Back to Africa - What Happens When Things Go Wrong?

I'm travelling back in my mind to continue with the African Travel Agent Study Tour of Kenya.

Soggy Travel Agents

My last African blog post had us arriving in Maasai Mara National Park and unpacking our bags in the glorious Sand River Luxury Tented Camp.   We had scheduled a sunrise balloon tour of The Mara for the next morning which meant we had to rise at 3:30 a.m. in order to make the 2+ hour drive to the rendezvous spot.  Stewards bearing hot coffee awakened us with a knock on the door...one of the little luxuries of life on safari.  

During the night, heavy rains had poured down on the tent, so we knew the roads would not be good.  By the time we gathered in the reception area, the rains had settled into a drizzle, but everyone was in a good humour anticipating our adventure and so we collected our rain gear and headed into the dark night.  I was in the front seat behind the driver.  About a half hour into the drive we landed with a thud.  Stuck!  The other Land Rover was unable to pull us out, so it was decided to continue on with everyone crowded into the second vehicle. 

Me and Mirlin

I was the first to get out of the stuck Rover, and by the light of a flashlight, I stepped onto a small, soggy island formed by two deep water-filled ruts.  It wobbled and I stepped very carefully so as not to slide into the water.  I was lucky.  The island collapsed by the time the last passenger descended and she went crotch high into the water.  In the second Land Rover, I occupied the last and highest seat in the rear with three other passengers.  After losing so much time, the second driver wanted to catch up.  He sped through the night slipping and sliding on the saturated roads.  Suddenly...BOOM!  The Land Rover flew over a large bump,  sending the three of us in the back high into the air and thumping our heads on the roll bar.  We stopped to examine the damage and found three passengers had bloody lumps on their heads.  After a short, soggy discussion, we decided to plod on.  

Talek River entrance to Maasai Mara

The Swollen Talek River

We finally reached our destination, another tented camp, this one on the Talek River.  The sun was just beginning to lighten the grey, cloudy sky and we were glad to exit the Land Rovers.  After examining our wounds and looking at the grey morning, we decided to abandon our plans for the balloon ride.  Merlin, our African Travel escort, arranged for us to be served a hot buffet breakfast and also arranged for us to have temporary use of the camp's rooms to shower and recover.  Our bodies felt the trauma even though no permanent damage had been done.  Mirlin was our hero, making all arrangements efficiently and without being asked.  That just goes to show the value of booking your African trip with a company you can count on to take care of things when they go wrong.  And when you travel, things can almost assuredly go wrong.  Thank you, African Travel!

The next decision involved whether to continue with the scheduled afternoon activity -- a visit to a Maasai boma.  Happily, we unanimously said "yes" to that, and it will be the subject of my next blog. 

From Canyon to Canyon

Canyon de Chelly Overlook

We started our summer road trip at the Grand Canyon and finished at the Canyon de Chelly.  While not as magnificent or as well known as the Grand Canyon, the Canyon de Chelly has an interesting human history.  It is currently home to the Navajo Indians and a National Monument.  It's steep sandstone walls hide a river bed that is often dry, but is still farmed by Navajos.  If you look closely at the photo, you can see rows of crops as well as cattle wandering up the canyon.  The canyon has been one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes in the U.S.  It is home to rock art and Ancient Puebloan ruins. 

The gateway to the monument is the town of Chinle, where we stopped and Dwight enjoyed a Navajo taco.  Canyon de Chelly National Monument is located entirely within the boundaries of the Navajo reservation and its operation is a joint venture between the U.S. Park Service the tribe.  To access the Canyon you must be accompanied by a Park Ranger or a Navajo guide; however, one foot trail from the rim into the canyon which visits the "White House" ruins is open to the unaccompanied public.   The highways which run along both the north and south sides of the canyon have overlooks, only one of which we found that was accessible.  Dessert landscape surrounds the canyon. 

We were in touch with the man tiling our floor as we progressed through Arizona and were finally given permission to go home.  We arrived to a new floor, some of which was taped off because it was still drying, and a living room full of  stacked and covered furniture.  It would be awhile before our lives could get back in order, but it was good to be home in spite of the smoke which filled the Animas Valley and our house in the early morning.  The good news was the coming of rain which has continued and finally begun quenching the fire.  The first sign of the impending rain was a long line of dark cloud exuding moisture.  I've been told that the Hopi Indians call this walking rain.  Nothing could provide a better welcome home from our summer road trip! 

Walking rain over the 416 fire

Sanctuary!

Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa

Sunset from our Sanctuary terrace

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa is aptly named.  It fits the description of both dictionary meanings for sanctuary:  1) a place of refuge or safety, and 2) a nature reserve.  We were road weary when we arrived at Sanctuary and were ushered into a cool, comfortable suite with a terrace overlooking the sunset.  Our Durango friends wondered why anyone would head to Scottsdale from Durango during the heat of summer, but we were using the excuse of a one-day travel agent conference to escape from the Smoke of the 416 fire and also vacate our house while our kitchen was being re-tiled.  While the heat in Arizona topped out at 111 degrees, the locals kept telling us that it was a dry heat and we would get used to it.  I didn't believe them, but after three nights at the Sanctuary with summer rates to assuage the heat, we definitely felt cool and comfortable.

A Sanctuary suite.  Note the butterfly on the wall which
honors Sanctuary's status as a nature reserve

The resort began its life as John Gardiner's Tennis Ranch.  It was built during the 70's heyday of the sport and served the rich and famous such as professionals Ken Rosewall and Billie Jean King and Hollywood luminaries like Clint Eastwood, Liza Minnelli and John Carson. The featured event during its heyday was the Senator's Cup, a charity event which pitted Democrat and Republican Congressmen against each other back in the days when political rivalry was still a friendly competition. The resort gradually lost its focus on tennis as the popularity of the sport faded, but to keep the resort from disappearing and becoming just another upscale development, fans bought the land and dedicated it as a nature reserve so the resort could continue to provide refuge for man and beast. It's even a dog-friendly resort, so you don't have to leave your best friend at home.

Butterfly blessing

There's really no reason to leave the Sanctuary since it has a well-known and locally popular elegant restaurant in Elements, a comfortable bar in the Jade Bar, an absolutely gorgeous infinity pool, and a magnificent spa.  We did decide to leave, however, to check out the unique Butterfly Wonderland, where Dwight was blessed by a butterfly.  Summer time in Scottsdale -- elegant accommodations at good prices, good food, neat attractions -- great destination for an old-fashioned road trip.

Detour

 I'm leaving Africa behind for a short while to take a detour on an old-fashioned American road trip.  A one-day travel conference caused us to schedule a trip to Scottsdale on a Wednesday of the last week of June.  That is not an ideal time for one to leave the clear mountain air of Durango for the hot desert sun of southern Arizona, but it provided us with an opportunity to get out of the house while our kitchen was re-tiled.  It was also an opportunity for us to get out of the smokey fog surrounding Durango from the 416 fire.  So we packed our bags and headed south.  Our plan, since we wanted to be gone at least a week, was to take two days to complete the journey to Scottsdale,three nights there, and two days coming back.

Our first decision was where to stop on the first night out.  We, of course, opted for detouring through the Grand Canyon, but were uncertain if we could find reasonable lodging.  I remembered some controversy earlier about incorporating a town just to the south of the National Park, so we drove through the park and, sure enough found the town of Tusayan.  It almost all looks brand new!  According to Wikipedia, it was only recently incorporated with a total population of 558, but the incorporation was unpopular with some and they are fighting it.  Typical Western politics.  I stopped at the Holiday Inn Express; they had a room, but it was $250 for the night. 

I thought that too extravagant for a Holiday Inn and drove away, but next door found a little gem of a motel from the 50's called the 7 Mile Inn.  The "vacancy" sign was lit, so I walked in.  A friendly, smiling woman came from a back room that looked like her living room and signed us in for $109 plus tax for the night.  The motel was almost engulfed by two new behemoth hotels which surrounded it.  I think we had found the incorporation opposition.  The 7 Mile Lodge accepts only drive-in traffic, so it doesn't have the expense of a reservation service or on-line booking engine, but they have old-fashioned friendly owners, meticulously clean rooms, and all the amenities including free wi-fi at a great price. 

Brunch at the El Tovar Hotel

The next morning we rose early and drove back into the Park (thank you, Golden Passport) for breakfast and to feed on the view once again.  I had forgotten how spacious the "Grand Canyon Village" was with markets, hotels, overlooks, and trail heads. We ended up at the old El Tovar Hotel which was built as a Harvey House at the end of the railway in the early 20th century.  It's been recently remodeled and proudly occupies its prime spot at the edge of the South Rim.  The hotel itself reminded me of the Strater Hotel in Durango with its period furniture. And, best of all, breakfast was superb.  Good detour!

Sand River Maasai Mara Tented Camp

Keekorak Airstrip, Maasai Mara National Reserve

We departed the Laikipia plains and flew southwest to the Maasai Mara National Reserve on the 16 of April.  The Mara became a National Reserve in 1974.  It is contiguous with the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania and the Kenya government wanted to take advantage of the tourist attraction known as The Great Migration.  The Great Migration takes place year-round as zebra, wildebeest, gazelle and other plains game follow the rains and the good grass.  And, of course, where the plains game goes, the big cats (lion, leopard, and cheetah) are sure to follow.  The circle begins (or ends) in the southern Serengeti from December to May and reaches its peak in the Mara from October to November.  Without hyperbole, I can say that it is the most stunning display of wildlife to be seen on earth.  Because there's always migration going on at some point between the Serengeti and the Mara, it makes for a perfect vacation from May through the winter. The equator passes through the center of Kenya so the temperature typically doesn't vary much.  Much of the country is also at altitude; if you can read the Keekorok sign you can tell it is over 5500 feet.  There are two rainy seasons, however, the short rains in the fall and the long rains in the spring and the long rains are the only time not recommended to visit, although we saw all the game we could handle.  If the Great Migration is not on your bucket list, it should be!

Room at Sand River Masai Mara Tented Camp

Of the three camps we visited on our Study Tour, the Sand River Tented Camp was my favorite.  The 16 spacious tents are spread out along the banks of the Sand River which marks the boundary between Kenya and Tanzania.  Since the surrounding area is not fenced, wildlife can wander freely through the entire area.  Each tent is furnished in a style matching early 20th-century colonial furnishings evoking the romance of early explorers, complete with a Hemingway-style writing desk in the sitting room, canopied beds, and a huge footed bathtub.  Perhaps it was the bathtub which made it my favorite since a hot bath qualifies as my cure for whatever ails you.  If a bathtub isn't to your taste, however, Sand River tents also offer an outside shower. 

Hippo in the river

While it doesn't have the great soaring vistas of Loisaba, Sand River is the perfect place to sit with a sundowner on your patio while watching hippos wallowing in the river waters and monkeys jumping through the trees on the opposite bank.  The river was running high since we were there at the height of the long rains which have been particularly heavy this year.     

We had all booked a sunrise balloon ride over the Mara for the next morning and after signing documents and getting a briefing on the balloon adventure, we all went to bed early.  We were to leave the Sand River Camp at 4:30 the next morning and were told to expect an hour's drive to the balloon launching.  We were really looking forward to the adventure.  Little did we know how much and what kind of adventure awaited us.

Elephants, Camels and Sky Beds

Spot the Leopard

 We found more wildlife in Loisaba than I had anticipated.  The Loisaba bush lacks the tall grasses of the plains of the Lewa Conservancy; it is rockier and more purely bush country.  At a man-made water hole, we saw the largest herd of elephants I can recall seeing so up-close and personal in all my years of game viewing.  A leopard lounging in a tree provided a rare viewing of that animal, although I have no photographic proof that the leopard exists unless you count a photo of a tree with a long dotted branch swaying the breeze.  One negative factor in the Loisaba bush is the presence of an invasive species of prickly pear cactus that was originally imported into Africa to provide fencing.  The cactus plants now outnumber the African thorn bushes.  I remember going on hunts in this area when I lived in Kenya in the early 70s.  Almost all of the Laikipia plains were private ranches and many of them leased hunting blocks. 

Camels and lunch

Game viewing is hard and we were relieved to round a bush and find a table set for food and libation.  Our bush lunch in Loisaba offered the opportunity to take a camel ride.  The camel rides, as well as the the mountain biking expeditions and horseback rides offered by Loisaba, are possible because Loisaba is a private conservancy.  Wildlife viewing is more closely regulated in Kenya and Tanzania's national parks which require closed vehicles for tourists.  Loisaba is hoping that the more active wildlife viewing options, along with the elegant tented camp, will draw millennial travelers. 

Loisaba Sky Bed

One of the unique offerings of Loisaba is their sky beds.  Comfortable double beds with feather duvets are built on car tires and rest inside a thatched shelter.  The beds (and their occupants) are rolled out at night on to an open platform where two lucky people spend the night under the clear African skies, counting the innumerable stars and locating the Southern Cross.  They wake with the sun to a cup of hot tea or coffee delivered to their bed while they watch the elephant bath in the water hole below.  The Sky Bed units even have one made for families with two double beds and a small "crib".  Each unit has its own "facilities", and there is a comfortable central lounge and dining area where guests can gather and share their safari experiences.

Sky Bed washroom, family room and viewing platform overlooking the waterhole.

In the afternoon, the Camp host treated us to a "back of the house" tour of the Tented Camp.  The most amazing things there were the ONE (yes, only one) washing machine that providing clean sheets, towels and laundry to the entire camp, and the water treatment and storage area.  If you'd like to try glamping in Africa, think of Loisaba!

Loisaba - Better Together

Cheers! at the Lewa Air Strip

Bidding us farewell from
Lewa Safari Camp

Our glamping adventure continued on the morning of 16 April when we packed up and were transported to a cloudy, misty Lewa Air Strip.  The mist prevented us from seeing the other side of the air strip, and it looked like we would be spending another night at Lewa Safari Camp.  In typical Safari Camp fashion, however, our drivers broke out the Sundowner supplies and we toasted our situation with cold Tusker beers.  It must have brought us luck because shortly thereafter the skies cleared, our airplane arrived, and we were quickly transported to the other side of the Laikipia plains to the Loisaba air strip.

At Loisaba, were greeted by our drivers and invited to enter a display hall which told the story of the Loisaba Conservancy whose motto is "Better Together."  It explained how the local population, which previously had often poached animals on the plains of Laikipia, had bought into the value of tourism and game conservation.  The conservancies on the plains have joined together with the government to form the Northern Rangelands Trust.  Local pastoralists still graze their herds on the plains, but they are taught how to conserve grazing lands and over-grazing which was previously widespread, has disappeared; farmers are taught modern farming techniques and gifted with manure fertilizer collected from the bomas (corrals) of the pastoralists; poaching which was previously widespread, has diminished to next to nothing.  Wildlife, specifically those subject to the most poaching such as elephant, rhino, and lion, are banded with radio receivers and their movements tracked.  Rangers patrol the area constantly.  Ranger headquarters are equipped with computers, GPS tracking systems, helicopters, and dogs used to direct anti-poaching activity. The area has not had a rhino poached in over three years. Like the Lewa Conservancy, the Loisaba Conservancy has been a win-win for the game and for the local community.

Our glamping headquarters for the next two nights would be Loisaba Tented Camp.  The camp occupies a stunning location at the top of an escarpment.  Tents are lined up along the edge of the cliff and each has a splendid view of the valley below where a large water hole attracts plentiful game in the dry season. 

Deck of the lounge/bar area of Loisaba Tented Camp
after a refreshing rain

Infinity Pool at Loisaba Tented Camp

Loisaba is a newer and a little more luxurious camp than Lewa, but somehow it lacked the warmth of Lewa.  Maybe it was the mist and rain which dampened the mood.  Our rooms were huge, luxurious, with better plumbing than Lewa, and the view from their patios spectacular.  At any rate, it was a festive day because two of our members were celebrating birthdays on this trip and the party went on into the night, although yours truly has to admit to an early bedtime.  Nevertheless, snug in my tent, I could hear the strains of Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata late into the night and feel the joy of another night in Africa.   

On Safari

In the lions' den.

"Safari" is a kiswahili word extracted from the Arabic "safara" and originally meaning merely "journey"  From that, it came to mean hunting for big game in the bush of East Africa.  In contemporary times, it means hunting for game with a camera rather than a gun.  For me, a safari is a uniquely East African occupation.  One does not go "on safari" to South Africa, rather one tours there -- the pursuit of game is not the sole reason for the journey.  If your bucket list includes safari, East Africa is the place for you.  No place can equal the landscape or the plenitude of the game in Kenya, Tanzania, and increasingly once again Uganda. 

Our Driver, Dennis

An East African safari is centered around "game drives" which usually take place twice a day, in the early morning and late afternoon, the times during which game is most active hunting or feeding.  Animals are sensible enough to hunker down during the hot noon-day hours. 

A rare solitary hyena.

Male impala

Game watching on safari is a competitive sport.  Gaggles of tourists bundle themselves into Land Rovers, closed and open, mini-vans, and other assorted vehicles and head out with a sense of adventure.  (My personal "safari vehicle" when I lived in Kenya was a Volkswagen Beetle which could bump along off-road with the best of them. The African veldt does not have the huge boulders and rocks we have in Colorado.)  From the time you depart the tented camp, the competition begins to see who can spot the most game, both in number and variety.  Extra points are awarded for sightings of the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, Cape buffalo, and rhino).

Our group was divided into two cars, and we set out on our first game drive with great anticipation. The Laikipia plains were full of animals and we gazed with awe at herds of impala, ostrich, zebra, and elephants, along with big birds such as bustard and ostrich.  Our Turkana driver was very knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy the animals as much as we did.  One of our number spotted a leopard in a bush, and we were off tracking the leopard as she enticed us on by showing her spots here and there meandering through the bushland.  Our guide radioed the other vehicle to let them know of the sighting.  They arrived shortly thereafter and the leopard, of course, stopped near their car and posed for close-up photos!  Later our driver learned by radio contact that the other vehicle  had spotted two rhino in the act of fornication!  We rushed off to join that party, but by the time we arrived, the two had separated and the male was trailing after the female, spraying his scent and pleading with her to return. 

Game Drive Bragging Points:  Our group: 1/2 point for leopard sighting; Their group: 2 points for rhino fornication and leopard photos.  The game was on!

Bush Sundowner

Mother giraffe with newborn

The day had begun with a bush breakfast (see last post).  It ended with a bush sundowner, that is, a drink to toast the ending of the day.  And, it was on the way to the sundowner that we saw the greatest view of the day.  A giraffe had just given birth and we sat with hushed voices and watched as the mother encouraged the baby to get up and take his first steps.  We were all winners!  Safari! What an experience!   

Glamping at Lewa Safari Camp - 14-16 April 2018

Our tent at Lewa Safari Camp

"Glamping" is a new and popular term in the U.S., but it must've been invented in Africa.  The concept is to experience nature without depriving yourself of modern conveniences, such as toilets and kitchens.  Africa's tented game camps fit that description to a "T" with a lot of luxury thrown in.  Lewa Safari Camp consists of 11 safari tents, each with en-suite bathrooms and a spacious veranda.  There is also a viewing blind overlooking a waterhole, a cozy sitting room with fireplace, a nice dining area and, of course, a swimming pool. 

Lewa Safari Camp is a part of the Elewana Collection, a group of boutique camps and lodges throughout East Africa owned or managed by the Elewana Corporation.  Elewana comes from a kiswahili word  that means "harmony" and "understanding" and all of their sites are specially designed to take advantage of the unique and iconic landscapes of Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. 

Lewa Safari Camp hosts Sacha and Tam see us off on a game drive.

The hosts of each camp establish the mood of the camp, and our hosts at Lewa, Sacha and Tam, were incredibly warm and welcoming.  We felt like personal guests, not paying guests.  It was very much a family atmosphere.  Since it was a bit rainy and cool while we were there (April and May are called the "long rains" in Kenya), we especially appreciated the warm fire always burning in the lodge area.  The food was plentiful and good...as were the drinks.  We were introduced to the uniquely African cocktail called a Dawa (the kiswahili word for "medicine).  The tented camp experience is truly all-inclusive.   Game drives are included and drivers are generally longtime and very experienced employees of the camps.  Drinks and snacks are sent out on the Land Rovers on twice-daily game drives.   Even better than that, the luxury tented camps love to surprise guests with bush breakfasts and evening sundowners (drinks) highlighting morning and evening drives. 

The Chef for the Bush Breakfast 

The bush "loo".

Our bush breakfast offered stunning views of the Laikipia Plains and Mount Kenya.  The table was formally set and we all enjoyed a trip to the bush loo and a hand wash before digging in to pancakes, eggs, bacon or ham, fruit, sweetbreads, and other assorted goodies.  Looking into the valley, we were treated to a herd of elephant working their way through their bush breakfast. 

Our first  day at Lewa would provide us with the most sun we would see during our stay in Kenya, and we appreciated the beautiful views of distant mountains.  Because of the rains, the grass was high, but that didn't prevent us from seeing a wide variety of game, from the numerous herds of elephant, impala, zebra and eland to huge bustard birds, ostriches, and small and delicate crested cranes.  Perhaps most exciting the Lewa Conservancy offered us the rare opportunity to see many rhino, both black and white. 

As travel agents, our group quickly bonded around our shared vocation and the special experience of the African bush.  The total of ten was a perfect number.  A trip is definitely improved if it is shared.  Game drives, tented camps, and the awe-inspiring views of the African bush teeming with game, provide a great venue for making new friends and solidifying older relationships by sharing special experiences.  If you haven't visited East Africa, you should definitely put it on your bucket list!

A morning toast. 

Nairobi to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, 13 April 2018

I'll take up the thread of this blog more than three weeks after my return having had time to reflect on the experience.

Lewa Conservancy Air Strip

After a short sleep and a delicious breakfast at the Hemingway Hotel in Nairobi, we gathered for the short flight to Lewa Conservancy.  Because of our travel by light aircraft, we were limited to 32 pounds total baggage packed in soft-sided luggage. The short and comfortable flight departed from Wilson Airport, a small airport close to Nairobi built to handle the many regional flights to safari lodges and Kenya's secondary cities.  Flying from safari lodge to safari lodge is definitely an improvement in the time required to visit many different wildlife areas, but I regret not being able to enjoy the beauties of the Kenyan countryside.  The drive from Nairobi to Laikipia's capital city Nanyuki is only 121 miles on paved roads, and it offers many beautiful sites, from well manicured shambas (farms) to the bustle of Nanyuki itself, a small, vibrant African community, and from the Great Rift Valley to a view of the Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya.  But we bypassed all of that by air and were delivered to the Lewa Conservancy air strip, where we were met by drivers from the Lewa Safari Camp.

The Laikipia Plateau is shown in red. 

Mt. Kenya seen from the Laikipia Plateau 

The Conservancy model for wildlife management came about because of the steady loss of wildlife, 70% during the last 30 years according to the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), a key economic contributor to tourism. According to the KWCA, "Conservancies offer hope. A wildlife conservancy is land managed by an individual landowner, a body or corporate group of owners, or a community for purposes of wildlife conservation and other compatible land uses to better livelihoods.  By placing communities at the center of wildlife conservation and improving conservation incentives, conservancies in Kenya are securing livelihoods while reversing wildlife decline, resulting in the protection of Kenya's iconic wildlife for future generations."  A key driver of poaching and wildlife-related violence has always been the competing pressures from farmers, whose crops can be destroyed in minutes by a troop of baboons or marauding elephants, and pastoralists who require more and more grazing land for their herds and have over-grazed many areas of Kenya. 

Herds of elephant wander freely on the Lewa Conservancy

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013, started as a refuge area for rhinoceros.  It's goal is the use of wildlife to support the local community and give them a stake in wildlife conservation.  Funds from tourism in the Conservancy support local clinics, schools, micro-credit programs for women, adult education, improved grazing and farming techniques, and water projects.  As a result of the community buy-in, the Conservancy has not had one rhino poached in the last three years.  A conservancy has more leeway than National Parks in how they allow tourists to view wildlife...on walking safaris, riding camels, etc. In spite of recent rains and tall grass, we saw an amazing assortment of animals in our two days in the Conservancy.

Airport Reflections

This should be the closing post of the Kenyan trip blog, but electronics and fatigue have prevented me from posting until now.  I will eventually report on the daily events, but now I'm seated in the United Club in Denver awaiting my final flight home and reflecting on the quote given on the home page of this blog:  "Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in this world."  Everyone here (including me) are occupied with their screens...cell phones, laptops, tablets.  Even in the African bush we were occupied with our screens -- cell phones and camera view screens.

Watching the game on the African veldt, I wondered what they were thinking.  It seems to be four things which occupy their thoughts:  1) where is the food?  2) how do I get it to my mouth? 3) are there predators near? 4) what is my nearest escape route?  Somewhere in the mists of time human being developed the capacity for language and began to reflect on other important things...like, where is the bar? where can I recharge my electronics? when does my next pay check arrive? will it be enough to cover my bills? why does that person have more than me? why did I not get enough "likes" on my FB page?  where's the food?  where's the bar?

I've told people that a trip to Africa can change their lives, but I've always had trouble explaining why I thought so.  I still can't explain it, but it has something to do with accepting the mysteries of life without question, its beauty and its harshness.  Maybe language has prevented that process.  Now...where's the food? where's the bar? Like Scarlett, I'll think about it tomorrow.

Aaahhhh......Africa

Who was it that said, "You can't go home again?"  That's probably true, but you can recognize a place as home when you return, despite changes in you and in that place.  Home is truly portable.  I have always felt at home in Africa, and I'm happy that has not changed.  I also recognize the features of Durango that remind me of Africa and make me feel at home--the endless sky, the changing light, the bush that mixes harshness with beauty.  When we arrived at Jomo Keyatta airport, I felt like I had come home.

I'm here with 7 other travel agents on a study tour.  I'd love to share this beautiful place with clients, but I need to update my current knowledge.  I shouldn't be sending people to the Thorn Tree bar at the New Stanley Hotel since I just learned that the thorn tree has been cut down.  Unfortunately, we will have no time to explore Nairobi.  After a long journey from Washington Dulles Airport, including a long layover in Amsterdam, we did not arrive at our destination until after 9 p.m.  A long ride to Hemingways Hotel and we crashed, only to be up early the next morning to catch a flight to our first destination -- Lewa Safari Lodge in Lewa Conservancy.

Packing Light

Another airport, another lounge, another long day looking forward to another long airplane ride...oh well, it sounded like a good idea.  Actually, I've paced this trip with deference to my age, and it seems to be working well so far, except for the horrible bronchitus which attacked me before I left. I actually almost met the 32 pound weight limit, only one pound over.  Yesterday, I flew from Durango to Washington, DC, and am currently waiting for my KLM flight to Amsterdam where we connect to Nairobi.  It's a loooong trip.  I'm in sitting around in waiting mode, trying hard not to think too much.  Audible books downloaded ✔. Kindle books downloaded ✔. Soothing music downloaded ✔  Comfortable clothes ✔.  Travelling companion...oops.  I find I'm missing my travelling companion of 45 years.  But this is a travel agent study tour and I already met a couple of the agents going along, so travelling companions will appear in due time ✔.  Now I just have to survive two 8+ hour flights and all the discomfort that entails. 

But, Africa is calling and I must go.