Page 69 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

MY AFRIKA
Mount Ololokwe on the way to Marsabit
Photo: Samuel Phillips

Ahmed Gate to check out the camp-
site. There we met one very pleasant
and welcoming ranger, Jacinta, who
picked up her rifle and walked with
us down to the camp. It was really
beautiful. Just the right balance of
wild, rustic and modern. After the
visit, we made our payment for two
nights - $2 per camper per night
- and headed back to town to get
some supplies for dinner then re-
turned to set up camp. Pitching our
tent in what appeared to be an ideal
location next to one of the wash- ter to boot. This did not feel like the right next to the fire. Looking back
rooms, we set about the business forest retreat we had thought it was. at where we had camped, we could
of making our camp comfortable. We gazed at the stars; my husband see why they were concerned for us.
Cleaning the washrooms, setting up experimented with some astral We had camped in the darkest and
our chairs and preparing what our photography. Even with the bright- most isolated location where none
bodies were crying out for – a meal! ness of the floodlights, we saw stars of the light from the floodlights fell.
Along the way, a troop of baboons we could never make out in all the Things look so innocuous in the
came by and sussed us out while blasting lights of the city. We made light of day.
they played on the ground in the our way into our tent and tried to
trees and on the nearby water tank. settle down for the night. Eventually, Anyway, we added some logs,
You could just see them looking for we did doze off somewhat but were fortified our dainty nylon tent with
an opportunity to grab something. It woken up around ten pm by some- tables and chairs as some kind of
was a little funny. one who came to warn us that our early warning system and we tried to
particular choice of campsite was get some sleep. It was a long night.
Towards sundown, some of the res- actually a preferred footpath for the Every single time a one-inch size
idents of the town came by for what animals that used it by night. You hard seed dropped on the roof of
we were told was their usual evening know: nice, cute bushbuck, leopards the chariot or on the leaves, every
bonfire and chat. We had deliberate- (!) and hyenas (well!!). This was new time some creature made a sound
ly set up our campsite away from the information. It dawned on us prop- we didn’t recognize... we were aware
bonfire area to maintain some level erly that the campsite was simply of it. It was actually quite funny.
of privacy. They settled down and as carved out of the bush but was not Except it wasn’t so funny. Our forest
the sun went down, lit their bonfire, fenced in... there was no real seques- retreat had turned into an unex-
had some food they had ordered tering between us and the wild apart pected extreme camping safari. We
from town, which was delivered to from the floodlights. Light to chase prayed about it and slept. At some
them by a Boda Boda rider and they away darkness. They advised us to point, I was given a dream confirm-
chatted and told stories for a few move closer to the bonfire. The ing that help had been sent in the
hours. Later on, a different group revelers were leaving at this point form of a leso-wearing bare-chest-
arrived, with loud music and laugh- so we took the advice and relocated ed huge Moran angel. That was a
new wrinkle for my brain. A Moran
angel. Stereotypes shattered! Thank
you leopards and hyenas.
Baba ostrich on the express road
Photo: Samuel Phillips Dawn arrived and two weary camp-
ers emerged from their tent, made
breakfast, offloaded yet more things
that were making our lives feel extra
burdened, broke camp and went to
see if the Abdul gate camp was bet-
ter. It was too open and public for
our liking and we couldn’t transfer

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