I decided to stay put and wait. Tick, tock. 10 minutes went by.  Tick, tock. 15 minutes never seemed so long. Tick, tock. 20 minutes and still no driver.

That’s when my brain went into a screaming panic.
Had I mentioned that I was traveling solo? I was on the other side of the planet, in a country I had never visited before, where I knew exactly no one. I was ALL ALONE, without the comfort of group or even a travel companion.
Now I questioned the wisdom of my decision and my singlemindedness.
I allowed this brief, silent meltdown in my head. And then I had to get a grip.

Plan B: I would have to find my own way to the hotel.
From my spot outside baggage claim, I scanned the lobby. Aha, there were hotel desks. I walked over and found one that listed my hotel. There was young woman behind the desk.

Me: I have a reservation at the (blah-blah) hotel. I cannot find my driver.
Do you know (so-and-so) from (such-and-such) safari company?
She: No.
Me: Do you have a transfer service?
She: No.
Well, this wasn’t helpful at all.  I stood there, thinking. It was still before 8am, too early to call the company office.
She: See if you can find him one more time. If not, we will get you a safe taxi.
She said “safe”. I knew what that meant. Someone they knew who would get me there safely. I had advised female travelers on personal security for years. I wasn’t about to get into a car with a complete stranger. If I disappeared between the airport and the hotel, it was possible no one I knew would ever see me again.

Would I ever get to the East Coast and the Indian Ocean?

I had brought the bare minimum with me – less than 33 lbs/15 kg of clothes with a few toiletries in a small soft-sided bag that could be smooshed into a small cargo compartment on a small plane. 

Since this was a structured business trip and not a leisurely vacation, I would be leaving for the bush the next morning, spending only a night or two in each location. I knew my bag would never catch up with me. If it turned up, it would have to wait for me to return to Nairobi at the end of the week to claim it.

Plan B: My driver would have to take me shopping this afternoon. Some companies do provide a “shopping opportunity” after arrival so you can get completely outfitted before you head out. 
This wasn’t  a true disaster but it was irritatingly inconvenient. And I really didn’t want to buy a second set of new clothing. I already had perfectly nice clothes in my size in my tote bag.

Then, I could see the last batch of luggage approaching, snaking its way around the carousal. I crossed my fingers. Finally, I spied my little bag and breathed a sigh of deep relief.
Now to exit customs and find my driver Patrick.

Where’s my driver?
It was now an hour and a half after arrival. I stepped out to a sea of greeters holding paging boards with names. As I walked down the line, I recognized the names of about a dozen safari companies that I had considered. I didn’t see mine. I walked back a second time. I waited  a few minutes and slowly paced the length again, reading each sign carefully.

No, my driver simply wasn’t there. I was stranded at the airport.
Was I ever going to get out to the countryside, to the good stuff?

So, I was really going. It was only a week away.
I knew about the wildlife. I started to think about the people – who I would meet along the way – local residents and other travelers. I planned to visit a Masai village but didn’t know what to expect.
I also wondered about the owner of the safari company. 

My flight arrived at Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Nairobi, Kenya at 6am. I sailed through the shorter immigration line for travelers with pre-issued visas and proceeded downstairs to the baggage claim area.

We waited and waited. And waited. All the passengers were now assembled around the carousal. We waited. We waited some more.

 The baggage had to be manually removed one at a time, loaded onto luggage carts one at a time, driven from the plane to the terminal and placed on the belt one at a time. A very labor-intensive  and time-consuming process. We had arrived on a modern aircraft at a less than modern airport. Finally, the conveyor belt started to roll forward slowly.  Individual pieces of luggage began to appear and make their way around.

Where’s my luggage?
It was now more than an hour after we landed. As I stood there patiently watching others pull their belongings off, it occurred to me that I didn’t know for certain that my small tote bag had made it onto the first flight or that it got transferred successfully from the first international airline to the second partner airline.

I glanced over at the long line of passengers from a previous flight at the airline baggage counter. That didn’t look encouraging. I had lost luggage before. I knew the procedure. Fill out the paperwork and hope that an airline emlpoyee sees your bag and sends it on its way to you.

The problem was tomorrow’s flight would be too late.
To be continued . . .

I still had those alluring safari images in my head. And they kept me going.

I have always worked with South Pacific travel companies that had a U.S. office as  a main point of contact. There are Africa safari and adventure companies based in the U.S. but hundreds more based solely in Kenya. I used an aproved list from the Kenya Tourist Board to narrow down my choices. I found one company that stood out from the rest with unique locations and offerings. However, they would not accept credit cards long distance and insisted on a wire transfer.

Normally, this is a fast and easy direct business transaction. I had done it before to the South Pacific, money transferred electronically from my one bank account to another, almost instantaneously. But this time didn’t go smoothly at all.

Where’s my money?
E-mails flew back and forth for 2 anxiety-filled weeks as thousands of dollars of my money were “lost in transit”.  My bank in California and their intermediary bank in New York confirmed the transfer but their bank in Nairobi would NOT. I initiated a trace without a response. At this point, my bank manager expressed some concern. I had some growing trepidation as well. She told me that sometimes funds are frozen due to suspected illegal activity. Believe me, it wasn’t enough money to constitute a drug deal.

I had a true dilemma. I was holding a very expensive, non-refundable airline ticket but my land arrangements were technically not paid or confirmed. Should I go, should I postpone, should I cancel?

I enlisted the help of the company owner and asked him to check the trace in reverse with their Nairobi bank. Lo and behold, a week before departure, I had verification. The money had been there all along. I never did get a complete explanation of what had happened but I was told that the banking system is a little archaic.

I was just finding out about local money transactions. There would be more lessons to come in the next week.

I now use a U.S. company with payments made by credit card and live people I can talk to who know exactly where the money is.
I’m not playing hide and seek again with my money or anyone else’s.

I have become accustomed to taking a single overnight flight from Los Angeles to just about anywhere in the South Pacific – Tahiti, Fiji, the Cooks, Auckland or Sydney – with an airline ticket, a valid passport and a single suitcase.  Aside from a couple of credit cards, an ATM card and a small amount of cash money – that’s all.

Of course, I had done some general research for Kenya but it soon became apparent that traveling there was going to be more complicated. As the advance scout on these inspection trips, I discover all the potential pitfalls firsthand.

First, I would need a visa which involved sending my passport, application, photos and fees to the nearest Kenyan Embassy. Upon arrival, I discovered that it is also possible to have it issued at the airport – strictly with cash in hand, no checks, no credit cards. Not the time and place to come up short.

Then I had to have the appropriate and current travel immunizations for the region. This entailed shots in both arms and a prescription for anti-malaria pills. I left the travel clinic with my new bright yellow International Certificate of Vaccination signed and stamped accordingly.

Next, I had to purchase the proper clothing and fit it all into one small tote bag. This is due to the extreme weight limitation for domestic flights on small bush planes. Do yourself a favor, don’t even think about dragging along a full size, hard shell Samsonite, just because you can on the international flights.

Finally, I learned that two overnight international flights would be required from Los Angeles – one to London in Europe and one on to Nairobi in Africa. Yes, this involves travel through 3 continents. Remember, it is the other side of the world.

All of this just to get there. I really have become spoiled.
It felt like I was preparing for a major expedition.

I had to remind myself of the reasons for going and the experiences waiting for me.
I was still determined to go. That’s when the true challenges emerged.

Our globetrotting is now literally taking us to the other side of planet.

Together with certified wildlife guide, Newton from Joy’s Camp in the Shaba National Reserve, allow me to introduce you to Into Africa, as opposed to Out of Africa. In fact, the word safari happens to be the Swahili for journey.

Jambo, Greetings from Kenya, on the East Coast of Africa, sitting across the equator and bordered by the Indian Ocean on the southeast . This is a country of varied landscapes with rolling central grasslands, snow-capped mountains, searing deserts, wide beaches, coral reefs and off shore islands.

Kenya is the quintessential safari land with an awe-inspiring abundance and variety of exotic wildlife, an immersion opportunity in a wide open living zoo. It is home to the the Big Five: lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo.

It is also known as the the cradle of mankind based on the human remains that have been excavated in the famous Rift Valley. And our new president, Barack Obama traces his paternal family roots to Kenya.

All of the serious world travelers I have met/known maintain a Wish List. Usually appearing in their top 5 or top 10 destinations is the classic African Safari, considered by many a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I have to admit that it wasn’t initially on my personal list but it did migrate up slowly. After 10 years of return trips to the South Pacific, it appealed to me as a completely new and different type of adventure. It didn’t fail to surprise and delight me with the unexpected.

On my last day in Kenya, I spent several hours sitting in the shade of coconut palms fringing the coastal beach south of Mombasa observing a constant stream of human and animal activity: fisherman, hawkers, acrobats and jugglers, camel drivers, and the curious local monkeys.

Three men dressed in the traditional crimson garb of the central Maasai Mara plains walking down the beach caught my attention since they were obviously far from home and quite out of place. They paused long enough for me to capture their ethereal image in the shimmering noonday light. We were literally at land’s end. I was at my journey’s end and I wondered if they were too.

It was time to go home.

I had scaled high hurdles just to get to Kenya.
Was it worth it? Heck yeah! Would I do it again? Well, . . . let me check my Wish List.  The Spice Islands of Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Mauritus and Reunion – all islands off the east coast of Africa. And I know there are even more extraordinary experiences in Botswana.

By the way, watch for African Adventures 3D coming to an IMAX theater in your area this summer. It features a safari in Botswana’s Okavanga Delta.

The Kenya Gift Pack contains a Kikoy cloth made of cotton and dyed in dark, rich and vibrant tones. It may be used  a wrap, a table runner or a picnic groundsheet. I have also included a 40th anniversary copy of Joy Adamson’s book Born Free (with text and photos!) that you can read while sipping “Kenyan Gold” tea produced on highland plantations (another nod to the British). A furry little monkey (key chain) will serve as a reminder to always have some light-hearted fun. The last item is a signed, dated  and framed copy of the Journey’s End photo. It all comes in a handy animal print bag.

This month’s lucky winner is Misha Ahern from Tucson, Arizona.

Turn around 180 degrees for an expansive view of a beach that seems as wide as it is long. Diani Beach stretches out to waves coming in from the Indian Ocean beckoning you into the warm water. The sand is firm and perfect for jogging but there’s little activity at this time of day. That will soon change.

The beach bar is just opening for business. A vendor is setting up racks of sarongs. A man strolls by with hand-woven hats. Another with bags for sale.

A hotel attendant walked by. Could he get me anything?, he inquired. Some of the resorts in the South Pacific offer fresh coconuts. I asked if they had any, not realizing that a staff member would be dispatched to climb a palm tree and fetch me a fresh green drinking nut. It was quickly sliced open and handed to me with a straw inserted. A perfectly refreshing coconut mocktail.

And then I met the resident colobus monkeys – inquisitive, mischievious and completely fearless. They alone provided hours of free entertainment. They would walk right up, look over you and your belongings and perhaps abscond with a small item left unattended.

My only regret is that I have only 1 day and 1 night here. Barely 24 hours, enough time to look around but not really do much.

I had brought a stck of small bills, 5s, 10’s, some 1’s, for tips. Both camps had staff gratuity boxes and driver/guides were given tips directly. Some companies offer ultra all-inclusive trips. Gratuities were not expected in that case.

I had a little money left. I was leaving the next day and I knew I would have some time at the airport. I wandered into the duty free store to grab some gifts and souvenirs. At the check-out counter, the cashier informed me that credit cards were NOT accepted, only cash. On the way back to the gate, I finally noticed the ATM machine with a very, very long line. How had I not seen that before? Now it made sense to me. Strcitly cash and carry.

I would arrive home with less than $10 U.S.

Well, you know, The Sea Goddess must always gravitate to the sea.  Another short  flight from the Masai Mara takes us to a small airport near the coast, just south of the port city of Mombasa. 

I can feel the difference in the humidity. I can almost smell the sea salt. There is ocean nearby.

ocean front rooms

I promised you interesting places with character. No generic chain hotels. A few minutes drive brings us to the Sands at Nomad boutique hotel on Diani Beach. As we wind up the driveway through the coastal forest, our first view of the traditonal Swahili architecture is quite striking. 

This hotel is small but full service. It offers a pool and jacuzzis, a pool bar, a beach bar, an alfresco restaurant , a spa, a dive shop and internet center. It had been several days since I was last able to check e-mail. The computers were very popular with the guests and seemed to always be in use.

interior view of a suite

The accommodations consist of rooms, suites and bungalows dressed in hand carved mahogany furniture and Swahili objets d’art,  the inspriation of designer and local artist Mario Scianna.

All the units are air-conditioned and I noticed mosquito netting for the first time on this trip. I wasn’t sure if it was for purely decorative or practical puroses until I found it lowered at night by the invisible housekeeping staff.

beach front bungalow

 The beach front bungalows were all occupied so I was unable to get the manager to let me take a peak. Judging by the exotic exterior: the unusual domed shape, the thatched roofing and the curtained patio daybed, I’m sure it was equally lovely inside.

Throughout my journey, I had met many more European than North American travelers. Of course, it’s a much shorter trip for them. I was also fascinated to learn that most Americans rarely venture out to this part of Kenya for a coastal safari. Whereas British, German, French and Italian tourists frequently come for some R&R with sun, sand and sea.

Tourists from around the globe visit in the summer months to view the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti Plains in neighboring Tanzania. Millions of wildebeest move north in search of food during the months of June through September. Tagging along in the visual food chain are zebras, lions, cheetahs and hyenas.

As the thundering herd  crosses the Mara river, there are other dangers: hippos lying on the river bank or submerged in the water. And then there are the 18-20 foot long crocodiles seen here doing a little lazy sunbathing. Our guide made sure we were at a safe distance – on the opposite bank.

Reminder: Monthly Raffle
Just to keep things fresh and interesting, I am going to change the drawing this month. Simply e-mail me and vote for your favorite photo from the last 3 tours for an additional entry: Tahiti – February, Australia – March, April – Kenya.
The drawing will be on the last day of the tour, Thursday, April 30 for a Kenya Gift Pack.
Jacintha@IslandGetawaysTravel.com