Aug 29 12

Hell’s Kitchen into Masai Mara

Marcelo

Hell’s Gate National Park

By: Celeste

Vultures breed on these cliff faces, including Lammergeiers

Anything named Hell’s Gate induces some curiosity. Driving towards the Masai Mara passing Lake Naivasha, our curiosity was piqued and we just had to explore further. A strange landscape of towering cliffs, undulating grasslands, gorges gouged out by water erosion and free-standing rock towers. Walking and cycling are encouraged but to Nicolai and Danica’s disappointment, children sized bicycles were not available. Our campsite on a ridge overlooked a valley where giraffe, zebra and warthogs frequented the waterhole – filled afresh by tanker daily. The panoramic view by day was spectacular by night where we slept high up in the stars, jackal and hyena calls reverberating. Nicolai had fun playing soccer with the French boys camped nearby.

Fischer's Tower

The landscape comes alive when stroked with the early morning light. Large herds of buffalo, zebra and Thomson’s Gazelle small against the huge cliffs. Fischer’s Tower is a 25m high volcanic plug, all that remains of an ancient volcano. It is named after the German explorer Gustav Fischer, who passed this way in 1885. According to local Masai tradition, the rock is the petrified figure of a chief’s daughter who turned around, against the dictates of tradition, to take one last look at her home before leaving to be married.  Now it is home to abundant rock hyraxes and agamas.

George of the gorge showing us the way

We spent many hours exploring the lower Ol Njorowa Gorge with our guide, George, although he did not enjoy my ‘George in the Gorge’ joke. We picked up black and shiny obsidian stones – known to absorb and protect against negative energy – may be useful for the travels ahead. The steep sides of the sandstone gorge dwarfed us as we sploshed through the hot spring water, clambering over boulders huge enough to dwarf a house.  It is difficult to believe that one in particular had been wedged into its present position the April, following heavy rains after it had fallen from on high from the Central Tower, tossing it here on its watery way.  Heed those signs: emergency exit.

the Central Tower

Considering our walk ended in the Devil’s Bedroom, the steam arising from the Ol Karia Geothermal Station leads one down the thought-path of deeply-sleeping dragons. This internationally funded power project is one of the hottest sources of natural steam in the world with an underground water temperature of 304 degrees centigrade. A great source of natural energy but does it have any adverse effects on our Mother Earth?

Elsamere Conservation Centre

Joy and George Adamson’s home and home to the famous lion, Elsa, brought up as an honorary member of the family. I could hardly believe that I was standing there in their home – looking at the bookshelves of books they read, touching their mantelpiece.

The museum room was excellent, containing detailed information, special paintings, heirlooms, awards and even Joy’s dress worn on the opening night of the film ‘Born Free’ at which she met the Queen. What a talented lady to have written and painted as extensively as she did, bringing the wild and wonderful Kenya alive to the rest of the world.

the Secretary

The old Landy on which Elsa would lie and in which George was fatally shot by bandits, was a sobering reminder of man’s senseless violence – a death incongruous with a life of love of nature and given to conservation. Danica was wowed at all the languages into which her books have been translated.

Whilst the house itself was special, it was the beautiful garden overlooking Lake Naivasha which really was imbued with spirit. A family of black-and-white colobus, tiny baby clinging to its mum, stalked the branches of the fever trees. The luncheon buffet was outstanding. It was the first time I had ever seen Nicolai help himself to a second helping – a compliment indeed!

Masai Giraffe

Exiting the Lake Naivasha area between the Flower industry greenhouses (from here to U.K. in one day), the sky fell on our heads. A massive thunderstorm let loose its menacing power and the street turned to river, swamping pedestrians up to thigh level! How lucky we weren’t still in the Lower Gorge!

 

let us in, let us in

Masai Mara

The main road into this world-famous reserve was tarred until just past Narok and then there was only 68km of dirt road. How bad could it be?  Deeply rutted and potholed, we crawled the trailer along.  Hour after hour, time almost stood still as darkness fell – and so did the rain! – turning the road to mushy mess, thick, sticky, clinging. A few lights floated along in the darkness on roads unknown to us – Masai with headtorches on bicycles outstripped our speed by far. Six hours it took till 22h30 that night to get to Mara Springs Mountain Rock Camp on the mighty Masai Mara boundary. We set up camp in record time and transferred the sleeping babes from back seat to beds. Now we understood why the tour operators had recently blocked the road in demonstration and protest at the most famous road in Kenya’s condition.

hot air and balloons

We were so enriched to meet fellow campers, a family from Washington, U.S.A. who were just so lively and positive, interested and interesting! Thank you to Barbara and Robert who are contributing so widely and significantly to our world. Thank you to Norah for building a private fort from leftover building materials with Danica and Nicolai for watching movies. David, their son, we applaud you making waves and standing up for the environment at your high school back home.

the brotherhood, a tight bond

The sunrise pinks washed the sky behind us as we waited to enter Sekenani Gate. Pay up, pay up. Excitement as we see a herd of buffalo, elephants and calves, then a brotherhood of cheetah; a clan of hyenas, secretary birds, crowned cranes. Then 23 hot air balloons coloured the sky, flashing searing orange from time to time. It seems the 400 U.S. dollar price tag was not a deterrent for most tourists. Of course it was the enormous herds of zebra and wildebeest that were simply stunning, stretching from horizon to horizon, filling valley after valley.

this Thomson Gazelle did not get past these two approaching crocs

It was in the Mara Triangle Conservancy that we were treated to the most sought-after of wild game spectacles: a crossing of the Mara River. A single, brave, if somewhat foolhardy Thomson’s Gazelle. For him, it meant certain death as he was pulled under the brown water by an enormous crocodile. The two together downstreamed into a pod of hippos who quickly let it be known who was truly the boss.

undecided wildebeest, they should read some Napolean Hill

Sitting, waiting, watching, waiting, waiting. Our one car hidden behind bushes to remain as much out of sight of the wildebeest as possible on this side of the Mara. Waiting. They approach, the herd building into a mob still fed by the back line. A courageous few descend well-worn paths down the bank, sniffing and snorting.  Skittishly, they retreat. Repeat. All their efforts now blown by the haphazard, crazed driving of too many, too close safari vehicles on the opposite bank. Unbelievably shocking and inappropriate behavior, I was stunned anew. I suppose it should not be a surprise that humans (?) in their noisy, selfish, unthinkingness should thwart one of nature’s most wonderful events. Confused, the wildebeest disperse.

 

Masai Culture Fastfacts

Celeste's hair has not grown that much, it's a lion's mane

 

By: Danica and Nicolai

 

DID YOU KNOW THAT…

  • The rich Masai chief’s village that we went to had 12 wives and so many children.
  •  All his cattle which sell for KSh40 000 each, would add up to 1,2 million S.A. Rand.
  • A young man must traditionally kill a lion before he can become a warrior. They go out in parties looking for a male. The one who spots it gets the mane, the one who throws the spear gets the teeth and the third man, the claws.
  • The Masai use soil as soap down by the stream.
  • The Masai have a very unique housing method. The women are in charge of building all the houses in the village. They bind sticks together so they form little squares which are smeared with layers of cow dung. On the roof is a layer of dung, then a layer of straw and then another layer of cow dung.
  • At night the cattle calves are ushered into the first room of the house, the goat kids into the next room and the parents sleep next to the tiny indoor fire; all the other children in the next two rooms. The cattle sleep in the enclosure surrounded by thorns.
  • Cowskins are their blankets.
  • A kudu horn is blown to call for traditional dancing.
  • The Masai warriors compete for the ladies by jumping as high as possible.
  • Their only diet is cow’s milk and blood. Cow’s are killed are only on very special occasions.
  • Fire-sticks are used to make fire with elephant dung kindling.
  • Bright red checked cloth, the Shuka,  is the warriors’ attire with much colourful, beaded jewellery and long, plaited hair.

    jump

4 Responses to Hell’s Kitchen into Masai Mara

  1. colin says:

    Remeber marcelo you have a deep knowledge of nature, the plonkers watching are unaware of the situation. Don’t get fustrated, or you will get a red outfit. (Ha ha ha) cheers for now.

    • Marcelo says:

      Red outfit? Remember Collin, being out the groove I’m not up with the trendy coloquisms. How is G5 going? I hope your folks are doing ok & that the family are behaving. Think of you blokes often.

  2. colin says:

    I meant to ask how high did you jump? Because for celeste it must ave been very high! Cheers!

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