AMBOSELI to LAKE BARINGO – what do you mean only one engine?

Tuesday – Today we head back to Amboseli for our final morning drive and this morning it is my turn to play around with the 600mm lens.  This is lent out on all the days so that we can take really close up photos of animals that our normal zoom lens couldn’t get without being within a reasonable distance.
The morning is cool and showery – nothing too drastic so after our wonderful breakfast I settle my account, make sure everything is packed and that I haven’t left anything behind and head to the jeep.  Yep, my red suitcase is there so all is well.  Our water bottles are checked and everyone has ample supply so we bade fond farewell to Kibo and the happy, smiling staff and away we go!  Bumping along the rain soaked track leading to Amboseli, through the gates and as we enter first up of course – elephants.

As I said above I have the big bazooka attached to my camera, and I will say now it is a wonderful lens but a mongrel thing to lift up to rest on the bean bags and then down and then up again etc so a plan has been devised.  I lay down on the back seat with my bag under my head, place the lens on my raised knees, aim out the window and then click.  OK – it is not what a professional photographer would do – but it is something that I would do and it worked.  I would have preferred to be stationary on the ground with a tripod but maybe that will be for another day.  I just hope I don’t drop it before I give it back.

Here are a couple more photos of wildlife too far away – it certainly is a great lens.

There are not many animals around, maybe it is too early for them so we head for the Amboseli International Airport and our flight to Lake Baringo.

Moses and John have taken the majority of our luggage in the jeeps and will be driving to Lake Baringo while we fly there in comfort with CB Airlines.

We are allowed our cameras, PJ’s and personal items for tonight and the luggage will arrive tomorrow – just another adventure.

Waiting on the tarmac are our modes of transport – OMG don’t they look small?  I am starting to have second thoughts about this but it’s not as though I can say I’ve changed my mind and I don’t want to come – and to get my pulses racing a bit more there is only 1 engine on the plane!  Everyone looks at the planes and decides to make a quick pit stop as we are sure there is no rest room.

Suddenly it’s time to go. We pile on board – the 5 of us plus the pilot and all of a sudden we are practically vertical as the nose has lifted off the ground and the back has hit the tarmac.  I get the giggles – OK – who ate an extra portion or two at breakfast?

Turns out the be the surplus fuel that we are carrying and once everything is sorted out and the fuel transferred to the other plane (why I don’t know – the other plane looks like the same size as ours) we are taxi-ing down the runway and soon we are in the air looking at the wet areas below us.  It’s great to see areas that are normally bone dry at this time of year covered in water and soon we are in the clouds and climbing above them. There is no inflight entertainment so I am waiting for the beverage service to start only to find out there is none – what is there left to do I ask?  I promptly take some photos because at least I have a window seat and a view of the wing!! Don’t get too excited – everyone has a window seat and a view of the wing 🙂

We are too busy looking out the window to worry about the one engine and our pilot does an exceptional job making the flight nice and smooth.  Photo above right is of our approach to Lake Baringo.

Landing at the Lake Baringo International Airport – (photo of the airstrip on the left) we are escorted to our land transport which takes us through the village to the Lake for the water journey to our accommodation – Samatian Island Lodge.  The boats are interesting to say the least but they are safe although it is a bit of a skill to get into them, but once seated they are stable and we are soon on our way.

We have the entire island to ourselves and the huts are wonderful.  Our hut has two beds with plenty of mozzie netting and is totally open although there are canvas walls we can pull down if the weather turns nasty but is doesn’t so we don’t.

After we make ourselves comfortable and sort out the gear we go back down to the main building (about a 2 minute walk) for our wonderful buffet  lunch and maybe something alcoholic.  What a great place to stay but soon it is time to get back in the boats and head back to the airstrip for our ‘let’s take the doors off the planes so we can take photos’ afternoon excursion.  I must admit that this was the only part of the safari that worried me.  Just what sort of harness do we wear so that we don’t fall out?

My group is not first up so we have time to enjoy the surrounds of the terminal building to see what is on offer at the Duty Free.  Unfortunately it is not open today so we just enjoy the sights and sounds and shade – it has turned out quite hot and we are glad of the water.

Time for us to be adventurous and once seated and strapped in with only the normal round the waist seat belt (bit of a worry here) we are up, up and away.  What excitement – I forget all about the seat belt and just wonder at the land below with the wind blowing on my face.  Definitely another ‘must do’ adventure.

Getting the camera poised and hoping to get the settings correct it is time to snap away.

We fly over many little huts and villages surrounded by the symbolic flat top acacia trees and then we come up to the water – – because of the rain which has occurred out of season; there are a lot of flooded areas which would have not been flooded had it not rained.  Still the patterns of the water and the colours make for interesting photos – –

However, once onto Lake Bogoria we are able to spot the flamingos.  Not as many as Meryl Streep and Robert Redford saw in Out of Africa, but still enough of the famous pink prancers to get some good photos.

We make a couple of passes and I must admit I find it hard to get really good close-ups while trying to keep the lens still – but I am happy with what photos I got.  Now that we have photographed our targets, it is time to head back to land.

Back over the villages and huts – some are very colourfully decorated, some have washing hanging out to dry and some are just all by themselves.  It certainly is an eye opener to see how these people live – no traffic, no supermarkets – in short no rat race.

As we head back and we are getting lower and lower I think how wonderful that the pilot is doing this so we can get some really good close up shots of the ground but alas I am wrong and it is time to land.

Safely back on the ground it is time to put the doors back on the plane and bid farewell to our wonderful pilot who as you can see takes immense pride in his flying machine.

From being very unsure how I would go with this, it has been one of the highlights and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone if you get the chance.

Back through the town and down to ‘the quay’ and we are once again returning to our Island Paradise to download our photos and maybe have a drink or two before dinner.

Although it is cloudy the weather is still holding so let’s keep our fingers crossed it stays that way.

On returning to the hut I discover that we have a welcoming party.  A dirty big African Giant Millipede has decided to visit and he seems to have taken more fright than I and has curled himself into a ball.  These happy little creatures can grow to a length of 28cm and can have as many as 200 pairs of legs and although he is no threat to my life and limbs he is still intimidating enough to give a wide berth – but not before a quick snap.  Let’s hope he doesn’t visit me during the night.

Putting my things in the hut it is time to relax so it is back down to the main area. This is the view from the deck chairs that overlook the infinity pool which, due to floods, is not in use. Nevertheless it is still nice to look at and the view over the lake is great.

It is also very calming and knowing that there is nothing else to do today it is oh so relaxing.  Several little boats go by and the lake is as calm as anything – yep, this is the life for sure.

And now for something a bit different – there is an Eagle Owl who also inhabits these parts.

He has become quite friendly with the staff who offer him bits and pieces now and again and we are lucky enough for him to come down so that we can get some great photos.  He is a magnificent bird don’t you think?

I think he knows how beautiful he is by the way he struts around waiting to be thrown a morsel and then just poses for the photos.  I know if I had 8 happy snappers clicking away in my face then I would definitely not be so patient – but he is used to the attention and gives us yet another reason to love this place.

If I was a student at Hogwarts I would definitely want him for my Owl Post!  We spend about 30 minutes with him and then it is time for dinner.

Another wonderful meal – always starting with soup and then the usual buffet extravaganza including delicious desserts.  How on earth I am supposed to loose weight when these culinary delights are put before me?

With yet another lot of full stomachs all around and a feeling of contentment in my body I head back up the hill to the hut – my trusty head torch comes in handy as it is as black as the ace of spades.  Hopping into bed making sure there are no little visitors, the alarm is set, the mozzie net securely anchored and my water bottle close at hand, it is time to lie there and listen to the water lapping at the shoreline below.  I think I made it through at least two waves and then zzzzzzzz!

Unfortunately due to the lack of animal life not being eligible for the days bum shot I have had to resort to a bit of human activity – the happy group putting the doors back on the plane.

Highlight of the day – the adrenaline rush of no door flying and not falling out!