OUT&ABOUT: In the land of giants

We are to tuck into a quick breakfast before setting off from our camp to Amboseli National Park. The table is set under a gigantic tortilis tree overlooking a waterhole.

Mother nature must have sent out the memo for Monday morning’s staff meeting because two elephants walk right up to quench their thirst, and at barely 70 metres away, they are absolutely breathtaking yet somewhat daunting.

Elephants have always been my favourite wildlife, and thus I can barely contain my excitement enough to eat. They are closely followed by a troop of boisterous baboons, who have got to be the office clowns- every office always has one of those!

Zebras then march up to the waterhole, careful to give the elephants a wide berth. Everyone, even the cheeky baboons, seem to steer clear of the elephants- they are like the office boss that when you see approaching, you quickly switch from your YouTube tab to e-mails and pretend to be typing away at your keyboard with vigour.

GAME DRIVE

As if that’s not enough for my senses to handle, we spot Grant’s gazelle, wildebeest and giraffes sauntering up to the meeting like colleagues who are not only always late, but are also so loud that until they are settled in their seat, all the attention shifts to them.

The birds, keen to have their opinions heard, squawk and complain as they flap their wings about until the elephant bosses shift to a new position and everyone is dead silent yet again. There is serenity all round.

As we drive towards the Kimana entrance of Amboseli some 10 minutes away, I am convinced that we have already witnessed the very best that this day will have to offer. We might as well cancel the game drive and save our fuel.

I would have been content to just order more food and stay right at that breakfast table had my partner not been adamant that we leave. Even when we arrive at the eastern entrance of the park and the askaris give me some trouble for not having my national identity card, I only half-heartedly make up some unconvincing fib about how all my identification documents are presently being replaced.

Our plan is to drive up to the observation point at the park, hopefully spot a few animals along the way, have a picnic at that vantage point then head back. I had initially been a little apprehensive about our little hired saloon car actually making it around Amboseli, but I needn’t have worried.

Given those smooth murram roads, driving around the park is like cruising over a thick Iranian carpet. Intersections at certain stretches of road are also clearly labelled, which makes it easy to get around without a guide.

PICTURES

Driving across the vast green swamp, which is teeming with various species of birds, we start passing several large herds of elephants, spotting what seems like a hundred in that stretch. As someone who absolutely loves these animals, the sensory overload is almost stupefying. If you have ever tried walking along Tom Mboya Street in the CBD during rush hour and encountered human traffic, that is the scenario here with the elephants.

Some are munching away the grass, others are huddled off as though they are in a chama meeting, another group seems like they are posing for pictures, there are elephants behind our car, some are blocking the road while others are cooling off in the swamp like rich guests at a luxury hotel pool waiting for their dawa cocktails to be served.

Given the size of our car compared to the 4x4s that must drive through these roads every day, I also have the irrational fear of one of these gentle giants squashing us to a pulp. We eventually stop taking pictures long enough to drive on to our intended destination. There, we park the car and have to walk up a steep flight of rocky stairs, a blatant reminder that I’m still lagging behind on those 2019 fitness resolutions, before getting to the observation point.

The 360-degree view over the park from up here is breathtaking, and the only thing we’re missing is binoculars. Mt Kilimanjaro is even showing off her beauty with its snow-capped peak jutting out proudly into a cloudless sky. At almost 6,000m above sea level, her presence is ever prominent. As we tuck into our cold sandwiches, I can’t help but think that this has been by all accounts a rewarding trip.