Another "shortcut"; Hippo Habits in Lake Naivasha

On the way from Thika to Lake Naivasha on the back roads, the locals sent me on the "shortcut", thinking I wouldn't want to ride on any unpaved road. It didn't match up with what my map said, but what could I do when 20 villagers are practically pushing my bike down the road? So I ended up in the middle of nowhere (a beautiful one by the way, among tea fields planted on slopes so steep I wondered how one could harvest the young, tender, leaves standing at a 45 degree angle) with no way to get near a town before dark. Fortunately, an American couple (also not on the road they thought they were on), rolled by in their land rover and gave me a ride to Naivasha. They were an amazing pair of missionaries who had spent 30 years among the Pekot tribe in northern Kenya. They had recently "retired" to Naivasha but were just coming home from a two week stay in Isiolo drilling wells for the locals.

Naivasha is home to a huge lake, banked by flower farms. Flower farming is big business in Kenya and much of the coffee has been replaced by huge net greenhouses that grow roses. I had the opportunity to tour one near Thika and it was pretty amazing! They use drip irrigation and hydroponic gardening to grow the roses and any unused water is recycled and used again. I was told that much of Naivasha is employed in the rose business and the pay is quite competitive.

Got the lowdown about hippos in Lake Naivasha from one of the boat drivers. There were a few near shore, hunkered down in the water. They sleep there all day and at night feed on who knows what plants. Can you imagine how much green stuff they have to consume to fill that huge body? They live in small pods with only one male per group. That male claims his "territory". When a baby male is born, the mother has to hide it or the father will kill it. She sneaks around to breastfeed her son and then returns to the harem. When the male grows up, he will fight his father or other male for the territory, inheriting the women I suppose. Hmmm. Maybe we should start a Female Hippo Rights support group.