Going Solo in Africa

I was in college then and old enough to take out my little sister Puchi, to the movies alone. One of my fondest memories ever and I believe for her as well was watching Lion King when it released in theatres then. We had never seen animation like that before, that too on the big screen and little Simba remained in my heart forever. So earlier this month when I visited Masai Mara, it was almost as if I became a child again and was actually immersed into the sets of The Lion King !

My solo adventure to Africa started off as I flew into Nairobi, staying there overnight and catching a small plane (about an 18 seater ) to Mara the next morning. The Nairobi Wilson airport where we flew from looked like out of a children’s toy set where dozens of small airplanes in various colours waited for takeoff. Soon we were soaring high on a very sunny Saturday morning and the views from the window were just gorgeous. Crossing the windmill farm on Ngong Hills (Ngong in Swahili means knuckles and once you saw the hills you knew why!), over the edges of the rift valley , flying over the undulating green plateau like landscape and within an hour, we would touch down into the Keekorok airstrip , and enter the Masai Mara National Reserve. We were just a degree or so below the equator and I somehow was under the impression that it would be awfully hot and sweaty. And even though the sun was blazing bright against a clear blue sky , it’s the breath of fresh air , literally in every sense that surprises you totally. A cool breeze, crisp and young fills your city lungs with the freshness that it seems to have been missing so badly.

I was received by my safari jeep driver cum guide Nicolas who would be my constant companion for the next five days, with a greeting of Jambo and Karibu (Swahili for Hello and Welcome). Just as we start driving into the park and towards Olive Bush Camp where I would be staying, I have my first sighting of a solitary elephant bull regal with his tusks and happily grazing away in the middle of nowhere. Soon after, a huge herd of elephants with all sizes of children following the matriarch crossed right ahead of us.  There could be no better way to start this wild adventure than the silhouette of these gentle , majestic creatures against the bright blue sky flooded with sunshine  walking gracefully at their own pace, the true inhabitants of the earth. 

Driving into Olive is such an experience because you’re driving through the plains and arrive at an area full of the typical bushy trees dotting the landscape. You start going down that path and lo and behold you’re actually at the camp – it is so well camouflaged into the surroundings. The camp is an unfenced property located on the banks of the Mara River which is also home to a large number of hippos and their calls would be familiar sound to the ears over the next few days and nights. Just before we entered the camp though, there would be the biggest surprise waiting for me in one of the bushes on the way – lying in its shade was a lioness, my first sighting of the trip and her cub. I was simply overjoyed, and felt like my entire trip was worth it to just see mom and baby cuddling this way at such close proximity! Little did I know then, that I would see them again several times over the next few days and I would name this baby Charlie and his mother Nala and that I would completely and totally fall in love with them over time.

After a quick lunch and resting a bit, we left on our first game drive that afternoon. What started off as a bright, sunny and slightly hot day quickly changed into a cloudy afternoon and the grey clouds looming across the vast expanse of land with the impalas all huddled together was a sight to see. Very soon it started raining, first a little bit and then really hard, so we had to close the top roof of the jeep and the window as I was getting quite drenched. But more importantly the temperature had dropped probably a full ten degrees or more thanks to the wind and I wasn’t quite prepared for such a change. While I was worrying about feeling cold, the rain slowly reduced to a drizzle and the clouds were clearing up and the grass was a green that no colour palette can probably cover, especially against the fading light of the evening. Suddenly I was jumping with joy and wonder like a child watching a magic trick, as the sky was glowing with a full rainbow across the vast expanse of land. Chasing rainbows in the savannah for the next hour or so felt like a dream and I tried my best to capture the magic on film. It was mesmerizing. 

I was also introduced to the Topi, also known as the yellow socks and blue jeans guy. The topi were fascinating in the way they seemed to take grazing so seriously , or they would stand on top of a mound looking at the world as if in deep contemplation on life. We saw two topi fighting and the tock tock of their horns against one another was the only sound we could hear in the stillness all around. The day would end with another big sighting, that of a leopard mum stalking and trying to hunt a hyena around the bushes. By now the sky had settled into a dazzling pink against the darkening end of the day and the leopard with its distinct spots against this breathtaking backdrop, walking regally along the road was surreal. 

Our early morning safaris would start at 6AM. A thoughtful wakeup call at 5:15am with a hot cup of black tea and I was up and ready for the day’s adventure. Leaving at 6AM meant that it would be quite dark still and one morning just as we were coming out of the camp , we noticed a huge patch of grey against the trees – a big herd of elephants merging with the darkness of the  early morning was a sight to behold. Nicolas would usually have a plan of which direction he would be taking me , but the plan sometimes would totally change based on the updates he would get on radio or on their group chat updates about some action happening in some other direction. In the rush to get to where would want to be, it would be difficult to stop and enjoy the breathtaking sunrise and I would watch through the window or standing with my head out of the roof top just breathing it in. The outline of the solitary trees in the landscape against a painted sky in pink and orange were picture postcard perfect with a certain air of mystery around them. 

My fondest memories of the early morning drives were of course spending uninterrupted time with Charlie and Nala. Charlie would be at his playful best in the hours of dawn with his mum Nala and his other aunts in the pride. Crouching behind a rock or within the grass and pouncing on his Mum , or playing with Nala’s tail, her face, jumping around her like the little monkey he is. Every moment was so precious and just a little bigger , wilder version of the many kittens I’ve fostered for years back home. And hearing Nala’s soft grunt to call out to Charlie while he came skipping right back to her was simply priceless. Their golden fur bathed in the glow of the early morning sun looked ethereal and I simply couldn’t get enough of them. It took every ounce of will power that I had to hold me back from getting down from the jeep and just going and cuddling them ! I do believe that towards the end, they knew me and both Nala and Charlie spoke to me, looking straight into my eyes as I would be taking pictures or just enjoy being in their almost divine presence.

Some mornings were unusually filled with a lot of action and we would rush to these spots as soon as we could. The “as soon as we could” sounds much easier than in reality where dirt tracks were slushy and muddy and the rivulets that we would be crossing were full of water thanks to the rains of the past couple of days and weeks. I had new found respect for the design and engineering of the four wheel drive jeeps that we were using, sometimes it was unbelievable how we made it through the roads or the river crossings. 

All the rolling around within the jeep was totally worth it once we reached the spot of the action of course ! A complete pride of lions feasting on a giraffe kill which was very unusual as the giraffe’s kick would usually kill a lion unless the giraffe had died a natural death or had become too old to fight , we wouldn’t know exactly what happened. But the sight of the entire pride relishing their kill , the lionesses with their cubs of all sizes first while the males would be resting in the bushes. The cubs were tiny compared to the huge giraffe and they were playing all over it as if it was a jungle gym, remembering to eat once in a while. All of a sudden, I saw two cubs tearing off the tail taking it away in the grass playing tug of war with it. With the lionesses having their share and going off to rest a while, the big male made his royal entrance, wearing his royalty with a certain lightness and laziness that only he can carry off with such elan ! The lioness tried to nuzzle up against him, in the mood for love, but he was only in the mood for food. After a lip smacking meal, he walked away back to the shade of the bushes, but not before he came up to my jeep and looked straight into my eyes as if saying Hello ! 

We would typically have a picnic breakfast mid morning in certain designated spots where we could get down from the car. The views were spectacular, either the rolling savannah grasslands all around with a couple of antelopes grazing in the distance , or it would be on some river bank with the view of the flowing river , boulders along the sides and the lush green trees lining the banks. A crocodile here, a couple of hippos swimming there , birds chirping everywhere and a certain peace and calm that mornings immersed in the depth of such unspoilt natural beauty can bring. The birds of the savannah are just too many to even start describing - the metallic blue of the superb sterling, or the bright yellow of the weaver bird, the shiny black and red headed swallows in flight, diving into the grass, circling round and round overhead with such boundless joy that you felt like flying away with them to experience such freedom ! On one such morning , we also saw a huge crocodile eating up a baby hippo, thrashing it around in his mouth while the many  mud fish swimming around him taking advantage of the kill as well. Quite a scene that was ! 

Lunch time was back at the camp out in the verandah area or on the elevated river bank. A delicious meal of salad followed by some grilled fish or meat would be enough to allow me to settle down for a quick nap or I would laze around reading a book or sending pictures of the morning back home. The afternoons were idyllic in every possible way and a perfect break before the evening game drive. While chatting with my friends, they were concerned on the status of my return tickets and were quite certain that I wouldn't be coming back. But I was also missing my human cub at home , so that was not an option right now :)

The afternoon to evening time would usually be slow especially if it was quite sunny , all the animals kind of slowing down in the heat. But it was wonderful just driving around for miles , standing in the jeep , the wind in my face and drinking in the scenery all around. Watching the rolling grasslands changing colour with the position of the sun from a beautiful golden hue to shades of green with a reddish tip at certain times of the day was hypnotizing. The landscape dotted with the black irregular shapes of the termite mounds here and there. A solitary tree standing suddenly in the middle of nowhere, under the vast expanse of the sky mesmerizing with myriad hues that reflect on the earth and the landscape just so expansive that the zoom of our devices can’t match up but enables our hearts  to open up so wide to accept all the beauty mother earth has to offer and filling it with love. A dear friend on seeing the picture of the tree wrote back "It is so complete, Just like you. Doesn't need anyone to hold on to , to be supported. Standing tall, It's enough on it's own. While it stands alone, it gives shade to all others beneath it. This is you". This is the most beautiful compliment I have got in a long time .. the days with myself surrounded by such magnificent beauty all around was no less than a form of meditation and self realization and connect that would be difficult in the madness of our daily lives.

With the evening setting in and the sun about to set, we would encounter a pride of lions sleeping in the middle of the tall grass, lazing around against each other, getting up to drink some water from the puddles here and there, or just to cuddle and lick one another. Pure bliss. On one such evening we were especially lucky to witness the leopard Bahati (the tent  I was staying in was named after her) hunting down an impala. She was crouching behind the tall grass while the impalas were on the other side of the road. As soon as they crossed, she pounced on her target and brought her down, then dragged her all the way into the bushes to where her cubs were. The scene was enthralling down to the last bit and her speed, her strength and her beauty were just out of this world. 

We would also see many giraffes popping out their heads from behind some trees far away, or sometimes even grazing close enough and I had several heart to heart conversations with them as they listed to me patiently about my views on life and gave me their perfect piece of advice - Hakuna Matata ! There weren’t too many zebras around since most had left along with the wildebeest during the migration but we did drive quite a long way to the other side of the reserve and saw some. Their dazzling black and white looked spectacular against the green grass and I couldn’t help but think that designers have tried to fashion this  design onto everything forever, but nothing can match up to the original beauty of these fellas. Some of my favourite moments were trying to catch the attention of the Thomson gazelles and trying to capture them on film as they stood still looking directly into your eyes but just for the slightest moment before they would quickly run away. The second fastest creatures on the earth, so graceful in every movement. Against the golden light of the evening , they looked picture perfect. 

The night before I left for my balloon safari , it rained like crazy and I honestly thought my tent would just tear up and fly away ! But survive the night I did , and managed to leave by 4:30AM , driving to the location for take off. The drive was as adventurous as it could get. Only my driver Johnson knows how he managed to find roads in the pitch dark of the early morning , that too the roads completely slushy from the night rains. We saw several owls in the middle of the road waiting for easy prey , a couple of hyenas’ eyes shining bright in the dark while  a fox dashing here and there, the scrub hares jumped to and fro from the bushes all around. 

The balloon safari was an unforgettable experience, floating through the clouds at peace with the world complete with the views of wildlife below , gazelles and topis running around in the fields below , completely carefree and full of joy , ostriches pecking around , the hyenas going about their business too while the warthogs dashing here and their being their silly selves, hippos frolicking in the river, a sudden sighting of a baby crocodile swimming along the river and the views of the most exotic cranes and vultures and other birds dotting the canopied greens that we were floating above. Watching the sunrise from the balloon while the sky changed colours and the dreamy clouds around you,  was just so beautiful that I wanted to capture the moment in my heart forever. It was a morning one with nature and unbridled happiness that only nature can bring to the soul.  The safari ended with a sumptuous breakfast in the middle of nowhere complete with new friends made on the ride  and the clinking of champagne glasses in the backdrop of the chirping birds and sound of cicadas and crickets everywhere around. While I agree, money can’t buy happiness, there are certainly some exceptions such as a morning like this ;)

It was soon time to leave, I couldn’t believe that my five days were over ! But there was a surprise for me on the day we were driving out from the reserve – the Rongai pride of almost fifteen lions or more had a cub that was even smaller than Charlie walking sometimes behind, sometimes along side his mother – I named him Scruffy. He was tiny and if his mother went ahead a bit too much, he would protest and call out with a distinct sound between a tiny roar ending up as a meow ! He was the cutest guy ever and I so wish I could pick him up and give him a big cuddle ! 

A water buck stood still in front of me in the middle of the tall grass as we drove by, she looked like a watercolour painting come to life – she looked into my eyes as if to say good bye. The night before I left, the Masai staff at the camp surprised me with a farewell tribal song and cake cutting , I was so emotional that I felt tears streaming down my face completely involuntarily. Though I couldn’t understand the words or the meaning , the music and their voices somehow stirred my soul and touched me deep inside. I left a piece of my heart with Charlie and Nala and the endless colour and beauty and sounds of the birds and butterflies flying around with such joy in the Savannah grasslands. I know, and I know that they all know as well – that I will come back …