The FOGs Safari: Mt. Kenya National Park

Although Mt. Kenya was given a little attention in the Flat Stanley series, like many of the other places visited on the FOGs Safari, there's more to say. First of all, even though Mt. Kilimanjaro is more famous, for Kenyans their own mountain seems to be the one they talk about the most (and Mt. Kilimanjaro is, properly speaking, in Tanzania, although it looms large over and is a great feature of Kenya's Amboseli National Park). Mt. Kenya is also renowned as a great challenge to the expatriates drawn to Kenya over the years, and taking on the training required for climbing the mountain and then making the ascent seem to be favorite adventures for the many Westerners who come to live (or even to visit) Nairobi. The mountain and its challenges has even been the drastic setting for a very unsettling novel by Anita Shreve (A Change in Altitude, published a couple of years ago).

Andrew and Charles and I had no such grand illusions. We simply wanted to see the mountain and, if we could, climb a little, starting with our vehicle and then getting out and walking as far as our limited climbing skills would allow. Truth to tell, we were primarily interested in the views from the mountain and to see as much of the undergrowth and any blooming wildflowers as we could. Nothing very spectacular in mind and that, in fact, is what we got. We had a very good guide (who also works as part of the Kenya Wildlife Service rescue team, so we felt pretty safe). And aside from the baboons, there's not much to worry about with respect to the wildlife.

The mountain was first noticed by Westerners back in 1849 (although, as I've mentioned before, the Kikuyu, Meru, and Akamba communities always considered Mt. Kenya to be the home of their gods). One interesting feature is the forest (the Kenyans say "forest" instead of "jungle") on the lower slopes of the mountain which give way to a bamboo forest a little higher up (for some reason I never thought much about bamboo in Africa - no particular reason, just didn't). Higher up, where we could not go of course, there are the barren peaks and the glacier, beautiful to see from afar. As I say, we specially enjoyed the views and the wildflowers. Some of our photographs from our expedition up Mt. Kenya can be seen here.

Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (14): At the Equator and Saying Good-by

Finding yourself at the Equator certainly seems an appropriate way to wrap up a safari, so here are three of us, Mr. Geoffrey, Mr. Andrew, and Mr. Charles, basking in the equatorial sun with Stanley somewhere around Eldorat in Western Kenya, on our way back to Nairobi.

After three weeks together, it's time to say good-by to our terrific adventures in Kenya (and our brief venture into Tasmania). We've seen more than we can possibly share, but we're going to do our best, both with these stories about Stanley's adventures and, coming up, photos and perhaps a few more comments about some of the places we visited and the animals we saw that weren't included here. Mostly, though, what comes next will be just the pictures, for Africa is so beautiful and the wildlife and the views so spectacular that we can't stop with just what's been presented about Stanley's safari.

For folks who were not with us when we started these posts, here's the Flat Stanley connection, as described on the back of the book about his adventures (Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure, by Jeff Brown, published by HarperCollinsChildress, 1964): "Flat Stanley is an ordinary boy. At least he was, until the night his bulletin board fell off the wall and flattened him. All of a sudden, Stanley can slide under doors, mail himself across the country in an envelope, and fly like a kite!"

Mr. Guy and Mr. Andrew brought Stanley to Africa because Cindy Hill, a good friend in Los Altos, California, mailed him to them. When Stanley arrived at the St. Clair/Berner house in New York, he politely asked to come to Kenya, as his friend JT in Mrs. Nix's Class at Alpine Elementary School in Longmont, Colorado would be very happy if Stanley could visit Kenya and go on safari. So we hope these posts and photos will be useful for Mrs. Nix's class and her students. We all had fun, and we're very grateful to Cindy for asking us to bring Stanley along with us. He was a great travelling companion, and we all learned a lot from him, and from each other.

All the Stanley photos are online at the Flat Stanley in Kenya album (including quite a few that we couldn't get into the blog posts) and as we sign off from this adventure, here are some more photos, just to wrap things up:

The FOGs Safari Group: Mr. John Neral, Mr. Richard Huffine, Mr. Andrew Berner, Mr. Charles Ombongi Masese, Ms. Nerisa Jepkorir Kamar, and Mr. Guy (Mr. Geoffrey Onyango Opile took the photo, so he gets a separate picture below).

Mr. Geoffrey Onyango Opile

Good-by, Stanley. Let's do it again sometime.

Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (13): The Elephant Orphanage

Flat Stanley had some wonderful times in Africa, but it seems the Giraffe Center (described last time) and the Elephant Orphanage made him the happiest. Yet describing the elephant orphanage is a real challenge because I become very emotional thinking about how the elephants were orphaned, and what wonderful work the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is doing to save them and then to rehabilitate them to prepare them for their return to the wild.

So the story of the orphanage is a touching one, and the idea of rescuing these babies after they have lost their mothers is certainly an idea that appeals to everyone. Whether the mothers have died in childbirth, in an accident, or - hard to believe in this day and age when poaching is so strictly outlawed in Kenya - when the mother has been killed by poachers for her tusks, learning about these orphaned babies and their care tugs at the heartstrings. Many parents bring children to see the babies, and when the attendant providing the commentary is as knowledgeable and well-versed as the gentleman who spoke to us on our visit, everyone goes away with a new understanding about the everyday life of the babies as they prepare to cope with going back into the wild. 

There's a certain sense of ceremony to visiting the Elephant Orphanage, starting with the entrance of the little ones, as shown in the photo above. The "procession of the orphans" (it might be called) begins with the babies and the well-trained attendants coming in from the forest quite a distance away, and of course that only enhances the anticipation (and, yes, Stanley was as excited as everyone else, jumping up and down as the elephants got closer to those of us who were watching as they came into the enclosure to be fed).

It was a great privilege to introduce Stanley to the Elephant Orphanage. I've visited several times, and written about the orphanage twice (here and here). Each time I've visited I've become a more attached to the animals, and I am really impressed with the success of the work that is being accomplished. On this occasion, I was pleased to introduce Mr. Andrew, Mr. Richard, and Mr. John to the orphanage as well, since I knew they would be thrilled to see the elephants and, of course, be amused to see the youngsters enjoying themselves and showing off for the visitors (as in this wresting match - all in fun - between two of the "kids"). 

Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (12): The Giraffe Centre

The Giraffe Centre was a new experience for Stanley. As he prepared for the safari, Stanley had talked a great deal about how much he likes giraffes, and he was really happy he was going to see them up in the wild. Like many of us, he had a hard time expressing just which animal is his favorite, but as he and Mr. Andrew talked about the giraffe (which is Mr. Andrew's favorite animal), it seemed to me that the giraffe was going to be for Stanley as the elephant is for me. I don't think he realized, though (or perhaps Mr. Andrew and I didn't tell him) that he would have the opportunity to visit with giraffes up close, and in person.

It all happens at the Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata, a suburb of Nairobi. Back in 1979, Jock Leslie-Melville, a Kenyan citizen of British background and his wife Betty built an extraordinary home there and set up a trust to save the endangered Rothschild giraffe. They brought several of the animals to their home (it's now a luxury hotel called Giraffe Manor) and the Giraffe Centre is the educational institution formed to teach young people about giraffes and wildlife in Kenya.

We had a great time at the Giraffe Centre, including hearing a very fine presentation by a young educator who taught us a much about the giraffes. We came away knowing more than we ever expected to know about these beautiful, gentle beasts. And the best part was getting to know them first-hand.

Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (11): Kakamega Forest

I'm not sure getting lost in Kakamega Forest is quite what Stanley had in mind when he asked if he could come along on our safari, but that's what happened.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Kakamega Forest is the last remaining vestige of a tropical forest in Kenya, a beautiful 45-sq-km (17-sq-mile)  rainforest full of interesting animals, an ancient tree (the giant Elgon olive tree), and known for its snakes and other crawly things. There is also a beautiful waterfall, and a very well maintained lookout at the top of a steep incline. I had visited Kakamega with Mr. Charles and his children earlier in the year (you can read about that excursion here), and as we planned this safari, Mr. Andrew and others of our group wanted to add the rainforest to our itinerary.

So off we went, heading out early one morning to see this magnificent natural wonder. Here's Stanley and Mr. Guy standing on the road at the entrance to the forest. You can see how dense it is, and this road is the only way for vehicles to come in and out of the forest.

One of the nicest things about Kakamega Forest is the lookout tower, and here are a couple of photos of Stanley enjoying the views from the lookout (there are others at the Flat Stanley in Kenya album). The view is pretty special. You can see for off in the distance for 35 miles or so, and on my previous visit, we had climbed up to the tower by foot. This time the ranger at the gate suggested we drive a little farther along around the mountain and then climb up the wall of the summit.

OK. That idea made sense at the time, but as we went up, the climb was much steeper than we had expected, and there was a great deal of loose stone and we kept falling back (and sometimes falling down). But we made it and, as the photos show, really enjoyed being at the top of the summit with Stanley (and he had a really good time climbing the posts of the lookout tower, even though it was a little risky for him up there). Here's a photo of Mr. Andrew and Mr. Geoffrey and Mr. Charles with Stanley.

But we had to keep moving so when it came time to go back, since the climb had been so tough, we decided to have Mr. Charles go back for the van and meet us at the bottom of the footpath.

So off Charles went, and we could see him drive away. Then we started down the footpath, getting wonderful views in the forest, and taking lots of photos of the ancient olive tree (and of just about anything else we ran across).

But wait! No one told us that the footpath had several other footpaths going off from it, in other directions. So while we thought we were walking down the main footpath to meet Mr. Charles on the road, we were in fact going off in a different direction. And we kept remembering all the talk about the snakes and the Gabon Vipers (and we could hear the Colobus monkeys in the trees above us). Then someone remembered what the ranger had said, that he didn't think there were leopards any more in the Kakamega. Uh-oh....

So now we were starting to get nervous, and the mobile 'phones were not getting any service and we couldn't reach Charles. But Ms. Nerisa and Mr. Geoffrey are Kenyans, and they are not particularly frightened in situations like this (we won't speak about Mr. Guy and Mr. Andrew and Stanley), so we just kept walking. Finally, realizing we were at the bottom of the hill, we kept going and finally came upon the road. Now we could reach Charles by telephone and, not surprisingly (it's just the way he is), Charles was able to figure out where we were and we were safe. No question about it: we were very, very happy to see him and the van!

Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (10): Nairobi National Park

Nairobi is well known as "safari central," the place in Africa where most safaris go from, but what many people don't realize is just how much safari-like pleasure can be found close at hand. There will be further descriptions later of two of the near-by highlights (the Giraffe Center and the Elephant Orphanage, both of which captured Stanley's interest from the time we got out of the car), but the most satisfying site truly has to be the Nairobi National Park.

Just think about it: a huge park, full of wildlife, right at the city's borders. Indeed, as you see here, an early morning game drive can produce not only an amazing variety of wildlife - especially the big cats as they are wrapping up their night's chase and feeding, getting ready for lazing about in the sun - but the view in the distance is pretty amazing as well. It's Nairobi's cityscape, and as you are driven about in the park, it's just hard to believe. Sort of like having Yosemite National Park or some such between my neighborhood in Manhattan and the Hudson River.

Like all game drives, a visit to the Nairobi National Park starts early, with your driver calling for you between 6.00 and 6.30 am, to get you to the park gate when it opens at 7.00 am. Unlike the rest of us, Stanley had no trouble at all getting up, as the animals he had seen in other parks and game reserves had him excited to get to the Nairobi National Park. He knew he wouldn't be able to see any elephants (the park, at 117-sq-km - or 45-sq-miles - is too small for elephants) but he also had learned that just about anything else can be seen there, especially lions, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, and just about every member of the antelope family.

Stanley was not disappointed, and the rest of the group wasn't disappointed either. While I had had several visits to the park during the time I lived in Nairobi, with my most exciting visit (which you can read about here) in early June, nothing that's come before could compare with what we saw on this visit to the park. Within five minutes, it seemed, of coming through the gates, Mr. Charles (not only our driver but our animal spotter extraordinaire!) slowed the van down almost to a stop, turned off the engine, and whispered, "Lions." And there they were, Mr. and Mrs. Lion just strolling along the pavement of the park road, paying no attention to any vehicles anywhere, and just relaxing as they began their day. What a sight! Here are a couple of the pictures, and there are a few more at the Flat Stanley in Kenya album (and there will be more photos later).

Not to be outdone, no sooner had we (reluctantly) left Mr. and Mrs. Lion than we came upon Mr. and Mrs. Rhino, the first of several we would see during the game drive through the Nairobi National Park. As one of the country's most successful areas in terms of rhinos breeding, many of the black rhinos found in the park have been relocated from other areas. We were specially taken with this pair, though, since they seemed to willing to mosey about, not at all frightened by us, and not frightening to us either.

Flat Stanley Goes to Kenya (9): Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

Here's Stanley and me as our group left the Sopa Lodge in Amboseli National Park. We were travelling over into Tanzania to go to the Ngorongoro Crater. Little did we know when we left the park that the real safari adventure would begin (perhaps giving new meaning to the word adventure). We knew we would be heading across the border, since the famous Ngorongoro Crater is over there, in the northern part of Tanzania, and we wanted to see all the spectacular wildlife that lives in the crater. Mr. Charles and I had worked hard to pull together all the border-crossing details, and we were prepared for that. And truth to tell, getting across the border wasn't a problem. Getting to the border and driving along the roads was the problem.

We had no idea of the condition of the roads. If I had been smart, I would have suspected that the roads would be difficult, since I've lived in Kenya for a year and almost every trip is a challenge to me as a passenger. Not to Mr. Charles as a driver, of course. He's an expert in all of this. And the road to Amboseli from Nairobi hadn't been a problem, and we had made excellent time on that trip, considering what we had to deal with since. For in addition to the condition of the roads after we left Amboseli, for the first time in our safari we found ourselves victims of an almost-swindle, and it was a pretty difficult situation. Our Land Rover had been contracted for by a third party (that should have been a warming) and the man who showed up with it turned out to be the vehicle's owner. He was coming along to do the driving (for this venture, Mr. Charles was to be a safari participant, just like the rest of us) and to be our "guide," although this latter description turned out to be something of a misnomer. He was, as far as I could tell, something of a con artist, and the rickety vehicle he showed up with.... Well, let's just say it was not designed to provide any sort of comfort to the passengers. About ten years old and in terrible condition, the vehicle made us worry all the way to Ngorongoro Crater and back.

And to make matters worse, our "driver" apparently had other ideas in mind, like changing our schedule so we would be forced to stay in some hotel of his choosing in Arusha, taking us to places (off our itinerary) to purchase things, that sort of thing. Fortunately, we had our reservations at the Sopa Lodge in both Amboseli National Park and at the Ngorongoro Crater, so we just told him to forget it (and thanks to the Kenyans in our group, and particularly Mr. Charles, I think he soon got the idea that this group of travellers wasn't going to be swindled!).

So after much difficulty, we got to Ngorongoro Crater, and despite the problems of the drive, being there was well worth everything we had to put up with during our journey. First of all, I can't say enough about the views. The crater has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, and even though I've included a few photos here (and expect to post more once I've finished telling Flat Stanley's story), there just aren't words to convey the feeling of spaciousness and sheer natural beauty of Ngorongoro Crater. I can see why it is one of the most popular safari attractions in the world (although, to be fair, the Tanzanian leaders are being very careful to protect the crater, and the number of visitors is strictly controlled).

Another part of the Crater's attractions, it has to be said, are the lodges. At Ngorongoro Crater, the Sopa Lodge is - of all the ones I've visited - the best. Beautiful and absolutely first-rate in service and accommodations (right down to having staff walk you to your room after dark, since the lodge is smack in middle of the forest and, yes, you can hear the lions and other animals moving around in the bushes when you're in bed). Well worth the trip and highly recommended.

And what sights we saw! Stanley was thoroughly enchanted with the lions and the elephants and all the other animals we swy (although there are no giraffes in the crater, which seems odd - no one seems to know why), and the birds were pretty remarkable, too. As for myself, I was specially taken with the zebras but in my opinion even the animals couldn't compete with the views (well, that's pretty much of an overstatement, but you get my meaning). Even Stanley got pretty excited about the views as we drove around the rim of the crater and looked out over the vista. Pretty special.