134 SIDELINES FEBRUARY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Continued on page 136
2 SIDELINES JUNE 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
considered the most dangerous animals, because of how
they react when cornered. Although legislation ended
big game hunting in Kenya, elephant and rhino remain at
risk. Demand for ivory tusks and rhino horns has created
an intensely profitable black market, and poaching is an
ongoing problem. Eco-tourism depends on protecting the
wildlife, because without the lure of seeing the “Big Five”
in their natural habitats, most people would go somewhere
else.
Here are several eye-opening lessons garnered during
my glorious stay in Kenya. We think we live green and do
good things for the environment, but we can’t compare to
the people of rural Kenya. Outside of the cities, there’s no
electricity. Granted, you’re on the equator and days are 12
hours long, but when the sun goes down, that’s it – lights
out, but ahhh, the stars…
Some places still use fossil fuel generators, but petrol
stations out in the bush are few and far between. Solar panels,
however, are relatively common. There is a lesson here: I
never missed electricity. Solar power is clean, sustainable and
environmentally friendly, and technology has improved battery
storage.
Kipalo, a new camp overlooking the Mbulia Conservancy and
Wilderness Trust next to Tsavo West, used bucket showers. So
did Speke’s Camp in the Masai Mara. Bucket showers are great.
You let the staff know what time you’d like to take your shower,
and all you have to do is turn it on – perfect hot water. On your
bedside table and at your sink in the ensuite bathroom, a feature
at every lodge where I stayed, there will be bottled water to slake
your thirst and for brushing teeth, etc.
Although I have lived in the country for most of my life and try
not to waste well water, I became very aware of how precious
drinking water is in Kenya. If you ask for water during a meal, be
sure to drink all of it. Turn off lights if you aren’t using them. At
the lodges and camps, they recycle – plastic bottles, glass, paper
– and take everything back to Nairobi on re-stocking trips.
Tamsin encourages visitors to Pack For A Purpose. This non-
profit organization based in Raleigh, North Carolina has made a
huge difference in children’s lives around the world. It provides
participating lodges and lists of items that we take for granted.
Paper, pencils, pens, rulers, dictionaries, alphabet and math
flashcards, jump ropes, soccer balls and inflation devices are
priceless treasures. Next time I will pack smarter and volunteer
to teach in the local schools.
Kenya’s bush was majestic with breathtaking vistas, teeming with
wildlife. Driving along a red dust road winding through acacia
trees, suddenly you see herds of dik-dik (the size of rabbits),
impala and zebra. Bird watchers go crazy. One evening, my
guide braked and I looked out my window into the eyes of a
bull elephant about 10 feet away (gulp). Cheetah, wildebeests,
giraffes – oh, happy day when my eyes learned to spot giraffes,
Close finish at the Ngong Racecourse: enthusiasts
take their racing seriously even though there are
only about 25 race meetings per year.
