Amboseli

After sending Richard on his way back to Tanzania at the crack of dawn, Kiri and I met our safari guide and driver combo, George and Tito. We had lucked out and had our safari vehicle for seven all to ourselves – a real treat after the overland truck experience. Our first destination was Amboseli park, and the aim was to get there for lunch, so we left bright and early at 7am. After battling through the atrocious Nairobi traffic for an hour or so, another couple of hours on a decent road, and an obligatory stop at a curio shop, we turned off onto what was probably one of the worst roads I have experienced in Africa so far. The gravel was so corrugated that most vehicles veered off onto the unofficial tracks that winded alongside. Unfortunately, as our van was not 4-wheel drive, we looked on enviously as the Land Cruisers sailed past.














Another hour or so of bone jangling later we arrived at the park gate. Amboseli, although relatively small at 392 sq km, is one of Kenya's most popular parks, not least because of the potential for spectacular views of Kilimanjaro to the south. When we arrived the sky was cloudy, and there was no hint of the mountain. As we needed to get to our lodge for lunch we drove through the park relatively quickly, stopping only for a few photographs of some of the park's large number of elephants, as well as zebra, giraffe, ostrich and wildebeest. The landscape varies greatly from large dusty plains with numerous mini whirlwinds (from which the park gets its name) whipping up the dust, to swampy areas deep enough to practically conceal a full grown elephant whilst it drinks and stays cool.














Our accommodation, the Sentrim Amboseli lodge, was just outside the park gates, and proved to be a very comfortable home for the next two nights. It had an attractive pool and restaurant area, and our 'tent' came complete with beds, bathroom, power shower, fridge and hairdryer. Now this is camping.

After a predictable buffet lunch we headed back into the park, the first call of business being a visit to a Maasai village. Whilst we expected this to be a tourist trap, we felt we should take a look given the importance of the Maasai in this area and the uniqueness of their culture. Amboseli was traditionally Maasai land until in 1975 the area was declared a national park and the Maasai and their cattle were driven from the area. Enraged, they practically destroyed the park's population of black rhino and wreaked havoc with the lion population. Things calmed down following the construction of a water pipe, although even today the cattle herds encroach on the edges of the park. Indeed, we saw several herds of Maasai cattle and goats within the park, being led by Maasai boys as young as about eight, with nothing but a spear to protect them from the lions. Apparently the park rangers largely turn a blind eye. In 2005, the president downgraded the park to a national reserve and this has caused further controversy with conservations arguing it will lead to poor management and even further erosion and supporters arguing that it will benefit the Maasai community and encourage their involvement in wildlife conservation. I believe legal disputes are ongoing.














We were greeted at the Maasai village by the second son of the village chief. We were welcomed with singing and dancing including some very impressive jumping by the men. This was followed by a tour of a house and a demonstration of traditional fire lighting. Then, of course came the visit to the craft market. Whilst we realised immediately we were about to be fleeced, you had to admire the tactics – these guys have it down to an art form. First they insisted that Kiri and I split up to look at different stalls; then they took hold of any items you might be interested in, but refused to talk prices; once you had looked at all the stalls, desperately trying to politely turn down more items, things turned to business and they started negotiations at a ridiculously high price. All this was done in an incredibly friendly manner, with lots of smiles and introductions. In the end we decided to consider our spending as a donation to the community as a reward for all the effort they had put in.














Wallets considerably lighter, it was time to partake of some serious game viewing. Elephants were the order of the day, but we also saw plenty of gazelle (Grants and Thompson), giraffe, zebra and wildebeest. Unfortunately the drought that is currently plaguing Kenya appeared to be in evidence as we passed quite a number of dead zebra, wildebeest and buffalo, that had not been touched by predators. As the sun went down, finally the clouds started to burn off and Kilimanjaro gradually appeared, allowing for some classic animal in front of Kili photographs.














Day two in Amboseli started well with a lion sighting; one male with three females, and another two lions in the far distance. This was swiftly followed up by a female and two cubs. This was particularly special as lion numbers are relatively low in Amboseli. The rest of the day was spent watching the many herbivores.














The next day we left early for the long drive to Lake Nakuru.