We closed the trip to Kenyan with a visit to the Maasai Mara. While the girls went back to Nairobi, we were picked up by our driver, Big Ben Kariuki, our colourful driver, who was to be with us the next two days. We (and I include Maureen in the we) were joined by Flo, from Girls Soccer, who has been involved in the Samba Kenya Project since its first year in 2004. We stayed at the Siana Springs lodge, which was about half an hour from the park gate. The drive from Naivasha to the lodge took about 5 hours, with the roads getting progressively worse. It seemed impossible that Big Ben would be able to find his way, but he knew the short cuts like the back of his hand. It was somewhat surreal when he decided it was easier driving off the road than on it – there are no footpaths in this part of Kenya, and the roads are so potholed and bumpy that in places it’s impossible to drive more than 15 mph. Pothole dancing and road massages is the standard.
We had a full day in the game reserve, seeing 3 of the big 5 (elephant, lion, and buffalo), just missing the leopard and the rhino. Leopards and rhinos are in the park, but were keeping to themselves, leopards being nocturnal, and the black rhinos being very difficult to find. We also saw baboons, crocodiles, hippos, wildebeest, giraffes, zebra, antelopes, vultures, cheetahs, to name but a few of the wide variety of animal and bird life in the park. It was a long, tiring day, but very enjoyable. Big Ben was in his element, and was able to share his wealth of knowledge of the wildlife.
We were back in Nairobi on Sunday afternoon, after presenting some balls to a local Maasai school near the park, and it remains to prepare for our early-morning flight home and say goodbye to some of the people that we have been working with.
We had a full day in the game reserve, seeing 3 of the big 5 (elephant, lion, and buffalo), just missing the leopard and the rhino. Leopards and rhinos are in the park, but were keeping to themselves, leopards being nocturnal, and the black rhinos being very difficult to find. We also saw baboons, crocodiles, hippos, wildebeest, giraffes, zebra, antelopes, vultures, cheetahs, to name but a few of the wide variety of animal and bird life in the park. It was a long, tiring day, but very enjoyable. Big Ben was in his element, and was able to share his wealth of knowledge of the wildlife.
We were back in Nairobi on Sunday afternoon, after presenting some balls to a local Maasai school near the park, and it remains to prepare for our early-morning flight home and say goodbye to some of the people that we have been working with.
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