I bought the ticket for this flight back in November, and only after completing the purchase did I wonder, “Is that a good time to go to Kenya?”
As it turns out, this isn’t generally considered a great time to visit East Africa, because April and May are the season of long rains. To be fair, I could have canceled my ticket, but I had found a good deal and further research reassured me.
While I was still in the 24-hour cancellation window, I read that there won’t be nearly as many tourists this time of year, and I generally consider that a good thing.
Yet others reported that the rains usually come for a few hours, and then they break, giving way to a spectacular luminous morning and a lush landscape.
I read advice that suggested I should find a good safari operator. The big game may be more difficult to find this time of year, but experienced guides will know where to look
So here I am, in a Delta Airlines Airbus A330 on my way to Amsterdam. The cold rains that hallmark the last vestiges of a dying winter finally yielding to spring are now well below and behind me in Southeastern Michigan, and the grand azure dome of the sky welcomes me warmly from above and ahead.
And, in this moment, everything feels perfect.
Journey with me again, my friends, for the next few days. Your intrepid blogger is going on safari in Subsaharan Africa during the peak of the rainy season, which means my truck will probably get stuck in the mud, and I’m certain I’ll get wet.
But I’m going to Kenya, an ancient land where the earliest modern humans began the ongoing journey of our species. From everything I’ve heard, I will find magnificent people, culture, history, food, and animals. And no amount of rain can dampen my enthusiasm right now.
It feels like I’m going to the center of the world.
butterblogger 