Thursday, September 01, 2022

Day 3 - To Lake Naivasha

and the sunny days might be around the corner
trust me my friend, it's gonna be alright
My Tired Shoulder - Rikas

Part of that song that I really love is that it has lyrics that says, I can't take it, I'm getting older every day. I can't make it, while my shoulder keeps complaining. I can't take it, I'm getting older every day. I guess I'm falling apart. I start to feel old really. My 20-year olds something might fare better and have more energy compared to me in all the flights and transits and despite some kind people saying I don't look my age, I feel like my body and my face are getting old :( I hope I can rely on my one aunt who always says I look young to boost my ego. I usually tell her, she needs her glasses on :D Anyways, day 3 was August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. We turn 77 years old this year. You know, somehow before this trip as I was taking out my passport to get them all organized and I saw that Garuda on the cover, I was filled with love and pride. It's like yeah, Indonesia :D A thought also came to my head that as much as the country is not perfect, but I do come from a country that allows the female species like me to be able to travel freely on our own if we so choose it. We are pretty free and empowered. I used the word pretty there because I am cognizant that there are perhaps other Indonesian females living under a very different situation that makes them not so free and empowered. Then after landing in Kenya, I also feel like there are much to be thankful for about Indonesia, like we are not so bad. Indonesians like to complain that we're pretty old and we're not that developed and that is perhaps true because the development is not equal in many places in Indonesia, but there are visible progress I see in my current lifetime. It also made me think of the starting point of a country when they declare independence and the way it has to invent itself, all the different turns and challenges that make countries progress differently. There is a chance that I might see Indonesia turns 100 and I do look forward to that. Side note: so far the best celebration for Independence day was when Indonesia turned 50 and they asked people to decorate houses with colourful fairy lights. I loved it so much though of course people like my parents were complaining about having to pay more for electricity.

Okay, day 3, we were leaving Amboseli to go to Lake Naivasha. It was quite a long drive, but I didn't mind it. I like seeing landscape changes. I recall seeing more farms and it made me think that somehow certain parts of the world look the same everywhere, like I could take a photo of something that I saw, angle it in a way, and if I say it's taken in Java, then it will be believable. Anyways, we made a stop at this viewing point where there's this wide open view of the rift valley. The guy who tried to sell me souvenir was saying it streches from Lebanon to Mozambique which confuses me because isn't there like a sea separating Asia and Africa? It was somewhat interesting seeing the expanse, how far it goes and where it's going.

The drive to the lodge in Lake Naivasha wasn't as bumpy as to Amboseli. There was proper road all the way. The lodge I was staying in is part of a chain of lodges and I'm using the same chain for the rest of the trip, but this one in Naivasha is the best one. First impression was that it's fancy. Too fancy perhaps, like what was I doing there? On arriving, K told me we're not doing anything else for the day. Again my head was like what?!?! He said maybe just explore the ground *sigh* I was rather disappointed on having to find ways to entertain myself. The room was nice. I was on the upper level and when I looked out of the window, there were zebras grazing just below. So that was unique. They were gone when I was back from lunch though. Anyways, so after lunch I decided to just explore the ground which is pretty big and peaceful. Feeling a bit weird because I was the only one walking, but hey I had nothing to do. First picture here is of a horse which is perhaps something so normal but unusual considering the animals you see in Kenya. I don't know why they have horse in the lodge, maybe they have it for fun. This was also the place where I saw a cat, I think that cat is a pet in the lodge.

The ground is littered with poops and I tried my best to not step on them. Talked a little bit with someone whose task was collecting that poop. I just wanted to be sure I could walk around; he said yes and pretty much told me to enjoy looking at all the different animals and to watch my distance with them. I said of course. I'm slow, I couldn't outrun them if they charge at me, but all the animals were just so calm. He wasn't collecting all the poop, so I wonder if he was collecting specific poop and if yes, which one? Anyways, there's a lot of waterbucks. The female ones don't have horns. Together with the zebras, they were just eating. It's nice seeing wild flowers among the grass.

I made it to one side where I could see parts of the lake. There were quite a number of different birds (which I cannot identify) by the swampy area at the bank of the lake. I've been told there's hippopotamus in the lake, but I didn't see any.

Then when I was back walking around there's a staff with white jacket like a vet, who asked how I was and if I saw the hippopotamus and giraffe. Apparently there's giraffe too, but I didn't see any that day and he wasn't sure where they were either. I think he pointed out some animals to me and told me to enjoy the ground. The ground is quite lovely and peaceful. I do have to say that due to the close proximity I can get with the animals, the pictures from this walk were not bad. Below is a picture of some of the lodges, the ones at the end and yes it is pretty.

I spent a bit of a time sitting on a bench under a tree, thinking what I should do next. The lodge has things like cycling and I wondered if I should do that, but then I decided no - let's just go back, shower early, and enjoy the TV :D This was the only lodge that has TV. Anyways, heading back towards my room, the zebras were back so I just observed them awhile. Baby zebras seem to be a bit brown when young and their hairs / furs seem to be more pronounced.

Because of the animals roaming around, we need to call front desk so that the security guard can escort us to and from the dining hall when it's dark. I was like, I can walk by myself, but I was told no. So I did call the escort and he arrived with a french family in tow. It's sad that my years of learning french has been reduced to just being able to greet them good evening and ask if they're doing well. The dad said they're good and asked me back and I guess even on vacation, I could only muster, comme ci, comme ça. I think the dad laughed a bit at that. After dinner I looked out my window a bit. It's interesting that the animals do come in like they don't mind the lights and all. I didn't see any hippo coming in from the lake which I heard they do. I wonder if they come in later. So many people have said that hippos are quite aggresive, so you better be out of its way.

:) eKa @ 9:29:00 PM •