We arrived in Mombasa’s Port by 7:30 this morning. We were greeted at the port by a band playing drums and singing and dancers performing native dances. I had arranged a driving trip from the port to Shimba Hills National Reserve with a local guide, who was waiting for us and ready to go. The drive took about 1.5 hours to get to, as we were in morning traffic, had to wait to take a ferry, and the roads aren’t all in great shape. The drive out of Mombasa went through neighborhoods with the direst poverty we’ve ever seen, with very primitive living conditions where trash (plastic, metal and wood pieces, cloth) was used to cover their dwellings. Kenya is tropical and grows a lot of food, so people were well nourished. As we continued driving away from the coast, the terrain became more hilly and more lush, beautiful!
Shimba Hills National Reserve is 115 square miles of coastal forest, about 25 miles from Mombasa, rich in wildlife and plant life. We saw warthogs, sable antelope, buffalo, giraffes, a wildebeest, monkeys, and beautiful birds. Salim, our driver for the day, drove through the park, stopping at several overlooks. We drove a short distance through a rural village to Shimba Hills Green Lodge for lunch, with a spectacular view over the Manolo River. Salim is Masai and grew up in the bush, in a family that continues to live the traditional way, raising cattle and goats and enough crops to feed their family. His father has two wives and each has six children, and they all live in a single compound. Salim moved to Mombasa with his wife. He is the first to leave, to make his own way. We had an interesting day!
