Katherine Parker Magyar
I’ve wanted to visit Kenya my entire life. And yes, there are other nations just as known for their wildlife or their endless plains. Yet, for reasons I can’t quite identify, I knew Kenya was the one place I needed to visit before I died. It was my ultimate bucket list adventure — one I (wrongfully) assumed required a honeymoon to experience. But unlike so many of the things in life that we imbue with hope and expectation — that first kiss, first job, first anything — the reality of my trip to Kenya exceeded my wildest dreams. And I knew it would from the moment I landed in Nairobi and the Deputy President shook my hand. “Welcome home,” he said.
It was the last Monday of October 2019 when I arrived in Kenya (no pandemic to worry about), a passenger on the first nonstop flight (at the time of our journey) from New York City. The cabin erupted in applause when the Kenya Airways aircraft touched down in Nairobi. It was a historic moment, especially fitting from an airline known as “The Pride of Africa.”
There had been a celebration at the departures gate at JFK, with balloons, streamers, and an air of eager anticipation swirling around the Kenyan and American passengers. I boarded the aircraft behind an intimidating crowd of journalists and reporters, chief executives, and “influencers,”
Onboard, I’d been too excited to sleep. I spent the majority of the maiden voyage drinking Baileys, an activity which culminated in midnight Swahili lessons from the patient, amused airline staff. (Thank you, Peggy, or should I say: Asante).
My sleep-deprived (and semi-intoxicated) condition rendered the sight of the drummers and dancers greeting us on the tarmac at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport 15 hours later even more surreal. Kenyan politicians welcomed us with speeches commemorating the inaugural flight’s significance, not just for trade and tourism between Kenya and the US, but as a symbol of connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world.
Deputy President William Ruto spoke of Elizabeth II becoming Queen while in Kenya (as fans of The Crown well know) and of Barack Obama being the son of a Kenyan man, before concluding: “It doesn’t matter where you come from.”
“Whether you come from Asia, whether you come from Europe, whether you come from Australia, whether you come from wherever: Kenya is the capital of mankind. This is the place where humanity began. When you come to Kenya, you are coming home.”
I traveled all over Kenya, but decided to write this story on my journey to the Maasai Mara. I’ll cover the rest of my Kenya journey in a later article.
Maasai Mara
The Maasai Mara is magic. You feel it the moment you step onto the plains. There’s something about the air, and even the sky. Flying aboard the Safarilink prop plane to the Maasai Mara, we passed through towering clouds floating like sandcastles above the African bush. The sun streaming through these clouds casts beams of light across the plains. Green and lush in the summertime, the Mara turns a burnt gold in the fall.
When I visited in October, it looked like heaven brought down to earth. Similar to the eternal turquoise of the Caribbean Sea in stormy weather, the savannah retains its golden luster even if the sky is gray. I suppose I always assumed it would be the safari that spoke to me the most, and its charms cannot be overstated.
In the words of Out of Africa: “There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne — bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive.”
For me, this manifested in tears of joy, particularly when I spotted “the common zebra,” in the words of the witty (and wise) Kepha Ongere, my guide at Fairmont Mara Safari Club. Yet I maintain there is no sight more moving in all the savannahs of Kenya (or grasslands of East Africa, for that matter) than a dazzle of zebra running across the golden plains. Yes, a group of zebra are known as a dazzle, and dazzle they do when flash across the yellow grass of the Masai Mara in early November.
In the words of Out of Africa: “There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne — bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive.”
For me, this manifested in tears of joy, particularly when I spotted “the common zebra,” in the words of the witty (and wise) Kepha Ongere, my guide at Fairmont Mara Safari Club. Yet I maintain there is no sight more moving in all the savannahs of Kenya (or grasslands of East Africa, for that matter) than a dazzle of zebra running across the golden plains. Yes, a group of zebra are known as a dazzle, and dazzle they do when flash across the yellow grass of the Masai Mara in early November. Home is where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there.
Though Kenya is legendary for its natural beauty, I found I was most moved by the nation’s rich culture and the people I encountered on my journey. I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality I received throughout my stay, and I was delighted to discover that the place I’d longed to visit was eager to receive me as well.
Katherine’s Podcast on Kenya
