Mombasa, Kenya

April 28-30, 2008

All my life I have spent hours in front of the television watching nature specials like Wild Kingdom and National Geographic, dreaming of one day being there in person. And so it came as no surprise to me that once we left the ship and boarded our chartered plane and flew to the Masai Mara National Park and landed on the private dirt landing strip of Kichwa Tembo that I was truly overwhelmed with emotion. I was here. I was in Africa! This is what I had always thought about when I had thought about Africa and I was finally here.

As we left the plane we were greeted by a slew of smiling guides who extended warm hand shakes and greetings. Jambo! Jambo! They all kept saying...Hello! Welcome! My guide, Francis, was particularly friendly and seemed genuinely pleased that we would be with him for the next three days.

No sooner had we all left the plane did it immediately fly away and we boarded beautiful range rovers and set out across the grasslands to begin our first “drive”.

It was as though Disney had been there in the wings waiting for our flight. We saw Zebras, Giraffes, Wart Hogs, Topi, Cape Buffalo, Ostrich, Antelope, Gazelles and a Snake Eagle....and that was all in the first five minutes! I just couldn’t believe my eyes. Vast plans of grasses blowing in the gentle breezes spotted with an occasional tree (most are stumped in growth because the Giraffe eat the upper leaves) were bounded on one edge by a low range of hills and on the other by a meandering river, green with dense vegetation. It was absolutely magical. I commented to Francis that it looked exactly like the scenes in the famous movie, “Out of Africa”. He laughed and quietly replied...”well, it should”, he said, “Out of Africa was filmed just here” pointing to the ridge in the distance. So beautiful!

We eventually made our way to “hotel”...the elegant tented camp of Kichwa Tembo (elephant head). The reception and dining room, all open and comfortable became a great gathering place when we were not on our drives. Meals were served both inside and out and each meal was better than the next all served by more handsome and smiling men....most of Masai background.

My tent itself was very comfortable. A large bedroom with oversized beds and a full bath attached....very comfortable indeed.

After a wonderful lunch we once again set out for another drive for another chance to spot more wildlife....Thompson Gazelles, many birds: pair after pair of crowned crested cranes, the beautiful lilac breasted roller with his brilliant lilac breast and brilliant blue wings. We found a pair of cheetah...apparently very rare. Jackals abounded. We were surrounded by hyenas...including a mother with two cute cute cubs. It just didn’t stop...more and more animals. Huge herds of Elephants surrounding their young to protect them. We laughed at so many large male Topi standing atop ant hills on the watch for prey. They looked almost like statues in a public square. We were voyeuristic as we watched two pairs of Giraffes “necking” with one another and then one pair doing the deed! We spotted hundreds of Cape Buffalo...one of the BIG FIVE.

Every where we went and every conversation centered around spotting the BIG FIVE! Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Black Rhino, Leopards, and Lions....given their distinction because they head the pyramid of animals. We had been warned over and over again that it would be very difficult to see the big five on any safari....we saw them all in one day! The last being a leopard that lunged at the Range Rover as we got too close to his “kill” that he had stashed high in the branches of a stubby tree.

Between one of our drives, we went upward into the hills to visit a traditional Masai village. What an experience. The tented camp has an arrangement with various villages around the area that will allow outside visitors...for a small fee...to come. We went unannounced. I liked that factor as it made it seem really authentic...the people didn’t go and change their clothes and “clean up” for company...no, they were just going about their everyday existence. We were met at the outside fence of the village by the chief...a distinguished man of about 55. With him were two of his 8 sons....four sons each by his two wives. (Masai men can have as many wifes as they can afford....a wife “cost” 8-12 cows and a few goats!)

Joseph, the 23 year old son was “assigned” to be our guide through the village. He was amazing. Very tall, very thin, and very articulate...if you changed his clothes you would have thought you were speaking to a wall-street broker. He was poised, cheerful and every so proud of his village and so very willing and happy to share it with us. He explained that our “fee” would go directly to their local school which teaches the smaller children. The older kids have to walk 4 KM each way to attend school...which is seemingly a high priority of the chief that all be as educated as possible.

Joseph went on to explain how their village was made up of 8 or 10 brothers of his father with their various wives and children...some 200 total people. Each family has it own “complex” of small twig and dung houses all circling a central stockyard.

Cattle and goats are the main livelihood of this small village. The men herd in the day while the women tend to building houses, washing, cooking, beading and all the daily functions. At night all the cattle are herded into the central stockyard for protection from the wildlife....it doesn’t always work. The village was grieving the loss of three goats that fell prey to leopards that very morning.

The women of the village soon gathered bedecked in their colorful robes of red with their necks all covered with tons of stands of colorful beads and large beaded breast plates. Their ears were stretches beyond belief from the heavy ear ornaments that they lavished upon themselves. They danced for us...invited us into their tiny homes....showed off their cute young children and then eventually invited us to come to the outside of the camp where they had hastily set up their “shop”. Here we could bargain for all manner of beaded work, carved wooden giraffes and other animals and all manner of trinkets and bobbles. It was fun. We ended our visit by visiting the school that we were supporting by being there. The children had left, but it was nice to see what looked like a “normal” school setting.

Back at camp I showered and changed for dinner. As I offered heartfelt thanks to the man that had come to “turn-down” my bed for the evening I stepped off the small porch of my tent headed to the lodge for dinner. It was very dark...and, as fate would have it, I didn’t see the step...and FELL hard on the ground. Luckily the attendant was there and was very helpful in getting me up. I was stunned and bleeding from a scrapped knee...my feet hurt. Somehow, I hobbled to the lodge. I had been assigned the furthest tent as I was one of the younger and most “able” people. I was concerned about getting blood all over my clothes so rolled my pants leg up. Of course when I got there my knee was soon bandaged. It was then that I realized that my feet really hurt....and were swelling...like a small grapefruit. Ice packs soon appeared. I ate my dinner in slight pain and eventually, somehow, made my way back to my tent.

The next morning came early. I had elected to take a hot-air balloon ride and was determined to not miss it! I was awaken at 4 AM with hot chocolate that my attendant so kindly brought me....got dressed and was the first to arrive at the lodge....hobbling all the way. We rode for an hour or so to get to the launch site of the balloon...so very exciting...something I had never done before!

Several strong natives hoisted me into the basket of the balloon....what a ride! As the sun rose around us, we spent an hour in silent hovering above the grass...sometime only a few feet above it...and others some 150 feet or so....so beautiful! I was particularly impressed with the shadow of the balloon on the waving grasses below as we sailed across those blue skies. The pain in my feet disappeared.

After a very easy and soft landing, I was able to hoist myself to the edge of the basket and our driver brought the car right to the edge of the balloon basket and I was able to gently let myself down and be driven to the “breakfast site” where a beautiful champagne breakfast with beautiful table settings and dramatic high-hatted chefs at our command...oh what a life!

I knew that I was hurt...my feet hurt and it was very difficult to walk. But eventually we made our way back to the landing strip and after an hour and a half I was back on the ship....and in the medical center.

X-rays confirmed that one ankle was badly sprained and the other was BROKEN....I broke my ankle! Can you believe it???? It is the small bone...not the larger one.

The doctor on board is an emergency room doctor in Jacksonville, Fla in his real life and serves as the team physician for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was very kind and gentle with me....and very encouraging...saying that he sees hundreds of breaks like mine. He predicted a 99% recovery. Phew.

In the meantime, I am on crutches and in a wheel chair. I have spent the past two days packed in ice with my feet elevated above my heart. I am trying to let the sprained foot heal quickly to make my walking on the crutches easier.

Apparently the doctor has made arrangements, as a precaution, for me to see a doctor in Alexandria, Egypt. I have also changed my plans and will not stay in Lisbon for three days as I had planned but will fly home to Atlanta on May 23 instead. I am not sure what happens from there...but will just have to make the best of it.

So...what a memorable experience on my African Safari....the big five...the Masai village, Out of Africa, a hot-air balloon ride...and a broken foot! What more could you want! And now it’s on to Oman and then to Egypt...stay tuned!