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I dreamed a dream .......

This is my third attempt to en-capsule Africa in a blog!
The lady with her van !
For me it was a culmination of a dream - Chibu chides me that I had dreamed  of the elephants of Jalpaiguri and not  Amboselli , but I knew I had to look for that  place in  my dream ...but didn't know how! Meeting Mau last year was providence and the key to what I had been looking for the last 13 years !She actually made my dream come true!
This has been my dream !







It was long months of planning and putting bits and pieces together and fighting many adversities in the form of parents falling sick, Bhaskar and Uday having major eye surgeries and other hurdles, that we landed up in Kenya on a grey rainy morning on the 22nd of June ! To be met by Mau and Bobby -her wonderful husband !  And Patrick:)our guide and companion for the next few days  !

The first thing that I saw as our van drove out of the airport was a rump of a Zebra ....Uday was convinced that I was hallucinating from the Africa fever and said it was a "Jiblaaa !"


Africa has a story in every nook and corner - thrill in the blades of each elephant grass that camouflages the majestic lions and the beautiful Cheetahs ! The birds of different hues and colors that truly seems like God's creation . It was like those films and pictures I grew up with - The Acacia tree silhouetted against the sky with giraffes and zebras in the background ! I really felt like I was Isak Dinesen "Out of Africa " !Only Denis ( Redford ) didn't materialize!

Somewhere in that wilderness even Chibu had a change of heart ....the wild and the beautiful somehow convinced the cynic in him!
Bhaskar remained stoic - partially because he was still apprehensive about the  the rough roads of the safari and partially cos the much hyped Kilimanjaro remain shrouded in clouds and mist ! However , he got his eye full when the two bull elephants erupted into a fight right in front of our car !
But in the end Kilimanjaro did not disappoint - though it wasn't impressive as our own Himalayas - but enthralling - more so as I had always wanted to see the "Chander Pahar"!

Chander Pahar ( the mountain of the moon )

The ride to "Sweetwaters Tented Camp" began well , but ended in a nightmare for me with Chibu running high fever ! The picturesque place lost its charm - but then it was a sight to have the zebras and the giraffes drinking from the waterhole right outside the tent where we stayed .
 Chibu had to spend a night at the hospital.
Nanyuki Cottage Hospital main entrance
( Nanyuki Cottage hospital)
 But I must say that place did a great job with his salmonella bacteria ! The drip, the IV were all scary and I felt guilty for making him go through this on his Birthday ! I remembered the psychic who spoke of this vision of me running towards a white and green building ! And the wing where he stayed was actually that color - nightmares like dreams come true sometime !But all our combined prayers helped !

The bad days could not take away the spirit of Africa from our hearts !
We progressed again - crossed the       Equator - saw the magnetic field change and moved on....via Nakuru and Naivasha to the great Masai Mara ! Well the game show was God's own National Geographic Channel - it's like Sangeeta said our Geography book came alive !
We got tired of taking photographs....But then the best ones are in my heart!
Again , the blog seems so insipid ......when compared to the days spent in wilderness !
And someday soon I will take up my keyboard and write about so many other things that are etched in my mind........



Comments

  1. Delo5 July 2013 at 18:52

    Thanks for making me feel so good first thing in the morning after reading 'I dreamed a dream'...almost feel like a queen......hope it lasts BIG time:)))))))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. amrita6 July 2013 at 08:59

      Dear Dalia, I am so glad ! it was a busy time the last few months, with my travels and care-giving and Bhaskar having two consecutive eye surgery ....I longed to get away...:) How's Kyra ? Keep me posted ..much love

      Delete
  2. Abhishikta6 July 2013 at 10:53

    this is sooo wonderful! I had my free africa trip through your post :)
    and the pictures are wonderful too!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. amrita6 July 2013 at 11:04

      thank you..get your passport :) will go again ! patrick chibu ke boleche oor bondhuder niye ashte !

      Delete
  3. Ray19 July 2013 at 11:34

    oh,felt like actually being there.Now i want to go to Africa :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. sharmila25 July 2013 at 00:14

    Your Africa blogs are wonderful Amrit...read them all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. amrita25 July 2013 at 02:10

      Thanks Thanks Sharmil :) But what I wrote is so insipid to what I saw :(

      Delete

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