I believe that our minds have its own reality. The reality that we help create to help us cope with daily struggles, ups and downs, stress. Often in my mind I am at a green, silent place viewing nature’s finest. Coming back to reality I decided that I am not limited to my mind because I can actually escape to my fantasy in reality even if it’s just for a day.
Now let me take you on my escape adventure.
So I packed my bag Saturday morning and drove to Naivasha to get fresh air from the city chaos. A pleasant 3 hour drive playing the blues on my stereo windows rolled down to feel the breeze. So I finally make it to Naivasha and I take the road to the country club where I have to pack the car so I can walk towards the lake.
The lake is so beautiful and quite and there is sun shining I can see it’s reflection on the water forming a dancing glittering pattern. I do not hesitate to capture it.
I walk around the lake towards where the boats are so I can catch my ride. Its peaceful, there are young men at the shores fishing and there is that fish odour from the fishing net. And I think that’s not what I smell everyday but it will take a real long time to get used to it hahaa. I get to the boats and pay one to take me to Cresent Island. I put on a life jacket and tie it around my body. My boat driver is my guide through the lake as well. As the boat starts moving I place my hand in the water and splash some of it. There is enough sun to make it just the best day so I put my sunglasses on.
We make the first stop near a family of hippopotamus. I try counting them but I can’t. They are gracefully enjoying the water. They make some funny sounds and I love it.
So we continue moving and I see other birds and learn their names such as Goliath heron and Jacanas. I see other boats as well and it’s such an amazing feeling cruising on the water. Of course God forbid my boat don’t turn into the Titanic.
I make it to the Island and my guide gives me a hand to help me off the boat. I have one hour time limit to walk through the Island and then get transported back to the shore. So I pay to enter the Island and get myself a guide. He introduces himself and we start our stroll in the wild. Imagine walking around the animals and you can actually take pictures with them. Actually don’t, go to Cresent Island and get to do that. There are no constraints like in a safari where you have to stay in a car and use binoculars to see the animals from a far. Walking around the animals in this park is made possible by the fact that there are no predators: lion and the likes. So I start my selfies with the animals as I am told about the island and shown all its secrets.
What amazes me most is that there are wild beast in this Island. Unlike the wild beast in maasai mara where they are very common and a lot to the extend you get bored by them, these ones are few and quite nice to look at. I am told of the one horned buffalo who got rescued from poachers but we cannot go near it because it is dangerous to be around it and could hurt us. There are impalas, gazelles and zebras and they are so many. There are birds trying to catch some worms. I take the Island in and it’s all and more of what I was thinking of.
So we head back to the shore where my boat is waiting to take me back. I climb on board and just do a bit of wistful thinking as we go back. My heart is calm, I am at peace and surely living my fantasy is more sweet than imagined. I love it all. So I take off my lifejacket and wave goodbye to my guide. I walk barefoot back to the car. The grass is so smooth. And for a moment I stop to look at the lake. I play Shayne Ward - Melt the Snow on my phone. I have a bit of tears in my eyes and this pain in my throat. I can’t get enough of it.
So I decide to stay the night at one of the resort in Naivasha to fully take in the lake and the quite.
I’ll tell you more about my night in Naivasha in “Escape to the Island part two coming next on my blog”
#travel #Naivasha #Tourism #Kenya
