BUNDUZMAN CORONA ERA BIRDWATCHING AND TANZANIA EXPERIENCE

Another day , another escapade .we set off with Nito and now pursue the river`s flow  from it origin , Mt. Kilimanjaro.MSy true north is towards Amboseli as we head  south west. Still incorporating our birds identification enroute. We beat the bush to a place that harbours most of my childhood memories! The canopy tucked home and neighbourhood just give me nostalgia. Am at the `Outward Bound Centre ‘ a great place for outdoor experiences .Still not a lot has changed since my childhood and am grateful! The black painted splits cottages  and Still  one of a kind setting.Am very conversant with the area since I spent like all my childhood Saturdays and Sundays here with my childhood cronies , Sheena Leboo( Harvard), Sianoi Leboo, Lewantai saigilu , Tito, Salah, Janet simaloi, Titus Ntoyai and fam. Quite memorable family friends and so lucky one of my friends dad was incharge of `The outward bound Centre.’ Tucked in the mt. Kilimanjaro it`s a perfect mountain climbing camp and team building haven tucked in serenity away from noise. I can remember the Kenyan military use to come, camp and train here. Before the camp used to be open to East Africa and the three flags, Kenyan , Tanzanian and Uganda would fly high before political disputes in the Nyerere era

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Our interest is not the outward bound centre so we still pursue the Mexican cypress forest in pursuit of Tanzania.We spot some of the oldest trees in the thickets and bushes which I have seen grow since a child that means 30+ years of conservation.

We have managed to spot birds like common fiscal, robin chat , pytilia, red bellied fire finchs, red cheeked cordon blues, purple greenadia, rufous sparrows, house sparrows  and variable sunbirds. We heave a sigh of relief amidst the forest when we hear the roar of a bike engine as we look at each other  knowing Tanzania is just metres ahead. sooner we are at a forest opening and my intuitions were right, we sight beacons signs we are at the border and the environment itself is evident.we walk the Chinese built tarmac with Nito and from our bunduz knowledge we can tell the river location just by the trees.  

Am sure geographically am at the Kenyan- Tanzania curve at mt.kilimanjaro to my west Aboseli being my true north.from my research mount kilimanjaro used to be part of Kenya but until then the queen of England, Queen Elizabeth gave it as a present to Tanzania( you can watch Karen Blixen`s  made film – OUT OF AFRICA, a british  says` that place ain`t for a british man’ perhaps the terrain , adversities and wildlife. Am yet to confirm if it`s the same era queen Elizabeth came to TREE TOP LODGE-SAGANA also in the film `THE CROWN ‘ where her dad died while on a safari to Kenya.Out and about we are with Nito blending with the locals  in hijabs and walahis a clear indication it`s prayer  day  here. having get acquinted with the locals we channel at a bridge which am conversant with and follow the river`s course upstream. `Naromoru river’ a sign board reads and a sign board on Tanzanian consevartion stakeholders reading………………………………………………………………

We hop-skip the boulders as we enjoy the tranquil scenery with liverworts present on the giant riverine trees . we take a break with Nito and feel the sparkling clean water. The temperature almost froze our toe nails! This is straight outta kilimanjaro downhill streams. Precisely this is flowing from `KIBO’ slopes  as Mawenzi is further from our location  I can tell by my  kilimanjaro expertise.still in pursuit of the ecosystem we follow the river`s course but mosses and liverworts on large boulders proof an obstacle. This couldn`t kill our adventure spirit though! We brainstorm and find ways in the water . large tree trunks have fallen in the river`s course flashfloods being  eminent downstream.We give it a break when  Nito and I reach a point the locals tap drinking water,the area is gravel filled with pipes .

Our souls are euphoric as still we want to go more ! but I observe the cloud cover and tell Nito we should leave early as we continue to pursue the main land. Heading south I spot a village with memories , am sure this is the famous mountain climbing scouts village. As I continue with  Nito we spot a lifer! A  large falcon  hoovers -white body, black headed and tailed  Goodday indeed!

My day is made when I reach a spot I anticipated! Luckily we meet a local mountain climbing guide and we inquire on the dates for KILI CLIMB. Unlucky we are, we are already late- quite disappointed due to the corona outbreak. We set a date with him next Sunday as he agrees to take us to the neighboring `MT. KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK’. Am quite happy since just in our reconnaissance survey our efforts has bored fruits. Still we pursue the area as I am looking for a hospitality nested within here.

`welcome to SNOW CAPE COTTAGES’  a sign reads! A spot I was anticipating. The magnificent natural wood splits cottages sit in the lush green lawns very serene .I have been here before with my sisters for a picnic and the experience was superb! The food is great for weekend get-away lovers amidst nature as you make your pre- Kilimanjaro or post- Kilimanjaro plans.my soul is at peace since our reconnaissance survey so impromptu but we have a deal.

 I happen to meet  an old resident of  oloitoktok , SHEIKH HASSAN MWATA  who is my resource person  since early 1970`s. sheikh Hassan   shows me an elephant route  that elephants use as a corridor from upper rongai and kilombero area around Kilimanjaro n.park  west of oloitoktok town now a seasonal stream. Sheikh Hassan explains that elephants used to pass in the depression now outside `Ntawouh`s plaza up to the catholic church and down to kibo slopes till they reached chyulu. HE says they use to see elephants outside their bomas (homesteads) and lions would eat a lot of people in the seventies so they reported every weekend to the police how many people were killed. Only sanju( fence cut from  white thorn acacias would protect them). I guess by then they had no game unit.am excited to get this information straight from the horse`s mouth. He goes further and explains to me `THE 1984 AMBOSELI DROUGHT ‘  experienced by great tusks as TIM (R.i.p) and explains to me the cause of the drought was mass deforestation by the then maasai leader Ole SING`ARU.

From my research I have been an avid enthusiast of the neighbouring `AMBOSELI ECOSYSTEM’ and am now convinced  mt.kilimanjaro national park and Amboseli national park are part of one vast ecosystem only that colonial borders demarcated it and now the human settlements and townships. Nito explains this as he has done and  presented his research on the trees and vegetation cover in the area- quite a Guru! ( while in Centre For Tourism Training and Research- Nairobi)

Kilimanjaro national park and Amboseli are one of the greatest elephant corridors. Bearings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………East of Amboseli (kimana gate) you can access kilaguni  in the chyulu hills (green hills of Africa) as this links to mzima springs and shetani lava in  TSAVO WEST NATIONAL PARK . Geographically this is a vast kilimanjaro ecosystem , the volcanic lava stones being evident and underground streams as mzima springs. Neighbouring tsavo west into Tanzanian border is mkomanzi national reserve .this depicts the largest elephant corridor in the kilimanjaro ecosystem.nito explains they`ve seen Tanzanian elephants cross the border to Kenya insearch of water once drought strikes. I can relate only then a child ` the great Amboseli drought of 1998’ as I witnessed human wildlife conflict elephants being chased on helicopters as they invaded the south of Amboseli.

Nito and I sit reminiscing as we watch the magnificent sundowner view of the chyulu hills range creating an illusion as if they touched the sky.i show him the `Rhino rock’  a hiking spot amidst chyulu my mother used to hike longtime as we plan our kilaguni visit and kilimanjaro climb. Back in Kenya I now understand the river`s course but I still wanna explore the rongai Tanzanian sides of the river and to the mawenzi ecosystem.

One afternoon I followed the river downstream and came across olive baboons. Going up I follow the river and spot man made caves by gravel and sand harvesters for economic livelihood but a greater danger to human life that can cause land slides.

My greater grandfather has an underground stream named after him ,kawele .the famous MZEE OLE KAWELE ( KAOLE) a maasai with Tanzanian origin who settled downslope kilimanjaro . my resource person is my mum as she explains how they use to enjoy the nature filled ecosystem . they would hang on the giant trees tendrils just like zip lining. The ecosystem used to harbor monkeys and the large southern ground vultures now on the IUCN conservation status- E( endangered! ) which my mum explains were rain indicators in the past .The stream is now under the custodian and watch of my grandpa Kiboi , a joint initiave with AMREF international in which the water was tapped to benefit the locals .am impressed the area is still in it`s natural condition as it used to be twenty years ago and before.

The ecosystem has one of the largest trees and am impressed to find one that water oozes from it`s roots near my uncle`s backyard and still the swamps . Basically water used to ooze down from rocks and trees which am convinces should be an underground kilimanjaro stream in this magnificent area.

 By Saitabau Castro