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"I followed it for days. ULTIMATE AFRICA
SAFARIS Copyright © 1996 - 2001 |
Ultimate Africa Safaris' Visits Survivor 3 Site Ultimate Africa Safaris' managing director, Ian Proctor, wrote the following during his September 24, 2001 visit to Kenya's Shaba Reserve: ...As the afternoon wore on we made good speed along the paved road from Nanyuki to the Kenyan frontier town of Isiolo. Here the tarmac ends as you descend into the hot, dry, and dusty wildness that is central / northern Kenya. This area is where the Samburu Reserve, Buffalo Springs, and Shaba Reserves are located. At this point we were roughly 400 kilometers from Somalia and 500 kilometers from Ethiopia. The road was rough and dusty. Turkana children ran along side the road, their destination unknown to us. After about one hour of rolling our Landrover's windows up to avoid inhaling the dust from passing vehicles and then down to relieve the heat, and zig zagging around the numerous washouts and potholes, we arrived at Kenya's Shaba Reserve. As darkness rapidly descended upon us (as it does so near the equator) we entered the most incredible moonscape of volcanic rocks...it was as if a giant had emptied a thousand bags of oversized charcoal briquettes across the land! This combined with the white dust from the road coating the trees made for an amazing effect. After a short distance we passed through the Shaba gate into the area where Survivor 3 had just been filmed. We continued the short distance to the Sarova Shaba Lodge set on the banks of a slowly moving river. We met with the lodge managers who explained that there would be Samburu dancers followed by crocodile feeding at the river's edge before dinner. Dancers are one thing, but crocodile feeding? Surely that is not a good approach to wildlife conservation...I suppose it is better than what occurs at the nearby Samburu Serena Lodge and Samburu Lodge where they put out bait for leopard for the guests enjoyment. I was shown to one of the lodge's many rooms. In my opinion the rooms are quite dark and dated, yet functional. The bedroom contained a small desk, a large bed with mosquito net, bedside tables and a coffee table. The bathroom had a sink, toilet and bath / shower combination. You could easily here the guests in the next door rooms through interleading doors. The lodge property is shaded by large trees and is fully fenced (by an electric fence. I would prefer if there were no fence). After a shower I made my way to the second story open thatch roof dining area where Joseph, my friend guide, enjoyed dinner. I had a nice chicken dish and a cold Tusker beer. The lodge manager was an outgoing man who insisted that Joseph and I share a complimentary bottle of South African wine - thanks! It was lovely! Service was attentive and Joseph and I enjoyed a spirited conversation until 11:00 PM when we both decided to retire. Back in my room I slept in fits as the ceiling fan above my bed went off at midnight when the power was switched off. It was a warm night. The morning of September 25, 2001 I awoke to the sound of footsteps outside my room (on the path and stairs). There were a few shouts and the sound of a hotel employee shooting a slingshot into the tree to scare the monkeys away. We then met up with Frederick Chindeyi, the lodge's assistant manager. We piled into our 4x4 Landrover to explore the Shaba Reserve and the sites where Survivor 3 were filmed. After a short distance we came across a pile of stones at a crossing where Frederick explained the Survivor boundary was fixed - during filming no outsiders were allowed beyond this point. We continued further to the Gorge (Dakadima) area where a river flowed beneath a large rock outcrop. It is here that many of the Survivor challenges took place. Numerous lion tracks could be seen in the sand. After this we visited the area where the tribal council meetings were held. It was an open grassy area with a large mountain in the distance. There were few tracks however you could see how the mud and grass huts erected for the set had been knocked down and spread out across the area - the impact was minimal. We shot a bit of video and continued onward to the base camp (Tent City) about 4 kilometers away. It was here that between 600 and 1000 people (including drivers and rangers) were based for the filming of Survivor 3. There was no evidence of the area's use even though the area had been fully fenced with electric fencing. The base camp included satellite dishes, cold rooms, generators producing 1000 KWS of power, several large filming machines with hydraulic parts and a swimming pool! Apparently 2 water trucks worked all day each day simply bringing water from near the Sarova Shaba Lodge to the base camp. A helicopter was also present and both the Shaba airstrip and the Samburu Airstrip were used frequently. Apparently each evening a twin engine plane would depart for Nairobi and return the next morning. The Survivors themselves overnighted, as the local people do, within a circle of thorn branches for protection against the wildlife. Rangers were posted all around. During our time in Shaba we saw lion spoor everywhere, saw numerous elephant, waterbuck, warthogs, gerenuk, zebra, ostrich and other wildlife. We bid Frederick farewell around noon as we dropped him back at the Sarova Shaba. We were soon at the reserve gate where Joseph and I shot a bit of video. We then exited the moonscape and made our way along the dusty road towards Isiolo and back to civilization. At 12:00 PM it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Survivor III / Ultimate Africa Safaris
At Ultimate Africa Safaris we know how to start a fire using two stones and springhare droppings...we know how to carry fire for weeks at a time in ostrich eggs...we know how to make a fish hook and line from the thorn tree and how to cure a stomach ache with a handful of leaves...We know Africa first hand. Canoe with hippo and crocodile; raft the world's most challenging white water beneath the world's largest waterfall; track lion and elephant on foot; interact with locals in their villages; experience Africa; Contact our office... If you are interested in traveling to Africa contact Ultimate Africa Safaris in Seattle, Washington, USA. Our expert safari consultants have hands on experience in Africa. Call Toll Free in the USA 1 800 461 0682 or send an email to info@ultimateafrica.com |
