On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
way2blue
This series of eight OTR submissions is organized more or less chronologically (although it’s been a challenge to sync time as my Lumix stayed on California time plus I didn’t shift my iPhone to Kenya time till we were comparing phone apps—for how far we’d walked—and mine was short by several miles since the hike had crossed over midnight—California time)…
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 7](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/1-24-July-09-0850-768x576.jpeg)
We made a side trip to visit what is believed to be the famed lion cave noted in the book, Man-eaters of Tsavo by Col. Patterson (1907)…
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 6](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2-24-July-10-0900-768x1024.jpeg)
On the right is the head rifleman, Chui (nickname meaning ‘leopard’), who took the lead in river crossings as his reflexes are quicker than the guide’s. On the right is the spotter, Washii. (I held Washii’s hand for river crossings to keep my footing on the uneven streambed.) Their sandals are repurposed car tires—worn both in the river and on the trails. Albeit, Wahii’s brother, Lajori, wore dress shoes, in the river & out…
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 5](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3-24-July-11-768x576.jpeg)
After visiting the Man-eaters cave, we drove to the Tsavo Railway Station to start our trek. Photo of the existing railroad bridge and a new (boondoggle) one being built by the Chinese. According to our guide, the Chinese compete with the British for influence in Kenya, in this case by *loaning* funds to Kenya through costly infrastructure projects.
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 4](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/4-24-July-12a-768x576.jpeg)
The old railroad station is along a major route, connecting Mombasa and Nairobi. The Man-eater lions likely grew to enormous size from feasting on laborers building the railway at the turn of last century…
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 3](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/5-24-July-12b-768x576.jpeg)
The old station was used by the Chinese while building the new bridge.
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 2](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/6-24-July-12c-768x576.jpeg)
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8] 1](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/7-24-July-13-768x576.jpeg)
Ticket office. Sadly.
![On The Road - way2blue - TSAVO NAT’L PARKS, KENYA IN JULY [3 of 8]](https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/8-24-July-17-768x576.jpeg)
We transitioned from Tsavo West to Tsavo East Nat’l Park as we crossed the highway which paralleled the railroad tracks. (The only time we encountered modern infrastructure on our trek.)
eclare
Interesting photo of the two bridges.
Mimi
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/blog/tsavo-lions
Benw
Your rifleman and spotter seem like pretty cool dudes. The photos of the old ticket station are fascinating. At one time someone really cared about all that paperwork, and now….
eclare
@Mimi: Thanks for the article! Makes sense, the same thing happens to other animals and people as they age, they eat softer food.
J R in WV
In this set I think the most interesting photo is of the two guides, one with his bolt-action rifle. Although the desolate RR station is interesting as well, historically. RR stations here in WV are mostly abandoned since back when local travel was all by rail, and every RR had rural passenger service from everywhere to everywhere, as they do in France (for one example) today.
way2blue
@J R in WV: Yes they were cool guys. Washii came on the afternoon drives and wanted to learn new English words. His favorite was ‘sassy’. He’d say ‘that elephant is sassy’. Lots of laughing.
MelissaM
@Mimi: I came here to say, I’ve seen the Tsavo lions at the Field Museum. They aren’t nearly so big because of what happened to them before they became taxidermied. I thought they were repatriated, but apparently not.
Kenyan safari isn’t very high on my bucket list, but I’m happy to go along on Balloon Juice. Thanks for the ticket, I look forward to more.
way2blue
@MelissaM: The book I mentioned chronicles tracking and killing the lions. But before they were killed they became so bold as I pull railroad workers out of their tents at night.
lashonharangue
Here is an article about the railroad project. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/07/world/africa/kenya-election-train.html