Travel to Tsavo

Wednesday was mostly a travel day, to get from Ambroseli National Park to Tsavo West National Park. The distance was only about 60 miles, but much of it was on very rough roads, and we stopped at a Masaai village and a Masaai school, so the journey took several hours. Then after we checked in to Kilaguni Serena Lodge, we took a drive around Tsavo West, including a stop at Mzima Springs.
Leaving Amboseli


The clouds have hidden Kilimanjaro for most of the last two days, but we got a nice view of the top as we were driving southeast out of Amboseli National Park.


After we left Amboseli, we encountered something we haven't seen since last Friday: a paved road!
We were planning to visit a Masaai village in the Kimana area, so we stopped at a small roadside market and Willie picked up some pencils and candy for us to give to the kids.



Picking up some things for the schoolkids.
Masaai Village
The village we stopped at was home to about 60 people, all descendants of the chief and his four wives.

The traditional Masaai greeting for visitors involves singing and dancing. The men do a high-jumping contest when they dance.









Willie is from a tribe that doesn't do the jumping contest, but he enthusiastically joined in.
Megan and Rhonda dancing with the women.



Next we sat down with the village doctor, who explained how he uses various plants to treat ailments such as joint pain, indigestion, and so on. Marsha mentioned a pain she was having, and he checked it out and suggested something to try.
The doctor showed us a plant he called "the Masaai Viagra," and then he asked me how many wives I have. When I said just one, he said that his sister is available for marriage and she has six children. Megan told him our house is big enough for his sister and her kids, and he must have thought that meant we have money, because he said I would need to bring 20 elephants to the village to marry his sister. I said I'd get back to him.







Next we toured this hut, which is home to a young Masaai couple and their five children. The huts are made from a mixture of cow dung and ash.








The puppy chewing on a doorway reminded me of George, and the one pulling on my pant leg reminded me of Jamie.

Visiting a Masaai school
The chief came with us while we drove a short distance to the school that three of his kids attend. We met with the administrator, and he showed us around, then we visited a classroom.






A Masaai school







Visiting a classroom




Out on the playground

Into the Bushland




The final 30 miles to Tsavo West were on a rough dirt road through Masaai country.


We knew we were getting close when we started seeing zebras, the signature animal of Tsavo West.



Entering Tsavo West National Park.






A few miles into the park we passed Shetani Lava Flow. It's very similar to Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho.




Checking in to Kilaguni Serena Lodge, our final destination for this trip. There is a watering hole in front of the restaurant and bar area, and animals come to it all day and night.





A few photos taken from our table at lunch.
Mzima Springs
Before dinner, we took a drive to Mzima Springs. This area is where water surfaces after flowing underground from a natural reservoir under the hills to the north.





A park ranger led us on a 20-minute walk at Mzima Springs. A few years ago, a ranger was killed by a buffalo here, so since then they've required that people be accompanied by a ranger at all times. There are also hippos and crocodiles in this area. I was impressed with how the ranger had his hand in the exact same position on his gun throughout our entire walk.





At this time of year, Mzima Springs is a lush green area in the midst of dry dusty areas.





Our destination for the walk was a structure where we could step below the water level and look out through windows all around.


A crocodile at Mzima Springs.
Tsavo West









A few photos taken near our lodge on our first safari in Tsavo West.



Mongoose crossing the road. There are many mongoose at Tsavo West, because there are many snakes for them to eat.



At Masai Mara and Amboseli, we were usually in wide open spaces where animals are easy to spot. But the dense bushland of Tsavo West is challenging for spotting animals.






In the late afternoon heat, most of the animals we saw were in the shade.





A few photos from the bar Wednesday evening.