Safari City-Style

Sunday morning and it's time for a trip. We decide to go for a morning safari in Nairobi National Park, next door. Sara’s late sleep-in was a one-timer so we set her up as alarmclock, and 5.30 a.m. she is already dressed and happily going around waking up the rest. I pack a few mandazis made by Vincent before the weekend, bottles of water and fully charged cameras. The main gate to the park is 5 minutes away and soon we are driving into the wilderness.

 

This is safari citystyle I think as a flashingly expensive BMW drives past us on the path and i catch a glimpse of a stylish woman in the passenger seet, sipping her coffee picked up at Dormans coffee shop on the way. Kids are in super form in the back, dressed in their special outfits: David in his camouflage t-shirt and green trousers, camera hanging heavy around his neck («do I look like a real safari-man now»?), Erik as always in longsleeved shirt, jeans and a thick fleece sweater («Im never too hot) and Sara in shorts, a sleeveless top and flipflops («Im never too cold..»).

Naomi in her carseat chewing on her favourite giraff and babbling away.

And there in the middle of the road: real giraffs. Beautiful elegant creatures!

 

Nairobi National Park is a 120 square kilometer area located on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital city, with only an electric fence separating the wild plains from the metropolis. 

 

Supposedly the elephants have been taken out of the park because they were moving too close to people, but the park is still the home of a number of other animals. Today we see waterbucks, buffalos and thompson gazells, but not a stripe of zebra. As we keep hunting for leos we suddenly find ourselves on a muddy path. A good land cruiser and cheufeur take us safely through mud, bumps and rocks. The same cannot be said about the young Indian couple we suddenly meet, sitting still in their tiny saloon car, way too deep in mud and way too late to manouver out of it. Unfortunately we didnt bring ropes, so instead we go back to ask for assistance at the gate. The kids are worried about them but get assured when the park rangers promise to go and pull them out, and they admittedly love it when we have to drive outside of the paths to get around the mud. 

Suddenly I see what at first could look like a rubber hose in the road. A PYTHON SNAKE! I dont think we’ve ever seen one of those in the park before and the kids are excited!

 

Not to forget the black rhino only some 100meters away, one of the really rare animals and its so close and even walking towards us..

  

But the lions are well hidden today and around midday the sun is so hot we suggest to go back. David and Sara disagree loudly and instead we drive North, towards Kitengela, the area where we have bought a piece of land by a Masai, with the dream of buidling our own house there sometime.

As we drive deeper into the valley, wide plains all around, dry grass, fertile river beds, akasietrees, I feel deep and warm happiness, a feeling of connectedess. It fills me thoroughly every time on safari. This is where we all came from. The wilderness. The wild. The open. Hot dry air. The quiet. Buzzing sound of insects. Every now and then a brief sight of a BEAUTIFUL bird with colors from divinity.

And there suddenly, under a dry tree, a long tail swings up in the sky, the black tip giving it away in the yellowbrownish grass: A giant Male having his day rest. We turn off the engine and wait. Will he get up? Will he look up? ..

No it seems he is too lazy. He's like you, Erik says to his father; he likes to be lazy on Sundays.

We catch a brief glimpse of his face as he winks away some flies and lays down again. Ok, now we can go home!

On our way back to the gate we see a dead animal by the side and Sara suggests we call a veterinary. Sara is also upset that the lions kill other animals to feed themselves. Why dont they just eat grass instead she says, and I smile in my vegetarian heart. After a 5 hour long Sundaytrip in Nairobi National Park we drive hungrily off to Java to have burgers and fries!

 

«Why dont YOU eat grass instead, Sara?» David asks and laughs as (s)he diggs into the meat.