Kenya > Rhinos in Nakuru N.P.

I was awake before six o’clock. The African rhythm is starting to settle in nicely. I skip the shower and just put my head under the tap. It’s still chilly outside. You can clearly feel that we are above two thousand meters altitude. At the breakfast buffet, I put together my breakfast. I still have time to go look at the waterfall. The park is just opening. Unfortunately, the sun rises right behind the waterfall. The backlight makes it hard to see the falling water clearly. But I do see the deep gorge. The water of Thomson’s Falls drops 74 meters. Around me, several baboons walk by. They rummage through the trash bins looking for food. They go from bin to bin. I’m not too fond of these animals and keep a safe distance from them. At eight o’clock, all the luggage is loaded back into the bus and we leave the Thomson’s Falls Lodge. The enthusiastic staff waves us goodbye. We leave Nyahururu and drive further west. Today we will also cross the equator again. In total, we cross this special line six times, Patrick explains. Just today, three times. After about an hour of driving, we arrive at the Great Rift Valley. This wide gorge runs from Mozambique to Jordan. The valley was formed long ago by volcanic activity. We stop at a viewpoint on the edge of the valley. I look down into the depth. There is surprisingly much development in the valley. You would think that heavy rain would cause water to run into the valley and cause danger. On the other hand, the fertile soil makes it an attractive place to live. We descend into the valley via hairpin bends. On the other side, we climb slowly upwards. The truck struggles to get up. This is also true for other heavy vehicles. In a village along the way, we stop briefly. One of the travelers needs something from the pharmacy. This gives me the chance to walk around the market. In a little shop, I buy a drink. This supports the local people. The drink costs only 35 shillings (about 25 euro cents). At the lodges, I often pay six to eight times that amount. For the price of a beer at a lodge (300 shillings), I can order a full meat meal in a local restaurant. Back at the market, an older woman points to my bottle from her stall. Could I buy a bottle for her? Why not. I hand her the bottle I just bought. She looks surprised. Would I also want some tomatoes? That’s not necessary.

Kenya - A group of buffaloes in Nakuru NP

I still have my change in hand and buy a new bottle. At the end of the morning, we arrive at Nakuru National Park. At the entrance, there is a chance to use the toilet. The toilet is inside a large souvenir shop. I walk past the wood carvings on my way to the toilet. There are beautiful and especially large souvenirs. The largest giraffe is more than four meters tall. For the garden, the saleswoman explains in her sales pitch. It can be shipped by container, she continues. It’s still too early for lunch. Silvia sets up the table with food so we can assemble our own packed lunch. Since plastic bags are banned in Kenya, everyone receives a lunchbox. With my lunch packed, I enter the park. In the distance lies Lake Nakuru. Because of minerals, the lake contains salt water. This used to attract millions of flamingos. Nowadays, with more frequent rains, the water level is rising. This is due to global warming, Patrick explains. Because the lake has no natural outlet, excess water cannot escape. The lake has expanded by more than 60% and has therefore become less salty. The enormous flamingo population has sought other destinations. Now only a few thousand flamingos use Lake Nakuru. On the shore, I immediately see buffaloes. The animals lie under the trees in the shade. Under every tree is a group of buffaloes. As we drive along the shore of Lake Nakuru, we see velvet and colobus monkeys. Groups of zebras and impalas graze side by side. In the lake, pelicans swim, and cormorants dry their wings on the dead trees. Because of the rising water, trees have been submerged. Many trees have died due to the salty water. On the shore, among the trees, waterbucks walk around.

Kenya - Two rhinoceroses in Nakuru National Park

I have never seen this antelope species before. Patrick explains that a waterbuck is relatively safe in the park. When attacked, they can add a bitter taste to their body, making them taste bad. Three playing warthogs don’t worry about this. They run and jump among the other animals. A funny sight. Many animals gather near the river mouth. Fresh water flows into the lake here. Groups of pelicans lie around the mouth. Unperturbed, a malibu searches for food in the shallow water. Two cranes do the same on the shore. We stop at a picnic spot. There are also toilets here. It feels thrilling knowing that wild animals could also be around. We probably make too much noise for them. Silvia cuts fresh fruit, and together with the packed lunch, it tastes great. After the short stop, Patrick asks us to be alert for rhinos. They often appear in this part of the park. We do see giraffes, zebras, and buffaloes. Just as I think we are heading back and won’t see rhinos, at the horizon, about ten jeeps are gathered. Something must be there. When we arrive, there are three rhinos grazing. From our truck, we get a good view over the other cars. They are white rhinos, recognizable by their broad mouth. They look up briefly and walk between the cars. The dust from the dry sand rises. The campsite for today lies just outside the park. A neat site with decent toilets. There are also some pre-set tents. These can be used. Since there are not enough, I set up my own tent. The tent is up in a few minutes. The sun has already set when I walk to the bar. There is no cold beer. The bartender apologizes, saying it has been ordered and can arrive at any moment. As an alternative, I choose some sort of apple cider. Not the best choice. The beer does arrive, but it’s still not chilled. During dinner, I drink a lukewarm Tusker beer.