"Tiga…Tiga…SIMBA!”
Thursday began the start of our safari in the Aberdare National Park. We departed from the hotel at 8:00am in two safari trucks that were converted lorries. On the trucks we had not only our teams, but also CYEC staff and Sister Purity. As we drove through the highlands we were surprised to see the different landscapes and vegetation. We traveled through a bamboo forest, grassland, and a hardwood forest.
About thirty minutes after entering the Park we were forced to cross an old wooden bridge. We prayed that our huge trucks would make it across without falling into the small stream below. As we continued up the hill we noticed a gray figure and movement in the bushes. Our safari truck stopped and turned off the engine only to discover it was a young elephant growling at our truck. The elephant came out of the bushes and trumpeted his trunk. He then darted in front of the vehicle allowing us all to get a closer look at him. After this exciting encounter, we had to cross the bridge again and start up the mountains.
On this portion of our safari we did not see many animals, but the views were well worth the drive. Our drive lasted about an hour and a half on bumpy, narrow dirt roads where we passed through the various landscapes. We were kept alert throughout the ride with the low hanging branches that attacked us through the windows. As we approached the top of the mountain, the weather drastically changed, becoming chillier than any of us expected. When we reached the top our trucks stopped to let us explore the Chania Waterfall. As we approached the fall some stood back and snapped pictures while other more adventurous group members decided to get a close up look. Dr. Butler, Aaron, Anthony, Jimmy, and Jon decided to go under the falls and in result were soaked for the rest of the drive.
On the drive back from the fall, we got out of the vehicle to stretch our legs and noticed a water buffalo standing within approximately 50 feet. We quickly grabbed our cameras while a CYEC staff member advised us to cautiously move away. Lesson learned – be careful where you get out of your vehicle when on a safari. Afterwards, we exited the Park and dropped Sister Purity in Mweiga on route to the campsite. We stopped for gas in Mweiga where we all noticed a goat on the top of the gas station’s roof.
We drove about two hours before we reached Mount Kenya Hostel, our campsite for the night. On the way the muddy wet roads caused some problems for our travels. One main obstacle we overcame was the second truck getting stuck in the mud. All the boys on each truck had to get out and push the truck out of the mud. The girls stood back and took pictures. Finally, we reached our Hostel, ate dinner and went to bed. Half of the group slept in tents while the others had the luxury of sleeping in bunk beds.
Friday:
We awoke at 6:30am to depart at 7:30. Many of us were able to watch the sunrise over Mount Kenya. Our altitude was 6000 feet at the base of the mountain, which gave us a perfect view. After breakfast we made our way to Solio Ranch, which is a privately owned wildlife reserve converted from a rhino sanctuary.
During our day we saw many animals including zebras, water buffalos, black and white rhinos, giraffes, and impalas. Our bus today had seats in the front on top of the cab, which made for an interesting and difficult ride. The bushes and trees had toothpick sized thorns, which often hung lower than the height of the truck. Therefore, the entire group was forced to duck down and away from the sides periodically throughout our game drive.
We stopped to have lunch around 1:00pm. Our lunches contained a 4-6 slice sandwich filled with cucumber and spam covered in mounds of butter. Everyone ate a banana for lunch. We hopped back on the trucks for another hour and then headed back to the hotel. After washing off the layers of dust from the safari trails, we headed to CYEC for dinner and a dance party/performance.
Four of the staff members at CYEC put on a comedic dance performance for the CYEC students and us. In the middle of the performance they pulled Julia, Katie W, Brittany, and other Eco-Village students from the audience for a dance-off. Afterwards, we danced to some American music with the kids, furthering our bonds with the CYEC students. Throughout the night we were introduced to Kansas State students who have come to work at CYEC for 10 weeks hoping to structure the education and provide more opportunities for the children.
The past two days were very eventful and enjoyable. The safari gave us a nice break from working; however, it was still a learning experience for us. For many of us it was the first encounter with African wildlife, which expanded our knowledge of ecosystems.
