African Safari Adventures. Thomas Walsh

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СКАЧАТЬ It was a customized safari, filled with exciting once in a lifetime experiences. They had stayed at remote eco-lodges with delicious meals, and excellent service. The guides were top notch. The trip was truly seamless with every detail planned flawlessly.

      Steve’s enthusiasm in telling the story was so infectious that when he finished and asked the people in the circle if we wanted to take a safari trip with them, we of course said yes. Lee had a safari on her “bucket list” so she jumped at the opportunity. I wasn’t as enthusiastic initially, but was certainly willing to look into it. Nancy was also more reserved in her reaction. She probably wanted to save her comments for when they got home. Another couple said they were interested as well.

      I asked Steve who had planned the safari for the other group and he said, “Chuck the Safari Planner”. Steve explained that Chuck was Charles Aljian, a local man who runs a safari travel business under the name “Safari Planner”. He said the other group had raved about him.

      We left the fund raiser that night with the understanding I would contact Charles Aljian to get the ball rolling. I had no thoughts whatsoever of Africa or a safari when we went out that night. When we got home Lee was already on the way, in her mind. I wasn’t as sure.

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      I made contact with Chuck the next day. By then I had already received dates from Steve and Nancy, and the third couple had decided not to go. Chuck came to our house a few days later for an initial planning session with both couples. Chuck is a big man with a very friendly and relaxed demeanor. He took copious notes on what both couples wanted, dates, etc.

      Each couple had different ideas on arrival and departure dates, and travel to and from Africa. My brother and sister in-law, a doctor and nurse respectively, were volunteering at a hospital in Uganda. We wanted to visit them either on the front or back end of the trip. Steve and Nancy wanted to stop in Amsterdam on the trip over. We wanted to stop in London.

      Lee wanted to be sure to see the great migration of wildebeest. Chuck explained that it was possible to see the migration at various places during the year because it was an ongoing 800 mile circular movement of animals between Tanzania and Kenya in search of grass to feed on. The wildebeest follow the zebra and antelope, gazelles and other animals come after the wildebeest.

      We all wanted to see the Serengeti, a Maasai word meaning “endless plain” and stay in “Hemingway” style tents. And of course we wanted to see the “Big Five” game animals in the wild – elephant, rhino, Cape buffalo, lion and leopard. Chuck pitched the benefit of his service versus other luxury safari tours like Abercrombie and Kent or large tour groups like Overseas Adventure Travel. He said we would get closer to the animals and be at the best viewing sites well before the other groups arrived. Chuck said he had the best network of safari guides and lodges. We would stay in luxury hotels and the meals would be wonderful. It all sounded great and seemed to make sense considering he offered a customized trip for small groups. I could see Lee was getting more excited by the minute.

      Chuck suggested adding a visit to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda to the itinerary. He described the uniqueness of the experience and what it would entail. He did warn that it would add about $5,000 to each couple’s cost due to the additional flights, park passes to visit the gorillas and lodging. We all agreed it was an experience that we did not want to pass up.

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      Each couple received a preliminary itinerary and cost estimate in about a week. We would leave toward the end of May and be gone for 25 days. It would be dry season then in East Africa, perfect for enjoying the safari. After a couple rounds of tweaking we arrived at the final plan. Both couples would fly to London, but there Steve and Nancy would leave us to head to Amsterdam. We would meet up with them again in Rwanda to see the gorillas and continue the safari in Kenya and Tanzania. It would be a marvelous adventure. The trip of a lifetime!

      CHAPTER 3

      INTO AFRICA

      We flew British Airways from Los Angeles to London Heathrow. Steve and Nancy headed off for a connecting flight to Amsterdam. Lee and I checked into the Hilton at Heathrow. We were tired and slightly discombobulated from the eight hour time difference between L.A. and the U.K. But the excitement of the trip fueled our adrenaline rush. After a short nap and a welcome shower we took a train into London to visit my niece and her family who lived there. We had a nice but short visit. Jet lag got to us and we had to be up early for the flight to Nairobi, Kenya.

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      The next day we boarded another British Airways flight to Nairobi. We were actually on our way to Kigali, Rwanda, but there were no direct flights from London. It soon became apparent that the logistics of intercontinental travel to Africa and intra-continental flights within Africa are a major factor in planning a safari. Nairobi is three time zones further east from London, the same time zone as the Middle East. The flight took over eight hours so we arrived around 10 pm.

      Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport is a little hectic and intimidating when you arrive late at night after taking two long, tiring flights in as many days. A visa was required for entry to each of the countries we visited. You can apply for them before travelling, but it can be a hassle, or simply pay for them when you clear customs. We paid for our visas when we cleared customs in Nairobi. They were $50 each and the customs officer only accepted U.S. dollars. It is easy to imagine where some of the cash ends up when you see it go into a giant wad of bills in the officer’s hand. It is a necessity for a long safari to carry at least a $1,000 of cash for visas, tips, and purchases you can’t charge.

      A driver from one of Chuck’s affiliated tour companies was waiting for us when we cleared customs. He drove us into the city to the Serena Hotel. The ride took about 30 minutes. There were many people walking and riding bicycles along the road in both directions. It seemed strange that so many people were out and about late at night until I remembered that Nairobi is a city of over three million people. The majority of the inhabitants are too poor to own a car so there are always a lot of people walking and riding bicycles along the roads.

      Nairobi was founded in 1899 by the British as a rail depot between Mombasa, Kenya on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and the country of Uganda to the west. It was named after the Nairobi River. The word “Nairobi” is from the Maasai language and means “cool water”. Nairobi was the capitol of British East Africa in colonial days. It is the capitol of Kenya and its largest city. Nairobi grew rapidly as people moved from the countryside to the city in search of a better life. The Serena Hotel is located near the city center overlooking Central Park, in an area of upscale hotels and embassies.

      When our car arrived at the gated entrance to the Serena Hotel compound there were two guards. One guard checked our passports against a list and looked around the car while the other guard used a mirror attached to a pole to check for bombs under the car. In 1998 the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were bombed simultaneously by al Qaeda with the loss of over 200 lives. Security precautions at major buildings have been very tight ever since.

      The grounds surrounding the hotel were lush and beautiful. The interior of the building and the guest rooms were decorated in rich wood paneling reminiscent of the British colonial era. The main restaurant was on a gorgeous patio set next to the pool. We were too tired to eat but we felt like stretching our legs. I asked at the front desk if it was safe to walk outside the hotel compound. I was advised in a very polite way that it was not recommended. I guess I wasn’t surprised. I had received the same advice at hotels in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa on a business trip. The vast majority of Africans are very poor, and violence and crime are endemic as a result of it. We strolled around the hotel grounds for a few minutes then called it a day. We had an early start the next morning.

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