So here’s one more story about the last few days in Kenya. Kayla and I left Mpala with the undergraduates at the end of August and on our way to Nairobi we all stayed at this incredibly fancy game lodge in the middle of Aberdare National Park. It’s aptly named “The Ark” and gave us quite an interesting look at how most people experience Kenya and the “African safari.” It was lavish and faux-rustic and plush quite beyond our imagination, even relative to the extremely nice conditions at Mpala. Unfortunately our stay only lasted about 24 surreal hours, most of which being cloudy and rainy so I didn’t get many pictures. Actually, to be honest, by the time we left Mpala I was so exhausted I spent most of my time at the Ark sleeping, but we did get to do a bit of wandering around and experiencing this very different style of African adventure.
Though plush beds with hot water bottles put in them during dinnertime and comfortable sofas next to fireplaces looking out on animal salt licks through huge floor to ceiling windows certainly has its appeal, I think I still prefer bumping across the savanna driving a 30 year old land rover in chase of the perfect sunset vista.
Here are a few pictures from the Ark. Note, I did have to get the nice shot of the Ark from the promotional website. We never got good enough weather to take the same shot. http://www.africanmeccasafaris.com/kenya/safaris/lodges/theark.asp
The only picture that might need explaining is of Kayla standing in the wildlife bunker, a stone fort for on the ground, super close wildlife viewing. Pretty awesome!
Colin Donihue 