Day 6

Most of us were woken up around six o’clock this morning. We saw the sun rising for the first time and the air was somewhat cold. We only had a small amount of time to enjoy breakfast and pack for our upcoming trip to East Tsavo nationalpark where we had the opportunity to experience the traditional African safari. By the way, safari is the word for ”journey” in Swahili.

The East Tsavo nationalpark covers about 4% of the area of Kenya. It’s so extensive that it’s by area larger than Wales, for example. It’s owned by the government and is a popular attraction for tourists. However, the bombings in Nairobi have significantly decreased the amount of visitors.

 

Safari is often associated with jeeps, though, we were travelling in our bright yellow bus. After some struggling at the park gate  we headed towards the different types of savannas. At first we could only see bushes and various bird species. Little by little, more animals started to appear more or less besides the road we were driving, which was rather bumpy. We were all excited to see zebras, buffalos and giraffes, even though we’ve seen them on our first day in Kenya.

 

Soon we spotted our first elephants. They were quite far away but  the fact of just seeing them was incredible, so we didn’t mind. Everyone was zooming and taking pictures like crazy. Later our sharp-eyed guide Ken spotted an animal after another so quickly that he both amazed and confused us all at the same time. The elephants were particularly interesting because of their ”high status” in the ecosystem. They aren’t threatened by other animals so they may live a long life of 70 years at best. They’re social animals as well.

 

The animals were extensively spreaded in the area because of green and nutritious land as a result of the previous rainseason. It was raining for a short period of time during our safari.This kind of rain is unusual at this time of the year due to that the long and important rainseasons in Kenya occur from March-April to May-June. The short rainseasons fall between October and December. During the rainseason the rain is pouring, usually in the afternoons or evenings. The temperature is then at its highest, with the exception of the cold nights. This is typical for the climate of East Africa and makes various agriculture possible. 

Even though we didn’t see any lions like we were hoping, we saw and learned a lot today. It was a giving and an unforgettable experience as well. At the moment we are enjoying our second last evening here in Taita Hills. It will be odd to leave this place after having such a good time here.

/Elna & Rebecca