Chambers at Large: The Great Rift Valley, Crescent Island on Lake Naivasha, and Elsamere, Kenya
- Amelia Chambers
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
I recently saw a documentary concerning evolution and learned that the Great Rift Valley is the “cradle of humankind”. Evidence has shown it is where man first walked on two legs, had multiple resources to make tools and use fire.
It was a hazy morning the day my travelling companions and I drove into the valley, but I spotted Mount Longonot in the distance, a volcano, and possibly a landscape which inspired the computer generated imagery seen in the film The Lion King. Kenya it seemed has a lot in common with Ireland, being a prized spot for film location and for being green!
I had not expected Kenya to be as verdant as my homeland, but the fields are lush, so much so that, as we neared Lake Naivasha, I could see row upon row of greenhouses where flowers are grown, then exported all over the world.
The grounds of the hotel in which we stayed were beautiful, surrounded by an electric fence, (tastefully hidden behind shrubbery and trees), and bordering Lake Naivasha itself. Ibis, pigeons and starlings frequented the lawns, the latter being a brilliant blue, not the muted browns of those at home.
Our trip to Crescent Island on the lake was a delight. Travelling in a small skiff we were treated to seeing hippos in the water (and later, on land). We kept a wary distance as this mammal, despite being a herbivore, causes more human deaths per year in Africa than any other. It is not surprising that the collective noun for hippos is a siege or a bloat. Seeing a skull of a hippo at the museum on the island, I remarked that the tusk must be able to cut a man in two and I would not like to be besieged by hippos. I have a real respect for these semi-aquatic mammals.
We were shown around Crescent Island by a lovely young lady called Margaret, whose English, she said, was far better than her Swahili. She explained she had been fortunate, having been given a scholarship in school sponsored by an English person, and was now paying it forward by going to college to study tourism. I wish Maggie all the very best in her studies and thank her for sharing her very interesting familial story, which is hers to tell, not mine. (I will say Maggie spoke very highly of her mother, who sounded a formidable woman, and I tip my hat off to her.)
Animals were brought to the island specifically for filming the movie Out of Africa, based on the autobiography of Karen Blixen, the Danish author. All predators have now been rehomed, thus we could walk around the island relatively unhindered although we were warned about snakes in the longer grass, so I kept well clear.
We were shown a house which was used in the movie as Blixen’s homeplace, but I was surprised to learn that Tomb Raider was also filmed here, bringing back memories of my trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
More surprising was the fact that giraffe and waterbuck were quite happy to allow us to approach quite closely and I came within arm’s length of an infant giraffe.
Zebras on the island were turning brown and Maggie explained this was due to inbreeding, which is being addressed. Wildebeest and ostrich also roam freely and it was a real treat to walk around in the glorious sunshine. I could have spent all day on Crescent Island chatting with Maggie and learning more about the Kenyan way of life. (Teen pregnancies, it seems, are commonplace and polygamy is still practiced.)
But our schedule dictated we return to the mainland and I, of course, managed to fall out of the boat onto the deck. I can really be a klutz sometimes, but I survived the embarrassment with no lasting damage.
After a late lunch we went to Elsamere the home of George and Joy Adamson. George was a hunter turned conservationist living and working in Kenya. His wife gained fame thanks to her book Born Free, telling of how they successfully raised a lion cub, Elsa, eventually returning her to the wild. I read the book years ago and had only recently rewatched the film, but I had no idea how talented she was. What was striking was Joy’s paintings of the tribes’ people, the plant life and of the animals, copies of which decorate their house. Not only did Joy save Elsa, but she also saved a cheetah called Penny too.
Their efforts in the conservation of big cats are admirable, but both George and Joy were murdered. Joy was hacked to death by an employee and George was shot by armed bandits. A very tragic end to two remarkable people.
Having seen a documentary on the couple we had afternoon tea in the garden and were entertained by Columbus monkeys cavorting in the trees. It was a relatively relaxing afternoon, and a fitting end to a fabulous day.
But my safari wasn’t over just yet! Not by a long shot. I was off on the next leg, out of the Great Rift Valley and onto the plains of Masi Mara, where I was lucky enough to see the Big Five, but more about that in my next blog! Thanks for reading and a Happy New Year to you all.
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I mention in my blog my trip to Cambodia. Please click on the link below to access that blog
However, I thoroughly enjoyed my safari in Kenya, and you can discover more by clicking on the links.
My safari in India in search of tigers was equally rewarding and you can read about that by clicking on this link.
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