KENYA: PARADISE OF THE WILD

KENYA: PARADISE OF THE WILD

Africa is the cradle of the human race. Despite the number of years that humans have dwelt in this continent, the development of heavy industry in the area is still limited, which allowed the preservation of local wildlife and habitats to thrive their original state. Everyone should visit Africa at least once in their lifetime. Can you hear the primal roar of the untamed power of nature?

Text by Cai Jinhong Photos by Shen Haibin & Getty Translation by Sonia

肯尼亞：狂野天堂

非洲，這個人類起源地之一，經(jīng)過漫長的歲月，仍然鮮有現(xiàn)代工業(yè)的痕跡。大自然仍保持亙古之初的樸實(shí)風(fēng)貌，更多的野生動物也得以保存。

一生總要去一次非洲吧？你是否已經(jīng)聽到來自狂野大地的呼喚呢？

Kenya lies at the intersection of the Great Rift Valley of East Africa and the Equator, giving rise to its nickname of the Cross of East Africa. Warm climates provide Kenya with a beautiful yet untamed savannah, breathtaking mountain ranges, beautiful coasts, and wild animals that still capture our imagination.

Migration to Paradise

The natural migration of East African wildlife has been listed as one of the 50 sights that everyone must witness in their lifetime. Those who have the fortune of seeing this natural wonder flrsthand have echoed this sentiment.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is widely held as the best maintained game reserve in Africa. It covers 200 square miles of savannah, woodlands, and riverside forests, and is home to large and diverse populations of wild animals and plants. Herds of zebras, giraffes, gazelles, and wildebeests are scattered across the seemingly endless plains of lush, green grass. The acacia woods are also fllled with birds and monkeys. Elephants and African buffalo roll about in the marshes, while hippopotamuses and crocodiles swim in the rivers.

The dry season arrives at the Serengeti National Park of Tanzania to the south every July and August. The withering grass and dwindling watering holes soon prove incapable of supporting the large herbivore populations in the area. Rains and fresh grasses in the north compel these animals to embark on an epic migration that takes them across the borders of Tanzania and into the Maasai Mara Reserves of Kenya.

The Great Migration earned its nickname by its sheer scale and the unmatched diversity of animals that participate in this annual trip. To survive, creatures of every species, age, and gender from every direction gather into a moving mass that spreads as far as the eye can see. The noises generated by their stampeding hooves and cries can only be described as deafening, while the dust clouds they create could cover entire horizons. Zebras march at the van while wildebeests make up the vast majority of the horde. Gazelles, giraffes, and even birds are also part of the Great Migration. It is said that there are four million wildebeest in the savannah of the Maasai Mara. The endless sea of migrating animals is a most epic sight to behold.

肯尼亞是東非大裂谷和赤道線的交匯點(diǎn)，因此又被稱為“東非十字架”。溫和的氣候條件使得肯尼亞擁有美麗并充滿野性的大草原，氣勢恢宏的山巒，風(fēng)景秀美的海濱，還有各式各樣令人嘆為觀止的野生動物。

“天國之渡”

東非野生動物大遷徙被譽(yù)為“人生必須見證的50個景觀”之一。有幸能去觀看一次遷徙奇觀，那也算是終生難忘之幸事。

馬賽馬拉野生動物保護(hù)區(qū)，被廣泛認(rèn)為是非洲最好的野生動物保護(hù)區(qū)。保護(hù)區(qū)由開闊的平原、林地和河岸森林組成，這里生活著數(shù)不勝數(shù)、種類繁多的野生動植物。每年七八月，由于南面坦桑尼亞的塞倫蓋蒂國家公園進(jìn)入旱季，干枯的水草無力支撐眾多的草食動物，北部雨水和新鮮青草對動物們形成巨大的誘惑，它們越過坦桑尼亞和肯尼亞邊境，蜂擁遷入馬賽馬拉，以排山倒海之勢形成一個壯觀的入場式，覆蓋了兩側(cè)的地平線。在遷徙大軍中，角馬是主力，斑馬是先遣部隊(duì)，還配之以羚羊、大象、長頸鹿等等，凡是草食動物都加入到這個行列，甚至有的鳥類也參與進(jìn)來。據(jù)說，僅馬賽馬拉草原上的角馬就有400萬之眾！如此眾多的動物匯合成軍，前不見頭，后不見尾，真是鐵流萬里，蔚為壯觀！

The Wind-like Maasai

The tall, slender natives holding long staves and wearing bright red robes are the Maasai, a unique tribe who roam the African savannahs. The Maasai are East African nomads who still live in strictly regimented tribal societies to this very day. They live in savannahs and jungles with the local wildlife, and should be skilled hunters as a result. However, the truth is that the Maasai seldom hunt and live on beef, lamb, milk and blood. They don't even flsh or hunt wild animals for food.

The traditional clothing of the Maasai is also extremely conspicuous. The men are dressed in shúkà, a two-piece outflt that includes an undergarment and another piece that hangs from a shoulder. The women, on the other hand are dressed in the kanga, a large round-collared robe that hang from their necks. Their heads may be decorated with white-coloured beadwork. They're also known for their large ears and earlobes. Maasai girls would have their ears pierced shortly after birth. The weight of these accessories will be increased gradually to stretch out their earlobes.

The Maasai in their red outflts remind people of the wind. Some have remarked that the Maasai are the world's most capable long distance trekkers. This may be a result of their nomadic history that compels them to follow the rains and grass. The Maasai are also skilled jumpers. Their lean, powerful legs remind people of hares and grasshoppers, renowned jumpers of the natural world. And don't forget, the Kenyans are most famous for their running skills. The Maasai are also famous for their world leading standing high jumping skills. This skill was probably part of their suite of survival abilities in a life of close encounters with wild animals. Due to the lack of trees and hills of their native savannahs, the Maasai could only look around to identify dangers in their surroundings by jumping. And of course, the Maasai judge the worth of their warriors according to their running and high jumping skills.

風(fēng)一樣的馬賽人

一襲紅衣，手持長棍，細(xì)長的身材融入天地之間，這就是在非洲大草原上獨(dú)行的馬賽人。馬賽人是東非的游牧民族，至今仍生活在嚴(yán)格的部落制度之下，由部落首領(lǐng)和長老會議負(fù)責(zé)管理，成年男子按年齡劃分等級。馬賽人生活在草原、叢林中，與野獸為伍，理應(yīng)擅長捕獵，但事實(shí)上，馬賽人不狩獵，不吃野生動物的肉，甚至不吃魚。

對于經(jīng)常與野生動物打交道的牧人來說，火焰般的紅色就是力量的象征，因此馬賽人最喜歡穿顏色鮮紅的長袍。馬賽人紅色的身影總讓人想到風(fēng)。有人說，他們是世界上最能行走的人之一，這可能是由于長年累月逐水草而牧的生活鍛煉了他們吧。別忘了，肯尼亞黑人是世界上最能跑的人。馬賽人的立定跳高也堪稱世界一絕，這也是與野獸打交道訓(xùn)練出來的生存技能。由于他們生活的荒原上常常找不到樹木和山丘，登高眺望便成了一種奢望，于是他們就靠跳高望遠(yuǎn)來目測四周的危險(xiǎn)。跑得快，跳得高，歷來就是馬賽人對勇士的認(rèn)定標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。

Paris of Africa - Nairobi

Despite its proximity to the equator, Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, has never experienced sweltering heat. In fact, the name of the city in native Maasai means place of cool waters. Average temperature throughout the year is a comfortable 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. This place was only a village a hundred years ago. After the British built the flrst hotel in the region, the town of Nairobi quickly prospered around the new establishment. More and more houses were constructed and the city reached its zenith of development in the 1980s when it was known as the Paris of Africa. Modern Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city fllled with vigour and unique destinations. In addition to tourists from around the world, you can also experience flrst-rate metropolitan lifestyles of Africa. Modern urban amenities such as bookstores, restaurants, shopping areas, post offlces, and banks can be found here. Nairobi is also home to international star-rated hotel franchises as well as luxurious holiday resorts. We strongly recommend the thatched roof chalets that feature local tastes and aesthetics. It may not look like much, but it comes with flrst-rate services.

Nairobi is also known as the Oasis under the Sun. Its excellent climate ensures that its landscape is green all-year round. The flowering seasons of urban vegetation follow each other, ensuring unending blooms throughout the city. With the exception of vehicle exhausts, there is no other source of pollution along the streets of Nairobi. The skies of the city are therefore clear and blue. I believe this is the reason why the city gets to keep its prestigious accolade of the Oasis under the Sun.

Some people say that those who never go to Africa are afraid of it. Those who visit Africa will love it. And those who leave Africa will miss it. In other words, it is a place that people must visit at least once in their lifetime to experience the unique and peerless beauty of untamed wilderness and to immerse themselves in a place fllled with such wondrous powers.

非洲小巴黎——內(nèi)羅畢

肯尼亞首都內(nèi)羅畢雖靠近赤道，但炎熱一詞不屬于這里，內(nèi)羅畢是馬賽語“清涼的水”的意思，常年氣溫在15℃—25℃之間。100年前，內(nèi)羅畢所在的地方還是一個村落，沒有城市的任何蹤影，這時候英國人建起了第一個旅館。從此，內(nèi)羅畢就沿著這個旅館開始逐漸地繁榮起來，直到后來，1980年代至為鼎盛的時期，被稱為“非洲小巴黎”。現(xiàn)在，內(nèi)羅畢成為充滿活力和趣味的國際都市，在這里你除了會遇到來自世界各地的游客外，還可以享受現(xiàn)代的非洲都會生活，如非洲其他地區(qū)沒有的好書店、餐廳、商業(yè)區(qū)、郵局，及5分鐘內(nèi)可以兌換到支票的銀行等現(xiàn)代化都市生活設(shè)施。 內(nèi)羅畢既有國際連鎖集團(tuán)經(jīng)營的星級酒店，也有奢華的假日俱樂部。特別推薦鄉(xiāng)土氣息濃郁的茅屋旅舍，雖然外表簡陋，但服務(wù)是一流的。

有人說，沒到非洲怕非洲，走進(jìn)非洲愛非洲，走出非洲想非洲。是的，一生總要一次，去體驗(yàn)不同尋常的野性之美，去領(lǐng)略大自然的無與倫比的美麗，讓自己沉醉在這充滿力量之美的地方。

China Southern Airlines' Guangzhou -Nairobi flight information

Flight CZ633/4, operated by a wide-bodied Airbus A332, departs from Guangzhou every Thursday and Sunday and returns from Nairobi every Monday and Friday.

南航廣州直飛內(nèi)羅畢航班信息

廣州—內(nèi)羅畢，航班號CZ633/4，每周四、周日從廣州出發(fā)，當(dāng)?shù)貢r間周一、周五從內(nèi)羅畢返回，由寬體機(jī)空客A332執(zhí)飛。