Entering the African Savanna felt like a homecoming, as if it triggered a memory in the DNA of our ancient origins.. My eyes took time to adjust from the urban landscape to the open Savanna of Maasai Mara and Amboseli and their infinite horizons of the grasslands. A few days into the trip I started to experience Africa beyond the narratives of scarcity and strife  associated with the continent. The riches of the land were laid out – the sunrise, the sunsets, the nature, the weather, the culture, its hardworking people and the their warmth.

There is a dialogue in the film ‘Out of Africa,’ the earth is round so that you can’t see too far ahead. I followed that advice and didn’t do much research about Kenya and allowed it to open up to to me, one moment at a time. Everything turned into a pleasant surprise and an adventure. A friend put together a great itinerary for us, and we just went along with it (For itinerary and logistics advise in Kenya, DM Bhanu).

The invisible hand of nature and it genius is visible everywhere. The great migration with millions of animals synchronising their movements across thousands of kilometres of ; the rules that govern the heard of elephants and the system of casting out those who don’t adhere to the rules; the way the young lions take over a new pride and even killing all the male cubs to improve their chances of reproduction ; the way the wildebeests and zebra’s help each other survive the apex predators; the way the birds clean the insects off the back of giraffes, Rhinos and Hippos. Everything is in perfect equilibrium – someones dung is someones meal here,

Safaris here feel like entering an immersive emotional drama that is playing out in front of you. There is no filter in their expression of what they feel. You see the emotions of animals in their full intensity  – the pure love of a lioness for her cubs, the indulgence of the elephant for their playful calf, the ferociousness of the wild animals as they attack their prey with no mercy, the sheer terror that grips the animals as predator stalk them, the lustiness of the elephant as it seeks his mates. It is quite a contrast to the polite human society, which is designed to numb our wilder emotional side, and probably for the good too, but which also takes its toll on our authenticity and expression.

The Big Five

The colonial past has left a big trauma on the culture in Kenya. The western culture was alien to this land – of valuing things over people, of ownership, money as the measure of wealth. With the adoption of the modern culture, the country went from being culturally rich to being materially poor, and is now having to start all over again. There are very few indigenous traditions and culture left, and 85% of the population has converted to Christianity. They do go back to their trading faiths is in moments of major crises – the droughts or some climatic chaos.

The onslaught of colonial rule that lasted half a century obliterated the thousands of years of cultural heritage. All  the 41 tribes letgo of their traditions and wisdom. One tribe, the Maasai, tried to hold out the longest, and there are still some remnants of it, but there are merely the commercial photo-ops than the actual lifestyle.

The Moments

It was apparent to me that with its young and hardworking population, this country has a huge potential ahead of it, and it will play a big part in all our futures. But I was also left wondering, will Kenyans wake up one day to reclaim their heritage? Will they seek the wisdom of their ancestors and build their own unique identity incorporating the best of their past and the modern world? Or will they continue to drift away from their unique cultural past, trying to chase more material gains and staying culturally poor for a long time?

The Big Cats

The kindness of the local Kenyans stands out, and so does their hard work. We drove through more than 2000 km across the length and breadth of the country and saw the web of connection between people. Everyone was up for a good chat, even with strangers. The driver always had a kind word to share with anyone he passed. Even when we were on a time crunch, he took out time for small-talk. He would tip some money to every guard, every cop, every parking attendant, and exchange some pleasantries and information. These chats would feed his network of relationships and gave him information that made him such a great guide. He knew where the sightings were, he knew about the state of traffic, or the roads, or the traffic check, or anything that may have changed in the local administration of the wildlife parks. These were not the modern day transactional relationships  – but were personal relationships that had been organically nursed over years, and valued highly.

The Playful Cubs

A week into Kenya, and I felt the modern life lose its grip on me – the city, the work, the routines, all disrupted and more in tune with the animals and nature here. I was now more in synch with a natural rhythm of life which was not distorted by artificial lights, or the demands of the markets, or modern culture. The pace of the days were governed by the the sun and the weather. The day began early, and by 9am the activity level of all animals would to taper off, to again pick up after 5 pm.

As I prepared to leave Kenya, I felt full. The land and its people were generous. the experience had lifted the gloom and weariness that I had came here with. City takes out more from us than it replenishes, but here, despite the hectic schedule and physically demanding travel, I felt more replenished. Nature had been kind, putting on a brilliant display of the weather, uplifting sunrises, emotionally moving sunsets, and the entire spectrum of emotions in all of the animals – a reminder of all that is natural in all of us. It felt like a reset.

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