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Grand
Tour of
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Magical
Kenya hosts the ATA 30th Jubilee International
Congress, Nairobi, May, 2005.
Africa
Travel Association's Prestige Magazine to publish a
"GRAND TOUR "OF KENYA" edition for the Jubilee
Congress, with long-term worldwide distribution as
a follow-up! Kenya
turns on the magic ... On
Safari:
At one
point during our evening game drive from Serena's
Amboseli Lodge, I was struck by the fact that you
could look in every direction - 360 degrees -- and
see some form of wildlife. A family of elephants on
the horizon at 12 o'clock -- several frisky
giraffes to the right - a herd of buffalo grazing
on our left - and other grassland creatures
bringing up the rear. George, our driver ,stopped
for fifteen minutes as we watched two large Crested
Cranes in attack mode. One was hopping about,
spreading his wings and huching his back defiantly
as he approached a cobra, which lay by the side of
the road totally unperturbed by all the cavorting
and saber rattling. To the
reader: Further sections of our Kenya tour are
currently in the final stage of editing and will be
online shortly. The following are excerpts from our
notes, whereas the final version will be in the
same day by day sequence as our
tour. On
the Road Again:
Early in life, being a Boy Scout brought about my
proudest moments, and each proficiency badge I
earned was cherished like a purple heart. So
heading north that afternoon from Nairobi, as we
passed Nyeri, we learned that this beautiful
agricultural area was the final resting place of
Lord Baden-Powell, who founded the Scout movement
.Knowing this fact brought a flood of gratitude for
the great man and his legacy. We need heroes and he
is one of mine. Our next trip's agenda will include
a visit Baden-Powell's grave site, gardens and
Paxtu cottage, which now houses a museum in his
honor. Visiting
Nairobi's tudor style Norfolk Hotel is like taking
a journey into colonial history - one that spans
over 10 decades. Stopping for a pre-arranged
luncheon at this elegant hotel, we were greeted
like royalty and seated at a pleasant, gardenside
table next to the main dining room. Among the many
offerings on the noon buffet menu, was a highly
polished silver steamer, brimful with king-size
prawns. Only on rare occasions do I take the time
to photograph a meal in progress, but this was for
the record. Another feast was presented on the
dining room walls, where a gallery of black and
white photographs portrayed life in Kenya from the
1800s through to the 1950s. We could have stayed
the entire day gazing at these unique images and
vow to return often.
The
Lodge: In harmony with nature, the Amboseli
Serena Safari Lodge, being located in the center of
Maasai territory, reflect the tribe's colourful
culture in its architecture and interior design.
(more to come) The
Crested Crane of Africa resembles a peacock and
flies in wedge shaped formation during migration.
Its animated courtship dance involves bowing and
hopping about noisily while circling its partner.
The cranes we saw at Amboseli performed a similar
version to scare off, or at least impress the
cobra. This site is
sponsored by the Africa Travel Association
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The
most compelling reason is its large concentrations
and wide variety of wildlife. Little time was
wasted in getting us out 'on Safari, " as no sooner
than we checked in at the Amboseli 
Lake
Nakuru - Birds and Buffalo:
Approaching Lake Nakuru from the National Park
gates, I had little idea of the unforgettable sight
awaiting us. Some call it the "World's Greatest
Bird Spectacle," and I can agree, having never
experienced such a large concentration of pink
flamingos on one body of water. Since the Lake
Nakuru Lodge, our destination for the day, was on
the opposite shore, we circled the lake and our
driver soon discovered a relatively dry area where
we could motor along the shore. We were soon
positioned in the midst of a sizeable flock -- an
ideal photo op. Like a typical beachcomber, I
spotted a sun-bleached buffalo skull lying in the
sand, and by the time our photo session began, one
very large buffalo presented himself directly in
front of the camera lens. In the background, like a
chorus line from the Follies, dozens of white
pelicans took center stage and began their parade
for the camera's waiting eye. 
