My African Experience…… Satheesan

My first visit to Africa was in Nov 2016. Ninan and I decided to travel to Entebbe for an East African tour. Our friend Fazal who was based at Congo during that period, was the man behind that tour also. We had a week long drive through Uganda and Rwanda covering many places which changed my perception of Africa and the people over there. What I saw and experienced during my tour was diametrically opposite to what I had thought about Africa. Contrary to my perception, I was surprised to see lush green meadows, hills and more importantly very nice and polite people who spoke English fluently. A visit to different places in your life time is a must to understand the culture and the beauty that a country has to offer.

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This Kenyan trip was my second visit to Africa and I knew it’s going to be a different experience with a large group of 78 people mainly from CET-84 EE batch (College of Engineering Trivandrum) and their spouses and children. Even though, I am from a different batch of CET, I had travelled with the same group during their Malaysia visit, which made me more comfortable since I knew majority of the 78 friends who were going to be there. The name for this tour truly suggests the mood of this group which was “Nostalgia 84-ITFA 2018”. For this group, it was going to be a Nostalgic re union, as some of them were meeting for the first time after they left college in 1984 and it was Time for Africa (ITFA…)  too.

Majority of the people landed at Nairobi on the 19^th Oct from different parts of the world. The vehicle arrangement from airport was meticulously planned to pick up everyone from the airport to hotel without having to wait for a longtime at the airport. The first thing you observe on the street of Nairobi on our journey to the hotel is the traffic jam and the lack of public transport. Minibuses are used to transport people from one place to another and these vehicles parked on the road added to the traffic chaos. Another thing caught my attention was people selling water bottles and other items standing right on the middle of the road. Many of the shops on the road side were of temporary in nature with tin roofs and walls.

By evening all 78 of us had reached the Windsor golf resort at Nairobi. It is an excellent golf resort with an impressive victorian style cottages over looking the golf course. We had assembled around 5 pm and had a briefing by our leader Fazal who took the pain of undertaking the complete responsibility of coordinating the tour along with his team and the tour operator. Even though, the tour operator was organizing it, for all of us Fazal was the Single point of contact for anything and everything. All team leaders were also introduced and talked about their area of responsibility and how they are planning to execute this trip of 8 days. Then the entire crowd was interacting with each other trying to catch up with everyone. Some of them even had difficulty in recognizing each other as they haven’t met for 35 years or more!

In the evening there was a cultural program by local dancers followed by dinner.The organizers tried to bring in Indian element wherever we went by adding few Indian delicacies to the menu. Even the dancers danced to some beautiful Bollywood numbers. It was an excellent program with some beautiful dance moves and acrobatics by the performers. When the mood got up, some of our friends also joined them and did shake their legs and hips to some Bollywood numbers.Youngsters of the group even tried to do some acrobatics!

Next day (20^th Oct) we had planned for a morning walk to capture the beauty of this golf course. The hotel had various designated walking tracks of 5/3kms stretch and many of us started walking in small groups, by taking few snaps en-route capturing the scenic beauty this place has to offer.

We checked out from this hotel after breakfast and were to move to Ol-Pajeta conservancy and have lunch at Serena sweet waters Tented camp. The transport arrangement was planned by Mr. Ramesh taking all aspects of travel, timings,enroute stops etc. There were 13 Toyota land cruiser safari vans each accommodating 6/7 travellers per vehicle. He had designated 13 vehicle captains who will be in charge of that particular vehicle for the entire tour of 8 days.The other members will be shifted to different vehicles on each day, which ensured interaction between different members of the group during their journey. It was an excellent idea to bring the group closer and to make it moreinteractive.

We reached the hotel and had a quick lunch before proceeding for the visit to the Chimpanzee sanctuary. The aim of this sanctuary is to provide lifelong refuge to orphaned and abused chimpanzees from West and Central Africa. Over the last decade, the Sanctuary has been compelled to keep accepting chimpanzees rescued from traumatic situations. Many are confiscated from cramped and unnatural living conditions, and many arrive with horrific injuries sustained from abuse at the hands of humans. Here at this sanctuary,they get a chance to start their life all over. We also visited a camp where rescued Rhinos were housed, where one of the Rhino was blind and we could touch and feed this Rhino.

In the evening, we started our game drive and we were lucky to spot a lion crossing the road in front of our vehicle. In the evening after the dinner we had a small music session. The night sleep in the tented accommodation was perfect after a tiring day. The location of the hotel is so good, and in the morning we woke up to the chirping of birds and once you come out to the veranda you can see animals grazing few feet away. It was an Ideal location fora morning walk and to enjoy the sun rise and scenic beauty.

The next day (21 Oct), after an early breakfast, we set course to Lake Naivasha which was about 5 hrs drive from here. In every drive from one place to another, we always had a mid-break at some convenient place. We reached the Sopa Lodge around 3 pm and checked in to the room after lunch. This lodge is setup in a huge area of grassland studded with Acacia bushes and trees. The resort is not only home for giraffe, waterbuck and both Vervet and Colobus monkeys,but it is also a night stop for the hippos when they leave the lake every night to come eat the grass on the lawns. The rooms were spacious and provide an excellent view from the balcony.

Around 5pm, We went for a boat ride at Lake Naivasha. It is a freshwater lake in the Kenya section of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, and is located at northwest of Nairobi with the town of Naivasha on its north eastern shore. At about 6,000 ft above sea level, the lake is at the highest point in the Kenyan rift, and is set in a complex geological combination of volcanic rocks and sedimentary deposits from a much larger Pleistocene era lake. Since the lake’s underground outflow might perhaps be limited in size, the lake has a surface area of between 140 and 180km² depending on the rainfall. It has an average depth of 6 meters, and its deepest point of 30 meters is off Crescent Island which is a wild life conservation area.

Lake Naivasha is home to a wide variety of wildlife including a sizeable population of hippos which usually invade the hotel premises during their nightly forays for food. Being a freshwater lake, it also has a healthy fish population to include Black bass, Tilapia and Crayfish which attract a variety of fish-eating birds such as Long-tailed and Great Cormorants, along with Fish Eagles,Pelicans, and various types of Kingfishers. 

The next day (22 Oct), after a morning walk and a group photo session, the team departed for Masai mara. The drive was hectic and the last leg of about 60 Kms was really a bad stretch. We reached Azure mara haven Hotel at Masai Mara by 4Pm. After a quick lunch, we decided to visit the masai village.

The word ‘mara’ means spotted, which refers to both the landscape, patched with groves of acacia and thorn bushes as well as the red colour of the earth that pushes through grass.

As we reached the Masai village the head (the ‘moopan’) with a special head gear made of lion skin greeted us and welcomed to his village. Another lady was the guide who spoke fluent English and took us through the rest of the tour of their village explaining their traditions and customs.  The masai wear red to stand out in the bush as a precaution against wild animals. Some of their decorative jewellery also makes a warning noise to scare off animals. We were given lessons on fire making and were taken to one of the huts to show how they live and what they eat, the type of vessels used etc. Then there was a shopping place to showcase their products. Certain things appeared to be staged to attract tourists. Knowing their culture and traditions, interacting with them and also few dance moves with the masais  are worth remembering for many years. Time with these regal, proud and incredibly simple and beautiful people was a gift that taught values and traditions creating over memories.

At every hotel, we were received by a group of people in their traditional attire and they sang and danced along with us. They even obliged to take photographs with them by wearing their ornaments and red blankets.

Next day (23 Oct) after an early breakfast, we started our game drive. A Wildlife Safari in the Maasai Mara was full of beauty and wonder, with frequent sightings of the Big 5 (Lions, Elephants, Leopards, Buffalo and Rhinoceros). Unfortunately, we could not see a leopard but the rest of big 5 we could see very closely. This place also hosts the Great Wildebeest Migration,voted as one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Africa”, where more than 1 million Wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of Zebras swim cross the crocodile infested Mara river.

All the drivers were excellent at their job, well behaved and knowledgeable. Their ability to spot animals and to explain about each animal and the precautions one need to observe during the drive are commendable.  

Most staffs at hotels are local Maasai and have grown up in local villages bordering the Mara. The drive was a full day drive with packed lunch. We could spot many animals including a cheetah and many lions very close by.  Most surprising fact was that all these animals gave minimal attention to our presence. This was an experience to be seen to be believed!

On 24^th Oct, around 10 members from the team went for an optional balloon ride while others continued with the game drive. We could spot about 10 lions resting after a sumptuous meal. The left over of their hunt was being eaten by vultures. In this drive also we could see many animals like lions, giraffes, wildebeests, zeebras elephants etc. After the drive, we travelled to Nairobi and had lunch en route. We reached Nairobi in the evening by 7 pm and checked in to Royal Orchid Azure hotel.

Next day (25 Oct) we had a visit to the Daphne Elephant orphanage, which is located in a secluded area of the Nairobi national park, where orphaned baby elephants amongst other animals are taken care of by a dedicated team of conservationists. At 1100 hrs, the baby elephants were brought from the national park for a mud bath at the orphanage, where for an hour you can get close to them and feed them too..

Then we visited Giraffe center which was established in order to protect the endangered giraffe,found only in the grasslands of East Africa. The main attraction for visitors is feeding giraffes from a raised observation platform.

In the evening, it was the final assembly with few musical and dance programs. Then our organisers also joined and gave us mementoes to make our trip memorable.There were many emotional speeches thanking the tour operator (Sadhguru), the organisers and the leader Fazal and his team.

The next day was for shopping and many from the group started going back to their respective locations from afternoon onward. One group had planned a visit to Egypt for another 4 days. Hats off to the organisers/leaders of the group who volunteered to ensure all the members are comfortable till the end despite their discomfort and sleepless nights. 

Overall,it was a wonderful experience for me and Nirmala in Kenya along with 78 friends.  Personally, this trip also gave me an opportunity to meet up with many of my old friends (my juniors in CET), whom I have not seen for last 3 decades.  It was heartening to note that despite all these years, the age has not caught up with their spirits and together we made this trip a really memorable one. Well, I am sure, the fun,  the safari experience and the good times we had throughout this tour are going to linger in our minds for a long time.  Till we meet again, let us all enjoy the beautiful sights and thrills of our African Safari.