A Drive to Nakuru

Monday, August 29, 2005

Today our group voted to "bush camp" in Nakuru National Park tonight instead of using a more established campsite like Fishermen's Camp.

Not only was the bush-camping an easy sell because it meant a shorter time riding in the truck day after next, but we weren't expecting to camp like this until we'd arrived on the Serengeti. Camping among the animals was an exciting prospect. A few of us were a little nervous. Our guides carry no weapons.

Apparently a few years back, there was an incident with some lions. Most of a safari group had retired to their tents for the night but one amorous couple decided to stay up late canoodling near the campfire. Well, their romantic interlude was interrupted when they looked up to see two lions calmly strolling through their camp. The story has it that the lions came so close that they walked between the people and their campfire.

The couple then acquired super-human powers of speed and dove into their tents, shivering and howling with fright. Luckily for them, the lions' tummies were already full of dinner and they ignored them utterly. I'm sure that safely home again, and after lots of expensive psychiatric therapy, they enjoyed telling their tale of bush-camping in Africa....

After leaving the Crater Lake Sanctuary with its marvellous giraffes this morning, we drove towards Nakuru.

Sometimes we passed through dusty little shanty-towns where children waved at the mzungus (foreigners) in the huge truck. Some people wore the typical red blankets of the Masai people. Other people sat on the ground selling vegetables and other produce. We drove through the outskirts of Nakuru Town (one of the largest towns in Kenya) and stopped at a small shop to buy Fanta sodas and Tusker beer for our evening meal.

"Nakuru" means "dust" or "dusty place" in the Masai language, and sitting in the open back of the truck we could certainly agree with the name's suitability. But some of the landscape in the surrounding area was green and lush and very beautiful. In fact, although we are visiting in the dry season, the land is much greener than usual for this time of year. We hear that farmers are unhappy that there has been too much rain for their crops lately.