Anyway, around 10:30, he decided the vehicle would take too long to get to the hotel, just to go back out the same way, so he called a friend to drive us out to meet the safari wagon.
All so far still sounds simple- it couldn‘t stay that way ... once on the road, in a nicely appointed Range Rover, we got caught in a traffic jam- there had been a bad accident on what was the sole route out in our direction. Net result was a magical mystery tour of the back streets of Nairobi, which really underlined the difference between the haves and have nots – plush villas and estates cheek by jowl with corrugated iron shanty towns. In any case, we eventually found our way out of town, and met my driver on the outskirts of Nairobi. Having thought I was doing well in the Range Rover, I rather expected to have a similar quality of transport through the journey to come. I was a little taken aback to find that actually I was to travel in what looked like a beat up old Toyota van. I was introduced to John, who is to be my constant companion for the next 7 days, and climbing aboard, we finally set off on the great adventure.
The plan had been to arrive at the first camp for lunch, then set out on a game drive. In the event, we were so late that John suggested eating en route, and going straight to the reserve. The first part of the journey was fairly straightforward, but as we entered the rift valley, there was a dramatic change of scenery.
Having stopped for the obligatory tourist photo,
and indulged in some retail therapy, we pressed on towards the Masai Mara. Round about this time, I passed out, so can’t say a lot about the scenery for a while.
Eventually, though, we reached the reserve – we’d entered what I thought was the park a while before, and there was no evidence of game. However, we finally reached the checkpoint where we entered the reserve proper, and fairy quickly things changed.
The Toyota van I’d been a bit suspicious about turned out to be ubiquitous – most parties use them; they have a roof that opens, so you can stand as you drive through the park, and get a 360 degree view- the Land Rover seated version in retrospect isn’t as good or the purpose.
The big thing in the Masai Mara, for those who haven’t been, is to see the “big 5” (so much for lions and tigers, etc.) They are lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhino. Quite why, when there are so many other things to see as well, I can’t say, but in any case, this is what drives people who come to this reserve. The first thing we saw, on entering the reserve, was actually some wildebeest:
Closely followed by various forms of antelope:
Impala
Thomson’s Gazelle, and the Grant’s Gazelle, which for some reason I can't upload a photo of.
And shortly afterwards, and not at all dreadful, the hartebeest. Not a gnu in sight – what were
Flanders and Swan talking about?
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