©2001 Corbin Ball Associates

Introduction
Our journey to Kenya and Tanzania was by far the most exciting trip that we have ever taken. It was as if we were transported back in time to when the vast balance of the predator-prey ecosystem still exists.  To a time before humans conquered, killed or tamed all predatory threats in their environment. To a place where one can get a feel for what nomadic tribe life was like hundreds or even thousands of years ago. This amazing mix of wildlife, cultural diversity, and wild scenic beauty is unsurpassed in the 40 countries and 5 continents we have visited. 

This is the diary of our great time there.

Click here for Photos of the Trip


Sunday 11 March 2001
Kenya slowly emerged from the darkness, as the dawn awoke us from our slumber aboard the Kenya Airways Flight 101 from Heathrow to Nairobi. I can tell even from the twilight's first glance that we are no longer in Kansas anymore. A vast savannah appears, green from the rains, with a few red dirt roads, and several small houses/shacks, many of them grouped into small walled villages. 

As the more urban environment of Nairobi approached, we touched down and deplaned onto the tarmac to enter in a bustling 50's style airport, and quickly went through customs ($50 each cash visa entrance fee) to a packed lobby of tour operators looking for their clients. Faith, a young, friendly short haired black woman (actually only about 17,000 of the 30+ million inhabitants of Kenya are not black) cheerfully held a sign with our names, and, soon, we piled into the first of many safari-equipped Land Rovers to be used on the trip, and were whisked away on the left side of the road through a maze of streets to the Wilson regional airport about 20 minutes away for a connecting flight.

At Wilson, one of four attractive young women checked us in, and we waited as other khaki clad safari explores, all ages, sizes and nationalities, filed in and out of the place. A burned-out hulk of an aircraft with the tail sitting by the fuselage, was one of the interesting decorative items along the runway. 

After an hour's wait, we boarded a 50-passenger Air Kenya 4-propped plan. There were only six on the plane: two pilots, two flight attendants and the two of us. We watched the patchwork fields of produce and crops as we flew about 100 miles north to Nanyuki, the air strip serving the Mt. Kenya Safari Club. Remarkable sites: giant-tin roofed shantytowns with red dirt roads, green fields lush with vegetation, meandering footpaths that serve as the transportation structure, and the cloud-shrouded Mt. Kenya in the distance, rising more than 15,000 feet, the second highest mountain in Africa and the only place worldwide with equatorial snow. 

After a bumpy landing at about 6,000 feet elevation, we hopped into another 4-wheel drive safari rig, and  Edward, a friendly and nearly toothless elderly driver with very broken English, drove us up to the club. The jostling road was a wonderful visual feast from the third world. Hundreds to shacks built form gathered materials - boards, tree-branches stripped of bark, corrugated metal, fences of sticks, cattle, goats and sheep roaming widely. Donkey-drawn carts, and everywhere people waking along side the road or on bicycles. Many were carrying large, heavy water containers. Crude scrawled signs announced the "Lover's Point Hotel," "Butchery" and "General Store." The people, dark, lean and handsome were out along the dusty road, many with shirts and ties and bright colored dresses, apparently on the way to church -- with Christianity a significant religion in this area. 

As we traversed the last bumpy mile to the Safari Club, several wildebeest rested just of the road in the shade. Guards and a band of 6 drummers dressed in native garb (feathers, headdresses, and colorful long tubular drums) greeted us as we entered the gated grounds. Our rig slowly followed the drummers as they pounded the announcement of our arrival. 

The Mt. Kenya Safari club, a beautiful classic formal style mansion with sweeping views of the Mt. Kenya 23 KM away, is at climatically comfortable 7,000 feet, and was the product of American movie star William Holden and two other wealthy investors. Built in the late 50's as an exclusive safari hunting lodge for the rich and famous (including US presidents and the Sultan of Brunei) it is now a high-end, luxurious stay for travelers. The many amenities include a 9-hole golf course (populated with huge storks and ibexes), swimming pools, gourmet dining, and much more. The lodge is British in formality. 

The General Manager, St. John (pronounced Sin-jun) Kelliher  and his staff greeted us at the lodge entrance and took us to the central garden court for the Equator Ceremony. The drum band pounded an enthusiastic welcome song, and we were both presented with official certificates that we arrived safely at the equator. We were then driven to our cottage, a nicely appointed room with veranda looking over a lush lagoon with bougainvillea and other flowers everywhere. The large marble bathroom included a spacious sunken tub, bidet and shower. The sleeping room had a cabin-like appearance with lots of wood and timber, but was nicely and tastefully decorated.

After an hour to freshen up, and  had lunch in the formal dinning room with elegant service. The buffet provided a range of meats, salads, and had several unusual dishes (curry cabbage and apple, and fried cheese covered pickles to name two.)

Outfitted in our safari khakis, and bristling with cameras and binoculars, Charlotte and I headed off to the 24,000 acre Sweetwater Game Reserve, a very pleasing savannah with a wide range of flora, about 30 bumpy minutes away. The reserve was host to many incredible sites. Joe, our experienced guide, drove us around the trails.

Almost immediately three reticulated giraffes in the distance. Then waterbucks and then spunky packs of warthogs and baboons rooting and around with seemingly no concern about our truck. 

Suddenly, in the distance, a family of six elephants appeared in the trees. The experienced driver backtracked and tried another trail, and, to our luck, the whole family crossed the road immediately in front of us - with no concern whatsoever of our presence. 

A variety of birds including large eagles and iridescent Superb Starlings flew by. After a few more trails, we went to the chimpanzee protective area. The armed guards directed us to a second story open-air observation deck, to watch chimpanzees under barbed wired protection against poacher attacks. There were about 28 chimps; each had a very distinctive face (like humans) and personality. Some were begging to be tossed apples, others tossed twigs in the direction of the observation towers to get our attention, while the young ones played gleefully from the branches seemingly like human children.

The next amazing site was a tame black rhinoceros (and endangered species and normally quite ill-tempered and extremely dangerous). A cheerful, talkative, Swahili accented guard dressed in military fatigues, led us several hundred yards in search of the rhino. Along the way, we found about 5 ostriches allowing us to get  within 2-3 feet not that we wanted to get any closer.

After a series of communication whistles from our guide, we found the rhino flanked by two armed soldiers as it sauntered along. Morani (meaning warrior in Swahili) was orphaned by poachers and was raised at the preserve. Very tame, it could easily be made to stop and pose for pictures. I was able to feed it and touch its smooth, polished horn. Black rhinos are named as such as their hide is darker than the "white" rhino, although both typically are caked with mud making the shades harder to determine. The black rhino also has a pointed mouth as compared the square, boxy lips of the the white rhino. The thick folds of armored hide were caked with mud, and Morani was extremely interesting to see. 

Traveling further, we spotted more giraffes just off the road, a family of about 10 zebra (young and old) headed to a waterhole, while Thompson Gazelles stayed in the distance. 

The park was wonderful in the richness and diversity and was a great way to get a first taste of the many truly amazing sights yet to come. 

The drive back to the hotel was easily as incredible as the wildlife. Hundreds of people were walking to a large communal water pump at least a mile from other buildings; children and women were carrying larger water containers on the backs and heads. Rickety bicycles often having to be walked due to the road ruts, goat herds, people in rags and others incongruously dressed in suit and tie were walking in the heat of the day, miles from anything. Most of the "houses" were built from gathered boards and other materials.

Back at our cabin, two women were waiting to give us massages - a welcome comfort after nearly two days of non-stop air travel. They set up shop in our room for a very relaxing full body massage for both of us.

After a short rest, we met the General Manager St. John in the lounge with his wife Karen. St. John is of Irish descent, educated at Cornell, and has held hotel general manager jobs since he was 23 in Portugal, England and elsewhere. We drove about a mile in the dark to a bush dinner. A large clearing near the river was elegantly arranged with a solitary table for four on a wooden platform. The area was built to handle at least 100 people, with a bar, food warming area and restrooms. Standing nearby were two smiling machinegun-toting guards for protection against predators. Kerosene lanterns lit the entire place, a beautiful exotic location, with the sounds of the forest, the calls of monkeys, and other unknown creatures echoing in the darkened trees.

We were entertained for about 15 minutes by the same tribal dance group from earlier dressed in full regalia with an elaborate ritual of song and dance. We had a delightful  dinner of lamb and chicken. St. John and Karen had recently been named Chucka tribal elders (a position of huge honor and power, where they receive a place of honor at all festivals). The dinner in the bush, under the brilliant stars was a great way to cap off our first day in Kenya.

We then returned to the hotel to exhaustedly collapsed into bed - the first time in two days.

Monday 12 March 2001
This day was a life changing experience - as profound as any day I have experienced so far. To see a culture that, in many ways, has changed little in a thousand years and is so different that western ways is difficult to put into words. To see flora and fauna that is richer, vastly more varied, and profoundly majestic leaves one almost speechless. Superlatives seem to not be enough for this amazing part of the world. If there is any place that is removed from technology and the ways of modern society, it is the Samburu tribe of Kenya.

We started the day seemingly back in another planet, the refined elegance of the Mt. Kenya Lodge. We showered, packed and walked up to the lodge dinning area in a beautiful, clear, sunny morning, with our first clear view of Mt. Kenya to the east, backlit by the early morning sun. The buffet breakfast offered a vast bounty of traditional English food.

With an hour remaining before the ride to the Nanyuki airstrip, we walked up to the animal orphanage located on the hotel grounds. Many of the animal occupants were in treatment  to eventually be returned to the wild. A thickly-accented, thin ranger (actually your rarely see anyone that has an ounce of extra weight) guided us through the area. A 130 year-old land tortoise, ostriches, zebra/horse hybrids, porcupines, and a variety of other caged animals were to be seen. We exited out through the vegetable gardens where the lodge grows much of its produce.

The Land Rover was waiting for our 20-minute drive to the airstrip. The roadway was teaming with goat and cattle herders, and hundreds people walking the dozens of miles to the market. We passed a herd of about 20 camel being lead to slaughter in Nairobi 220 kilometers away. A few minutes later, a man leading a single limping camel was seen coming back other direction. The driver explained that is would be butchered locally as it couldn't make the distance. 

We boarded another Air Kenya flight, this one had about 30 seats, and, again, Charlotte and I were the only passengers on this 25-minute flight northeast to another world. The lush greens of the mountains gave way to what appeared from the air to be a harsh, hot, dry, and rocky wasteland. The tree canopies were gray dots, the ground was a rusty read. It almost looked like a 60's modern art painting with drastically different colors from Bellingham. Eventually, in the distance, a green ribbon of lush vegetation appeared, the unique eco-system of the Samburu Game Reserve. 

We were slapped with 95-degree dry heat as we exited the plane. The landing strip consisted of two buildings and a few trinket salesmen offering daggers and beads and little more. Several drivers and rigs awaited safari guests. We found our driver, James, and started down the dusty, jostling road. 

Immediately, the rich diversity of wildlife appeared. Four symmetrically stripped Grevy’s Zebra, unique to this area, are seen. They are larger than the common zebra and have huge ears. A flock of helmeted guinea fowl, with metallic green heads, rustled in the underbrush. The driver explained that the Samburu tribe indigenous to this are is a nomadic one and that we are in for an amazing time.

The trees grew taller, the vegetation became more varied, and we crossed a dry
riverbed through an electrified gate (protection from leopards), into the driveway of the Samburu Serena Lodge. An open-air reception area with pleasant staff greeted us with the often-heard Swahili phrase "Jambo" for hello. The lodge is an oasis of civilization in the beautiful wild. We walked through the lobby, bar, and dining area -- all open-air and one story above the pool and overlooking the muddy river that gives sustenance to the amazing array of wildlife. 

We were given the skeleton key to our cabin, one of about 50 in the complex. Small monkeys playfully darted at our feet as we walked the 100 meters past the pool to our room. It contained a large double bed with mosquito netting, bottled water, packets of malaria mosquito repellant and a postage-stamp sized red treated wood chip was placed on a very small heater to ward them away. One of the "bellmen" carrying our luggage was a Samburu tribe member dressed in traditional attire, bare-chested, with a sheathed knife, swathed in a loose red loin cloth, ornately decorated jewelry indicating availability and financial status, and mud-red ochre in his long hair.

We unpacked and went to the lobby for the12.30 buffet lunch and found ourselves the only ones eating in the restaurant with seating for about 100 - the others likely were out on game drives. Two young traditionally-clothed Samburu warriors guarded the eating area with slingshots to deter the monkeys from taking over the place. Another 12 Samburu were gathering by the pool for the 2.30 dance demonstration. They were all about 14 to 20 years old, 5 young women and 7 young men, and all strikingly beautiful. The girls stood off to the side, huddled together, in a deferring and quiet manner while the young men laughed and shouted. 

Refreshed with lots of bottled water, we walked to the dancing demonstration. The semi-circular covered seating area faced out on to what looked like a reconstructed small village with bent twig dome-shaped huts. The dances were remarkable, but the most interesting part was to observe the interaction between the men and the women. The Samburu are a brutally chauvinistic culture from the western perspective. A man can have 5 wives or more. The wives do nearly all of the work (the water fetching, the house building, the food gathering and baring and raising the children). Female circumcision (clitorectomies) is widely performed in order to keep the wife from "straying." The man's job is to be the hunter, the warrior and the protector -- in a manner very similar to the lion prides that inhabit the area. Mostly they seemed to hang out with the other men and watch the women do the work.

In the dance, the women were always deferring. The men have long hair (often colored bright red with the ochre mud) while the women have very short hair, again similar to a pride of lions. The women have dozens, if not hundreds of hoops of brightly colored bead around their necks and very ornate beaded jewelry for the ears and heads. The men were much more boisterous and noisy. One part of the dance involved the men jumping - springing up nearly a meter from a standing position like a surprised antelope. This is a measure of vigor, and the man that can jump the highest draws the attraction of the young women. Marriages are arranged, but it stems from mutual attraction to each other. 

If a man is attracted to a woman, he flips his hair into her face during one of the dances. The women nearly at all times showed no emotion.

After the dance, we took a very refreshing swim in the unheated pool - clearing off the dust of the day. 

The afternoon safari game drive was from 4pm to the 6:15pm dusk. This was truly one of the most amazing events I have experienced. Four of us were in the lodge rig: our driver -James; our extremely knowledgeable and articulate guide, Grephaus; a 24 year old film editor from the UK named Stuart and me. Charlotte decided to rest with a book at the lodge. Two 3x3' openings in the roof allowed Stuart and I to stand for taking photos as we wound our way along the river trail along with about 6 other safari rigs. The sites were incredible - everywhere there were wild animals. First was a family of baboons. Next, a male impala (with elegant twisted horns) and his harem of about 20 females nervously clustered together while he guarded and looked out for danger. 

Suddenly, Stuart spotted the most beautiful cat I have seen in my life: a solitary leopard lounging on a branch over the river. As we watched it stretched, leapt down from the tree, and casually walked in front of us to another branch where it stretched, yawned baring its huge fangs, and relaxed. The coloration was fabulous - all from about 20 feet away.

Then we came across more impala. This time about 6 young "bachelor" impala were gathered together - two of them lightly locking horns as if in practice for when they will make the attempt to challenge the dominant male for the harem. Suddenly, a female entered the group and then, off from a distance, the dominant male charged in with tail raised in an act of dominance and aggression. He challenged the 4 young males chasing them away, and herded the errant female back to his flock. 

As we entered a clearing, we saw about 50 African buffalo, young and old, with the drop-down horns -- some of the largest and meanest of the animals found on the Serengeti. A wounded buffalo has been known to ram trucks. They looked at us in seemingly steely defiance as if to say "don't mess with us." 

About 5 minutes later, along the same trail, overlooking the buffalo, we found a pride of about 10 lions. We first saw two adult females lying resting with about 6 cubs still with their protective spotting coloration. A third lioness sat at a distance facing the buffalo, seemingly trying to decide what would be the most opportune victim to attack. Suddenly, a fourth female returned from the direction of the buffalo. All 6 cubs leapt up and excitedly ran to her. She would have not much to do with them and walked to the other two lionesses, all affectionately nuzzling each other. This fourth one apparently was the dominant female. As she lead the way, they all got up and slowly and casually walked off following her. A male lion was not to be seen. These majestic, powerful creatures were truly a site to see. 

As the sun began to set on the savannah, with the majestic umbrella acacia trees with canopies casting giant shadows, we headed back. A solitary male elephant was walking along, not more than 30 feet away, crossing a shallow riverbank.

I return to find Charlotte rested and reading in the lobby. We freshened up for dinner and went to the dining hall. The food was a standard buffet, not dissimilar to what you would find at an all-you-can-eat American buffet. We saw Stuart, and invited him to join us in an interesting conversation. He has lived for the past 3 months in Nairobi doing a PBS documentary about circumcision in the tribal life near there. 

At 9pm, we went down to the by the pool area. Grephaus, the guide from the game drive was getting ready to present about a 30-minute slide show about the tribal life and customs of the Samburu. They are living a life so different from us that it is almost like another planet. With Charlotte slightly nervous about bugs flying around, we headed back to our warm room. The ceiling fan provided slight relief stirring around the heated air, but both of us do not sleep easily. This was the first time so far that I experienced jet lag on the trip, although I think that it was at least as much being so excited with the visions of the day. 

As I write this, it is now 4:25am, and still uncomfortably hot. I will try to rest for our 5:45am wakeup call for the early morning game drive. I can't wait! 

Tuesday 13 March 2001
Charlotte writing:
The savannah is filled with many wonders. After a sleepless night, a 5:45 wake-up call and a welcome cup of black Kenyan coffee, Corbin and I are directed to a safari wagon by our naturalist guide, Grephaus. Our expert and cautious driver, James, skillfully maneuvers his way through a network of dirt roads in search of the new dawn's wild animal fest. We are not disappointed. 

Our first treat was the small, docile dikdik - a Chihuahua-sized version of the deer family. Our animal-viewing symphony started in a lower key of protective coloration (muted green and browns for vegetation) and browns, blacks and whites for animals. Slowly the animals emerged as if directed by the masterful cue of a maestro, made their appearance in families, larger groups and slowly faded from view.

The impala were next, consoling us with their gentile tune, and from there the birds of many denominations made their appearance (vulturine guinea fowl, superb starling, yellow necked spur fowl, yellow billed hornbill, lilac breasted roller, golden pipit). A majestic white breasted eagle, the African Fish Eagle, was large enough to carry away a small mammal in its talons. The birds entered and exited like a string sections.

After that we experienced a lovely sighting of the reticulated giraffe (with very distinct chestnut brown markings outlined with a striking white borders) grazing peacefully on either side of the safari wagon. For these kind animals I thought of a French horn.

Next we spotted a herd of cape buffalo in the drying riverbed below our path. These are slow walkers, perhaps a cello. I understand they can be dangerous, but the herd passed along the riverbed quite peacefully.

The animals built to a climax with the impalas and water bucks appearing briefly. We were treated to a rare site, seemingly the combination of an antelope and a giraffe called the gerenuk, standing on its hind legs, feeding from its niche in the ecosystem, the lower branches of trees and tall shrubs. 

Heading back to camp, our safari ride companion, Stuart, the film editor, spotted a lioness. We soon found about five of them with two cubs. While I was worried that they might take an interest in us, they passed along side the vehicle and then directly in front of the safaris wagon. Their sights were set on the gazelle crossing down river and they slowly began to stalk them.

When I thought that we couldn't possibly see anything more exciting, we startled a bull elephant. We retreated and moved to pass to the side giving plenty of distance when a second safari wagon came screaming up from the rear and almost ran into it. The rule is "never approach a bull elephant from the rear" stated our guide. With the drum roll and clashing symbols we prepared to move as the bull elephant reeled around half way and stood determining what his next move would be. Lucky for us, he continued in the opposite direction, but not before I dove for the center floorboards in fright. Our guided laughed heartily at my reaction and we finished our expedition on a high note.

Corbin writing:
After retuning to camp for breakfast, we met Grephaus at 11:15am accompanied by two armed guards for protection on our nature walk/bush lunch. It was hot, and we were grateful for Stuart's tip to bring along a sun umbrella as protection from the wilting sun. Our first stop was a "yellow fever tree" in front of the hotel. With powdery yellow bark and growing typically in swampy areas, it was thought by early explorers to be the cause of Yellow Fever, rather than from the mosquitoes breeding in the swamp it grew from. 

Then, on the way to the riverbank, we came upon a 10-foot high rust-red termite mound, riddled with ventilation holes. Although an active mound, there was not a termite in sight.

As the river came into view, we saw our first glimpse of daily Samburu tribe life. Women washing clothes in the café au lait-brown riverside. Two young boys dressed in sackcloth, not over 7 years old, tended a herd of about 10 goats. Another two were bathing themselves in the distance in the middle of the river. A topless woman with a large beaded necklace indicating marriage bent over pounding clothes against the rocks. The wash was draped over nearby bushes probably drying in just a few minutes with the heat.

The guards walked about 30' behind us as Grephaus lead the way, trying to find shade along the sandy riverbed. Finally, our destination was seen, the luncheon spot set in a shady grove of trees overlooking the river. An elegant meal was prepared, but with the heat sapping our appetite, Charlotte had a single piece of chicken, and I not much more, although the cold Kenyan Tusker beer tasted great. 

A brief thunder shower abbreviated the last portion of the meal as we dashed for the rig for cover. Rains in this portion of the world are considered a sign of luck and good fortune. We eagerly looked forward to a dip in the pool to escape the heat and wash off the dust of the day.

Refreshed and reinvigorated, we met James at 3:15pm to go to our next outing. Just when I thought things couldn't get much more incredible than the game drive earlier, things were set to a whole new bar with our visit to the Samburu village. The village consisted of about 100 people in 7 families living in about 20 dried cow-dung capped huts, located just over mile or so from the lodge. The perimeter of this half-a-football-field sized area was a 5' high "fence" made of piled acacia thorn bushes. 

Gregory, lean and dark with large holes in his ear lobes, was our guide. He was wrapped in a spotlessly clean lightweight red cotton plaid blanket and spoke excellent English. He collected our tour fee ($20 each) giving it to the chief, the eldest of the three men standing nearby. Gregory explained that we were free to take any pictures and ask any questions. He was very proud of his culture and was very open and friendly. 

This camp seemed like it was taken directly from the pages of a National Geographic Magazine - a glimpse into nomadic tribal life that in many ways is still unchanged from prehistory. The villages are temporary accommodation for as long as the grazing land held or until weather conditions drew them elsewhere, usually not more than a few years in one place and sometimes less. Being nomadic, they load everything they can carry on pack animals and shoulders off for greener pastures.

Our first stop was a shaded tree surrounded with the same 5'-high piled acacia thorn "hedge" as the rest of the camp. The clearing was about 15' in diameter and was quite private from the rest of the camp. Standing with Gregory and two other elders, we found that this is where the camp elders decided on what to do, held court, settled marital disputes, and carried on village business. Fines for misbehavior can range from 1 to 2 goats to much more severe penalties. 

We then entered the village "gate" (a place where about an 8' section of the thorn bushes was pulled away during the day). No barbed wire security fence could be more effective of a protective boundary against leopards and other predators than the acacia fence, gathered and heaped to form a hedge 5' high and deep surrounding the entire camp. 

Our next stop one of the several huts. Each were shaped like an brown, oval igloo about 4.5 feet high with a floor space dimension of only about 8'x10'. They are built by the women of the tribe out of bent twigs and branches. The roof is capped with hardened cow-dung, the sides are woven with branches, moss, and even spare cardboard, and gathered sheet metal. A 2'x3' hole in the side was the door, just barely large enough to crouch through without crawling.

We were invited into the home of Gregory's mother. As we squeezed into the darkened little room, Gregory pulled a piece of the wall away for light. The two sleeping areas, one on each side, were carpeted with animal skins. Three stones in the center formed the cooking hearth. 

Gregory's mother, a silent, old, emaciated woman squatted on one edge. The hut, not much larger than a king-size bed, slept up to 7 people -- one side for the man and the other side for the woman and children. A decorated gourd, held by the mother, served as the primary food container for the Samburu's two major food groups - animal blood and milk. Meat is eaten only on special occasions so as not to diminish their "capital."

Gregory demonstrated for us his pillow - a 5" high wooden tripod with a 1"x6" top piece supporting the neck.

Almost overwhelmed at the myriad of sites, we stumbled out and went to tree where the men had gather to show us their fire-starting prowess. One of the men presented two sticks -- a 2' long one about a finger's width in diameter - the other was only 6" long with 4 holes in a row bored half way through on one side. The short stick was placed on the ground holes side up. A green powdery material (dried donkey dung) was placed into one of the holes. The long stick was then inserted vertically into this hole, and with quick palm-rubbing motions from the top to the bottom of this stick, every couple of seconds, the friction generated a small ember in less than 30 seconds. As the other 3 men, Charlotte and I watched intently, the ember was quickly transferred to a black, dried, shredded type of root material. The fire starter leaned over and gently blew the ember and after about 30 seconds a wisp of smoke appeared. After another 30 seconds of repeated soft long breaths, the smoke thickened and a flicker of fire appeared. All the men smiled as we acknowledged the feat with applause. In order for man to marry, he must be able to create fire with his own fire-starting sticks.

We were then brought over to a clearing where 12 young children, all about 2-4 years old, were seated on the ground facing us. All appeared well-fed and bright-eyed. Gregory explained that they were taught English and mathematics in addition to the traditional Samburu ways. The children sang two songs for us: the ABC's and a Samburu welcome song. The children could not have been cuter as Charlotte posed in the middle with them. 

We then went to a center clearing where nearly everyone at camp gathered -- the focus was on about 15 young married women. Some were strikingly beautiful, all dressed in the traditional red cloth with ornate beaded ornamentation. Two were topless save their beaded necklaces. The women sang two songs and danced for us with their clear very dark skin contrasting with their very white-toothed smiles.

The first song was the marriage song. The women smiled and bobbed their heads with pigeon-like moves. They held hands and danced in circles. 

The second song was more serious, with lower tones and fewer smiles - it was the womanhood song sung during the female circumcision ceremony. Gregory explained some of the ritual, its importance to their culture, with no second thoughts to the barbarity of a clitorectomy from Western eyes. During the real ceremony, the women are given a special bracelet, a tight spiral of silver wound around the right wrist so tightly that it is impossible to remove. They are also given strings of small black and white beads which are strung from earlobe to earlobe signifying that the woman has been circumcised and is ready for marriage. Nearly all of the women gathered had these bracelets.

As we walked out back to the truck, the women gathered in two rows with hand made goods to sell -- carved animals, beads, clubs, spears and other handiwork from the tribe. We bought a carved giraffe and also gave Gregory additional money for the whole tribe. As we walked out Gregory mentioned that the tribe was considering giving up their nomadic ways to build a permanent village and school and live off the revenue from the tourism of the lodge. 

We left with many mixed feelings. Feeing fortunate to see this culture, in many ways unchanged for hundreds years, and, yet, embracing money, buildings, tourism, etc. - almost the opposite of the nomadic life lived by their ancestors. We felt lucky to experience the village, as in a few years it will almost certainly succumb to modern ways.

With our heads reeling, we returned to the hotel. James asked if we were up for another game drive. Charlotte declined to rest and read but I decided to venture forth and it was worth the trip. 

New sightings included a Somali ostrich just sitting down on 8-10 eggs in an indentation on the ground. About the size of an oval softball, the egg shells are very thick and almost impossible for a predator to break. Bat-eared foxes ran in the distance. Along the riverbank, a 14' jade-green Nile crocodile rested motionlessly.

Upon returning, Charlotte and I walked down to the river viewing area near the pool. Seats were positioned facing across the river to a spot lit tree baited with meat in hopes that a leopard would take the bait. After 30 minutes without a feline in sight, we went up to eat and were in bed by 9am with our heads full of astonishing images.

Wednesday 14 March 2001
Today was primarily a day of transit to Mombasa. As we awaited our 9:30 am departure from the lodge, we were reviewing some of yesterday's photos transferred to my notebook computer. One of the hotel staff, a young Samburu warrior, noticed our pictures, including one of his sister. He excitedly walked away, returning a few minutes later with flute in hand, and asked us to take his picture. We happily obliged, showing him his picture enlarged on the computer screen with smiles all around.

We flew from the Samburu strip to Nanyuki to Nairobi to Mombasa. The SITE board members (Liz Nicholas, Richard Markham, Charles and Juliet Campbell Clause) joined us at Nairobi for the final leg loaded with data projectors, voltage regulators, portable lecterns, and more for the first presentation tomorrow.

Mombasa was unseasonably hot and humid even for a city that is known for this - it felt like a sauna to our Pacific Northwest acclimatized bodies. After checking out the site of the presentation for tomorrow, the Tamarack Hotel, we stayed the night at the Serena Beach Hotel, a large Moroccan edifice along the Indian Ocean. The only relief from the heat was the air conditioner in the van during transit. Fantastic third-world sights flew by as we crouched up to the cooling vent. Little sleep was to be had that evening, as the air conditioning in the sleeping room was barely able to put a dent in the heat - even the cold water in the shower was warm in this otherwise lovely hotel.

Thursday 15 March 2001
We ate early and were off at 7:30am to the Tamarack Hotel. The presentation went well with about 30 attendees - active, opinionated, vocal and interested. Ratings were excellent. Returning to the airport in the afternoon, we along with the entire SITE team ended up at the non-air conditioned airport sipping beers and seeking relief from a small fan in the lounge on the second floor. Liz, Charles, Juliet, and Richard all had such a comfortable and welcoming manner, it made us feel as part of the family.

Arriving at Nairobi at about 6pm, we welcomed the normal (70 degree) temperatures  with great relief. The chaotic rush hour, roundabouts, and crazy drivers swirled around us in this city teeming with life and activity. Matatus (the city's major transit system) were ubiquitous. Matatu literally means "3 per seat" and these vehicles are true to their name. What would normally be an 8 passenger minibus, held 20 or even 30 people crammed in as packed as you could imagine - a whole new definition of there's always room for one more!

The Norfolk Hotel, a crowning glory of colonial refinement, is a legend in Nairobi. Older than London's famous Savoy hotel, it has given host to legions of luminaries, presidents (including Teddy Roosevelt) and movie stars. A peaceful inner courtyard awaited us, a beautifully appointed large sleeping room, and the best meal we have had so far on the trip.

Friday 16 March 2001
Somewhat exhausted from another fitful night - still feeling the jet lag effects of an 11-hour time differential - we were off early to the Nairobi Holiday Inn for the major presentation of my trip. More than 120 people filled the large room, several expressing pride and passion about their national culture and eager for progress. My presentation on Web technology was one of the first ever presented in Eastern Africa and the audience was in rapt attention. Charlotte spent the day with Juliet Clause, sightseeing at the baby elephant nursery, at the home (now museum) of Out of Africa author, Karen Blixen, and at lunch with Juliet and her sister. Again we were impressed by the gracious hospitality of our hosts.

We had a delightful evening at the home of Liz and Steve Nicholas. Liz's brother, Peter, and spouse Clair, were also present. Steve is a caterer by profession, trained in hospitality management in Switzerland where he and Liz met. The dinner was superb. As the servants cleared the table, the conversation ranged from technology, to politics, to life in Kenya, and more. The warm and gracious hospitality made us feel like we were among long-time friends.

Saturday 17 March 2001
We were met by John Buckley, Managing Director of Air Kenya Airlines while waiting for our midmorning flight to the Maasai Mara. The Mara is the northern tip of the Serengeti located in the southwestern corner of Kenya. The four-prop plane headed west for about 1 hour with the Mara Safari Club the last stop of three. The Serengeti Plain from the air is much different from Samburu - with light green open grassland, peppered with solitary acacia trees and tendrils of dark green marbling where runoff waters permitted more vegetation. Milk-cocoa brown rivulet's serpentined through the great Riff Valley draining to Lake Victoria to the west and ultimately to the Mediterranean Sea via the Nile River to the north. The first two landing stops were nothing more than a windsock and a dirt strip with land rovers waiting.

Our stop was the same except for a "gift shop" shack near by. Wilson, our driver, was waiting and a 10-minute ride brought us to the Mara Safari Club, a former lion-hunting club for the world's wealthy in the 1930s. The club is located on 40-acre triangle of land. The central lobby clubhouse and an electric fence entrance formed the base and steep cliffs going down to the Serengeti River filled with hippos made the other two sides of the triangle. 

The "clubhouse" (the lobby, library, gift shop, pool and dining area) was made of rough-hewn dark woods. Along the river boundaries about 50 VIP tents spaced about 20' apart were the sleeping quarters, each with a view of the river (down a steep bank about 50' below), each with four-posted mosquito-netted bed, sunken bath and shower, toilet, sink, mini-bar, and other hotel furnishings.

The General Manager, Hassan Abdi, warmly greeted us at the entrance and took us to a covered area overlooking the river where we spotted our first hippopotamus. After checking us in, we went to our luxury tent accommodations returning just in time for a full buffet lunch starting, as usual Kenyan custom, with soup. We watched the hippos bob up for breath, wiggle their ears, and submerge. Fleeing from the afternoon heat, we went for a refreshing dip in the unheated pool before our 3pm game drive.

Wilson, was waiting for us in front of the lobby for our first game drive there. He is a Maasai, having grown up in a cow-dung stucco hut. He decided to go to driving school and for training as a naturalist. His home is about 100 miles away from the lodge where he hopes to build a house for his one wife and two young children. He is the only one of his 3 brothers (farmers) and 3 sisters that is "working." He sees his wife and children every couple of months, depending on how busy the lodge is and he helps his sisters pay to send her children to elementary school (all schools in Kenya charge to attend).

Early on the drive we saw the now familiar wildebeest, warthogs, giraffe, ostrich, a pride of lion, elephants. We also saw a jackal (looking surprisingly similar to a coyote) darting and nervously circling the pride of lounging lions (a young male and two female) in hopes for a scrap of food apparently. 

Two of the highlights were a young lioness intently devouring the gutted remains of a wildebeest while two others watched from the tall grass, and a beautifully marked cheetah in the grass gazing over the landscape as the sun set in the distance.

That evening, we listened to a fireside chat from Mike the naturalist, a white bearded Brit with ruddy complexion that looked somewhat like a tall Santa Claus. He has lived in Kenya for the past 33 years (one of only about 4,000 white non-Kenyans living there). His 45-minute presentation was a wealth of information about the flora and fauna of the Maasai. 

This was followed by dinner and off to bed with a pleasant coolness in the air. Walking up the steps to our tent, I heard a rustling and shined my flashlight over the railing to the river, to find a grazing hippo not more than 15' away in a small clearing about 10' below. This was slightly unsettling due to what we found out early from Mike:

Hippos, called water horses, but, more accurately water pigs, play a vital role in the ecology of inland waters keeping down the bank side vegetation and excreting tons of fertilizing manure into the water encouraging growth of plankton and invertebrates that sustain the whole ecosystem. We learned from Mike that they are the most dangerous all the animals in Africa, killing more people than all of the other predators put together. Although fairly docile in the water, when they go out on land at night to graze, woe be it to the unfortunate soul that comes between the hippo and its water. They weigh up to 8,000lbs and hit like a Mac truck with sharp teeth.

The sounds of the hippos - low, resonant grunts and snorts (like a 4-ton pigs) serenaded us though the night along with the vocalizations of monkeys and exotic birds.

Sunday 18 March 2001
Our wakeup call was at 5:45am - an attendant greeting us with "jambo" at our tent door followed by a welcome carafe of coffee at 6. I collected my camera gear while Charlotte, tired from a restless night, decided to take a day of rest and read. My trusty driver Wilson cheerfully greeted me as I walked into the parking area at 6:30am just as the light of dawn began to gather force.

Early morning is the best time to see the predators in action, and almost immediately we spotted a lioness slowly moving with head just above the top of the grass stalking a wildebeest with 2 cubs watching in the grass. Suddenly she exploded in a burst of speed, but the wildebeest saw her first and escaped over a creek. Undaunted, Wilson followed in pursuit - Land Rovers will go almost anywhere. However, nearly getting stuck in the muddy riverbed, we turn back to see the dejected lioness sauntering back in the same direction to her cubs.

We then encountered another pride of 3 lionesses, regally observing their territory.

Just a bit later we spotted the same cheetah from yesterday. This time it was stalking Thompson gazelle -- crouched in slow motion very carefully and slowly placing one paw in front of the other advancing silently toward the gazelle. We held our breath. Suddenly, about 50' away from the prey, it was seen and there was great commotion in the gazelle community. They bounce nervously with every eye trained on the approaching threat. 

The cheetah, realizing the jig was up, shrugged, resumed its normal posture and gate. The Thompson gazelles, seemingly saying that it is better to keep an eye on the sure threat, actually followed the cheetah off over the hill.

Our next sighting was the eland, the largest of the antelope family, and lots more giraffe, wildebeest, and then, in for mid-morning breakfast. 

Adventuring out again at 10am, Wilson and I went to a Maasai village about 2 miles from the lodge. Along the way, we stopped at water's edge to see more than 50 hippos warming themselves on the bank in the mid-morning sun. The young were protectively centered in the group, similar to elephants. A short distance later, four Nile crocs, each about 14' long, rested motionlessly on the muddy bank. They surprise attack their prey at the waters edge, clamping with their lock tight jaws, pulling and twisting them into the water to be drowned. They also swallow stones for ballast in the water according to Wilson.

The layout of the Maasai village was different from the Samburu. There were about 30 huts in a ring encircled by a fence of boards and gathered materials. The large open center is where the goats and cattle are kept at night. -- the huts were  larger and built in a different manner. The camp seemed semi-deserted with about 20 married woman, children and only one male (our guide, James) was to be seen. No other men or teenagers were there.

My official greeting was from 8 women who gathered in a line in the center of the village area singing a welcome song. After posing for pictures, I was then quickly invited inside one of the huts.

The huts were about twice the size of the Samburu tribe - floor space of about 10'x18' and about 5.5' high with a flatter top. The ceiling and all the walls were covered in an almost cement-hard brown cow-dung stucco. Entering the 2x4' opening for the door, one found a small 3x3'' vestibule leading two ways: straight to the sleeping quarters for the children from about 2 to 7 years old (up to 5) in about a 4x10' bare area with no furnishings. Younger children sleep with their mother and children older that 7 or 8 are moved another hut. 

The other way led to the main living room about 18'x 6' and divided into three areas. At the far end was a sleeping area carpeted with leather and skins for the male. The central area was a cooking and sitting area (a small 1x3' wooden plank served for a bench and a few stones as the hearth). At the end nearest the entry vestibule was the sleeping area for the mother and young children. It was quite dark inside with just a couple of 5" holes serving as a window and for ventilation. A "stew" of diced potatoes sat next to the extinguished fire, although the Maasai, as the Samburu, eat almost exclusively cow and goat milk and blood, and, occasionally meat on festive occasions (they don't want to kill their capital). 

Similar to the Samburu, as we exited the village back to the truck, the women had trinkets and hand made art to sell. 

The afternoon game drive continued great sightings of cheetah, elephants, a threatening bull elephant, and giraffe. 

New sightings including the hyenas and the ringed mongoose.

The hyena was relaxing in the shade in the grass. With enormously powerful jaws, these nocturnal relatives of the dog, kill more than the other predators on the Serengeti. Their massive teeth can crush heavy leg bones, and their dung dries almost white as a result of the high bone content of their diet.

The banded mongoose often digs and forages in the ground leaf litter for insects, spiders, lizards, snakes, eggs, and small mammals and birds. Once spotted, they nervously ran to their burrow, standing upright on their hind legs to see us better - very similar to the meerkat. 

Also seen was a secretary bird, named for the pen-like plumage sweeping back from it's head. It is primarily a land bird searching for insects and small mammals. 

The evening's entertainment was the Maasai dancers. About 15 teenage Maasai, some hotel employees, dressed in nearly identical red, short coverings - traditional Maasai garb - filed in chanting. The men showed their jumping prowess, similar to the Samburu, and the highest jumper was the group "chief" leading the way with feathered headdress. The most striking feature, was the primal chant, each member with a separate vocalization, combining to make and almost chilling wild sound similar to what may have been resounding over the savannah for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Hassan, the hotel general manager, asked us if we would like to try our luck at ballooning at dawn the next day. We excitedly agreed, and received a wakeup call at 5am for a 5:30am departure.

Monday 19 March 2001

Francois, a cigarette-smoking French balloonist about 55 years old, one of the best in the country according to Mike, was to be our balloon guide. After signing release forms, we pile into a long and high wheel based military-like vehicle, and off like a bat-out-of-hell into the dark - one of the roughest rides I have ever experienced in my life. Without Wilson's touch for avoiding the bumps, it was like a harsh roller coaster for about 5 miles, past the Maasai village. Finally, lights of a truck and tractor appeared in the dark distance. François oversaw the team of men preparing for the launch. A large gas-powered fan filled the balloon. The large propane flame cut into the dark of the night filling the balloon with hot air and light. 

Unfortunately, after about 30 minutes, the winds cam up and the mission was scrubbed.

Wilson, appeared out of nowhere to whisk us away to the bush-walk breakfast in progress conducted by Mike the naturalist. Mike was pointing out the plant life to about 4 other people whom we joined. In front and behind us were pairs of a security guards toting a shotgun and a Maasai warriors with a bows an arrows. Mike explained that the Maasai would probably been much more protection if a predator ever did attack.

Mike, a wealth of knowledge, came to Kenya from the British Museum to study insects 33 years ago, and stayed. Our final destination, a breakfast buffet on a high bank overlooking the river 40' below. 

That afternoon, we checked out of the Lodge for our return flight to Nairobi for the night, on to the next stage of the trip, my presentation in Arusha.

The Air Kenya flight to Nairobi flew over vast stretches of the Mara (meaning spotted, apparently for the regular, distributed occurrence of the Acacia trees). Nearly every valley contained 3 to 8 rings of small villages (10-15 huts per ring on average) often spaced a half mile apart from the other. Most had a central corral and several had small ones to the side as well. We must have flown over hundreds, if not thousands, of these villages, most far from roads, electricity, running water, or any of the modern conveniences we take for granted.

We were met again by John Buckley and the Destination Kenya driver and off into the teeming chaos of the Nairobi rush hour, back to the Norfolk Hotel.

One could spend months photographic the amazing sites that whizzed passed in a blur just in the 5-mile distance on the way to the hotel. Packed and fuming matatus; a huge dump truck with more than 100 laborers standing, packed like sardines, in the bed with their heads just peaking over the sides; gunny sacks full of coal for sale, brothers carrying their lame brothers on their back, vending shacks selling everything from fruit to furniture. Third world and fascinating to see, Nairobi provided a full spectrum from elegant high style to the bottom of despair and poverty. Most on the street, however, seem healthy, reasonably well-dressed and busilly going about their business. 

The Norfolk provided an oasis of refinement and a great night's sleep.

Tuesday 20 March 2001 
Sleeping until 7, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and met Richard Markham, Liz Nickolas, John Glen and the Norfolk General Manager, Richard Kimenyi for a publicity photo session for the Site chapter. 

We then depated to the Wilson Regional Airport again, this time to Kilamanjaro Airport near Arusha, Tanzania - a giant airport with huge terminal with only about 4 international flights per week. Our single-prop Cessna made if fine and we were just about the only ones in the place.

A driver and dispatcher form Leopard Tours were waiting for us. After quickly clearing custom's, we traveled the 20-mile journey to the outskirts of Arusha, to the Serena Mountain Village Hotel, consisting of a small dining area and lobby and about 50 circular, coned thatched roof "huts" groups in clusters of 5, styled after a native mountain village. Formerly a coffee plantation, it overlooked Lake Duluti and had lush and extensive gardens. 

Wilson Mbahi, the Assistant General Manager was waiting to greet us warmly. The rooms are going through renovation, and our older room without a ceiling fan was a little warm, especially with the brief afternoon thunderstorm adding to the humidity. 

We dined alone in the large dining room overlooking the lake, except for the 2 cooks, 2 bartenders, and 2 waiters attending to our every move. A full buffet meal was offered for just the two of us.

Wednesday 21 March 2001
Antipass, our driver picked us at 7:15am to take us the 15 minute ride to the Arusha Novotel for my presentation. 

The ride to the presentation was another trip full of amazing images. It was market day, dozens of women were carrying giant bunches of bananas on their heads walking along the road to sell. Stacks of coal, tomatoes, melons, and just about everything else was spread out at the intersection. Donkey and human drawn carts carrying water jugs. A man walking with a log 5' long and 1' in diameter on his shoulder. Cows and goats and home-make vending shacks. It was common to see women carrying packages, water, jugs, boxes, bananas and just about anything else on their head walking erect in their attractive, brightly-colored and patterned African-style flowing garb. 

We arrived at the Novotel hotel about 8am. Charles and Juliet arrived shortly there after having encountered car difficulties in their drive from Nairobi.

The third presentation went also without a hitch to about 20 attendees coming from a wide range of interests, government, tourism, shipping, airlines and more. The crowd was reserved and primarily wore suits and ties, but many questions were asked and the evaluations again were good. 

It is interesting that 2 or 3 of the comments said that the full-day seminar was too short - quite a difference from "time-starved" Americans that often have a hard time freeing up 45 minutes.

We returned to the lodge at about 4pm in time for a walk around the lake lead by a guide carrying a long metal bar/hatchet for protection. Along the trial, we came across an unsmiling girl about 7 years old - dressing in a simple long tee-shirt. She was carrying her 3-year-old brother on her back, and also carrying a 5-gallon plastic pail full of laundry - out walking along this lake trail, by themselves, and seemingly far from any probable destination.

We asked Wilson if the was email access to send a birthday message to our daughter, Amy. (The normal rate in for sending email messages in many hotels is $5US per message per recipient.) We went to the back of the lodge, logged on at 14 Kbs to send her greetings.

Thursday 22 March 2001
The driver and dispatcher from Leopard Tours were waiting for us at 7:30 to take us to the Arusha airstrip on the other side of Arusha about 30 minutes away. Another interesting visual third-world trip.

The "terminal" consisted of a control tower, a waiting lounge, a small open-air gift shop, a restaurant and a cyber café.

Our cheerful pilot, a white brit about 55 years old, skillfully flew us through the clouds to Lake Manyara,

Our diver, Michael Mlolo, also from Leopard, was waiting for us, and soon we were barreling down the dirt road to the lip of the Ngorongoro Crater more than an hour away. The principal safety mechanism was the horn, as people, donkeys, bicyclists scattered as we rushed by in a cloud of dust. Primarily farmers in the area, every field was full of corn, beans, sisal, and other produce. Most of the houses were simple mud brick dwellings with thatched roofs. The countryside was green and very picturesque. 

As the road climbed the outer wall of the crater, we went through the security check in - the crater is closely guarded and monitored with the abundance of endangered species (more than 22) found there. Ten more minutes and we are at the top and are treated to a fantastic view. 

The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest in tact caldera (collapsed volcano crater) in the world and is over 29 Km (17 miles across) covering 260 square kilometers. The crater floor 2000' below the rim, holds host to a huge array of animals and has a ecosystem unlike anywhere on earth. Due to unusually heavy rains during their "dry season" January and February, the sides and floor of the crater were varying shades from light to forest green. The "long rains" normally start from March 21st through May, but, so far, we have hardly seen a drop. It was a beautiful clear day as we gazed out over the awesome expanse.

Along the crater's rim, are a few nestled hotels and camping areas, the nicest according to our guide is our destination, the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, a beautiful facility, with the walls built of round volcanic stones, hidden into the hillside, blending in beautifully, but providing spectacular views of the crater from nearly every room.

The dining room is expansive with an 180 degree view of the crater.. Due to the chances of rain, this must be significant shoulder season, as again we were the only people in the dining hall - although many were probably out on the game drives.

At 2pm, Michael was waiting for us for the afternoon game drive. We wound our way down the steep bumpy rutted road, descending 2000' to the crater. Along the way, several small Maasai villages were seen, and lots of natives in their traditional red garb, tending their flocks of goats and cattle. Some smiled and waived, others didn't even look up, others were anachronistically trying to sell watches to the passengers in the safari rigs.

While it was crisp and even cool at the rim, things warmed up on the way down. As we drove we noticed the flat-topped umbrella acacia trees lacing the crater floor. On the way down, we drove through a striking Uphorbia Candelabra forest - a tree like cacti with multiple arms stretching up like multi-armed candleholders.

Soon, the animals began to appear. The Thompson gazelle, the major gazelle, the hartebeest, warthogs and the Cape buffalo, all meandering amongst each other, seemingly oblivious to each other, but certainly keeping an eye out for the predators. 

As we drove toward the large soda lake (salt and minerals) covering about a tenth of the crater floor, we saw thousand of pink flamingos! Grouped together, flapping wings, honking, with heads and bills upside down to the water dredging and sifting the water and sand for algae. Some were fighting. An occasional one would fly in - the long neck and legs stretched out in a 5' straight line. Lesser flamingos were on the edge. Egyptian geese, gray-headed gull, and Blacksmith Plovers were also in the area. A fabulous site! 

We also came across two separate prides of lioness relaxing in the hot afternoon sun, some with tummies toward the sky.

Next to be seen were two black rhinos standing like armored tanks about 30 meters away. These extremely aggressive creatures with terrible eyesight can hear and smell very well. Except for the Ngorongoro crater, It is almost impossible to find these endangered creatures in the wild, and we feel most lucky to witness them. 

In larger groupings we saw Cape buffalo, hartebeest, Thompson gazelle, Grant's gazelle, wildebeest, and even a few elephants in the distance.

As we began our assent 2 hours later, we saw an anteater chat and a Kori Buster, the heaviest bird that can fly. As we passed a grove of Yellow Fever trees, a lone superb starling perched in the bush.

As we returned to the refreshing cool air of the crater rim, we relaxed and dined in the luxury of the Serena Lodge. After dinner and a video documentary about lions, just before turning in, we stepped out onto our private balcony overlooking the crater. The view was sparkling with a myriad of stars, the big dipper and the Southern Cross at either end of our visual range. It was a stunning site, breathtaking, a moment when we feel humbled, recognizing that we are only two souls in this vast universe - our lives a moment in time.

Friday 23 March 2001
With the shades open, the dawn was our wakeup call, as sun rose majestically over the caldera. A sliver of the moon and Venus could be seen in the fading night. Charlotte and I had yet another buffet breakfast, and I was off at 7:30 for another caldera drive. 

There is such a range and diversity of wildlife to be seen. Listed in order was part of the drive: 50 Grant's gazelles , a warthog family of five, 2 white-backed vultures at the top of a tree, 3 hyenas in the distance, 2 golden jackals, 3 sacred ibis with a black stork. Several European white stork, a Blacksmith Plover, 4 ostrich (1 male and 3 females), 50 cape buffalo, 50 zebra, 5 helmeted guinea fowl, 3 superb starlings, 30 hippos looking like large gray rocks in a shallow pool, a silver-backed jackal, a lone grazing hippo in the early sun, 6 cape buffalo with ox pecker birds grooming, a crested crane (the national bird of Uganda), more white stork, a pride of 14 lions walking in the distance, a Kori Bustard, 2 black rhino, 20 ostrich, a spur winged goose, another crested crane, more than 1,000 zebra and wildebeest (intermingled and working together to spot predators - the zebra sees well and the wildebeest have an excellent sense of smell), a tawny eagle, a Hamerkop, thousands of pink flamingos, elephants in the distance, and more, more, more!

Occasionally skull and scattered skeleton parts were seen, part of the continuing balance of predator weeding out the weaker aspects of its prey - Darwinism in action - the survival of the fittest.

Back by 1pm to meet Charlotte for lunch and an afternoon of relaxation and writing. 

A brief afternoon thundershower capped our final safaris day with a spectacular double rainbow arcing the entire crater rim to rim. A perfect goodbye and a calling to for us return.

Saturday 24 March 2001
The day started with high overcast shading the crater floor. The sun was obscured as it rose over the crater rim. At is continued to rise, brilliant shafts of sunlight broke through the clouds, streaming down on the lake below and backlighting the cumulous billows in a final display as we readied our bags to leave.

Michael, our driver, was waiting and soon we were driving down the outside of the crater wall, passing a family of about 30 baboons on the way. Retracing the bumpy road to the Lake Manyara airstrip, then short flights to Arusha, and Kilamanjaro with the expansive flat-top of its namesake towering in the distance. We passed through customs paying the $20 each airport exit tax, and took another short flight to Nairobi for another night at the Norfolk. Then, the next days, on to Amsterdam, London, Vancouver and finally home to Bellingham - an end to the most remarkable trip either one of us have taken.

Concluding thoughts and comments
In reflection on our experience, we have a few recommendations for those considering a similar journey:

1. The use of an experienced destination management/safaris company was indispensable in making the trip as efficient, fun and interesting as it was. Destination Kenya was superb in taking care of all of the details, never missing a step in our complicated itinerary - with us each step of the way. Their support added enormously to the trip.
2. Quality hotels such as Lonrho and Serena Hotels made what could have been an arduous journey, instead one of luxury. To have a pampered refuge after full days of amazing, but bumpy and dusty, game drives, made the trip more enjoyable. These hotels also provided very competent and knowledgeable naturalists and drivers who contributed greatly to our appreciation of the sites.
3. Email access is generally not available at the safaris hotels and is limited, slow, and can be quite expensive at the other hotels. Cyber Cafes can be found at lower rates, but still with low connection speeds.
4. Packing:
In general, pack as lightly as possible - we recommend limiting to a single carry on bag per person - the rolling type was helpful in the heat, humidity and/or high altitude experienced in the different locations.

Clothing:
A wide-brim hat, sunglasses, a cotton short-sleeve shirt, a long-sleeve shirt, 2 tee-shirts, safari pants (that convert to shorts doubling as swim trunks), 4 pair socks/shorts was just about all that was needed. Laundry is available at all of the hotels but can be quite expensive (i.e. $3US for a pair of socks). It is possible on safari, to hand wash with the sun drying in less than an hour.

Medications and aids:

• prescribed sleeping medication was very helpful to assist adjusting with the 11-hour time differential from the west coast of the U.S.
• anti-diarrhea medication (Imodium)
• motion sickness medication (Dramamine) if your are prone to this (several of the small plane flights and the ground transportation were quite bumpy.
• anti-malarial medication (Larium) * 
• mosquito repellant (containing DEET)

Camera equipment/film/binoculars:

• a camera with a high-power (300mm minimum) telephoto lens
• twice as much film as you think you might need (we used 12 rolls of 24 exp. film with our 35mm camera for telephoto shots and took more than 700 shots with our digital camera)
• better yet, a digital camera with high storage capacity with a 8-10x zoom lens and battery charger (with socket adapter)
• good quality binoculars, one set per person, with at least 8 - 10 power.
  

Other equipment:

• day pack for carrying the camera equipment
• flashlight
• large Ziploc baggies to seal film and other small items from the dust
• money belt
• notebook and pen to keep a journal of your experience

Notes from Charlotte's Diary:

Circles

The small Samburu tribe is headed by a chief whom the social structure revolves around.  By Western standards the tribe appears impoverished, but I understand they feel content with plenty of goat meat, milk and blood to dine upon.  Our first introduction to the Samburu community was to greet the chief, a smiling, kindly looking man named Gregory, donned in traditional garb.  As he spoke, describing the inner council, I noticed a briar patch of a fence made of Acacia wood, rolled into a brushy mound, circling the village.  This fence provides security and protection from stray lion and cheetah who not only can’t fight their way through this formidable mass, but also their trying creates a ruckus, alerting the warriors who then grab spears and prepare to fight if necessary.  A smaller Acacia enclosure is located inside the village and serves as a goat pen.

Next, I noticed the houses.  Built in a small oval shape the walls are made of either corrugated metal, if available, or the more traditional cow dung and sticks (branches), topped with various animal skins.  These small, cubby holes house whole families, with sleeping, cooking and sun shade spots for all the members, yet the surface area is only about 8’ by 12’.  There are few household comforts within the homes as the Samburu tribe is nomadic, accumulating only what they can carry on their backs to the next location. 

They are proud of their traditions which include a tribal hierarchy, men serving as warriors and protectors while women perform nearly all the work.  They practice male and female circumcision, as well as polygamy, with men having up to five wives or more  During our visit, the chief asked the women to perform a welcome dance and the woman’s dance of circumcision.  The welcome dance was cheerful in nature while the circumcision dance was understandably much more somber.

Then, an expert team of several warriors demonstrated fire starting which was amazing.  It took only a couple of minutes for the warriors to start the fire using sticks and donkey dung and then blowing on the smoldering ember. At this point,  the whole community, including the children turned out to sell trinkets as we prepared to leave.  Gregory  informed us that the tribe was currently considering staying in one spot, near the Samburu Lodge, which would provide a steady source of income for them.  Corbin and I wondered how this decision would change their culture in the next 20 years.

The Mara Safari Club

Is visually interesting with grass-thatched roofs, and darkly stained cypress logged walls set off by attractive rock foundations laid brick style.  Hassan, the general Manager offered outstanding service, even arranging a hot air balloon ride which was unfortunately cancelled due to the changing winds.  Instead, we were dropped off at the nature walk- a walking safari across the Savannah to the river ending with breakfast in the bush lead by an experienced naturalist and jolly interesting fellow, Mike.  Our caravan was lead by a Maasai warrior donned in traditional garb, armed with spears and an armed guard who carried a shotgun.  A similar team brought up the rear.   I was told by our guide that the shotgun would have had little effect against the lion but the Maasai warrior could have offered protection by charging the lion and scaring it off.

Flights

With flights occurring about every other day during this two week trip, some with several legs on small aircraft, flying became of interest.  John, the managing director of Air Kenya took a personal interest in our schedule and frequently met us with comments and helpful suggestions for upcoming flights.  Due to my fear of flying, particularly in small aircraft, and my motion sickness problem, I dreaded this aspect of the trip.  Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised with both the comfort of the flights and my ability to cope, calling upon God, deep breathing, my handy stress-busting rubber ball as well as Corbin’s hand whenever it was available.  At the end of each flight, I felt that I had achieved a major accomplishment.  I even came to enjoy moments of flying, the spectacular views and the light touch of a smooth landing.

On freedom

As I sit alone in the beautiful Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, made of river stone and wood, with an expansive view of the crater, the previous clear blue sky is temporarily obstructed by an ominously gray rain cloud.   Still the glory of the crater, its green hilled rim and carefree bird life persist with sunlight streaming through the clouds.

Last night, this same view was alive with a myriad of stars, the big dipper and the Southern Cross at either end of our visual range.  It was a stunning sight-breathtaking really, a moment when I am humbled as I recognize that I am only one soul in this vast universe- my life a moment in time.

Corbin has chosen to return to the crater with another guide named Mike, while I needed something different, a break from the curvy washboard roads, a place to read, think and write.

There have been so many vivid impressions here.   Driving through Nairobi or Arusha alone brings a host of visions and the trip from a remote airstrip to the crater even more.  We’ve seen trucks and vans spewing black exhaust fumes slowly trudging up city streets and when they can no longer make it, numerous people unload to push the vehicle up the hill in the midst of hectic traffic.  At the markets, which occur twice per week, people walking in all directions, industriously displaying and selling food, all lined up neatly on a colorful cloth on the ground.  As we move out of town, there are Maasai warriors herding goats or cattle to the nearest river for water and then back again.  The Maasai people walk amongst the wildlife on the savannah.   They wear red to alert the lion that they are human.  They do not bother the wildlife and the wildlife do not bother them.

Interestingly, the Maasai people are free spirits.  Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa says this:

“The Maasai, he said, had never been slaves.  They cannot be made slaves, they cannot even be put in prison.  They die in prison if they are brought there, within three months, so the English law of the country holds with no penalty of imprisonment for the Maasai:  they are punished by fines.  This stark inability to keep alive under the yoke has given the Maasai, alone amongst all the native tribes, rank with the immigrant aristocracy.”

This is an astonishing find, my heart flies free at the thought.  For I deeply believe that we are all trying to find a way to live most freely in the world, unhampered as much as possible by those who would try to impose their particular brand of reality upon us.  As the storm cloud lifts and is replaced with a spectacular double rainbow, I find that I want for the moment to last, that I long to continue to feel this alive.

The Crater Floor

On Thursday afternoon, we descended to the crater floor, driven by our guide, another Mike.  On the steep descent, we noticed the picturesque, flat topped umbrella acacia trees, which are laced throughout the crater floor.  Standing amongst them are the striking Uphorbia candelabra cactus and buesea cactus.  We drove directly to the soda lake, where thousands of pink flamingo combed the waters edge for food.  In lesser numbers we spotted Egyptian geese, black winged selt, gray headed gull and the Blacksmith Plover.

We also came across two separate pride of lion, relaxing tin the hot afternoon sun, some with tummies toward the sky.  The next event was two pair of black rhinoceros.  In larger groupings, we saw African buffalo, hartebeest, Thompson gazelle, wildebeest, Grant's gazelle and even a few elephant in the distance.

As we began our ascent, we saw an anteater chat and a Kori Bustard - the heaviest bird that can fly.  As we passed a grove of yellow fever trees a lone, superb starling stood in the bush, it’s brilliant colors as gay as our spirits.

Conclusion
This was the trip of a lifetime for both of us. The wildlife, cultural diversity and warm Kenyan/Tanzanian hospitality encountered have given us a new perspective on the world. We have come back greatly enriched in life experience and we are eagerly counting the days until we return.

Photos of the Trip

Acknowledgements

This trip resulted as an invitation from the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) East Africa Chapter for Corbin for speaking engagements in Nairobi, Mombasa and Arusha. 

I wish to thank the following organizations and people who made this trip possible:
Destination Kenya - John Glen
Event and Conference Organisers Ltd - Charles Campbell and Juliet Clause
Lonrho Hotels Kenya Ltd. - Liz Nicholas 
Serena Hotels - Peter Mbogua
Express Travel Group - Richard Markham
Air Kenya Aviation - John S. Buckely
The Norfolk Hotel - Richard Kimenyi
Africa Online Ltd./3Mice Interactive Media Ltd - Paul Kukubo.

Also, thank to the hotel sponsors whose gracious hospitality added greatly to the trip:
Mt. Kenya Safari Club - St. John Kelliher
The Norfolk Hotel l - Richard Kimenyi
Mara Safari Club - Hassan Issak Abdi
Mombasa Serena Beach Hotel - Mark Gathuri
Samburu Serena Safari Lodge 
Serena Mountain Village Lodge - Wilson Mbahi
Serena Ngorongoro Lodge - Killian Lugwe

If you find this article helpful, please let me know by signing the Guest Book in the Contact Corbin Section..

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