Wonderful Tsavo with Mohamed (Abdi Kalla the Somali)

It was a while that I had to go back to Kenya; last time I was a bit disappointed, fortune (let's call it that) hadn't smiled on me much and during the safari I had seen very little; maybe the great heat but the animals had preferred to stay under cover, in the shade. My friend Mohamed (many know him as Abdi Kalla the Somali) had invited me to come back several times; he would organise the safari for me, since he is a guide with all the official authorisations, and he promised he would take me on safari personally. So I made up my mind, because Kenya fascinates you; even after just one visit you're caught by what everyone knows as the Africa bug. In August I took my holidays and set off for Jacaranda, Watamu. The Neos flight as usual impeccable, nice planes, courteous staff, well served.

On arrival my friend was waiting for me, transfer to the Jacaranda where my room in Villa Lamu awaited me, directly on the beach. I spent a couple of days relaxing on the very white beaches of the Indian Ocean, walks on the coral reef during low tide, searching for the many forms of marine life, and so here's a nice pufferfish that puffs up when you pick it up, various types of starfish, corals and much more.. Already on the beach you're surrounded by a multitude of boys... the beach boys... they all try to drum up clients for the various local agencies, to organise their own safaris, generally; I met several, they're good lads, but this time I was doing the safari with my friend Mohamed.

And so here we are at the point, the fateful day, wake-up at 5 in the morning, a quick breakfast together with my safari companions and departure with my friend and John the driver heading for Tsavo East. Around 7.30 we arrive, we stop and he takes us to see the crocodiles on the riverbank; he brings me very close on foot.. As they see you coming they come out of the water, first one, then two, then more and more, soon you have to be careful how you move and look all around. We set off again and this time I'm ecstatic; good old John seems like a Formula One driver on the savannah tracks.. they know where to take us, where the waterholes are, where the animals that come to drink are....

And so, walking along, giraffes, antelopes, male and female ostriches, lots and lots of elephants, zebras, gazelles, hippos....Never seen so many animals!! But the best is yet to come; we race towards an expanse where cheetahs usually go hunting but we arrive late, wild nature has already manifested itself in its inexorable and inescapable fierce greatness. The cheetahs have already seized their prey and feasted heartily; in the distance we see them moving away but our guides don't despair; we set off quickly making a wide detour and here further ahead we cross paths with the cheetahs again, there are three, slowly and majestically in single file coming towards the track and they position themselves in front of us, occasionally turning to look at us with curiosity and we slowly behind them taking photographs...

my friend Mohamed calls everyone on the radio; within a few minutes jeeps and minibuses start arriving from all sides; we who were alone now seem to be in New York; we move away towards other places... We want to go and see the lions.. We arrive and there they are, calm, idling in the shade of the trees, they've eaten too, nearby the carcass of a buffalo torn apart. We get very close but here no walking, it's not prudent,... in fact it's decidedly ill-advised!! We set off again, we go to have lunch in a beautiful lodge, then to the Maasai camp, the nomads of the savannah, with their houses of elephant dung, their dances, their formidable jumps.... In the late afternoon we take the road back; we meet many animals still, monkeys, more elephants, warthogs...It's getting dark, we head back; the next day the safari in the marine park awaits us, an uncontaminated and protected oasis.....

I'm euphoric, enthusiastic, so I talk to my friend, or rather, he talks to me; several times he had told me about his life, about the struggle of supporting his family in a place where they pay you very little, and so the idea was born to sponsor him, and I decided to help him from Italy; we got together and we organise safaris managed and/or guided by him and at extremely competitive prices compared to market ones, in collaboration with a tour agency in Malindi, since prices in Kenya are much lower than here. Ask about doing a safari with him... I can only say you won't regret it, for his friendliness and fairness but above all for his professionalism... Anyone who wishes can contact us at the following email address:

Gaetano gd67ambra@rocketmail.com

Jambo everyone!!