 |
| Zebras are very social. Scientists believe their stripes confuse predators. I am thinking of getting stripes. |
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Global warming? Poor land management? God's will? The drought in East Afrifca....
East Africa is experiencing their worst drought in 50 years. Now this is quite a statement. I have travelled to Africa during three terrible droughts over the past 20 years and they were devastating. So to say that this water shortage is the worst in half a century is to announce the arrival of an extremely dangerous situation. Drought occurs within a geographic triangle of land encompassing most of Somalia, northeastern Kenya and southeastern Sudan. All of these areas have people living at or below the poverty line hence any disruption of rainfall is catastrophic. In the west we are almost inured to these periodic tragedies. Pictures of starving Somali children has become almost trite. That is what "a life of plenty" will do for you. Because the pictures are not personally painful - we can ignore the drama and move on with our lives, too bad. Millions are in jeopardy and intervention by the international community is necessary. Ironically we can marshall the community of nations to oust dictators from control of their countries (usually countries with impressive oil supplies) but we can not garner support for an all out effort to aid dying children in East Africa. Sad. Travel to Africa just once and you will never feel the same. You will be impelled to act. All I can do currently is blog. Will this blog make any difference at all? Hope is eternal. And hope is all I have. Next summer when I lead my safari to East Africa I hope to enlist a few more in the army of the informed. When you walk through a village and look into the eyes of those in need - well that is tactile. There is no place to hide. You should come along and then you too will have a desire to make a difference.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Can't wait until next summer....Ethiopia, Kenya and Zanzibar....
I made my first journey to East Africa in 1998 and I have returned every year....except this year. I decided to stay home and work on my book and market my photography. It seemed like a good decision. Well here we are in July and I am blogging and reading my journals from my 12 earlier trips and of course lamenting that fact that I am in Southern California and not in Africa.
What do I miss most about East Africa:
1. The stars at night. The Milky Way is so bright you can almost touch the stars.
2. The night sounds as you lay awake contemplating what you witnessed earlier and dreaming of what you will see tomorrow. The bush babies screech like human children and will often drop down and scamper across your tent or room. The hyenas mournfully call out to each other. The birds are riotous. Hippos come out of the rivers and munch the Terra firma nearby. Occasionally you will hear the lions roar in the distance and quite often the elephants will decide to relandscape the forest and you can hear them literally ripping small trees out of the ground.
3. The adventure of driving in our four wheel drive vehicles and searching for big cats. Cheetahs on top of termite mounds, lions lying hidden in the croton bushes and leopards sleeping up in the strangler fig trees. The excitement and anticipation never ends.
4. The food at the lodges, it is like being on a cruise in an open air zoo. Oh, and I miss my Tuskers beer.
5. The people - this is perhaps the most profound African experience: The East Africans, many whom live on a family income of less than $150 dollars per year, live their lives in a state of hopeful anticipation. Sometimes hope is all they have, and often their hope is false hope. But their simple joy is infectious and their willingness to help is inspirational. Every time I travel to Africa I am emotionally jolted and I come home more willing to live each day in a more grateful and meaningful way.
6. The African landscape in the late afternoon, especially in August when there are daily brief rain squalls which quickly drench the land and depart with the next breeze.
These meteorological events produce a magical light turns the landscape a brilliant gold and the stunning color simply stops you in your tracks as you watch the clouds depart. Interestingly, lions hate thunder. They cower and run for cover, but after the rains all the cubs will come out to romp and even the big males with their magnificent blacks manes will play with the youngsters putting on a show that leaves photographers breathless.
So I will return for a month next summer. I am leading a trip and there are spots available. We will arrive in Ethiopia on July 20 and travel to the Omo Valley. Then we will fly to Nairobi and journey to the four major national parks and game reserves of Kenya - Samburu for the leopards, Lake Nakuru for the flamingos and rhinos, the Masai Mara for the "great migration and the lions and cheetahs and finally Amboseli for the elephants and Mt. Kilimanjaro. The trip will end on the magical island of Zanibar for the people, their unique culture and the beaches. You can do the whole trip or you can leave out Ethiopia or Zanzibar depending upon your time restraints and your budget.
I lead trips not for profit but for the future. I hope that everyone that comes with me will instantly become a committed African environmentalist who will help me spread the word about the need to intervene in Africa to save this last remaining Garden of Eden.
If you are interested email me at alaskakd@roadrunner.com
What do I miss most about East Africa:
1. The stars at night. The Milky Way is so bright you can almost touch the stars.
2. The night sounds as you lay awake contemplating what you witnessed earlier and dreaming of what you will see tomorrow. The bush babies screech like human children and will often drop down and scamper across your tent or room. The hyenas mournfully call out to each other. The birds are riotous. Hippos come out of the rivers and munch the Terra firma nearby. Occasionally you will hear the lions roar in the distance and quite often the elephants will decide to relandscape the forest and you can hear them literally ripping small trees out of the ground.
3. The adventure of driving in our four wheel drive vehicles and searching for big cats. Cheetahs on top of termite mounds, lions lying hidden in the croton bushes and leopards sleeping up in the strangler fig trees. The excitement and anticipation never ends.
4. The food at the lodges, it is like being on a cruise in an open air zoo. Oh, and I miss my Tuskers beer.
5. The people - this is perhaps the most profound African experience: The East Africans, many whom live on a family income of less than $150 dollars per year, live their lives in a state of hopeful anticipation. Sometimes hope is all they have, and often their hope is false hope. But their simple joy is infectious and their willingness to help is inspirational. Every time I travel to Africa I am emotionally jolted and I come home more willing to live each day in a more grateful and meaningful way.
6. The African landscape in the late afternoon, especially in August when there are daily brief rain squalls which quickly drench the land and depart with the next breeze.
These meteorological events produce a magical light turns the landscape a brilliant gold and the stunning color simply stops you in your tracks as you watch the clouds depart. Interestingly, lions hate thunder. They cower and run for cover, but after the rains all the cubs will come out to romp and even the big males with their magnificent blacks manes will play with the youngsters putting on a show that leaves photographers breathless.
So I will return for a month next summer. I am leading a trip and there are spots available. We will arrive in Ethiopia on July 20 and travel to the Omo Valley. Then we will fly to Nairobi and journey to the four major national parks and game reserves of Kenya - Samburu for the leopards, Lake Nakuru for the flamingos and rhinos, the Masai Mara for the "great migration and the lions and cheetahs and finally Amboseli for the elephants and Mt. Kilimanjaro. The trip will end on the magical island of Zanibar for the people, their unique culture and the beaches. You can do the whole trip or you can leave out Ethiopia or Zanzibar depending upon your time restraints and your budget.
I lead trips not for profit but for the future. I hope that everyone that comes with me will instantly become a committed African environmentalist who will help me spread the word about the need to intervene in Africa to save this last remaining Garden of Eden.
If you are interested email me at alaskakd@roadrunner.com
 |
| Young male "strutting his stuff" .... |
Friday, July 22, 2011
The aftermath....
Hippos caught away from water are dangerous just like people defending useless dogma and unflinching principles which harm instead of enlighten.
And on and on it goes....
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The slaughter of a matriarch elephant in Samburu, Kenya
This is a rant and a much needed rant. Unfortunately, I do not believe that anyone reads my blog which is in this instance is tragic. The poaching of elephants has returned to Northern Kenya. The matriarch of the Samburu herd was gunned down for her ivory. I have been photographing this magnificent animal for over a decade. She wore a huge leather collar with a radio transmitter attached to it and she protected her family of over 60 elephants for 15 years. Her tusks were magnificent. Her motherly instincts were superb. Last summer, while leading a safari of over 30 people from Orange County, California we witnessed this female rescue a newborn elephant calf from a river by swimming downstream and literally wrapping her trunk around the baby and lifting the infant on to the shore. It was so wonderful to watch.
The Kenyan government pays lip service to anti-poaching measures but it is all for show. The government is so riddled by corruption that bribery is a way of life. Poachers, when arrested, are often back in the field with their machine guns and machetes 48 hours later. Why? Profits. Ivory is worth more than gold on the black market. Where does the ivory go? Mostly to rich oil barons in the Middle East or millionaire collectors in Asia. The slaughter will continue until the governments of East Africa put conservation and tourism ahead of quick profits from the illegal trade in ivory. Today President Kibaki of Kenya burned a pile of ivory tusks to promote "his concern" for the plight of Kenya's elephant herds. This was done purely for show. The same stunt was carried out by President Daniel Moi in 1989 at the behest of Kenya wildlife director Richard Leaky. It 1989 the stunt garnered worldwide attention and led to the creation of CITES (an international agency with the goal of stopping the trade of illegal wildlife products). But Kibaki's demonstration currently was nothing more than a political ploy. He cares not for Kenya's wildlife. To bad, as I had high hopes for Kibaki when he was first elected. I thought he might be a true reformer with vision. Oh well, and the beat goes on.
Now it is so politically incorrect to say that current East African governments are corrupt but it is true nevertheless. Critics of this rant would call me a racist or worse a "neo-colonial" but in fact I am a patriot. I love Africa. It is disappearing at a rate that makes the saving of Africa's wildlife and ecosystems a losing effort.
Kenya should nationalize the safari industry and all its national parks and game reserves. The Kenyan government should run the safari/tourism industry just like the American government runs our national parks and concessions in this country. With regulation and forbearance, the profits would be enormous for the entire country. Profit sharing could take place with Kenya's 42+ tribes and there would be money left over for the construction of infrastructure which in itself would further increase profits.
Unfortunately none of this will ever happen. East Africa is like the American wild west. Law and order is a myth. Greed is the god the rules everything and everyone.
It is so sad that the elephants, the lions, the cheetahs and etc. are dying defenselessly because they were unlucky enough to be born during the early 21st century. Can you believe that hunting and poaching still exist in 2011?
I go to bed tonight and I wish that I had seen Africa in the early 1900's. This is why I lead safaris today - it is my "hail Mary" attempt to do my part to share the splendor of Africa before it is gone forever.
The Kenyan government pays lip service to anti-poaching measures but it is all for show. The government is so riddled by corruption that bribery is a way of life. Poachers, when arrested, are often back in the field with their machine guns and machetes 48 hours later. Why? Profits. Ivory is worth more than gold on the black market. Where does the ivory go? Mostly to rich oil barons in the Middle East or millionaire collectors in Asia. The slaughter will continue until the governments of East Africa put conservation and tourism ahead of quick profits from the illegal trade in ivory. Today President Kibaki of Kenya burned a pile of ivory tusks to promote "his concern" for the plight of Kenya's elephant herds. This was done purely for show. The same stunt was carried out by President Daniel Moi in 1989 at the behest of Kenya wildlife director Richard Leaky. It 1989 the stunt garnered worldwide attention and led to the creation of CITES (an international agency with the goal of stopping the trade of illegal wildlife products). But Kibaki's demonstration currently was nothing more than a political ploy. He cares not for Kenya's wildlife. To bad, as I had high hopes for Kibaki when he was first elected. I thought he might be a true reformer with vision. Oh well, and the beat goes on.
Now it is so politically incorrect to say that current East African governments are corrupt but it is true nevertheless. Critics of this rant would call me a racist or worse a "neo-colonial" but in fact I am a patriot. I love Africa. It is disappearing at a rate that makes the saving of Africa's wildlife and ecosystems a losing effort.
Kenya should nationalize the safari industry and all its national parks and game reserves. The Kenyan government should run the safari/tourism industry just like the American government runs our national parks and concessions in this country. With regulation and forbearance, the profits would be enormous for the entire country. Profit sharing could take place with Kenya's 42+ tribes and there would be money left over for the construction of infrastructure which in itself would further increase profits.
Unfortunately none of this will ever happen. East Africa is like the American wild west. Law and order is a myth. Greed is the god the rules everything and everyone.
It is so sad that the elephants, the lions, the cheetahs and etc. are dying defenselessly because they were unlucky enough to be born during the early 21st century. Can you believe that hunting and poaching still exist in 2011?
I go to bed tonight and I wish that I had seen Africa in the early 1900's. This is why I lead safaris today - it is my "hail Mary" attempt to do my part to share the splendor of Africa before it is gone forever.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
2012 Safari to Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania - July, August 2012
It is has been a long time since I have updated this blog. I have been to East Africa four times since creating this blog. Each of my trips has been successful photographically and culturally. I have taken about 150 adults, teenagers and families to to Kenya and Tanzania over the past four years. I have now led 15 safaris to East Africa.
Next summer I am going to lead a special trip to Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. First, we are going to visit the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia and photograph the vanishing cultures of the Omo. Then we will fly to Northern Kenya and journey to Samburu game reserve to photography elephants, leopards, lions, Grevy Zebras, and the Samburu people. We will then drive to central Kenya to Lake Nakuru National Park to photograph the 1.5 million flamingos who reside in this Rift Valley lake. We will also photograph rhinos, lions and the amazing bird life of Nakuru, including several species of African eagles. From Nakuru we will drive to the Masai Mara to experience the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth - the "Great Migration" where over 2 million wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and topis journey from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania to the Mara in southern Kenya. During the height of the migration the animals have to swim the treacherous Mara River braving the Nile crocodiles who live in the murky depths of the river. Then we will travel on to Amboseli national game reserve which lies on the border of Kenya and Tanzania to photograph one of the last great herds of elephants on the planet. We will also be at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest and most majestic mountain in all of Africa. At the very end the trip we will fly to the magical island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. This chain of islands used to be called the "Spice Islands" and the beaches and native villages have not changed in 500 years. The water is the color of emeralds and clouds and the beaches are so white that without dark glasses one can go sun blind.
It will be the trip of a life time. People can elect to do the entire trip or decide to omit the Ethiopian portion at the beginning of the trip or not participate on the sojourns to Amboseli and Zanzibar. The trip is scheduled from approximately July 20, 2012 through August 8, 2012.
![]()
I can't wait. Anyone interested should email me or leave a comment attached to this blog. Most of the participants will be professional people and their families from Southern California.
Next summer I am going to lead a special trip to Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. First, we are going to visit the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia and photograph the vanishing cultures of the Omo. Then we will fly to Northern Kenya and journey to Samburu game reserve to photography elephants, leopards, lions, Grevy Zebras, and the Samburu people. We will then drive to central Kenya to Lake Nakuru National Park to photograph the 1.5 million flamingos who reside in this Rift Valley lake. We will also photograph rhinos, lions and the amazing bird life of Nakuru, including several species of African eagles. From Nakuru we will drive to the Masai Mara to experience the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth - the "Great Migration" where over 2 million wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and topis journey from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania to the Mara in southern Kenya. During the height of the migration the animals have to swim the treacherous Mara River braving the Nile crocodiles who live in the murky depths of the river. Then we will travel on to Amboseli national game reserve which lies on the border of Kenya and Tanzania to photograph one of the last great herds of elephants on the planet. We will also be at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest and most majestic mountain in all of Africa. At the very end the trip we will fly to the magical island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. This chain of islands used to be called the "Spice Islands" and the beaches and native villages have not changed in 500 years. The water is the color of emeralds and clouds and the beaches are so white that without dark glasses one can go sun blind.
It will be the trip of a life time. People can elect to do the entire trip or decide to omit the Ethiopian portion at the beginning of the trip or not participate on the sojourns to Amboseli and Zanzibar. The trip is scheduled from approximately July 20, 2012 through August 8, 2012.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Arriving in Kenya for the first time....
When my groups fly into Nairobi, Kenya for the first time (after traveling for almost two days from the USA), they are immediately (as was I on my first trip to Africa) impressed physically and emotionally by the differences in international airports. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (named for the first president of Kenya, who assumed power when the Brits abandoned their "crown jewel" colony in East Africa in 1963), is crowded and garishly lit. Soldiers (who always look, young, stern and infinitely bored) wander everywhere with machine guns slung casually over their shoulders. The corridors are jam packed with humanity. People seem to be all talking at once and no one is using a language anyone in my group is even remotely knowledgeable of. Everyone is smoking. It is hot - no air conditioning in this international hub. Kiosks and small curio shops abound. Everyone seems to know where they are going except for us. We huddle together like a colony within a colony seeking safety in numbers. We move towards customs like an ameoba, where other stern and bored governmental officials stare at our passports and our visas as if we are narco-drug traffikers or brain dead tourists (which of course we are, that is brain dead tourists). After clearing customs we grab our gear (some bags have disappeared into to the ether and will never again be seen in our universe - we are all praying that at least our camera gear made it through the chaos which is Heathrow in the UK). With trepidation we wander through the gigantic doors out into the main lobby of Jomo Kenyatta International and are immediately assaulted by Africa. Millions of people calling for our attention. Colors. Yes, Africa is the most colorful place on earth. The smells of fossil fuels, food preparation and raw humanity befuddle our tired brains. Acacia trees, unbelievable hued birds (superb starlings and weaver birds roost right in the airports trees) and traffic fight for our undivided attention. No, we are not in Kansas anymore.
And I for one thank God. We are in Africa. Off the gird. Our cell phones won't work. Animals and life abound. Now we are truly on vacation.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Why travel to East Africa???? Overcome your fear and just go....
Kenya has always been called the "jewel of East Africa"? Despite it's recent bad press over the recent presidential elections, Kenya remains the best country for wildlife safaris. Kenya's national parks and game reserves are magnificent. Unfortunately, Kenya's birth rate (one of the highest in the world) and the subsequent need for land is creating an environment where saving wildlife is not a high priority. So go now. See the "great migration". Meet the people (42 tribal groups in Kenya). Tamp down those neuroses and just go. I love photography as it is a solitary and by its nature, an introspective process. Looking at the world through a telephoto lens is empowering. This is my first attempt at blogging. I want people to see the natural world before it is changed forever. I have added a few images to whet the appetite.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)