Living in Kashmir 1979-80: A Year of People, Places and Memories
After several months of challenging postings on field stations, observers were entitled to some well-deserved rest and recuperation. We decided to take advantage of this opportunity to visit Kenya. We planned time for a trip to Nairobi, Mombasa, the Serengeti and then onward to the Maldives for a brief sun-drenched interlude.
We had in our possession certain papers known as MCOs, Miscellaneous Charge Orders, acquired following a previous incident in Islamabad, where a travel agent had falsely claimed to represent American Express. These MCOs now covered the cost of our airline tickets, and we set off with high hopes.
Nairobi and Mombasa
Having reached Nairobi, we opted to travel by train down to Mombasa on the coast. It was the old colonial-era train, beautifully maintained: wooden panels gleaming, brass hooks and fittings polished to a brilliant shine. The waiters moving through the carriages in their black trousers and starched white coats, were courteous and efficient. The overnight passage lulled us into a contented sleep, and we arrived at the coast eager to explore.
Mombasa
High on the hill above the shoreline, Fort Jesus dominates the landscape. It was built by the Portuguese in the 1590s to secure dominance over the Indian ocean trade routes. The fort has passed through many hands as powers waxed and waned across the centuries.
We sat on an old stone wall overlooking the water and pondered the bravery of those who had set sail from Portugal in the1490s. They were in small vessels, facing vast oceans, and an unknowable horizon ahead of them.
Below us, the markets hummed and jostled. Here we had our first encounter with the short burkas worn by local Muslim women. These burkas fell only to the knee and when the breeze caught the fabric, many a glimpse of a mini skirt was revealed beneath. We wandered through the old town, its streets replete with faded signs and buildings that spoke quietly of other eras.
The Serengeti
On return to Nairobi, we had arranged for a driver to take us into the Serengeti wildlife reserve. Our accommodation was a tent, not quite glamping by any measure, but enclosed within an adequately sturdy fence, sufficient to discourage nocturnal visitors of the wild variety.
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| On safari in the Serengeti - water damaged photo |
We were thrilled with the wildlife encountered. Vast herds of wildebeest rolled across the plain like a living tide. Hyenas trotted with their tails carried jauntily upright. Elephants lumbered by with a quiet authority that made the ground seem to hold its breath. We craned our necks to follow the improbable grace of giraffes as they reached for the very tops of the thorn trees. Zebras, each one uniquely striped, broke into a canter and were gone in a thunder of hooves.
We returned to Nairobi awed by the majesty of nature that we had witnessed.
The Near Miss
We were returning to our hotel in Nairobi one evening making our way along a well-lit road when two very large men stepped from the shadows and accosted us.
They threatened us with machetes.
It was my husband’s presence of mind that saved us. Without hesitation he hurled his bag containing our cash and travellers cheques into the far distance. The men set off in pursuit of it. Luckily, my bag contained our passports and airline tickets. We ran and ran and did not stop until we reached the hotel.
The hours that followed were consumed by a visit to the local police station. It was impossible to identify the perpetrators from the books of mugshots laid before us, and probably unwise to do so. We turned the pages in silence and said little.
With our cash gone and our spirit of adventure severely curbed, we cancelled the trip to the Maldives. The following day was given over to the practicalities of recovery. We visited the bank to cancel the travellers cheques and secured airline tickets back to the relative safety of the known world.
Relieved, we left Nairobi bound for Karachi.
