The pandemic drags on. Over five months since the first recorded infection in Kenya. Infection/death rates in the country are
still relatively high but seem to be on a downward trajectory, even with the
recent opening of movement within the country. That’s a good sign. Masks are
the norm within Nairobi though you do have neighborhoods, particularly as you
move to the outskirts of the city, where coronavirus protocols are taken less
seriously. It seems we’ve hit a sort of status quo that will likely be the norm
for the indefinite future.
After Diani, I was finally able to take a proper holiday. It’s
sad to start taking your vacation AFTER leaving the beach but that’s how it
goes. The holiday will be a mix of travel within Kenya and being at home doing
some things on my enormous to do list – things that I would like to do but
never get a chance. Again, it’s not the same as being in the US with
family but it is a rare opportunity that I need to take advantage of.
However being in Kenya while being on a break will be
strange. It’s hard to feel like I shouldn’t be working. Yesterday I spent a
half-day going through work emails, forwarding meeting invitations and so forth. It's hard not to. It’s
helpful for the continuity of the organization but not helpful for the
continuity of my “vacation”.
* * *
To kick things off for my “vacation”, we received an
invitation from some friends to go camping last Saturday, not long after
returning from Diani. In fact it was pretty good timing and we’ve been planning
on doing some camping anyway, so committed that we upgraded our tent a few weeks ago – one that
fits the four of us better than our existing tent. In retrospect, it turned out
to be a very smart move, possibly the best tent I’ve owned. And I’ve owned
many.
Camping is a safe activity during a pandemic. But it's also sort of a test on different levels. One test is whether
you get along with your fellow campers. It’s not a given. If people approach
the experience in fundamentally different ways, it can be a nightmare. Fortunately
we camped with this family last year so we knew in advance what we were getting
into. These guys are fun to camp with and have a similar approach to being in
the great outdoors. They’re better equipped than we are AND they have kids that
are similar in age. No brainer.
The best part was the suggested destination: the Masai Mara.
The Mara is essentially an extension of the Serengeti that overlaps into Kenya.
To the animals, it’s the same vast piece of protected savanna. We’ve discussed
camping for some time. We’ve discussed returning to the Mara. This put the two
together. Moreover, it’s the time of the Great Migration – the season where massive
herds of mostly wildebeest, some zebras, topis, etc. migrate towards greener pastures. Most
people have seen photos of the perilous river crossings where some of the animals succumb to the jaws
of the awaiting crocs. It’s normally the busiest time of year for the Masai
Mara and the park is generally inundated with tourists from all over the world
to see this amazing phenomenon. This year, with international flights mostly
suspended, park visitation has mostly been limited to Kenyans and internationals
based in Kenya. Thus this was a rare opportunity to see the migration without
the tremendous crowds.
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the Masai Mara
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Related to this was the rare access to this campsite. From
what we are told, these spaces are generally booked years in advance. Without
the vast amount of bookings from abroad, we were able to jump on it with
relatively short notice.
* * *
Day 1: The Drive & Setting up Camp
Saturday morning we met our fellow campers and we drove from
Nairobi in tandem. The first part of the drive is sort of hellish Kenyan
highway driving. Lots of trucks, unpredictable drivers and precarious opportunities
to pass. But after a couple hours we were on roads we’d never been on. In fact
they were quite good and the traffic was light the rest of the way. The last
hour of the drive is through the Mara Conservancy which is essentially the equivalent of a
game drive with plenty of animals to see.
We had been told that we needed to pack in all the
drinking/wash water we needed for four nights. We also needed firewood as none
of this would be available to us within the park. We’d already loaded up on the
water but we were lacking most of the firewood. Near the gate to the Conservancy, as we were surrounded
by dozens of Masai trying to sell us trinkets of various kinds, we asked some
guys about firewood. After some back and forth, they seemed to understand what
we wanted and told us to follow them. Trees are relatively scarce in the area
so I was curious about what we would end up with. So we drove into the nearby village
and the first stop was apparently a little school. Some guy seemed to be
willing to sell off the school’s wood. Obviously we balked at that (picturing
some guy dismantling latrines to make some money off the tourists) and someone
else told us to come with him. On we went and soon we were parked and listening
to someone sawing and pulling together some scrap wood from his house (mostly
dried roots from some bushes). At they were piling up the wood, we began to negotiate
price. In the end we decided to be overly generous – a theme that began when we
were in Amboseli. You buy a bit more or pay a bit more than you normally would
given the challenging situation all these people are in these days.
The next obstacle was where to put the wood. In addition to
our camping stuff, we had loaded in about a hundred liters of water. Every nook
and cranny of both vehicles was full. Our only option was for Priya to sit in
the backseat with the girls and load the wood into the passenger seat. We still
had about an hour to drive but we didn’t see any other way. Eventually we fit
it all in and were off, bits of branches poking all of us here and there but it
was generally manageable.
Immediately after entering the Conservancy, animals were
abundant. Before long we spotted a dead wildebeest on the side of the road. As
we slowed we saw three more and loads of vultures poking at the dead meat. We
scanned to see if there was a lion or some other predator in the vicinity. After
seeing nothing, we carried on. Later we learned at this time of year, during the
Migration, animals are so plentiful that well-fed lions will sometimes kill
more than they can eat. They will use the opportunity to teach their young how
to kill, often without consuming the meat. According to one of the rangers,
that’s likely what we witnessed.
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We then arrived at the gate of the Mara Triangle, which is
essentially the core of the Mara. The Triangle is the southwestern one-third of
the National Reserve. It was here that we needed to pay for the entry, the campsite
and a few other miscellaneous things. But it took forever. They have some serious
process issues. Just to enter took us about an hour. I was thinking that in
busy times it would be even more of a nightmare. If you’re capable of processing
two families in one hour, how would you manage the hundreds of people during a
normal peak season?
While waiting, we obviously had time to walk around a bit. I’d
never entered through this gate, located just as you cross a bridge over the Mara
River. It was quickly apparent that there was a bit of a stench coming from the
river. I walked halfway across and looking down you could see the source. Dead,
bloated wildebeest were hung up on the rocks, byproducts of the Migration – animals
who were unsuccessful in attempting to cross upriver to the north.
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overlooking the Mara River, and hippos
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At long last, we were escorted by a ranger to our campsite
which ended up being relatively close to the ranger station. Quite quickly we
realized that it was going to be a pretty amazing location. The site bordered
the river, overlooking the hippo pools and a crocodile sunning on a rock.
Across the way there were a few giraffes nibbling on acacia trees and a few
gazelles grazing on some grass. During the time that we would be there, we
would have all sorts of animals grazing nearby.
In case you think this was a special protected area, it wasn’t.
It wasn’t even a campground. We never saw any other campers. No latrines. No
water. No designated fire pit. It was just a site where we were allowed to
pitch our tents. We were told that we would have two armed guards during the
night and that we couldn’t move on foot beyond 25 meters from the site. I’ve
camped in the wild in the past but nothing quite like this. It was camping
unlike anything I’d done before.
* * *
After scoping out the site and identifying the tent sites,
we began to erect our new purchase. Quite quickly we realized that our
instructions made Ikea plans seem genius. I’ve set up a lot of tents in my day
but these instructions were by far the worst I’d ever seen. Eventually we
tossed them aside and muddled through based on our instincts. Not long before
dark the tent was up. I have to say, over the next few days it proved to be probably
the best tent I’ve ever owned, particularly for a group of four.
We made a fire and had dinner. The kids had smores and
eventually were off to bed. Our girls have a habit of sleeping poorly when in a
new environment. This night would be no different. Even for me it was a bit unsettling
to hear the soundtrack of the various night sounds. The hippos were the loudest
given how close they were. We were told that these nocturnal herbivores would
not come out near us due to the steep riverbank but fresh, muddy hippo prints
the next morning would prove otherwise. I experienced hippos at a tented camp
in Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania back in 2005 so I knew something about camping
around them. During the night they would tromp through the tented area and as
long as you stayed inside you were fine. They were so close to us their fat
bellies would rub against the sides of the tent. Admittedly I didn’t sleep well
that first night there either but eventually you realize that they are more interested
in grazing all night and not in disturbing the tents.
The other concern is the crocodiles, particularly since they
are carnivores. Hippos will kill you (if they feel threatened) but they won’t
eat you. Crocs will do both (even if they don’t feel threatened). And I know
someone who was killed by one about ten years ago. However the crocodiles that
we saw seemed to be quite well fed from the migratory river crossing of
wildebeest and likely wouldn’t need to bother coming all the way up to where we
were.
But soon after crawling into our sleeping bags on our first
night in the Mara we began to hear other animals – some closer and some farther;
some I recognized, some I didn’t. Among the first sounds were hyenas. Though
they have a variety of vocalizations, they do have a recognizable bark that I
was familiar with. Then came the sound of the lions. They also make a variety
of sounds but most of the time it’s not like the MGM lion. What you hear at night
is more of a cross between a howl and growl. I’ve heard it a few times before though
I’ve never heard it through a thin-walled tent.
On two different
nights we heard a deep growl very close to the tent, likely a hyena. Admittedly
it sent chills down my spine.
* * *
Day 2: Lions, a Bull & Hoping for a Crossing
In the morning we headed out fairly early on a game drive.
The ranger guided us for a couple hours on that first day but thereafter we
were on our own. He proved to be helpful in that short time that he was our
front vehicle. We were face to face with a female lion within the first few
minutes of leaving our campsite. I was thinking that this cat may have been one
that was keeping me up during the night.
We had a wonderful morning seeing all kinds of animals,
including a couple of male lions. Probably the tensest moment of the day was an
encounter with a somewhat aggressive bull elephant. We were the front vehicle at
this point and I saw an elephant about a kilometer off in the distance heading
in our direction. Having done this quite a bit, I recognized that he seemed to
have a bit of a swagger. Often this can mean that they’re in the mood for love
and that can make them interesting (aggressive, kicking up dust, etc.). But you
need to be careful since they can be dangerous. I pulled over, shut off the
engine and we watched him approach at about two o’clock (direction; possibly
the time as well). Our friends had pulled in behind us and two other vehicles
coming from the other direction had stopped to watch as well.
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coming right at us
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Sure enough, the elephant kept coming in our direction. I started
filming with my phone as he got close. I shifted the phone to my left hand so I
could have my right hand on the ignition in case we needed to pull away
quickly. But I didn’t want to restart the engine so as not to startle him as he
approached. The general rule of thumb is that you stay put, nothing sticking
out the windows, and you’ll be fine.
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| a bit close - but the video is pretty cool |
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Nonetheless, it was a bit scary as he came
right at us – within a few feet of the vehicle. Then it turned slightly and
walked parallel to us. I continued filming, breathing a bit more easily as he
made his way behind us.
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sigh
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When he was well past us, one of the safari vehicles facing
us pulled up alongside our vehicle. The guide asked if the incident had frightened
us (confirmation that it’s something worthy of anxiety). I said it did a little
but I felt we’d handled it as we should have, reducing the chances of being
rammed by his head and tusks. Sounded like they enjoyed watching it come at us as
much as we did.
The issue is that the bull was experiencing a condition called
“musth” (interestingly, the word comes from Urdu meaning “drunk”). Even though
it’s been well-studied, there are a lot of things that people don’t understand
about it. It’s often linked to reproductive arousal or a natural need to
dominate other males, possibly both, but the bottom line is that the bulls tend
to be aggressive and rather nasty. Testosterone levels in an elephant in musth
can be up to 60 times greater than normal. One indication of the condition is
the secretion a thick fluid from ducts on the side of the head (see the second photo above). Obviously I
couldn’t see this when I saw the elephant from a distance but what made me
think it might be in musth was the fact that it was alone and walking in a way
that seemed to be more agitated than normal. There are apparently loads of cases
of rogue elephants in musth randomly attacking villages or goring and killing other
animals without provocation so it’s not to be taken lightly.
We had had a similar tense moment in Amboseli. On that
occasion the bull elephant moved between our two vehicles. He was far angrier
than this Mara bull and he came bolting towards Kinaya and me who were in the
trail vehicle. I had to throw it into reverse and quickly back up about a
hundred meters or so until he stopped moving in our direction. They do this deep
rumbling noise when in musth and we just sat there in the vehicle watching and
listening as he blocked the road. Eventually we won the stare-down and he
slowly wandered on. It’s a thrill to see
them like this, kicking up dust and acting a bit crazy, but you really need to
watch what you’re doing.
* * *
Eventually we were able to return to the campsite for lunch.
We were pretty impressed with our first half day. We’d been to the Mara a
couple times before but this trip was shaping up to be a rather epic given what
we’d seen already. While lunch was being prepared, I wandered over the riverbank
to see what the hippos were up to. I happened to catch brawl between two males.
Wildebeest were roaming on the other side of the river and some vultures flew
overhead. There was so much to see without even leaving the campsite.
The one thing that was on our minds was catching the
Migration as it crossed the Mara River. This is an epic event but one that is sometimes
rather unpredictable. I’m not sure what I expected, like you’d see this kilometers-long
train of animals constantly moving to the river and you show up when you’re
ready to see it. In fact it’s a bit more sporadic than that. There are several
herds that move around, some move more obviously in the direction of the river,
but not always. When we went to one of the more prominent crossing locations
(where the banks of the river were sloped gradually enough for them to navigate
the descent as well as the ascent on the other side), we caught the animals as
they seemed to be mobilizing to cross. There’s this big moment of indecision
and you can sense the tension. A few inch closer to the water, then back up. Then
others inch forward. On this occasion they likely saw what we saw – a crocodile
hanging out in the water awaiting them. In the end they opted out. They did an
about-face and began to wander casually in the other direction. We, and about a
dozen other safari vehicles loaded with people, were obviously disappointed. However
we would find out that this is rather common. Guides do their best to anticipate
when there might be crossing but you’ll go for a couple days and there won’t be
any. Some days there are multiple crossings at different locations.
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topi & wildebeest in a moment of indecision
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It’s tough to find that balance between sitting there for
long periods of time watching them think it over, not knowing whether or not
they’ll go for it, versus spending your time driving around looking at all the
other amazing things that there are to see. Clearly, the Great Migration is an
incredible phenomenon. But as I look at it now, it’s about much more than just
the river crossing. Yes, it’s a crazy, interesting moment in the Migration but
it’s just one piece of it. One thing I found rather stunning was seeing the
thousands upon thousands of animals, mostly wildebeest but also topi and
zebras, spread out across the savanna as far as the eye could see. I also
found the drama at the riverbank, crossing or no crossing, to be fascinating –
nature mysteriously pushing them to put themselves at risk to move to greener
pastures. Somehow they know that their survival depends on them inevitably
moving on. Sometimes you have the “brave coward” who is the first to decide
that it’s not going to happen. He commits to the U-turn and others follow.
Other times you have momentum going, wildebeest charging at a gallop that push
and sometimes trample those toward the front to the point that some end up
being pushed into the water whether they are ready or not.
On this occasion, however, we saw no crossing. We would have
to try our luck another time. So we continued on, eventually doing a loop that
would take us around the full Triangle. It was a lot of driving but it gave us
a nice perspective of the full Masai Mara. Throughout the drive I allowed the
girls to sit on my lap and steer, sometimes for many kilometers. It’s a great
and safe way for them to practice their skills (and keep a 7 and 9-year-old
occupied).
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famous fig tree
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As evening approached, I was looking forward to retreating
to the tent early. I hadn’t slept well the night before and I was confident
that I would power sleep through this night, noise or no noise. I did hope to
be awake for a while, though, when the savanna comes alive. Once we were all
in our sleeping bags the darkness didn’t disappoint. Very soon the hyenas,
lions and who knows what began making their trademark sounds.
* * *
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king of the jungle
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Day 3: Game Drive, Serena & Another Crossing Attempt
The next day was similar in some ways to day 1 in the sense that we
saw lions early in the day (three males) and we had an enjoyable yet failed
attempt to see the Migration cross the river. We all shared the same hope that
we’d get to see it at some point but at the same time we did need to accept
that it might not happen. We kept inquiring of various safari guides and people
we would encounter along the way. Everyone seemed to have an opinion as to
when/if a crossing would happen and it was fascinating to see how varied these
opinions were. Some told us confidently that it would happen at this time or on
this day. Others said that it wouldn’t happen again for another couple days. It
was even hard to triangulate information given how varied it was. So again, the
idea was to balance time spent at crossing locations and time exploring
elsewhere.
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looking out across the Mara
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With the weather being rather warm and dusty, we decided to
take a break and go to the Serena, a hotel on an escarpment overlooking a vast
area of the Mara. Our cool boxes were losing their cool and a cold drink
sounded heavenly. The view up there is beautiful. As I saw the swimming pool,
there was a part of me that thought it would be nice to do a deluxe safari like
this at some point. But the camping experience we were having, being so
embedded in this amazing natural environment, was without parallel. It’s high
on my list of all-time wonderful travel experiences.
After the Serena we drove back one more time try to catch a crossing
of the river. The number of wildebeest had increased significantly. Some were moving
in the direction of the likely crossing point. The animals seemed to be primed
to go. The tension was there but in the end it didn’t happen. They once again
moved away from the banks of the river and all indication was that nothing
would happen on this occasion either. There seemed to be a consensus that we
should try again first thing in the morning. So off we went back to the campsite.
That evening a large herd of wildebeest was grazing adjacent
to our camp. I stood and watched, as close as I could without disturbing them,
as the sun gradually set. Sunrise and sunset have always been my two favorite
times of the day, but in the African savanna it’s pretty magical.
* * *
Day 4: More Lions & a Final Crossing Attempt
provided us another opportunity to see lions in the
morning. I don’t ever get tired of seeing lions in the wild. They’re such
powerful and beautiful creatures.
While we were in Amboseli, at one point Kinaya saw a
shooting star and made a wish. She didn’t tell us what it was for fear that would
make it not come true. As we were leaving the park we noticed that she was
shedding tears. When we asked her what was wrong she said it was that she had
wished to see a cheetah and it didn’t happen. It was so sad. We tried to tell
her that it’s very rare to see a cheetah and many people have been on safari
many times and never seen one. Nonetheless, I thought about that while in the
Mara and was quietly hoping that we could tick that box for her. The problem
was that rangers said they hadn’t seen any for a very long time and the chances
weren’t that great.
* * *
We eventually made our way to a potential Migration crossing
point to try again to catch this once-in-a-lifetime event. Like the cheetah, we
were prepared to accept that this wouldn’t happen. This was our last full day
in the Mara and we were running out of time. And I wasn’t going to spend the
entire day sitting there and waiting for it.
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waiting and watching
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We went to a location near the river where we’d been before,
shut off our engines and sat once again. There were several hundred wildebeest,
zebras and topi gathered near the riverbank but we knew that this was no indication
that they would necessarily take the plunge this morning. However we did see hundreds
more wildebeest snaking their way towards this herd by the river and the numbers
kept increasing. I was wondering if this influx of new wildebeest might put
additional pressure on them to bolt – energy pouring into the herd that might take
them to the tipping point.
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finally, the crossing, under the watchful eyes of the hippos
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After about twenty minutes sitting there, enjoying the warm,
sunny morning, I began to see the first splashes in the water. Finally, a
crossing was underway. Admittedly, it was quite exciting. Our cameras were filming
and clicking. We were a certain distance away so the zooms and binoculars were
quite helpful to see some of the detail. After about 20 minutes of watching
from our vantage point, I decided to move closer. You can’t drive through the
herd (or disturb them in any way) so we had to wait until the herd on our side
of the river had vacated and cleared the area where the road was.
I inched forward as close as I could and then stopped again.
From here we could see the animals much more closely, both on our side but also
on the other side of the river, drenched and galloping up the bank after
successfully avoiding the crocs. Mission accomplished for them. Mission
accomplished for us.
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on to greener pastures
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After finally witnessing the thrill of a Mara River crossing
of the Great Migration, we still thought we might be able catch a crossing at another
location on the river. Off we went, as did other safari vehicles. At the new
location it was the similar drill. Though the animals gathered in earnest, in
the end it didn’t happen. Satisfied with having seen the crossing, and feeling
some pangs of hunger, we eventually decided to return to camp. This would allow
us to have lunch and rest. We’d been going pretty hard for three days and it
was nice to settle in for a bit. The sun was hot and, being near the equator,
was directly overhead. Shade was in short supply so I headed towards the banks of
the river and found a spot directly under a tree. The croc and hippos were
strangely active for this time of day and it was nice to have a game drive without
the drive.
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happy to get this shot
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* * *
Day 5: Breaking Camp & Heading Home, with a Surprise
The next day, after four nights in the Mara, we broke camp. It
took a while given that we’d had a pretty elaborate set-up. As sad as it was to
leave such a pristine location, we all desperately needed showers and we could
still look forward to about an hour’s drive within the park on our way towards home. It wasn’t
completely over yet.
After cramming everything in the vehicles, off we went. A
little over a half-hour into the drive we saw some safari vehicles stopped by
the side of the road. As usual, it generally means that there is something to
see. It did cross my mind that this would further delay our arrival at home and,
after all we’d already seen, I thought that this had better be good or we’ll
just move on. But it was indeed good.
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| mom and the kids |
Though we hadn’t seen anything yet, a guy from another vehicle
told us that there was a cheetah and her cubs. Of course our hearts started
racing. No way in hell I wanted to miss this. Cheetahs? Way outside the
Triangle? I quickly turned the vehicle around and found a side “road” that would
take us closer. Sure enough, a beautiful mama cheetah and her cubs were sitting
in the shade of a bush. We sat and watched for about a half hour.
I’ve often said the cheetah is my favorite animal and there
is nothing like seeing one in the wild. It’s such a beautiful creature and a
thrilling way to end the safari. I turned to look at a smiling Kinaya as she
saw her wish come true at “beyond the eleventh hour” of the safari. I guess we’re
thankful for that shooting star 😊.
