{"id":245,"date":"2022-04-11T16:07:03","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T16:07:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irissrin.com\/blog\/?p=245"},"modified":"2022-04-26T12:16:59","modified_gmt":"2022-04-26T12:16:59","slug":"safari-to-kenya-samburu-to-lake-elmenteita","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irissrin.com\/blog\/safari-to-kenya-samburu-to-lake-elmenteita\/","title":{"rendered":"Safari to Kenya \u2013 Samburu to Lake Elmenteita"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post is a continuation of Safari to Kenya \u2013 Amboseli to Samburu<\/a> that ended with us leaving Samburu National Reserve<\/a> on the main highway headed west and south for the Lake Nakuru<\/a> area with David, our guide for the next few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the Road to Lake Elmenteita (Tuesday, March 8)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To recap, we had a pleasant sojourn at the Elephant Bedroom Camp<\/a> situated on the bank of the Ewasa Nyiro<\/a> river and within the Samburu National Reserve north of the equator.\u00a0 We had seen various species of animals to be found only north of the equator (Grevy\u2019s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Oryx etc.) and had encountered numerous lions and a pair of Cheetah on a kill.\u00a0 We were quite overwhelmed by what we had seen yet, strangely, thirsty for more!\u00a0 When it came right down to it, we were just beginning our Safari, and had plenty to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While we had seen plenty of animals in their natural habitat, we hadn\u2019t seen a few yet \u2013 the Rhino stood out on that list.\u00a0 Nor had we seen much of the country, having flown over most of it \u2013 flying is great for saving time, but I find you completely lose perspective of a different kind by flying \u2013 everything you fly over is reduced to two dimensions.\u00a0 Throughout my childhood in India, we took trains everywhere.\u00a0 You watch the landscape unroll before your eyes at speeds that we humans can process.\u00a0 You see a man with a bullock cart headed for market with a load of something in the back (you may never find out what, but that\u2019s part of the charm); a group of women headed back from the local well carrying water in large clay or metal pots, kids running around and playing while they work; a family on a scooter, child in front of Papa with Mama sitting demurely on the back, side-saddle; the sun setting over palm trees with a sandy beach in the distance; the sudden rocky outcrop with massive boulders probably forged a billion years ago in some volcanic activity.\u00a0 It is fun!\u00a0 This is what I hoped to achieve in a small way on the drive down from Samburu to Lake Elmenteita<\/a> \u2013 to experience a part of Kenya at a slower pace and see how people really lived outside of the cities.\u00a0 And I was looking forward to seeing the Great Rift Valley<\/a>, something I had read about as a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As David drove onto the highway, he asked us to fasten our seatbelts and told us, \u201cWe can\u2019t go over 80 km\/hour; the engine is speed governed.\u201d.  I was a little surprised (not unhappy at all) and asked him why.  He said that commercial vehicles (our 4×4 qualified as one in Kenyan law) had speed-governors that prevented them from going over that speed.  If these were removed, and you were caught doing a higher speed, you could lose your job!  I responded with, \u201cNo issues going slow, David!\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As he drove, we asked David to tell us a bit about himself.\u00a0 He said he was married and had a young daughter.\u00a0 His wife taught in a local school in his hometown, but they maintained an apartment in Nairobi so the family could be together in either place.\u00a0 David\u2019s job took him all over the country and it was quite normal for him to drive to Samburu or the other parks and conservancies around the country and guide clients.\u00a0 He worked for Gamewatchers<\/a> and generally liked the firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In return, we told David a little more about ourselves and how we ended up living in New Jersey.\u00a0 Later, we shared photos of snow in NJ in the depths of a blizzard, something that David had heard of but not seen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The road wended its way south toward Mount Kenya<\/a>.\u00a0 It was a single lane in either direction but widened to 2 lanes on up-slopes to permit faster traffic to overtake slower trucks (and our speed-governed 4×4).\u00a0 It was a modern highway that periodically had speed bumps to slow traffic down as it approached habitation.\u00a0 We passed through a few villages and the periodic market set-up on either side of the highway.\u00a0 There were women selling potatoes and onions in what looked like 5-pound sacks or bags under the shade of trees beside the road.\u00a0 David told us that the potatoes were inexpensive and high-quality \u2013 farm to table food!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The terrain changed as we headed further south with a slight but steady rise in the land.\u00a0 Out in the distance, Mount Kenya became visible as we crested a rise.\u00a0 Soon, we hit a point where the road headed more west than south and the turn off for the town of Meru<\/a> appeared \u2013 we speculated that Jennifer, from Elephant Bedroom Camp, would probably have taken that turn to go home after her week at the Camp.\u00a0 After the turn off, we were soon well and truly in hill country.\u00a0 It was very beautiful with tea and coffee plantations, greenery, and the massive prominence of Mount Kenya in the background.\u00a0 I was reminded instantly of Kalimpong<\/a> in the northern part of West Bengal state in India, or even parts of the Garhwal Himalayas<\/a>.\u00a0 The land had the same feel to it.\u00a0 A few minutes later, we had a wonderful view of Mount Kenya.\u00a0 I asked David if we could stop to take some pictures and he said, \u201cSure!\u201d.\u00a0 So, we stopped, walked over to the chain link fence demarcating Mount Kenya National Park<\/a>, and took some photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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David told us that this area of Kenya formed part of the so-called White Highlands<\/a>; the erstwhile British colonial government prevented native Kenyans from owning land here.\u00a0 I filed away this nugget of information for future study as he drove on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the turn of the 20th century, the Kikuyu<\/a> and Maasai<\/a> tribes owned the land
in this area. The pastorally-inclined Maasai used the plains over an elevation of 5000 feet to graze their cattle.\u00a0On the other hand, the Kikuyu were
agriculturalists, practicing “shifting cultivation” at the foothills of Mount Kenya, the Aberdare range<\/a>, and the surrounding hills.\u00a0A smallpox epidemic, drought, and a cattle disease resulted in the Maasai ceding lands to the British.\u00a0
Meanwhile, a famine caused the Kikuyu to take refuge with relatives
elsewhere, leaving the land temporarily unoccupied.\u00a0This resulted in the British settlers characterizing the land in this area as uninhabited!\u00a0 Between 1902 and 1930, many European settlers moved in and acquired the land.\u00a0 Colonial law
permitted the land in this area to owned and managed only by these settlers. Later, in the early 1950\u2019s, this land grab led in part to the infamous Mau Mau
rebellion<\/a> that was crushed by the British in 1956.\u00a0 But this probably convinced the British that there was need for reform in Kenya, which attained
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By now it was about 9:30am and we had been driving for almost 2 hours.\u00a0 David said we\u2019d drive past the town of Nanyuki<\/a> and then stop for a rest break.\u00a0 Indeed, soon we hit the main street in Nanyuki a busy market town of about 50,000 people.\u00a0 David navigated his way through town and a few minutes after we hit the outskirts, we were back on the highway again.\u00a0 As we drove, I spotted an unobtrusive sign indicating we were at the Equator!\u00a0 Excitedly, I asked David if we could stop to take a photo.\u00a0 He said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry!\u00a0 We\u2019ll cross it again a couple of times and we can stop then.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At about 10.15am, we saw an airstrip on the right of the highway and David pulled off the road and to a closed gate with a guard hut on the inside.\u00a0 The staff opened the gate and let us in and with that, we were at our promised rest stop at the Nanyuki airstrip.\u00a0 We halted in the parking area and then headed to a lovely, inviting building with a caf\u00e9 named Barney\u2019s Bar and Restaurant.\u00a0 A few customers were at tables sipping at their lattes (more likely tea!) or eating pastries of some kind.\u00a0 The clean and well-maintained facilities were at the back and having used them we looked at the offerings in the caf\u00e9.\u00a0 Not particularly hungry or thirsty we decided to forgo refreshment and headed back to the 4×4.\u00a0 David was off chatting with the gate guards and soon came back peering at his phone with a look of puzzlement on his face.\u00a0 We asked him if everything was ok.\u00a0 He responded that the airstrip had started to charge 100 Kenyan shillings for parking, but would accept only M\u2019Pesa<\/a>, which as I learned was the popular, electronic cash transfer system used widely across Kenya.\u00a0 Unfortunately, there was some glitch with the system, and it took David a few minutes of cajoling the app on his phone to complete the transaction.\u00a0 (Interestingly enough, the staff were not equipped to accept cash.\u00a0 It seems that Kenya has converted to a largely cashless society well before the USA and many other countries!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At 10.30am we back again on the highway.  In a few minutes at the small town of Naro Moru, we made a sharp right turn off the highway onto a local road and headed west.  About 10-15 minutes past the town, we saw road signs welcoming us to Lakipia County.  There was a large, fenced property on the left side of the road which went for miles.  David said, \u201cRhino ahead!\u201d and slowed down to pull over to the side of the road.  That was when we saw our first Rhino, the last of the big five that we had yet to see!  There were a pair of Rhino right beside the fence grazing on the tall but dry grass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We watched them for a couple of minutes and then got going again.  David was good at keeping us on schedule!  The road wended its way west past the Aberdare range to the south.  We passed through more villages and small towns.  About 11.30am, we joined the Nyeri-Nyahururu Road, also known as the B5 highway, and continued north and further west.  Just before noon, we spotted Equator Point and David slowed and then stopped at what looked like a souvenir shop with the Equator between the shop and the highway.  We alighted and were immediately besieged by a man who insisted on showing us how the Coriolis force affects water direction when draining south of or north of the equator!  We listened and watched a little, took a few pictures and then went into the shop.  There were numerous curios, some of which may have been worth buying, but we weren\u2019t particularly interested in shopping.  The man then gave us certificates after recording it in a hand-written logbook, but these unfortunately he wrote the wrong date on the certificates!  David insisted on having them corrected and we went back to the store to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This rigamarole cost us 10 minutes and, 5 USD poorer, we headed back to the vehicle for the short drive to Thomson Falls<\/a> at Nyahururu.\u00a0 About 20 minutes later, we arrived at the falls, parked, and paid the entrance fee.\u00a0 We then walked into the park and were accosted by a few people carrying some trinkets and a few chameleons on their shoulders!\u00a0 One of them promptly placed a chameleon each on my shirt and on Iris\u2019!\u00a0 This slow-moving creature wended its way up until I could barely see it out of the corner of my eye, causing some small agitation!\u00a0 He was a beautiful specimen, but not one that I cared to have on my person.\u00a0 I asked the man to remove it and he did so after a picture or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We then surveyed the falls which were quite beautiful.  They fell about 200 feet into a steep gorge and formed part of the same Ewasa Nyiro river that we had seen in Samburu National Reserve.  We spotted some people at the rocks around the pool into which the fall debouched and asked David about climbing down.  He recommended that we not do it since the path was pretty steep and quite slippery with moss and such. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We spent a few more minutes taking photos and walked around the park before heading back to the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was nearing 1pm and we had planned to lunch at a resort in Nyahururu run by the Panari Group<\/a>.\u00a0 In a few minutes, David drove us there and we entered the beautifully manicured lawns of a well-maintained resort.\u00a0 We walked through the lobby to a restaurant at the side of the building.\u00a0 The restaurant was right beside a lovely courtyard with a lawn and flowers bordering the lawn.\u00a0 However, we elected to sit inside in air-conditioned (although we were up at about 7000 feet, it was quite warm) comfort.\u00a0 The hostess seated us, and we decided to opt for the buffet lunch \u2013 some wonderful salad, continental and Indian offerings, and tiny plates with dessert that all looked very appetizing.\u00a0 We ordered water and some sodas to wash down the meal and ate a very satisfying lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The large room in which we were seated (it could comfortably hold a hundred people) was mostly empty when we started the meal until about 1:45pm when a group of perhaps 50 people arrived together.  They were at the resort for a convention of some kind and the calm atmosphere suddenly changed.  Since we had finished, we paid, headed out and looked for David who had opted to eat the lunch that had been packed by the Elephant Bedroom Camp in Samburu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We set off again at about 2pm.\u00a0 In a few minutes, the road started to snake its way up a large hill with a few switchbacks\/hairpin bends.\u00a0 At 2:30pm, David stopped at Subukia Viewpoint<\/a> and I had my first real view of the Great Rift Valley.\u00a0 And what a view it was!\u00a0 We were looking down on the valley which was extremely broad \u2013 we couldn\u2019t really see the opposite side.\u00a0 Trees, arid patches, lakes, grass, farmland, and the like were visible from the viewpoint that is at an elevation of about 6600 feet.\u00a0 There were houses dotting the landscape near the farms and you could see the road making its way across the valley.\u00a0 A very pretty sight indeed.\u00a0 And not just pretty.\u00a0 I was probably not far from the place where our species first walked on earth<\/a>.\u00a0 It may have been a little south or a little north of where I was, but chances are that our ancestors originated somewhere in, or in the vicinity of where I stood at that moment.\u00a0 Quite a solemn, yet exhilarating thought, you will agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We got back on the road after a few minutes and made our way down to the floor of the valley.\u00a0 As we went down the hill, we went past the town of Subukia and crossed over the equator again, heading south this time.\u00a0 We were now in Nakuru County, having crossed over from Lakipia County.\u00a0 Once on the valley floor the road wended its way through the farmland, villages, and towns.\u00a0 We were heading in a mostly southerly direction and soon started to see signs of a large city ahead.\u00a0 Traffic started to pick up and in a few more minutes we were in the center of Nakuru<\/a>, one of the fastest growing cities in Kenya.\u00a0 We made a turn onto the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway<\/a> towards Nairobi and started to see many 22-wheelers carrying goods headed in the opposite direction.\u00a0 David explained that most of these trucks were picking up goods from Mombasa, the main port in this part of East Africa, and were carrying these to the Lake Victoria region in the western part of Kenya and to Uganda and possibly Rwanda (a.k.a. the Singapore of Africa).\u00a0 The highway is well built, but is frequently a single lane in either direction, causing faster automobile traffic to slow down behind the slower commercial traffic.\u00a0 We made our way East and after about a half hour we saw a large lake off to our right.\u00a0 David said, \u201cThat\u2019s Lake Elmenteita\u201d.\u00a0 We turned off the road to the right (people drive on the left in Kenya) and approached a gate to a compound fenced both with shrubbery and wire.\u00a0 A guard let us in, and we bumped our way up the dirt and gravel path to our home for the next 3 nights, Sunbird Lodge<\/a> in Lake Elmenteita<\/a>.\u00a0 It was about 4pm and we had been on the road for over eight hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We alighted and walked into the lobby area which had a reception c\u00ad\u00ad\u00adounter on the front wall and a partly, glassed-in back wall with a view of the lake below us.  A door in the back wall led to a few steps down to a patio that overlooked the lake.  Fantastic views were to be had!  We turned to our hostess to check in \u2013 she introduced herself as Naomi and welcomed us.  Iris asked her if she was related to Naomi Campbell and Naomi\u2019s deadpan response was, \u201cMy sister!\u201d.  We burst out laughing and completed our check-in formalities.  We asked Naomi if we needed to be escorted back-and-forth or we could walk around the grounds at any time. She responded that they had installed an electric fence to prevent the Buffalo from getting into the compound, and that we were free to move around.  We chatted a little with David and arranged to set out at 7:30am the following morning to the Lake Nakuru National Park where we planned to spend the day.  David worked out a picnic lunch for us from the lodge for the next day and then headed off to his night\u2019s stay about 15 minutes away.  In the meantime, Naomi checked with us about what we wanted for dinner (they had choices up on a chalkboard in the reception area) and we then set off down a gravel path to our cottage a few yards away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our cottage was called Marabou<\/a>, after the stork.\u00a0 We walked over and found our luggage \u2013 suitcases and duffel bags \u2013 already in place.\u00a0 After a little exploring, we settled down and relaxed before dinner.\u00a0 We found that the lodge had installed solar heating for the water \u2013 as a result, we had running hot water, for a change.\u00a0 But there was also a sign to conserve hot water in the evenings to avoid running out first thing in the morning!\u00a0 After finding that the front verandah to the cottage had hammocks (!) installed, Iris relaxed on those while we sipped on a cup of tea brought over by the staff.\u00a0 Meanwhile, I took photos from the cottage, and of the cottage itself.\u00a0 At about 7pm, I took some photos of the remnants of a beautiful sunset, and we then headed off to dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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