Currently, we are suffering from empty nest syndrome. Olivia and Sam, my daughter and her fiancé, left to head back to the U.K. So, Pauline and I are rattling around the flat waiting for the doorbell to ring. But what the hell, life goes on, and we have to settle back into the rhythm of the year. I am determined to set aside at least two mornings a week to write. I find the mornings are the best for me as by lunchtime my head is full of other things that are crying to be done. We shall see though; all New Year’s resolutions are wonderful for the first couple of weeks!
While Olivia and Sam and his parents were here, we decided to head out on a five-day safari and that is what I am going to write about for the next few newsletters. We planned a route taking us along the coast as far as Watamu, then we turned inland and headed towards Tsavo East. We stayed at one lodge on the Galana River; Kulalu Camp, then entered Tsavo for real and stayed at Satao Camp for two nights. Our last night was at Leopard’s Lair Camp in Lumo Conservancy near Tsavo West. We chose this route as it covered a lot of ground and, we hoped, would ensure Sam got to see all of the animals and some major sights along the way.
Our first stop was Gede Ruins, which is the sister or brother to Jumba Ruins in Mombasa. The settlement is dated back to the 13th century before the Portuguese came this far along the coast. When I first step foot into these places I am in awe. This is a 13-century ruin that is still standing in a country that most people think has always been behind the rest of the world.
This proves that Swahili life was alive and flourishing some 700 years ago! Think about that for a minute – 700 years ago, before America was discovered, the Swahili were trading with international partners. And I get emails saying the tribe does not even exist!
Gede Ruins covers some 48 acres and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of seven in Kenya. Some are dense forest with rare trees and the rest are scattered settlements. In the small museum attached to the site, it says that Gede peaked in the 15th Century and by the 17th Century it had been completely abandoned. The reason it was abandoned is not really understood that well, it could have been the Portuguese arriving, conflicts with neighbours; there is a story about an army coming from Mombasa to destroy the settlement, or it could have been a simple drop in the water table; as all but the well at the Great Mosque are dry.
Whatever happened, in its hay day this was an impressive settlement on the very edge of the unknown. The Gede museum has a wonderful video, click here, where an old man talks about lions in the forest during his lifetime. So, I can only imagine what the place was like some 700 years ago.
There are wonderful romantic arches still engraved with Arabic script that can easily be seen. The walls are all stone, and the windows are square cut. There is even an obelisk above a tomb called the “Pillar Tomb.” These structures were massive and so well built for the time and to still be standing so long after their construction is amazing in itself.
I walked around the site as ideas floated in and out of my head. Brody has to come to Gede ruins; there is so much intrigue in the site. Chinese pottery was even found, meaning that Africa was trading with China this far from the Silk Road. It would give a great intro into an action story where Brody has to deal with some sort of ancient discovery or artifact found at Gede. Then gets into an adventure with the Chinese etc. But that is me falling down another rabbit hole!
We spent two hours on the site, which was not enough, thoroughly enjoying the history and ancient buildings that scattered the area. Our guides were the troupes of Sykes monkeys that have almost become bandits. There are gangs of them from the entrance all the way through the ruins. They are very friendly and easily approachable; but watch your bag, or if you are having a snack, they will pinch it out of your hand!
We returned to our safari truck feeling much better after the walk and full of history and awe at these ancient buildings. The next part of our journey awaited us; a three hour drive across Kwale County to Kulalu Camp. Stay tuned for the next instalment.
I hope you enjoyed this blog. If you have any comments or just want some more information about East Africa then drop me a line [email protected]. I always enjoy hearing from you guys and love a chat!
Tutaonana mwezi ijayo (See you next month)
Steve
