Elephant in the area...

I saw an elephant for the first time in Marsabit

This was just outside my room at the Marsabit lodge....early 2005!! thats a long time ago...but the sight was one to behold...my mouth was just open...I couldnt even move....the elephant was so close...it was a young one and soon the older ones came closer as well...you see there was a salt pit (i think that's what its called) and it attracts them closer to the rooms and you can then marvel at them, up close and ...well, up close!!...and i took a picture of the two of them!!

After that, I have seen several of them, several times.....mostly on the way to Maralal...that park seems to have many walking around. There was one time we met a lone elephant...that thing was massive!! and right in the middle of the road....my colleagues told the driver, flash lights at it...am like....nooooooooooo.....i think i read somewhere that a lone elephant is not a happy elephant!! i was so scared....and luckily the elephant calmly walked away before the lights were flashed!!...and i took a picture of it as it sauntered away...

I have touched one in Tsavo East ama West, i forget which one....but for that one we had to wake up early in the morning so that we can get to the place where they are taken care of!! took a photo too (looking shocked at the proximity)!!

And the one that crowns it is David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, right here in Nairobi. Everytime we had colleagues come into Kenya, this was a must stop for them, but I had never been. So one morning we trooped there, my sisters and kids, even the neighbours kids!! That was mad fun! and i loved the way the kids marvelled at the baby elephants being given milk in massive bottles....loved that visit!!

#whyiloveKenya #worthmorealive #tembekenya

#REPOST > Powerful images

May 2011

Staring at the clear blue Marsabit skys for the MAF flight to land last Friday, am anxious to get home. Now that the means of transport is approaching, the anxiety builds up. The 12-seater lands, some passengers disembark and the two of us board to join one more person, I wonder silently why we are using a 12-seater and we are only 3 passengers but... my question is soon answered – we are passing Korr then Nairobi. The pilots are a young Kenyan lady and a European man. As soon as we are seated and fastened onto our seats, the lady pilot turns round, looks at us and welcomes us on board and says a prayer….there is something surreal about this scenario, but I like it. She thanks God for the journey so far, for the two new passengers from Cordaid, and prays for mercies on the last leg, which will be 15minutes to Korr, and then 90minutes to Wilson. MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) is a Christian airline service providing the necessary quick connections to rural (those accessible by tough terrain) parts of Kenya and surrounding countries.

She had warned us that the journey to Korr would be bumpy and for sure!! I never quite get used to these rides, but when I compare with a 9 hour journey by road, I put on my endurance cap. We land in dusty Korr a few minutes later around 3pm and my oh my, kids kids and more kids. The lady pilot remarks, ‘…oh, seems we are just on time, schools have closed for the day…’ As soon as the plane comes to a stop on a rough airstrip, that has been lined by white coated stones, all the kids come round and stare at the pilots as they come out of the aircraft. They are all excited and speaking in rapid Samburu, boys and girls, alike, all happy at seeing the aircraft. Am sure this is not the first time they see an aircraft as MAF lands in Korr many times- my colleague reminds me that in rural western Kenya where he comes from, he can bet that there are many old people who have never been this close to an aircraft.

But what was powerful for me, was the fact that one of the pilots is a young Kenyan lady and the kids can see her coming out of the cockpit – meaning she is not a passenger, but the driver so to speak. I mean if that cannot send powerful messages to the young girls here that the sky indeed is the limit for them (pun intended), I wonder what else can!! For that moment, I wish I could understand the local language and that I had a camera!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are not allowed to disembark since it’s a short stop over to pick two more passengers and off to Nairobi. I wonder in my mind if she has ever taken a few minutes to talk to the curious kids…I remember a now high-flying friend who is fiercely proud of his birth place Korr…Note to self: ask him whether he was at one time that kid running towards the plane in Korr :)

Below - random pic of MAF flight taken in 2015 in Marsabit