Travel to Kenya

Travelling to Kenya, to Africa…

Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean to its southeast and at the equator, it is bordered by Somalia to the northeast, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south. A country where Obama has origins. Obama's father is from the Luo tribe.

With its capital city in Nairobi, Kenya has numerous wildlife reserves containing thousands of animal species. It has a land area of 580,000 km2 and a population of nearly 39M residents.




3 Highlights: Nakuru, Masai Mara and Mombasa:

Flamingos picture,
Safari and
Relax in Indian Ocean's warm turquoise waters,
respectively:
a country where nature has been exceedingly gracious.

I tear the sky with reds, oranges and lightening yellows. The beauty and nature borned here. I feel the odour of the ground. Exalting nature: inspiring all the fresh and life colors.

1st STOP: Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is surrounded by several expanding villa suburbs.

Nairobi is the 2nd most populous city in East Africa, with a current estimated population of about 3M. Nairobi is currently the 13th largest city in Africa, based on population and 4th largest in infrastructure development and its size.

We got the first contact with the Nature. The hotel gets a long sight of savannah. More than the eyes could see...

I got out of breath with a sight view. Beautiful is a so small word…

Lake Nakuru National Park:
Nakuru means "Dust or Dusty Place" in the Maasai language. Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town, was established in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity, but has since been extended to include a large part of the savannahs.

Lake Nakuru is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink.

All flamingos seems a pink stain! But curious that a flamingo's pink or reddish feather color comes from its diet, which is high in alpha and beta-carotene. People eat beta-carotene when they eat carrots.

So amazing being surrounding by selvage animals in their own habitat.

Baboons got around and shared this piece of land with us.

2nd STOP: Masai Mara
The Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) covers some 1,510 km2 in south-western Kenya. It is the northern-most section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, which covers some 25,000 km2 in Tanzania and Kenya. It is bounded by the Serengeti Park to the south, the Siria escarpment to the west, and Maasai pastoral ranches to the north, east and west. Rainfall in the ecosystem increases markedly along a southeast–northwest gradient, varies in space and time, and is markedly bimodal. The Sand, Talek River and Mara River are the major rivers draining the reserve. Shrubs and trees fringe most drainage lines and cover hillslopes and hilltops.

We stayed on the banks of the Talek River in the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve. We choose to stay in a tent lining up along the Talek River, overlooking the plains of the national reserve.

An observatory:

I feel lucky to tread this land:

And let the safari begins!!

Cheetah...so elegant...the most fastest land animal, reaching speeds between 112 and 120km/h...!!! Amazing!

The leopards usually live near vegetation, as its unequaled ability to climb trees, and to get near potential preys.

This are the big 5 animals in Kenya:

Elephant:

Elephants are large land animals. Do you know? The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms. They typically live for 50 to 70 years, but the oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years.

Actually, we had a big scare with an elephant. We crossed our jeep near him. But, suddenly, he stopped and spread its large flapping ears out wide and started to move behind slowly, in our direction. And generally, when they do this gesture is a signal of intimidation, attack…We were so near that we didn´t have time to go back, so we stood, silenced and prayed!! But fortunately he maybe thought we are not a threat and continued his way. After, the tourist guide told us that an elephant had a great memory, remember for years…maybe same jeep had made some bad to that animal…Maybe…I remembered a Agatha Christie book “Elephants can Remember”. The book made all sense in my mind at that instance!

Buffalo

It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear. Owing to its unpredictable nature which makes African buffalo highly dangerous to humans.

Hippopotamus

The hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa. The hippo is responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other large animal. Male hippos actively defend their territories which run along the banks of rivers and lakes. Hippos can run at speeds of over 20 miles an hour and they have enormous jaws which host up to 20 inch canines…

The tourist guide in Portugal told us that a woman when got out its tent, saw an hippopotamus and fainted…Of course, at night was frightened with all that animals noises…Scaring…sleeping inside a simple canvas tent…with any boundaries from game reserves..

Rhino:

The rhinoceros family are one of the largest remaining megafauna, with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight, an herbivorous diet, and a thick protective skin, 1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure, relatively small brains for mammals this size (400–600 g), and a large horn. The African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their powerful premolar and molar teeth to grind up plant food.

And finnally but not least the savannah King, the Lion:

Lions are the savannah Kings, the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides. Prides are family units that may include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age. Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male.nly male lions boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads. Males defend the pride's territory, which may include some 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) of grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands. These intimidating animals mark the area with roar menacingly to warn intruders, urine and chase off animals that encroach on their turf.

Our jeeps.

Getting closely with lions make us on the one hand to wish to overcome the boundaries and on the other hand desiring to run away. I had asking myself what happens if the lion climbed and got in caravan (I think I didn´t wanna know for share) and, what happens if I jumped off the caravan…? Because the lions had seen so pacific, at moments I didn´t feel threatened at all. Actually there are histories (few of course) that humans raise a lion from early and they could live together, in same habitat. Wonderful, a Nature´s miracle! Remember Christian for example. However, I thought that two things crossing my mind probably have the same “happy” ending for the lion :D Do you know if a lion eats a human being must be killed because it becomes a strong dangerous? By nature the lion is not man-hungry, and actually they live in fear of human kind (lions generally have confined their killings to easier prey). But there are occasional man-eaters. Usually have been aged beasts with bad teeth, or deformed or disabled so that they have been founded impossible to hunt their natural prey. Hunger has driven them for human’s habitations. There, for first time they may taste human blood and this taste creates an insatiable desire for more. The tourist guide said that this happens because of humans’ mineral salt. Once eaten human, the lion have the desire for more and more.

The call of the jungle, any animal call (sadly, but necessary):

The vultures got the rests:

Remember Lyon King? And the bad animals...yes...I saw them as well....hyenas...so nasty the smell.

Go back, go back....!! Actually, the biggest animal is the... Female Lion!!! :D

Female lions are the pride's primary hunters. They often work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals of the open grasslands. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off.

Corcodiles are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. They are believed to be 200 million years old whereas dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. Crocodiles survived to great extinction events...:D

A Ballon Experience:

Hot air balloons are based on a very basic scientific principle: warmer air rises in cooler air. Essentially, hot air is lighter than cool air, because it has less mass per unit of volume. A cubic foot of air weighs roughly 28 grams (about an ounce). If you heat that air by 100 degrees F, it weighs about 7 grams less. Therefore, each cubic foot of air contained in a hot air balloon can lift about 7 grams. That's not much, and this is why hot air balloons are so huge - to lift 1,000 pounds, you need about 65,000 cubic feet of hot air.

The landing and launching were very peaceful.

Curiously, if you have a fear of heights, you need not be concerned.

The guide said to us that we would not experience any vertigo, because you were moving with the wind currents, as a result, there was no rocking or swaying or feeling of movement.

And actually, it’s true. I have vertigos and I didn’t feel any fear of heights at all.

Relaxation and peace...

The nature presents us with its divine gift. And we just have to take all senses aligned and. Feel.

Just feel.

The end...:(

A beautiful sight view ended in a pic nic in the middle of all and nothing:

The Masai are the most famous tribe not only of Kenya, but of Africa as a whole. They have become an international symbol of African tribal life. But they are not the only one: there are between 40 and 70 tribes, depending on how you count. Major are tall elegant Maasai with their typical dress code and costumers (a hole in the center of the ear).

3st STOP: Mombasa

Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. The port city of Mombasa, which is the second largest in Kenya, is supposedly its one of the major centre of tourism. Being Kenya’s chief port, Mombasa is the commercial and industrial hub lying on the Indian Ocean and is connected to the mainland by bridges and ferries.

The original Arabic name is Manbasa which is called as ‘Kisiwa Cha Mvita’ in Swahili that means ‘Island of War’. The reason behind this is the many changes in its possession that has got a great impact in its long history.

The town is mainly occupied by the Muslim Mijikenda/Swahili people. Curiously, in the hotel that we were stayed, there were same lifeguards near the swimming pool that are muslin, which had all body cover (traditional dress for the Swahili women is a brightly coloured, printed cotton sheet called a kanga, which may have inspirational slogans printed on it. Muslim women wear a covering known as a bui bui, that is traditionally black, along with a head covering called a hijaa). Generally when travel to a sun destiny is used to see all bodies almost necked (Brazil and Dominican Republic are Portuguese most common destinations), is peculiar to see the locals with all body cover. Even on the beach, the foreigners adapt to the customs and don´t get a walk just with a swimming suit.

Bizarre, I felt.

Over the centuries, there have been many immigrants and traders who settled in Mombasa, particularly from Iran, the Middle East, Somalia and the Indian sub-continent, who came mainly as traders and skilled craftsmen.

What actually attract people from distant land to this island are the striking old town and its splendid Arab architecture. The narrow snaky streets, the air often filled with the scent of spices, the local men & women wrapped in bright coloured coastal wears ‘khanga’ and ‘kikoy & women wearing the traditional outfit-‘bui bu’i and the active markets flooded with fresh fish of the coast is the normal scene that a foreigner get to see on his/her first visit. Capitalizing on coastal tourism, the city is well known for its exotic beach resorts and luxurious hotels. Water activities like kite surfing, scuba diving and much more are also a common site on these beaches.

Old Town - Fort Jesus

Ganjoni and Tudor are residential districts with occasional shops. Kizingo is where the State House, Mombasa Golf Club and the Aga Khan Academy are established. Makadara is part of the Old Town that houses many Baluchi settlers. Kibokoni is another part of the Old Town with obvious Swahili architecture, and where the famous Fort Jesus is located. And imagine who build it?

Portuguese people!

Mombasa's top tourist destination, Fort Jesus was built by the Portuguese during the 16th century for protection from foreign invaders and local riots. The Arabs took over the fort when they came over Mombasa. Fort Jesus displays canons and weapons, and serves as venue for local events and hosts many research programs like Conservation Lab, Education Department and an Old Town Conservation Office.

The bar of hotel, great dancing! Kenyans get a great dancing performance!

A last breath:

The gift of animals, of plants, a no compromise and a promising nature.

Exalting nature: inspiring all the fresh and life colors. And the smelling? So pure!

Loved. Love. Loving. ALL..