Western Sahara 2016

Western Sahara 2016

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Drowned Rats

Oh my – what a day. We’ve had lots of lovely weather since my last blog but yesterday the rain returned with a vengeance. And today has been the wettest day I’ve ever experienced in Kenya. Rather inconveniently, this is also the day the polo ponies are coming back from the last tournament of the season. There was not a hope in hell of the lorry making it all the way back to Wilderness so we decided to offload the horses not far from the main gate to Lewa and ride them back. Potentially quite fun - slightly less so in torrential rain. The timing could not have been worse. As we start getting them off the lorry, the heavens really opened. After seven hours on the lorry, the horses would normally be delighted to get off and stretch their legs but even they looked around as if to say are you mad? We were warm and dry on the lorry. Where are we? This is not our home.

After throwing tack on quickly in the pouring rain, we hopped on and set off. The rain stopped, the sun came out, there were elephant, zebra and gazelles grazing as we rode through the bush. It soon became apparent it was easier to off road as the horses were slipping too much on the muddy “roads”. If only we could have made it back before the heavens opened once again. Sadly that was not to be and the driving rain came again. It was quite funny when I looked back at one point to see misery clearly etched on all the riders and horses faces. As we got closer to home, the horses seemed to realise where they were and that their journey was nearly at an end which gave them a spring in their step. They were delighted to get home, have a good roll in the sawdust and get into their stables and start eating. Happy horses finally…

Please let the rain stop tomorrow. The tack room is one big mountain of wet dirty tack and the yard is a complete mud bath. This is why I could never work with horses in the UK – wet weather and horses is not a pleasant mix.

What else has been happening since my last blog? Actually, sad times on Lewa as rhino poaching is very much on the increase. Lewa has, in the past, been hugely successful in running very tight security and keeping poachers at bay. However, that has changed this year and five rhino were poached in the space of one week. In just one night, four rhino were shot, although the horn was only taken from one of the rhino, probably because the poachers didn’t think they would have time to escape with more than one. What a tragic waste of life. Rhinos are so endangered simply because of the ridiculous demand from the Far East for rhino horn. Deluded people who believe that the horn contains medicinal properties when it has been proven that this simply isn’t true. Black rhino are particularly endangered. I’m not sure of the exact numbers now, but I know that at one point numbers had dwindled to just 500 left in the world. We have about 60 on Lewa so we are very fortunate. Just days after the four rhino were shot, another rhino was poached. What made this particularly poignant was the fact that we can see its huge rotting carcass on the hillside opposite Wilderness. Very sad.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Lovely Lewa


There is nothing like being away from a place to make you appreciate it even more. It was so exciting to arrive back on Lewa which, after the rains, now looks like a completely different place. It is all lovely and green – amazing to see the changes in just six weeks.

Now that there is lots of grass, there is even more wildlife right on our doorstep. Giraffe, zebras, Grants Gazelle, baboons, impala, waterbuck, ostrich and wart hogs just on the drive back in. You don’t even need to go anywhere to see animals as there were elephants on the hillside opposite camp at lunch time and then rhino in the early evening.

What a joy to return to a lovely clean room and have a good night’s sleep. However hot it is during the day, African nights are always cooler and it was great to have a hot bubble bath and be cosy under a duvet after weeks of hot humid nights in India. And, of course, having all my washing and ironing done for me, my room cleaned, my bed turned down and a fire lit each evening in my room. I now appreciate even more how thoroughly spoilt I am living in Kenya! Not to mention the fantastic meals prepared for me. Yesterday, for example, there were no guests so I just had breakfast in the kitchen. Nothing fancy, just mangoes and strawberries, followed by poached egg on toast. The first guests of the season arrived mid-morning so lunch was a buffet of pizza, butterbean stew, chicken salad, green beans, hummus, guacamole and pitta bread, followed by strawberry crumble and cheese and biscuits (I didn’t actually have any of the crumble – wouldn’t want to be too greedy!). A nice gin and tonic pre-dinner, then vegetable soup to start, beef for main course, and a fruit and cream brandy snap basket to finish. Whilst I definitely lost weight in India, I shall be putting it back on quite quickly here!

It was also great to see all the staff at Wilderness again. Everyone is so friendly and happy here. I bought the syces back some chocolates and they were so thrilled, although in fairness, I don’t suppose they get to have too many luxuries like that.

The cats are both still alive and well, and the stables are rat free so they are doing their job. The horses are very happy with all the grass and aren’t so keen to come in at night now, especially as their hay and hard feed has been reduced. “Clinic” is running twice daily to clean and bandage wounds, administer injections, etc. It tends to be the case that either all the horses are fine, or lots of them have injuries all at once. At the moment, it is lots of them, so I feel like I am running a clinic as the horses are bought out one by one for their treatments.

My first full day back was lovely. Exercised the polo ponies on the canter track before breakfast who are super fit and strong now. You certainly get a good workout riding them – blisters and aching muscles the next day as I haven’t ridden for a few weeks. Went on a drive in the evening and saw six lions!!

The weather was really nice for the first day, but the rains have now made a return. I keep telling myself this is good because the grass won’t stay green for long without more rain. However, it could get a bit boring if it continues as the roads become impassable, you can’t ride or go anywhere, and it’s not much fun for our guests either! Still I’m sure it won’t last forever and it’s a good thing really…