Ol Pejeta: The Camp

 The camp at Ol Pejeta is more rustic than any others we have seen. The tents are really tents although they do have cement floors, king-size beds and full bathrooms. We do have to schedule our showers so the staff can bring a bucket of hot water. The water is raised above and released into the shower. It does provide plenty of pressure, more than we had in some hotels. One load was enough for both Linda and I to finish our showers. The lodge is a larger tent raised on a platform overlooking a pond. The tent is large enough to house the kitchen, bathrooms and two offices in addition to dining and lounging. 

The Shower Stall

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They fill the bucket with hot water
Then raise it so the water flows through the hose

Another view of the shower setup

On our afternoon drive duma took us by the ranch area of the Conservancy where they raise cattle. The ranch helps support the Conservancy and the cattle complement the wild animals that also graze on the land. These are brahma-like cattle with massive horns. They are controlled with an electric fence. Elephants are kept out with a unique set of electric wires at chest level. About two feet long they poke the elephants as they approach the fence which otherwise would offer no resistance to the huge elephants. Because the chest of the elephant is sensitive, these seemingly innocuous wires keep the elephants in their place. 

Nubian Woodpecker outside our tent

We made one interesting stop so Duma could show us some black rhino poo. Black rhinos have a narrow mouth which they use to pick fruits and leaves from trees and shrubs. As vegetarians, they have no incisors, only sharp molars that make 45 degree cuts as they chew on the branches. Duma found some example twigs in the poo for us. 

In addition to the cattle and poo, we had some good looks at hartebeest, warthogs, and waterbucks. We also spent some time at a waterhole where we saw a few shorebirds. Duma told us that the waterhole had some catfish even though it looked much too small to have any fish. Once it starts to rain the waterhole will fill  up and even overrun the banks. Last year it had flooded so much that it left fish behind as it receded to its current level. The predators and birds had a field day. 

Two pictures of waterbucks

A somewhat rare sighting.
Waterbucks usually keep the young ones hidden.

Warthog - He is not praying, just getting closer to his food

We are the only guests. The staff is attentive beyond measure and they make sure we always have someone to share the meal time. We had interesting conversations with the manager. Peter was a welder from Australia who met his Kenyan wife and moved to Kenya after they were married. He became interested in the birds and went to work for the company. He had to get a special work permit which took several months. The fact that married a Kenyan was no help and he said it would probably be impossible for someone to get a similar permit today. He also shared that his wife has trouble entering South Africa. Because she is a white person with a Kenyan passport, they pulled her aside for special interviews. 

 

Dining Table

Lounge

By the time we were ready for bed it was already cold. The camp gave us two hot water bottles to warm up the bed. The next morning they still had enough warmth to use to warm our clothes before getting dressed. They also gave us bottles to help take off the chill for the morning ride.