Journey from Sasaab in Samburu to Ol Lentille in Kaikipia , Kenya.
A few kilometres west of Wamba, the Land Rover stopped. Our Samburu guide had spotted three young boys no older than thirteen emerging from the bush. With big smiles on their faces, they greeted Mathew who, appropriately, was born in the shadow of the majestic Mathews Range of mountains in Northern Kenya. Armed with bows and arrows, these boys had evidently recently undergone their circumcision ritual and had left the village to perform their first duties as morans (Samburu for warriors). Each boy, as part of his initiation, had a necklace of dead birds around his neck. They are not permitted to wash for a month...perhaps today was quite early on in their initiation period.
We continued on, reaching a good bridge to cross over the Ewaso Nyiro river. But for the badly needed heavy rains of the previous weeks, we could have shortened our journey by a couple of hours and crossed much lower down on what is often a dry or shallow river-bed. Today, the savannah plains between the Mathews range and the Laikipia plateau were pretty green, but signs of severe soil erosion remained, something I had seen from the air in all too horrific breadth a few years earlier. We were journeying today from Sasaab Lodge in the Samburu area to Ol Lentille in Laikipia. From Sasaab itself we could see the exact mountain we were heading for due west. To get there, though, involved some serious criss-crossing north, west and south of this usually arid landscape. Sweet sixteen was the easiest and most amusing landmark during our journey. (see pic above left)
Further on we stopped again, seemingly in the middle of nowhere (these were unmade roads) as an elder came marching down the track. Fresh greetings were exchanged as Mathew explained he knew this man of old. Eventually, we reached the small town of Oldoinyiro. Onesmas, our Samburu moran, also on board, told us that he had walked here from his village a few years ago to buy some cattle. It had taken him three days. Later on, four girls in Samburu regalia were standing by the side of the track as we slowly negotiated a particularly awkward piece of rocky road. Onesmas, a lithe 24 year old, must have given them some sort of encouragement as they were soon giving chase. A relatively smooth bit of track enabling the Land Rover to reach second gear ensured he escaped their attentions.
After five hours we had not seen another car – well, not one that was moving anyway. Sometimes in Africa it is worth considering a road journey if you can put up with the bumps and possibility of being stranded. I, for one, always find these journeys some of the most memorable aspects of a safari. You get to see real, unadulterated Africa, and I feel blessed often to have experienced what you will never get in some scripted, glossy-brochure game reserve.
We continued on, reaching a good bridge to cross over the Ewaso Nyiro river. But for the badly needed heavy rains of the previous weeks, we could have shortened our journey by a couple of hours and crossed much lower down on what is often a dry or shallow river-bed. Today, the savannah plains between the Mathews range and the Laikipia plateau were pretty green, but signs of severe soil erosion remained, something I had seen from the air in all too horrific breadth a few years earlier. We were journeying today from Sasaab Lodge in the Samburu area to Ol Lentille in Laikipia. From Sasaab itself we could see the exact mountain we were heading for due west. To get there, though, involved some serious criss-crossing north, west and south of this usually arid landscape. Sweet sixteen was the easiest and most amusing landmark during our journey. (see pic above left)
Further on we stopped again, seemingly in the middle of nowhere (these were unmade roads) as an elder came marching down the track. Fresh greetings were exchanged as Mathew explained he knew this man of old. Eventually, we reached the small town of Oldoinyiro. Onesmas, our Samburu moran, also on board, told us that he had walked here from his village a few years ago to buy some cattle. It had taken him three days. Later on, four girls in Samburu regalia were standing by the side of the track as we slowly negotiated a particularly awkward piece of rocky road. Onesmas, a lithe 24 year old, must have given them some sort of encouragement as they were soon giving chase. A relatively smooth bit of track enabling the Land Rover to reach second gear ensured he escaped their attentions.
After five hours we had not seen another car – well, not one that was moving anyway. Sometimes in Africa it is worth considering a road journey if you can put up with the bumps and possibility of being stranded. I, for one, always find these journeys some of the most memorable aspects of a safari. You get to see real, unadulterated Africa, and I feel blessed often to have experienced what you will never get in some scripted, glossy-brochure game reserve.
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