Jake & Stevie in Africa!!!: The Serengeti

Cheetah's, Maasai Mara, the beautiful Serengeti and a Grade 3 boy's childhood dream comes true.....

 Imagine!!!! I thought to myself as I sat crunched into my undersized little desk in a tiny North Vancouver Island Grade 3 classroom. I'm sure my teacher Mrs. Fisher interrupted my daydreaming a number of times that day gently encouraging me to return to my work. It was a book report on the Cheetah I was working on and my mind had drifted. You see, I was there...on the Serengeti. I was that Cheetah readying myself and selecting the hapless victim. Soon I'd spring and my body would burst forward reaching tremendous speed...the fastest of them all.....the sleekest of them all....the most beautiful of them all!

What Mrs. Fisher was unaware of, was that in those moments (where I appeared to be daydreaming)  the impetus for a lifelong dream of seeing a Cheetah on the Savannah in Africa was being formed. As I cut out the cheetah image from an old National Geographic magazine and pasted it into the pages of my report, I can still remember the little green bottle of white paste and the peppermint smell that filled the air as I stuck the image forever in both the book and my mind.


 


Maasai Mara is arguably the best of the parks in Kenya. It is the Kenya part of the Tanzanian Serengeti, the site of the wildebeest migration and home to many many cool animals. It was like Mother Nature showing us into her pantry and there on the top shelf usually out of reach, was where she kept all the good stuff only reserved for special guests. For these 3 days we were those special guests. On the right below, I sketched the route we took over the 3 days.If you look at the left arrow  directly below you get a sense of the enormity of the reserve. We drove for many many kms only seeing a portion of the area. It's surprising just how many animals there are and how they are all together. Lions often only 30 meters from Grant's Gazelles and Cheetah surrounded by Topi....

Our route into and out of the park over 3 days

Maasai Mara to the left

Stevie snuggles down for a peaceful sleep. Clearly she did not see the giant insect I just saw at the other end of the tent

We chose a safari that was basic, authentic and  to be completely honest, less expensive. Above is the tent where we slept only about 500 meters from the park gates. Now...at these "economy" accommodations there are no fences of course, so we relied on the Maasai guard pictured here and others for our safety. The fellow pictured along side S&J was outside our tent all night to make sure there were no intrusions. Elephants and Buffalo would be the least invited guests though I can think of a number that follow closely behind. I've mentioned the Maasai before and talked about their unique culture and their fierce protection of it. While we were there, a commercial bus hit and killed 27 cows on the highway near the park. Over 1000 Maasai were reportedly on site within an hour barring the highway and demanding significant compensation. In the end, after 8 hours of the highway closed to traffic in both directions, they settled for 1.3 million shillings....about 5x the value of the cows. Shrewd. The Maasai walk through the park with no concern for danger. I asked our tour guide about this and was offered the following explanation; the animals have learned that this tall awkwardly moving red object will kill you so leave them alone. Truly, until recently, young Maasai men still had to kill a lion and have the end of their penis cut off without complaint to enter into manhood. It was only because of the number of lions that were dying was the Kenya Wildlife Service able to persuade the Maasai to do away with this practice. These guys are tough. Forget your Hell's Angels and LA gangs....these guys are the real deal in their quiet simple respect for the land and one another.

S&J pictured in front of our 4- wheel drive tour vehicle. It was really good at getting us through the mud and uneven terrain. The driver Charles, was a 10 year veteran of the park and seemed to know everything about everything. The guide is crucial to a rick experience in the park.

Below  - I'll let the pictures talk for themselves. Do I really need to say anything?

Hey  Joe, Do you know were my sunglasses are - I thought I left them in my trunk

Harry - you are suck a pain in the neck.....just look at me!

S&J with the armed guard to get close to the hippos and crocodiles. Just Hippos today!

I should really get out of the sun.... I burned yesterday even with SP50

Huh ? Huh? Huh? What? Huh? Sorry? Huh? Huh? What?

One of the 3 leopards we saw in trees during our time. This one decided it was time to go for a walk and we got to see him or her climb down from the lofty perch. Bigger, actually much bigger than I expected, and so graceful for a big animal. We did not see a white or black Rhino during the trip but they are rare and for all too familiar reason. Imagine the stupidity of our fellow planet dwellers so selfishly engaging in the destruction of these magnificent animals for their own selfish and fallacious beliefs. They are fools as are we for allowing it to continue. Do what you can to support the extinction of poachers rather than these magnificent animals. This may be the first time I have been supportive of capital punishment.

The best moment for me was "a male lion in the bush". We got to within about 3 meters and could make out something tawny under a bush. It was our first sighting of one of the big 5 so we were understandingly pumped. Hmmmm that must be a leg..and that his back, and ...well hard to say what's what. A bit disappointing...you want to honk the horn or yell "Hey Mustafa" or something to get him to move. Then, quite suddenly,  he lifted his head...and what I thought was the whole animal was only his massive head. The adrenaline surged though me accompanied by fear... A woman in Kruger National Park had just been killed by a male who jumped on the van and came inside to eat her. That came to mind....and then just the amazement of seeing this fine fellow in his world.

Night fall over the park.....another adventure in life that will be treasured and fondly remembered.

Thanks for reading, thanks to J&S for coming all the way to Africa, and thanks to those brave men and women who fight to save these important treasures of humanity. Long may they last.

Thanks for reading......Layno

Jake & Stevie are in Africa!!: Christmas on the Indian Ocean

Malindi - Vasco de Gama did say it was a great holiday destination. He's right...

We elected to rent a van and drive to the coast of Kenya. Road trips are not unheard of in the Mahon family by any means so the 10 hour drive was less daunting for us than many locals I mentioned my plans to. And so at 6am December 24th we loaded the Toyota Noah Van complete with gifts and fake Christmas tree and hit the road. 

Calling it a road is a generous and unnecessarily flattering statement for the Government of Kenya. Though this "road" takes us to the main seaport of Mombasa, it is barely maintained. Potholes in many cases MUST be avoided or the resulting outcome will see you stranded on the side on the road missing wheels and associated previously attached car stuff from down under. Some potholes would be a meter deep and wide. Avoiding these tank traps is the main cause of accidents on the road. We saw 6 or 7 major accidents mostly head-on collisions from this activity. The other danger is the cars that are passing and coming toward you. Corners - hills - oncoming traffic, it doesn't matter to most of the drivers as they try to "make time" on this corridor of crackheads. I was forced off the road on a numerous occasions which fortunately is relatively flat on either side.

As we traveled east, the temperature quickly rose from the relative cool Nairobi mid-20's to a hot dessert-like 30 something. The savanna sped by on either side with Zebra grazing, Thompson Gazelles looking nervously about and giraffes contently enjoying the fresh green bits from the tops of trees along side. The windows wide, the music as loud as we can get it and the sweet flowery smells of Africa filling each breath as we contently chase the black ribbon before us.

The Savannah gave way to red red earth with banana and coconut trees exchanging places with the scrub brush we had seen for hours. We elected to take a short cut off the main "road" which admittedly is a bit of a gamble as a short cut can mean winning the pot or just wasting your money and time. We fortunately won big on the gamble after meeting up with a wonderful Australian family in their Land Cruiser. They loaded us up with detailed instructions on how to "cut through the villages". Thanks to them and the excellent navigational skills of Jake (this time anyway :), we enjoyed a drive through traditional coastal tribe lands of Kilifi region resplendent in rich colors and leafy green more reminiscent of a jungle than dessert. Simple life in every direction - Kenyans waving enthusiastically as we passed. The children even more excited to just be running, jumping, laughing and breathing deeply the simple African life.

At last on the coast we made our way to the beach side hotel that would be our home for the next 5 days. I might also mention the security along the way. We fortunately were waved through most of the checkpoints but given we were into Al Shabab territory close to the Somali border and at Christmas time it was a slightly worrisome journey for me. The Christian celebration is not exactly topping the list of fun Al Shabab things to do. We were a bit shocked to learn of the violence 50 kms north of us on the coast over the coming days. It seems so at odds with the peaceful joyful people we came in contact with each day.

At the one checkpoint our luck ran out and we were detained. 10 minutes into the bullshit you don't have a .......fill in the blank, so a fine of 100 USD is unavoidable....the Grinch had me away from the kids around the front of the car.  I pointed out it was Christmas eve with my family.......He stopped his spiel, smiled and wished us all a very Merry Christmas. It wasn't Whoville and he wasn't the Grinch after all. :)

On the first night we went to the beach late in the evening.....and as the moon rose majestically on the horizon somewhere over Indonesia, we swam in the bathwater warm Indian Ocean. It wasn't long before we were well into a wicked body surfing session that saw us catching 50 and 75 meter carries up onto the beach. It was a wonderful moment for me. We were all laughing jumping and looking around us in amazement at this wonderful place in the moonlight and gentle warm breeze.

The hotel was wonderful and within hours we had met many of the staff and started a friendly relationship. This would be the theme over the next days as we enjoyed the place, food and particularly the people at Angel Bay Resort. Best..at this all inclusive, was the fruit. We all agreed that the pineapple was remarkable as were the passion fruit and mangoes.  A close second for me was the fresh seafood served freshly grilled shish-kabob style. One afternoon turned into a game of keep away in the massive pool with an extended Kenyan family from Mombasa. There's no language or cultural barriers to this game...it's just fun.

 Vasco De Gamma on the East Coast of Africa

 

 

 

I'm not sure what was going on in this shot but I took the photo and was really pleased to capture the dark sky, and a conversation that had to have been secretive and mysterious... perhaps plotting the overthrow of the Catholic church or some such nefarious activity. Or maybe just making lunch plans.... hard to say. On the left is the 500 year old Vasco De Gama pillar which he had erected on his return from the first all sea voyage to India. This voyage changed everything allowing Portugal to reap massive economic benefits from the spice trade.

150 kms south in Mombasa is Fort Jesus also built by the Portuguese to support the burgeoning trade with India. Also...as stated previously,  an nice place for a holiday. A little grog, sunshine and rest....can be just what the doctor ordered for an exhausted world explorer.

On the right, Jake and Steve stand guard taking seriously their responsibility for safeguarding the ancient city of Gede. What they are seemingly unaware of is that the 13th century city was abandoned in the 17th century for reasons unknown. "Discovered" in 1948 it is now a creepy jungle-tangled litter of crumbling structures strewn across a Walmart Mega sized area.
On the Left, Jake and Stevie pose for a "Sears Catalog - like" moment in the ruins. Monkeys and massive millipedes now the only inhabitants, the ruins will not be around for long in this unspoiled natural state. It was a really cool experience to trudge all by ourselves through the ruins feeling like the original discoverers....

The coast is kms upon kms of hard packed sand with the odd mangrove "spoiling" the perfection by reaching all the way down to the sea. On the land side, great dunes of white sand constantly shifting beneath the mercilessly hot sun. It never cools down night or day; reaching close to 40 during the day and dropping to 30 at night.Yup - it's hot! Gotta love a cold Tusker (local brew) on these days.

We rented motorcycles for the day and rode 50 kms of beach stopping now and again to enjoy a dip and more of that fantastic body surfing action. As we raced along the beach with the hot sun and wind on our faces it was hard not to smile at the overwhelming sense
of pleasure and well being. Motorcycles, the kids, the sun...what's not to like. Jake broke his...of course and thanks to Stevie and I we towed him back.......though thought of making him push it for trying to wheelie "dukes of Hazard style" over small rivers. Boys...........

Christmas day  is a special day on the beach in Malindi as all the village people come to walk and enjoy the social activity. Many families dressed the same with outfits all cut and made from a single bolt of material bought with the savings from a mango here and a pineapple there..... Their best clothes and smiles on this special day.

Now that the kids are adults, we visited a night-club in Malindi. We ran out of steam around midnight though the party was just getting started. It was still great fun to be a part of the night scene on a warm night with cold Tuskers flowing and conversation with  locals and fellow vacationers easy and interesting.
 

Are you kidding me? Plastic covered seats in 30+ degree weather? Surprising we stayed upright at all.....

A cool and different Christmas on the Indian Ocean with Jake and Stevie...thanks to you guys for joining me.

Thanks for reading - Layno

Jake & Stevie are in Africa!! : Nairobi at Christmas

Christmas in Nairobi ... Ho ho ho

The kids, Jake & Stevie, came to visit for the Christmas break and in my next 3 blogs I'll  describe our adventures.  First in Nairobi, then the Beach Scene in Malindi, and finally on Safari at the world famous Maasai Mara. 

Christmas has always been an exceptionally wonderful time in my 53 years with a Norman Rockwellesque theme consistently applied. Though the first 3 or 4 are a bit fuzzy, the others remain indelibly etched in my mind as particularly pleasant recollections. 

Christmas has always been characterized by the smell of roasting turkey, an over-sized fresh and fragrant Douglas Fir tree overly accessorized and the sounds of easy conversation and laughter that come from familiarity and a peacefulness that accompanies the season. My mother, ever the Matriarch, carefully coordinates the season "cheerfully allowing" other family members to take the lead from time - to - time but always completely invested in making sure her family has a wonderful experience. :) I love my Mom for this among many other things. She continues to bring joy to so many with her tireless commitment to the well-being of those she loves.

The Christmas tree - sort of........

And so Christmas would be very different this year. The kids and I would be alone in Africa and the long standing traditions absent. Roast turkey would be replaced by Ugali Sucuma Wiki and goat stew. The Douglas fir tree replaced by a ridiculously expensive plastic look alike (which it doesn't) and the easy conversation conspicuously absent of a number of familiar voices. The temperature rather than hovering around 0 would be in the high 20's in Nairobi and high 30's on the coast. Very different indeed.

At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport  I waited at the arrivals gate  fretting, about the coming 2 weeks and how I would recreate a Christmas the kids would appreciate given the absence of the touchstones previously omnipresent.

Those jittery feeling melted as the kids rounded the corner and walked towards me. As our eyes met after 8 months, it was admittedly one of the most emotional and exciting moments of my life. Christmas after all is about the people you care about and at least 2 of them were going to be with me to share the time. If only I could get the rest of the family and friends here ....

Pictured at the top is a shot from the giraffe center where you can get very close to the giraffes and explore a facility dedicated to providing information about these gentle, graceful and beautiful giants. It was a busy place with lots of people and a lot of smiles. 

Also on the list was the elephant Orphanage which I have talked about previously. The elephants are playful and gentle with a cheeky side that makes them particularly endearing and at the same time is heart-wrenching given the current "ivory trade" crisis.

We kept busy over the next days as I introduced them to the complexities of life in a developing country. The contradictions and confusion; the desperation and delights; the warmth and beauty of the people who live here. Like:

•  the kids had a 3 hour tour of Kibera slum with it's million citizens living in the worst possible circumstances.Danger and desperation the constant theme.
• lunch with my work team representing Kenya, Rwandan, Zimbabwe and of course Canada. There they were introduced to Kenyan food and the warmth and cheerfulness that is the essence of life in Nairobi.
• Dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant were we enjoyed cold Tusker Malt beer, Injera and spicy meat dishes. My friend Chris, a retired Canadian Police Office joined us and talked about his volunteer work dedicating his efforts to stopping poaching in East Africa. He's a good man!
• Visited Strathmore University where the kids have an opportunity to attend one of the best Universities in Africa. A bit intimidating with soldiers every 10 meters or so and high fences protecting the facility but Garisa is not yet a distant memory. The deaths of 147 students still on the minds of so many.
• Visited the memorial to the Bombed American Embassy where over 200 people lost their lives in 1998.
• Visited West gate mall just reopened after Al Shabab murdered 67 and wounded 175 people on 21 September 2013
• Lunch downtown Nairobi where we walked the streets including the notorious river road where even locals keep their phones deep in their pockets during the day. My friend Jayne, Farmer Actor and is currently writing a thesis discussing the relationship of terrorist activity and atheism in a changing world. She took us to a famous Kenyan restaurant where only 1 dish of the 10 or so offered were appetizing choices for our delicate (maybe spoiled) Canadian pallets. It's good to use all parts of the cow and goat...right?
• Nyama Choma, famous in Kenya, is a meat dinner traditionally accompanied by beer. We enjoyed Crocodile, turkey, pork beef chicken goat and all roasted and brought hot to the table on a spit. It keeps coming until you've had more than enough. We were joined by my friends Mueni and Andy. In addition to both being climbing and hiking partners they are two amazing people in their accomplishments and joyous approach to life. Andy is fucking funny....straight up!
• shopped at the Maasai Market....an open air market where the vendors are some of the most skilled sales and negotiators I have ever witnessed. It was hilarious to watch the kids learn the way of the market..over-paying a bit at first and then getting it down to an art. in the end - their negotiation skills were very impressive.
• Partying at a night club on new years as the Kenyans danced, drank and consumed massive amounts of Khat in joyous celebration. I don't think it's ok to fire off fireworks in Canada from inside a night club. For the record it's more impressive than from across a bay or field :)
• Visited my friend Lucy at her new apartment in Kwangare. Lucy is a TV journalist who has a remarkable understanding of Kenyan/African pop culture and how to communicate that to others through her excellent work. I suspect the kids were a bit surprised by her modest accommodations. 
• Enjoyed some African Advertising. "Teeth so white they can't Dance"...and paint "that will last longer than your boyfriend".
• The pleasure of enjoying the social Arabic past-time of smoking Shisha (Double Apple Mint rocks) from a magnificent water pipe on a hot night in a Nairobian dance club.

Thanks  for reading....Layno