaro Rises...

If we were hesitant to arrive in Cairo, that anticipatory worry multiplied tenfold with our looming flight to Kenya. The bustling capital of Nairobi, or as it's commonly referred to as "Nairobbery," is a city struggling to weave its way into modernity and calm. That effort, however, is plagued by a continually corrupt government (although things have improved during Kibaki's presidential reign); close to 40 indigenous tribes struggling for power; a frightening Mungiki gang that had beheaded several bus drivers just days before our arrival; deplorable poverty in notorious slums (read more about Kibera); regular post-sunset muggings of both locals and tourists; and worst of all, an "explosion" (which we would call a bombing) on busy Moi Avenue that went off the week before we were scheduled to touch down. We almost cancelled our trip and diverted our attention to a more deserving nation, but after several days of debate and research, we decided to give Kenya a chance, despite its shady reputation.

What a delight awaited us! Sure, there's a lot for the eyes to absorb, and it wears heavy on your heart at times. But Kenya never ceased to amaze and enchant us...with its national pride, its mind boggling wildlife inventory, its lovely diverse landscapes, and most of all, its ever-friendly people. Most Kenyans speak very good English, and their calm demeanors and smiling faces won us over day after day. We spent a month here and felt grateful to have had that amount of time to devote to a much-misunderstood country. If you peel back a few gritty layers, this nation reveals a beautiful inner side probably lost on most safari-only-bound holiday makers.

We holed up in a really nice business-style hotel in the prestigious Upper Hill neighborhood for the duration of our time in Nairobi. We felt a bit luxurious, but it was worth the splurge considering the above issues I highlighted. Located down the street from the Israeli embassy, our digs were heavily guarded by armed military folks in full camo duds toting huge machine guns, not to mention multiple road checkpoints with metal gates barring vehicle entry. The hotel itself had three key card entry points before you even reached your room. The level of security was a bit absurd if you ask me, but at least we could come and go knowing we were well protected. A sign posted just down the road even bragged about the high level of protection. "Welcome to Nairobi's safest street" greeted us daily and boasted two caricatures of smiling faces (as if we needed more assurance).

We spent our first few days seeking out and interviewing safari operators, as getting out into the parks and game reserves was our main purpose for being there. Struggling with lingering food poisoning compliments of Egypt, I had a tough time enduring it all. But luckily after the first day, with an emergency bathroom stop at an office building happy to oblige me their surprisingly decent toilet, and with a few Cipro under my belt, I was on the rebound. The weather was much cooler (delightful after Luxor's sweltering heat!), which made doing business here more pleasant. After grueling hours of meetings, and recovering from the initial shock of the high cost of this kind of adventure, we settled on an outfitter and packed for our June 22 departure to Tanzania. 11 days in the bush awaited, and we were eager to go!

The shuttle bus to Arusha was an experience in itself. I don't know where I got the impression that Kenya would have four-lane paved, divided highways. I soon realized I was sadly mistaken in my expectations and that the modernity we'd enjoyed in Nairobi ended once you left the heart of the city. The drive, which was roughly 158 miles long, took almost six hours. We sat in pollution-choking traffic on the road to Mombasa, then endured pothole after pothole once we headed south to the border. Swerving to avoid donkeys, Masai herdsmen with their cattle, and numerous trucks coming head-on into our lane, our driver kept the peddle to the metal and gave us the scare of a lifetime. When we finally arrived in neighboring Tanzania, I was ready to call the whole thing off. Luckily, the trip improved dramatically from the comfort of our 4WD safari jeep and our excellent driver/guide Steven. He introduced himself with a smile, helped us load our packs into the vehicle, handed us a box lunch, and headed out for the drive to Lake Manyara.

Spotting my first giraffe and zebra from the highway is something I won't forget in this lifetime. You can see these animals in zoos (as an animal lover, I was a big fan of zoos before coming to Africa, but it just doesn't compare to watching them roam the wild landscape, plucking leaves from acacia trees or nestling each other on the plains of a volcanic crater. In lieu of the popular road trip games we play in the States, David and I quickly settled into little contests of who could spot the first critter from the jeep.

East Africa delivers big time on wildlife viewing, and we saw everything except the elusive black rhino. Considering there are no guarantees when you sign up for one of these things, I think that's pretty impressive. We spent three nights in Tanzania, taking in two game drives in Lake Manyara National Park (where, among other incredible sights, we watched a leopard in a tree devour a bush buck) and two days in the Ngorongoro Crater, which is probably one of the most amazing places on Earth. As part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the opportunities for wildlife viewing abound here, and the setting is like nothing we've ever seen.

Thousands of animals are packed into the floor of this sunken volcano, and it's really, in a nutshell, so cool. You drive down a steep dirt road into the bowl and spend hours cruising the plains amid a plethora of wildlife. We feel blessed to have watched two cheetahs stalk an impala for half an hour before setting in on the chase and the speedy kill. Watching it all transpire in a matter of seconds at close range, I can now vouch that they really are the fastest mammals on land. Earlier that day, we had squatted in disbelief to pee among a herd of onlooking zebra...how wild is that? (Our guide tentatively let us out of the jeep but warned us to stay hidden lest a park ranger spot us out in the open.) We also really enjoyed our one-night stay at the crater's wildlife lodge perched on the rim. Our room looked out on the animals grazing at night and provided insane views during daylight, plus good food and entertainment from a Tanzanian dance troupe.

We sadly bid farewell to Tanzania too soon and headed back to the Namanga border, where our Kenyan driver/guide, Felix, collected us for our next eight days. We visited Amboseli National Park (beneath the shadow of mighty Kilimanjaro), a unique tree lodge at the base of Mt. Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park (famous for its throngs of pink flamingos), Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, and the infamous Masai Mara. We witnessed lions up close quite a few times; tons (literally) of elephants, zebras, and wildebeest grazing in the distance from our patio at the Ol Tukai Lodge in Amboseli; my favorite, the hippo (although not as close nor as many as I would have liked ); a teen leopard in a tree right above our minivan in Nakuru, along with incredible numbers of white rhino; quite a few giraffes, which we both love; all of the requisite antelopes save the kudu (my favorite is the topi); and plenty of other creatures as well.

It's amazing how you lose track of time out on the plains or overland for 9+ hours in a minivan. On this trip we experienced more of Kenyan transportation inefficiency than we ever care to endure again. The road between Narok and Naivasha--on the way to the famed Masai Mara and back--was particularly bad. It took us over an hour to go only 20 miles, most of it on half-dirt/half-potholed stretches of "highway," with screaming trucks whizzing by, and more dust up your nose and on your clothes than you could stomach in two lifetimes--and that with the windows closed. Sad to think that this is the main drag for big rigs carrying important cargo from Mombasa all the way into Uganda. To add insult to injury, it had rained both nights in the Mara, which is really dangerous as nothing is paved, so you're literally skidding along in a minivan (with no 4WD, mind you) hoping you don't get stuck in a mud hole or washed away in a river somewhere.

Our guide/driver was a bit daring at times. At one point in the Mara, we had to abandon the van just outside of our campsite and wade about 25 feet through some puddles and mud to the dining hut. Then the next morning, we took 1.5 hours to get out of the Mara, at times driving literally through pools of water so large they splashed over the top of the van, obscuring the entire windshield and practically flooding out the transmission. Like I said, I'm done with overland travel in Kenya if I can help it (famous last words, as you'll discover).

Several outfitters told us not to bother going the distance to the Serengeti, as we'd see the same stuff in the Masai Mara, which in hindsight was a mistake. There were hardly any animals in the Mara, and we would have preferred more time with our fun Tanzanian driver/guide. Steven was much more personable and interesting than Felix, who was more of a driver than a guide. At times this Kenyan guy had the personality and physical resemblance of Barry Bonds (think dull and aloof) coupled with the funky demeanor of Snoop Dogg (think dopey and irreverent). Hindsight, as we all know, is always 20/20.

Animals aside, two highlights of a human nature will stick with me for a long time: Having our photos taken at stunning Lake Bogoria for almost an hour with hundreds of 10- and 11-year-old wide-eyed school kids on field trip from northwestern Kenya (the opening photo of this blog); and a two-hour tour of a Masai Mara village given by the locals. Our Masai guide, Alex, knew I liked cows, so he suggested we walk back to our campsite as the young boys were taking the massive herds out to graze for the afternoon. It's an awesome experience to stand in the middle of an African field with about 200 cattle lumbering toward you amid whooping chants of tribal natives prodding them with spears. Doubt you'd see that in America any time soon.

Thus our African safari, despite being problematic at times (I've chosen to spare you the really gritty details) and ridiculously expensive, was a big success. We returned to Nairobi exhausted, inspired, and ready to take on our next challenge. Little did I know that that next adventure would be an experience that would really change my life.

P.S.--I found this paragraph from Wikipedia truly inspiring and very telling of the current issues facing Kenya, most notably in the area of education:

In November 2004, in an ABC PrimeTime interview with Peter Jennings, former US President Bill Clinton identified [President] Kibaki as the one living person he would most like to meet "because of the Kenyan government's decision to abolish school fees for primary education." Clinton added that, by providing free and compulsory primary education, what Kibaki had done would affect more lives than any president had done or would ever do by the end of the year. The free education program saw nearly 1.7 million more pupils enroll in school by the end of that year.

P.P. S.--Thanks to the iconic 80s band, Toto, for letting me (unbeknownst to them) pirate lyrics from their one-hit wonder, Africa, for use as this blog's title. I am forever indebted.