Of Road-Trips in Kenya…Getting Lost is Bliss!

Getting lost along your path is a part of finding the path you are meant to be on. ~Robin S. Sharma

 

When was the last time you got lost in the right direction? Oftentimes, on the road-trip to Grogan’s Castle, we found ourselves lost in the right direction… 🙂

 

In Kenya, getting/giving the right directions can be a sticky affair! It is not an art that we have mastered, so getting lost is almost always, inevitable… 😀

However, the true spirit of travel and adventure, consists in veering off the beaten track… It means having an open heart to the all the encounters that come along with travel, – the good, the bad and the unexpected … 🙂

 

Tsavo…East or West? Lost!

To get to Grogan’s Castle, we had to drive past the expanse of the Tsavo National Park.

The park is classified into Tsavo West and Tsavo East. To be honest, I still have a hard time telling these two apart…

Our initial directions were to Tsavo East, only to find out that we were actually heading towards Tsavo West…

 

 

But the failure to distinguish between Tsavo East and West, didn’t stop us from catching sight of the Kenyan wildlife… 😀

In these parts, you get to see some wild animals as you drive by, without venturing deeper into the park. This was a treat for us, as we didn’t have sufficient time to go for a Game Drive.

 

The best sighting for us, were these ‘Red elephants’ of Tsavo, on a water break…

 

They looked happy to drink their fill of water, take a dip to cool off…and then roll around in the red soil. 🙂

 

Watching them, it’s difficult to imagine someone killing these majestic animals, for their tusks… 🙁 It is even harder to imagine, a future without elephants in our world.  A future where kids would only read about elephants in books, is a sad, sad world. 🙁 🙁

They truly deserve a little more humanity from us, as ‘humans’. >>Join the #SaveTheElephants movement.

Our National parks are part of Kenya’s heritage. We ought to visit more, and take an active stand towards protecting animal rights.

TIP: Read About my Nairobi National Park Experience Here

 

Lost and Found= Lake Chala

 

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be~Douglas Adams

 

Having finished the first part of our mission at Grogan’s Castle, we decided to explore… The best way to get to know a place is through its locals… In this case, our ‘informer’ was Priscah, our hostess at Grogan’s Castle Hotel.

(Read about our time at the Castle Here)

 

She’d shared many stories with us, and one in particular caught our attention. It was about the fascinating Lake Jipe, that is ‘close’ to Grogan’s Castle.

Following her directions, on what we ‘thought’ was our way to ‘Lake Jipe’, we ended up at a beautiful Crater Lake… Lost again! 😀

Resting in a secluded area, Lake Chala is like a traveler’s treasure trove!

 

Lake Chala is situated about 8km north of Taveta, and it borders Kenya and Tanzania.

 

The lake’s location affords astoundingly charming views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

 

We could not get as close as we’d have liked to, as it’s cordoned off, for safety reasons.

Apparently, it harbors  crocodiles, and there have been incidents in the past. It is therefore not advisable to fish in the lake.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: WANJIKU THUO

 

The air in this quiet, deserted place is fresh and calming.

We arrived a short while before sunset, and we could not have been happier! 😀 The sunset was simply gorgeous, especially with the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.

TIP:

• Avoid dressing in white clothes, or in sandals/heels as most parts of Taveta are dusty, with red soil
• Always carry drinking water; it is very sunny and it’s easy to get dehydrated
• Go the Converse way, it always works for me 😀 😉

 

Chancing upon Lake Chala, greatly reminded me of God’s incredible nature… Knowing that such places exist, in their most natural forms, as when God made them is remarkable! Don’t you agree? 😀

In the end, everything worked out beautifully for us -lost and all! 🙂 We certainly look forward to a next time, to explore Lake Jipe and the Tsavo National Park fully, as we get lost some more… 😀

 

I hope that you will allow yourself to get lost in the right direction, at many points of your life… Getting lost, can be a captivating part of the adventure that is traveling… 🙂

How do you deal with getting lost, while traveling…?  I would love to read your comments and feedback, on the Comments’ Section down below! 😉 😀

 

P.S. Stay Inspired Always!

 

Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.~ Erol Ozan