Kenya > The Samburu National Reserve

It was quite cold last night. I pulled the sleeping bag over my head. Hopefully, that would keep me a bit warm. My inflatable pillow slowly deflated. I grabbed a sweater as an alternative. At six o’clock, I woke up because of fellow travelers. They had set their alarm a bit earlier. When my alarm went off fifteen minutes later, it was still chilly. The sun was just rising on the horizon. I had expected it to be lighter by this time. I gathered my courage and crawled out of the warm sleeping bag. I estimate the temperature last night to have been at most 6 to 8 degrees Celsius. I’m satisfied with my sleeping bag and slept quite warm. I walked to the washroom. Although the showers looked primitive and unattractive, the thought of a warm stream won. A little later, I stepped under the pleasantly warm shower. The water is heated behind the washroom by a wood fire. After the shower, I packed my luggage again and took down the tent. Patrick showed me how to easily unhook the tent’s fasteners. Meanwhile, Silvia had breakfast ready: bread with omelet, sausages, and fruit. There was also hot water for coffee. When all the luggage was packed, we left the campsite. It was quarter past eight. We headed further north. After a few kilometers, we reached the equator. Many vendors saw us as new customers. One of them showed that water flows in the opposite direction down the drain on the northern hemisphere compared to the southern hemisphere. Since he showed it with the same basin, it must work when you’re just a few meters from the equator. Near the equator lies the town of Nanyuki. At the supermarket, I bought some drinks and food for the road. After being screened by the security guard, I was allowed inside. A huge department store was in front of me. What a difference compared to the simple stalls along the road earlier. I bought cola and cookies. Beer is only available in the liquor section. This section only opens at ten o’clock. The manager made an exception, but he had to personally approve the purchase at the register. A little further, Silvia bought vegetables and fruit at a local market. “More Kenyans benefit from our trip this way,” Patrick explained. At the market, some boys wanted to know where I was from. With difficulty, they could name “Robben” as a well-known football player from the Netherlands. When I asked, they said they were both born north of the equator. We continued along Mount Kenya. This morning, the 5,199-meter-high mountain was visible out of the clouds.

Kenya - A group of lions in Samburu Reserve

The snow on the peak was clearly visible. On the way to Samburu, we stopped for charcoal and diesel. Around the gas station were many colorful stalls. The women of the Samburu tribe wore vibrant clothing and large rings around their necks. Each of them said they preferred not to be photographed. I respected their choice. Around half past one, we arrived at Nashipa Eco Camp, an eco-lodge near a Samburu tribe village—descendants of the Maasai. We stayed in our own tents near the lodge. There was no grassy field for our tents here, just a sandy plain. It was much warmer here than the previous overnight spot. We were clearly lower in altitude. For a small fee, local villagers set up our tents and did the washing up. This sounded attractive and also gave them some income. During lunch, Patrick suggested not visiting the Maasai village today; it would all be too rushed. There would be enough time tomorrow. At three o’clock, I got back into the truck. We drove to the entrance of Samburu National Park, which was close to the campsite. All the bus windows were open as we entered the park so we could spot wildlife well and take good photos. Soon, we spotted an ostrich. The bird quickly sought safety. Further on were gazelles and antelopes. In the shade, a gemsbok lay among the grass. It was difficult to give a signal when we saw something. We couldn’t shout “stop” loudly, as that would scare the animals away. Patrick signaled Zak, the driver, with a small bell. Especially with birds, the animal flew away before the truck stopped. For the elephants we spotted in the distance, that didn’t matter. Slowly they came our way. Zak turned onto a dirt road. He was looking for something. We no longer stopped for other animals. In the distance, we saw two jeeps near bushes. There were four lions lying between the shrubs—a mother with three large cubs.

Kenya - Elephants in Samburu National Reserve

One of the cubs was feeding on the remains of a gazelle, pulling pieces of meat from the dead animal with its jaws. The lions paid no attention to us. By the river, an elephant climbed out of the water. On the shore, right in front of our truck, it started grazing. A young elephant trotted after it. More elephants came out of the water. Grazing, they came closer and closer. Elephants seemed to approach from all sides. We also saw animals approaching from behind. They walked right past the truck. Nearly twenty giants were feeding nearby. Among them walked a lost zebra and some warthogs. What a special experience. While driving back to the campsite, we concluded that we had already seen a lot—and that was just the first round. Tomorrow we would enter the park two more times. At the campsite, the tents were neatly arranged in a circle. Two cans of beer I had bought this afternoon had burst open because of the jostling in the truck. There was a layer of beer in my locker at the back of the truck. The locker below it, luckily not in use, was also wet. With a bucket and mop, I tried to clean it up. I finished just in time for dinner. Silvia had prepared spaghetti with turtle soup. By the campfire, we drank another beer. Using a game, everyone tried to share something unique about themselves. If it wasn’t unique, it didn’t count. Afterward, I went into my tent. The temperature was pleasant, and I didn’t have to fear the cold tonight.