My trip to Kenya

It was about 2009 – 2010 that I finally made my decision to travel to Kenya. One of my biggest dreams for a place I wanted to visit, would come true. Until the day that I put my feet in Kenya, although I had seen ‘till then many documentaries, I thought that it would be an easy travel. But was I true, or maybe not?

My first memory from Kenya is when we were heading to our hotel from the airport, I was looking to the different nature and suddenly out of nowhere I saw “my” first giraffe. If someone would tell me that I could pass by a giraffe and wouldn’t notice, I’d say he’s crazy. Still, that’s exactly what happened! Although there aren’t many trees in the savannas, the road for the hotel had many. So, I was seeing green trees, yellow dry grass, and brown soil and suddenly out of nowhere I noticed this giraffe. The view was magnificent. This animal is so tall, I had seen before of course in parks, but when I saw it in his natural place among the trees, I realized how majestic it was!

We went to Masai Mara National Park where we saw many animals – from monkeys to rhinos and from cheetahs to lions. Of course, antelopes, different kind of birds, elephants, wild dogs, ostriches and many more.

I was so excited, I felt like I was in another universe. So different place that the one I used to live in. I laughed hard with our driver that told us that they call driving there “African massage”, because it was so exhausted under this heat, the humidity, the non-existence of road and many puddles around.

I also went to Nakuru’s lake to see the famous pink flamingos. It was quite a disappointment for me because I only saw few of them, far away from the place we were, and I only was able to see them zooming with my camera. Still, I saw a panther sleeping on a tree (!?!), rhinos, several other animals, which made me feel better.

I went to watch gnus (who are migration animals) in Serengeti, trying to pass through the river to Tanzania, avoiding crocodiles who were waiting to hunt. I was sad because I saw many of them that never made it, I learned that crocodiles hunt clever – they try with their weight to drawn gnus, so they are sure they won’t try to escape, because they are big animals and difficult to handle or bite them and die at once.

I also went to Mombasa, explored the old town area which was a fantastic place and went with a boat for snorkeling. It was quite an experience, still none of us dive because the waters were too hot for us and preferred to make a small trip around small islands. We stopped in an island to eat some crabs (they were so delicious) and we head back.

What I have in my heart from this journey: Kenya is a wonderful place, people are smily and happy despite the way they live in, and I wish they would live in better terms.

What I suggest for this journey: have in mind that it’s not as easy as it seems – almost all day in a car with the “African massage” I was talking about, but it’s worth do it. Be prepared for your heart to break you will see people walk with an empty vessel in their head (sometimes and children) to search for water, poverty around you and completely different way of civilization in the villages. You should be very careful in Nairobi, we were told when we were passing the roads there to have windows closed, no cameras or jewelries in our hands because sometimes they even smash windows to steal.

What I say to anyone who’s never been there: just prepare your cameras and go…yesterday!

One of my best travels ever, I would do it again and again. My only wish for the people there, is to stop living under these circumstances.

 I hope you enjoyed the virtual small trip to Kenya.

All pictures are mine. I didn't post pictures from Nairobi, because I wanted to show you how's real life behind a big city. I also didn't post pictures from the place where gnus passing the river - I thought it would be better for you to have it only in mind.