24 Nov Wed. at Sopa Lodge in Samburu.
Up early with a concrete walk to end of bandas, reflecting on the
value of going to a National Park, where you can’t get out of a
vehicle or walk on the red earth! Mt Kenya was clear, if distant.
Early morning so gorgeous. We had a three-hour game drive and saw not
much – warthogs, dikdiks, a lone buffalo. Carolyn kept the enthusiasm
up – she does it brilliantly. She’s really a splendid traveller. We
stopped at Samburu Lodge by the river – this is the place I remember
so well – crocodiles still lying close by on the bank waiting to be
fed in the evening. I gazed into the soul of the nearest one, his
clear green eye looked back. I said Hello from his cousin the tuatara
Henry in Invercargill.
So------ swimming pol – brrr after hot skin – delicious. Not too many
observers, just as well. I tried out the sun-lounge under the shade of
the intriguing Calotropis procera or French cotton tree – it has huge
leaves, huge gourd-like ball, small flower umbel, is not endemic.
Carolyn defied my advice again and sunbathed in full sun! We had a
very good lunch and sat quietly, a shower passing away in the west,
and I can smell a good smell of African earth. There are dikdiks
everywhere, all the animals are completely unfazed by humans and
trucks.
Our evening drive was memorable for finding a leopard posing in a dead
tree: small leopard, small tree, and the sunset feeling as we stood in
the open back quietly winding home up the hill to Sopa, in no hurry.
Silhouette of acacia with weaver nests hanging. Timeless!
Up early with a concrete walk to end of bandas, reflecting on the
value of going to a National Park, where you can’t get out of a
vehicle or walk on the red earth! Mt Kenya was clear, if distant.
Early morning so gorgeous. We had a three-hour game drive and saw not
much – warthogs, dikdiks, a lone buffalo. Carolyn kept the enthusiasm
up – she does it brilliantly. She’s really a splendid traveller. We
stopped at Samburu Lodge by the river – this is the place I remember
so well – crocodiles still lying close by on the bank waiting to be
fed in the evening. I gazed into the soul of the nearest one, his
clear green eye looked back. I said Hello from his cousin the tuatara
Henry in Invercargill.
So------ swimming pol – brrr after hot skin – delicious. Not too many
observers, just as well. I tried out the sun-lounge under the shade of
the intriguing Calotropis procera or French cotton tree – it has huge
leaves, huge gourd-like ball, small flower umbel, is not endemic.
Carolyn defied my advice again and sunbathed in full sun! We had a
very good lunch and sat quietly, a shower passing away in the west,
and I can smell a good smell of African earth. There are dikdiks
everywhere, all the animals are completely unfazed by humans and
trucks.
Our evening drive was memorable for finding a leopard posing in a dead
tree: small leopard, small tree, and the sunset feeling as we stood in
the open back quietly winding home up the hill to Sopa, in no hurry.
Silhouette of acacia with weaver nests hanging. Timeless!
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