The UAE Eid holidays – for many a time of celebration after the holy month of Ramadan. But for me, these holidays were a time of exploration. I travelled; not only to a different country but a different continent, a whole new world. And this beautiful place was Kenya.
Our trip lasted for five days and I stayed in Nairobi for a day, Masai Mara for two, and my last day was in Naivasha before we returned to the UAE. My stay in Masai Mara was adventurous, insightful and a lasting experience for we met with the Masai tribesmen and learnt about their ways of life and their culture. I saw various animals including wild boars, deer, antelopes, the Grey-crowned Crane (the National Bird of Uganda), elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, leopards, ostriches, crocodiles, alligators, hippopotamuses, impalas, baboons and even the King of the Jungle with his entire family.
I was most surprised to see that despite nearly 40 tourist jeeps crowding around the lioness and her cubs, the lioness seemed undisturbed and unaffected by our presence. Rather, she was focused on her prey, an antelope. Unfortunately for the lioness, the chase failed but it was an extremely interesting, real-life experience to witness a ruthless hunt like this.
At Lake Naivasha, we were assigned Forest Rangers who lead us into the forest. We came upon the horrific site of the remains some of wild beasts and animals like crocodiles, elephants, and antelopes. We quickly left the area and later came upon a large group of hippos submerged halfway in the water. As nature has it, we saw two hippos fighting and marking their territories which neither of them was allowed to cross into. Looking outside the window of the lodge that I stayed at when in Naivasha, I saw a herd of zebras freely moving and grazing in the open. So I decided to go with my parents for a stroll and grab the opportunity of being a part of the beautiful scenery. To make things fun, I decided to record one of my dances on the song ‘Dance Meri Rani’, and coincidentally there was a pair of zebras in the background who were intently watching me dance. It was like cherry on top!
Those five days in Kenya completely changed my perspective on nature and wildlife. And to commemorate that memory, I have penned down a small poem.
A journey to Kenya
A journey across the land,
A distance beyond the oceans,
A trip to the land of Africa,
A hop, a jump, a flight to Nairobi-Kenya.
A rising sun, a land of promise,
Of hills and lakes and native tribes all laced.
Where vast grasslands, the Savannah,
Hold in-store, the wild in nature all core.
The lion, the giraffe, the cheetah, the leopard,
All lost in innocence, in their life so peppered,
The crocs, the hippos, the rhinos, the alligators,
All sailing their way to expert navigators.
Farewell my friends, farewell,
I need to fly my way and tell,
The stories of togetherness and dwell,
We shared, we explored, and chased uphill.
-Siana Mendonca (10B)