Kenya1

If you want to skip directly to the other part, then just hit
Part II - Tsavo National Park.

If you want a photo gallery and a diashow, then just hit
Photo Gallery.

Introduction

This is an abridged description of a package tour trip to Kenya in March 1989. Yes, that's right, a package tour. The offer to fly and stay with the African Safari Club was cheaper than if I would have booked a regular flight. The whole package for flight and three weeks full board accommodation did cost 1865 DM (around 930 Euro). And we, Joachim and I, actually planned not to stay in their resort all the time anyway, because we wanted to rent a car (like I did a beetle in 1968) to drive on our own through some parts of Kenya and their National Parks. Then we read about some incidents which made us to restrain from such an endeavor. Travelers were robbed or worse been killed while driving alone in a car.

So we stayed most of the time in the African Safari Club Resort consuming three meals a day (all included in the package price) and went on some daily excursions on our own and joined some organized tours. So there was not much of an adventure and thus not much to tell, so the narrative of this report will be short.

At the time of writing all this, more than 19 years have passed. What we had seen and experienced, may not be the way today anymore. Cultures and customs change rapidly in our global world, especially with the tribes and indigenous people in Kenya (even if the Masai still are withstanding modern influences), not necessarily to the better. And another big change to the worse was caused by the difficult political situation in recent years which has damaged very much the tourism industry in this exciting and beautiful country.

Sometimes, I slip into a writing habit: It's like a tic, I can't help it. If you won't read it, then just leave it and take the liberty to skip my silly poetry.

Getting from Germany to Mombasa

Not much to say about that. The African Safari Club had their own airplanes (painted in zebra stripes). The flight started in Frankfurt and flew to Mombasa non-stop.

Nyali Beach

The African Safari Club resorts (there were several) were located about 30km north of Mombasa at the Nyali Beach. Our three star resort, the Bahari Silver Beach Hotel, also had a tennis court (played several times in the hot sun). The park and the beach was ok, but no corals to snorkel around.

Remark: The photos on the right side may not be correctly adjusted if you use Mozilla Firefox or Chrome. I propose to use the Explorer of Microsoft instead.

Click the small picture to get it enlarged

East African Safari Club East African Nyali Beach

Investigating the beach with rock Boatman trying to lure us on his boat
The first daily tour we joined was to some kind of a zoo in a natural habitat for all kinds of endemic animals. The following pictures will speak for themselves.

This hippo is not swimming in the sea but living with others in some kind of a zoo

Monkey father has really nice balls The result is also a pretty nice baby

Isn't that a beautiful bird with a nice comb And the beak of this bird is very long

Snake, please don't bite It's fun: a turtle ride

Hey, turtle where are you creeping Nice slow way of love making

Crocs don't have many friends I almost make in my pants

Will that croc really try to eat me? Yes, if you run away like a centipede

This place looks really tranquil but is this wild cat ready to kill?

This termite mound is really not dangerous But for us, that was all very adventurous

Another excursion we did by ourselves was going by public bus to Mombasa. One of the ancient sites was the Fort Jesus which was built in 1590 by the Portuguese.

The old Mombasa Fort what was it used for?

To defend the city. But now is he making the cannon to gleam? Is it also used now not to defend the city but the cart with ice-cream?
The city of Mombasa is older than the fort. It was founded around the tenth century by African traders, but there is nothing left from that time. It's a bustling modern harbor city now and the second biggest in Kenya after Nairobi.

That's new Mombasa It welcomes every massa

Instead of buying kitsch we rather go on a sailing trip
One day we decided to sail. But it was the wrong decision on that day. The wind was too strong to raise one sail. Rolling with the waves made almost everybody seasick. I was almost getting it, too, in the cabin, from all the vomits of the other people. So, Joachim and I went on deck into the fresh air. Our port of call was only Mombasa, 30km away. Instead of "sailing" back we all called the trip off and went already ashore in Mombasa.

Despite sailing along the coast and the ship was big it was a shaky ride and many people on board got sick

Another day, another endeavor: Let's catch game fish. We hired a special fishing boat with skipper and went out to the sea. I was the only lucky one: a small bonito but he fought well (not like the "Old Man and the Sea", though). Joachim was very sad and jealous of my tuna. I shared the fish, deliciously prepared by our resort cook, with him and another couple at dinner time.

Then we went to another beach to rent a boat for catching fish

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Something must be on my hook A nice bonito. Take a good look
Another day, another excursion. This time also with some historical and cultural lessons. Since the tenth century the Kenyan coast was very much influenced and, most of the time, controlled by the Arabs with an interlude of the Portuguese (Fort Jesus). The main reason for their interest in this part of Africa was trade. I would rather call it robbery and exploitation, because it consisted mainly of African slaves being "traded". Only the British made an end to the slave trade at the end of the nineteenth century when they took over control of all of Kenya.

Ready for some history lessons now Arabs settled down here long ago

The Arabs entered the jungle in waves to ransack the villages and to catch slaves

Many of the descendants of the Africans, who could hide from the slave traders, are still living the same way today. Ok, the place we have visited was some kind of a model village for the tourists. But there are many similar ones around but not always as tidy and clean.

Isn't that interesting? Working like the ancestors for the daily ration while getting money from the tourists for this demonstration

Maybe after we are gone they all probably go home
And many children were playing around. They are like the children everywhere. Let's hope that they are guided to the right way.

These children are waiting for their mother Most girls laugh, but boys don't bother

She only has to look at me to start dancing happily

Yes, you are right, kids are not always content But happy as long as they are innocent
Tourism is an important industry. Many find a job like participating in a folklore show, mainly consisting of making music with some old local instruments and performing traditional dances.

Next event: tribal folklore will be shown Is it Obama who plays the xylophone?

Is she waiting for Godot? Or for the sound of the oboe?
Then finally, the biggest evening event in town is taking place: many people from different tribes were gathering on a special ground while all the tourists are arriving from all the resorts around. Let the following pictures speak for themselves.

The Indian Ocean in the evening Another folklore show is beginning

Welcome to our show It will start right now

With the band starts drumming The angel group comes running

Next group with a new sound He is just probing the ground

These girls came running to dance She probably did get her last chance

Now the Masai will do their thing this will be really more interesting

Already over six feet tall Jumping higher even more

Some look very fierce But they all came in peace

I am a defender with a shield instead of being aggressive I would rather have a laugh with one Masai missis

Joachim rather took the spear maybe to attack the buffet in the rear

After dinner there was no rest The dancers still gave their best

No folklore anymore. Everybody is astounded The bush disco band has been announced

Will he hit me with his club? Now take a look at this stud

He looks a little like Satchmo Is this Aretha Franklin at the micro?

Disco girls dancing the groove for the wedding bride and groom

I wish you good luck with your wife, my son And chase away the bad spirits with the drum

There are many other girls to choose from Except this already pregnant one

Do you see in the dancing girl's eyes all that fire You can't easily get her, but this fire eater is for hire
Ok, that was relaxing Mombasa and surroundings. Next we are going on a safari. It is actually the main reason why we are here in Kenya.