Naivasha, Hell’s Gate

We went to Nairobi national park, which is basically a nature reserve for animals with dirt roads cutting through the dry foliage. The diminutive skyline of Nairobi stands in the background, but after a few kilometers of driving you won’t see any of the buildings.

We saw several animals. Zebras were the most predominant in the park. I never realized how striking their coats were until I saw it up close. The patterns are so intricate that it looks like an artist took painstaking amounts of time to make perfectly arranged stripes. We also saw herds of what looked like deer or antelope. It turned out to be at least 6 different species of hoofed animals. Impalas, gazelles, hartebeests, topi, sable antelope, eland, and waterbuck are what I think I saw after comparing pictures in a guidebook. We saw some primate (I don’t know what kind) and African Buffalos. The giraffes were amazing. They were so big. At first I saw them as a kind of awkward blend of several species, but upon closer view they appear much more graceful than I thought.

We got there pretty late in the day and drove around, stopping only a few times. You’re not allowed to get out of the car, but I had to get out to see if we could go through a small stream. Although buffalo were nearby, I got out to determine the depth of the water. I threw a rock into it because the water was too murky to figure out if we could make it. It was ok, but Karen drove through it so quickly that the underside of the front of her car scraped along the ground. That happens frequently in Kenya, as the roads are shoddy, laden with potholes and speed bumps, also known as the “invisible police.”

The next day we went to Lake Naivasha, which was amazing. I didn’t put sun block on my back, so of course my white ass got burnt (not literally my ass). Since there has been a drought in Kenya many of the flamingos migrated from Lake Nakuru, so we got to see flocks of them. It’s so cool when they take off from their perch on top of the lake because it looks like they’re running on the water. They’re not all pink as I expected. They are mostly white with pink wings and a thick black strip on their back.

The hippos were sleeping as we rode by at a safe distance. They huddled in groups in water shallow enough for them to stand as small birds rested on their backs. Hoofed animals walked around the banks of the lake. There’s a large piece of land in the middle of the lake called Crescent Island because of its shape where most of the wildlife roamed. I was obsessed with the eagles.

Afterwards we sat at a cafe and had lunch, which consisted of eggs and several kinds of sausage. I had a Tusker which is the national beer of Kenya. Such prominence is no minor feat considering how much Kenyans drink. They often drink it warm…gross.

We drove some more to a national park, a harrowing experience. The road was awful. Dirt, rocks, stones and debris covered the path. Whenever we were stuck behind a car or matatu (minibus), which was often, we had to close the windows because the thick dust got into the car. Despite closing the windows the whole dashboard turned into reddish brown color. On the side of the road, monstrous glass buildings filled with flowers stretched out as far as I could see. Flowers are one of the biggest exports of Kenya, and plantations dash the countryside. It felt creepy, like some kind of indentured servitude, or at an extension of colonialism.
Anyway, it was hot as hell (duh, it’s the equator), which wasn’t the slightest bit ironic since the name of the park is Hell’s Gate. We met a tour guide who has lived his whole life in the park and he said he was “born in hell.” Funny, I thought that was Texas. Oh well.
The park was excellent. Several movies were filmed there. Tomb Raider 2. And when we climbed up a peak the park ranger explained the gorgeous landscape inspired the sketches for the lion king. I have to see the movie again.
We walked down into a dried up stream for about a half-mile. Eventually we walked through small canyons, about 100 feet tall, that fills with water when strong rains come. The land is above volcanic rock, so the bit of water that rolled down the walls acted as hot springs. It was scalding hot. The canyon was beautiful, like walking through a cave with no roof. Sorry I don’t have photos but Karen suggested that I not bring my camera because it would be too slippery.
A day or two later we went to a refugee camp in the North, which I will elaborate in my next blog.
For now, take a look at these pictures.
I fed and hugged giraffes at a wildlife preserve near the Karen Blixen garden, named for the woman who was the main character in the movie, “Out of Africa.”
The preserve gave us food pills for the giraffes.


The giraffes not only have long necks, but also long tongues. This picture is of a small girl feeding the one giraffe who had a particularly long slender slimy tongue. He was cute as hell though.
I was supposed to leave on a Friday morning, but I arrived to the airport semi-late and the airline gave my seat away.

So they gave me a room in a five-star hotel and I got to stay an extra night. The next day we went to Nairobi City Park and played with monkeys. How cool is that!!!!!