Hell’s Gate National Park in Naivasha offers a unique
experience in that visitors can safely venture throughout the park without
fear, due to an absence of predators, thereby providing a safe haven for the
on-foot explorer among a series of predator-packed parks. Warthogs, zebras,
baboons, buffalo, giraffes, guinea fowls, and dikdiks gather on open stretches
of savanna grass, punctuated by dramatic, towering columns of basalt rock.
oh, hello!
battle for a mate
penguin-eagle?
My friends from Nairobi—Andrew, Cecelia, and Ryan—and I
camped on a hill overlooking the park. As darkness fell, we were not alone. We
heard zebras clunking around and munching away on grasses, entirely unfazed by
our presence. To the east, the lights of Naivasha were visible, and to
southwest more lights, here eerie and white, emanated from a distant hill across
the park. As time passed into the night, the lights of Naivasha faded, however,
the white lights shone on. We eventually concluded that the lights were
originating from the Ol Karia Geothermal Station, one of the world’s hottest
sources of natural steam.
campsite overlook and fire-makers: Ryan & Andrew
The next morning, we drove to the gorge and walked through
the sandstone ravine, carved away by rushing waters of yesterdays. Stone rose
up on either side, sunlight shining through the foliage struggling to take root
in the rock at the top of the gorge. Little trails of hot water seeped into the
space where we walked, between the two walls. The corridor ended at The Devil’s
Bedroom, where our guide informed us (through much necessary repetition) that
scenes from Tomb Raider had been filmed.
our strong guide
Maasai lady "make-up" by our beautician-guide
overlooking the gorge
Just as we were heading out of the park, rain began to fall, a daily occurrence now that rainy season is fully upon us. A large crowd was entering the park and we took pity on their poor timing. Then we headed on to Naivasha to enjoy our first really meal after two days of snacking, hoping to wait out the rains and hike Mt. Longonot, a dormant volcano just a few kilometers to the east of Hell’s Gate that afternoon.
a storm abrewin'
The rains persisted and from the base of Mt. Longonot, we
decided to call it a weekend and head back to Nairboi. A good decision, it
turned out. Upon arriving home, a friend in Nyeri texted me a frantic message; having
known that I was in Hell’s Gate, he was concerned for my safely. The news had
just reported that flash floods were sweeping through the gorge and taking
tourist with them, a tragedy that had never before struck amicable Hell’s Gate.
I feel fortunate to have dodged the disaster.
the stormy base of Longonot
footage from the flash floods at Hell's Gate Nat'l Park
Welcome to the land of the Maasai. Doldol (pronounced dôr-dôr) lies in the raw, exposed highlands of the Rift
Valley. The Maasai live in the uninhabitable: biting dust-infused winds,
scorching sun, and dry, brilliant red, cracking earth mark their daily lives.
While the Kikuyu, the predominant tribe of Nyeri town (where I reside), are
quite modernized and greatly value education and wealth, the Maasai cling so
tightly to tradition that the modern world eludes them.
Maasai woman in her brilliant cape!
interesting rock formations
In contrast to the dry, barren landscape, every Maasai woman dresses in an abundance of bright, beaded jewelry and vibrant wrap-around skirts and scarfs, each carrying a child on her back. And the men, cheeks sunken, sun-battered skin dancing over lean muscle, also adorn themselves (a bit more subtly) in beaded bracelets, and short skirts!
Maasai women
Maasi men
support group
my buddy
We ventured to Doldol to meet with eight mental health
support groups that Caritas initiated and continues to support, in partnership
with BasicNeeds UK-Kenya. At each gathering, the women congregated together on
the ground, sometimes at quite a distance from the meeting, despite our
encouragement to come closer, while the men filled the benches.
a baby for every woman!
traditional healers
We held a meeting of traditional healers, hoping to work
toward integrating traditional and faith healers into the mental health
program. In rural regions, where resources and medical services are sparse,
faith healers are frequently consulted in cases of mental illnesses and are frequently
beneficial.[1]
Yet, such practices can interfere with conventional medications and treatments,
if they do become available. However, patients fear disclosing such
consultation to medical doctors. With
such a meeting, we hope to begin to facilitate open communication between faith
healers and modern physicians, thereby gaining a better understanding of how
traditional healers diagnose and treat mental illnesses, breaking down the
divide between the disciplines, and educating healers on conventional medical
practices.
the few female traditional healers
men in skirts
On the rump-bruising ride out, we were lucky to see zebras, camels, elephants, giraffes, and baboons!
retreat!
[1]
D. Ndetei, et al, “The complementary role of traditional and faith healers and potential
liaisons with western-style mental health services in Kenya,”Africa Mental Health
Foundation (AMHF), http://www.africamentalhealthfoundation.org.
