A Memorable Visit to Africa - Essay Example

A Memorable Visit to Africa Hard work has been appreciated as a critical component of human lives. However, even humans need time to rest and have their minds free of any engagements including academics. My best friend Abdool knows this so well and creates time to relax and reflect back on his achievements. Some time back when he cleared his high school education, Abdool sought to find a refreshing place where he would unwind and just relax. “I have put so much effort in my high school education and having graduated, I need time to relax and reflect on my past before moving forward,” Abdool said. Being a person who loves travelling, Abdool chose to spend about a week in the African jungles. As learnt from the experience he shared with me, he had fun and breathtaking moments in this journey that would forever remain in his mind. Of course, having cleared high school, Abdool could not raise enough money to cater for his expenses down the African wild. However, his academic achievement earned this polite and charming boy the opportunity to travel all the way to Africa. He had agreed with his parents that should he pass in his exams, then he would have the privilege of choosing a holiday destination at his parents’ cost. This opportunity would be considered rare by a majority of children but not for Abdool whose father was one of the wealthiest men in Saudi Arabia, owning and co-owning some oil wells in the Eastern Province. His wealth had made him create political associations and become not just prominent but also powerful not just in Saudi Arabia, but also in the neighboring Qatar and Oman. As promised by his parents, his success in the final high school exams earned him his choice of a tour to the African jungle. For such a major visit, planning forms a critical component in an effort to achieve the intended objectives. To successfully plan for this journey, Abdool involved the expertise of a travel planner referred to him by his father. Perhaps, this was the person that the father used whenever he was organizing his travels or family vacations. “After listening to you, I am certain that Africa would be your best-suited destination,” the travel planner said to Abdool. Together, they came up with a schedule of the places in Africa where Abdool would visit during the one week tour. Definitely, it would take him a long time again before getting such a chance as their family vacations were mostly spent in the Saudi Arabian Asir National Park and the Place of Ismaiel at Taif mountain resort city. Abdool would have loved to have my company. However, my inability to meet the cost and family commitments could not allow me to join my friend. His parents were busy with business, this being the time when oil prices were fluctuating in the global market. As such, they needed to constantly monitor their business. He had to go alone, though in the company of other tourists visiting Africa. Seeing my friend off at the King Khalid International Airport was a low moment for me but it was important to appreciate that he was going to have a good time and I needed to be happy for him. On board Qatar Airways, Abdool was airborne destined to Kenya, a country in Africa. In about five hours, Abdool landed in Kenya and could not wait to witness the wildebeest migration across the Kenyan border from the neighboring country known as Tanzania. This is an annual occurrence where wildebeests together with other herbivorous wild animals migrate from the neighboring country, Tanzania to escape drought into Kenya where the weather would be rainy. Nonetheless, his patience had to be put to test as going by the schedule created together with his agent, he had to check into a hotel, relax and prepare to witness the migration the following day. Being the polite young man I knew, Abdool followed the tour guide who picked him from the airport as pre-planned by his travel agent. He was booked into an internationally renowned hotel in Kenya’s capital. The weather was enjoyable for Abdool who did not have to endure any heat as he was used to in Saudi Arabia. Kenya’s capital provided him with a temperate weather. He spent the evening relaxing in the hotel and retired early to bed as the following day was event packed. As the sunrays sneaked into his room, Abdool stretched from bed lazily and got prepared for the day. He was glad that the hotel management did not interfere with his religion, allowing him to pray in the morning as per the dictates of Islam. After a sumptuous breakfast of creamy tea and some vegetable delicacies, the tour guide came for Abdool and the journey to the Mara River where he was to witness the wildebeest migration started. The journey by road was rewarding as my friend got an opportunity to see how Kenyan Africans carried on with their daily activities. The tour guide explained to Abdool the features he saw on the way to the Mara. This is how he came to understand that the valleys he saw around made up the Great Rift Valley that traversed country. The wildlife on the way to Mara provided Abdool with unforgettable experience. As they drove off the main road into the Mara National Park where they were to drive for about 100km on rough terrain to get to the Mara River that marked the Kenyan border where the wildebeest migration was happening, a heavy downpour unexpectedly halted their journey. For about two hours, the driver parked the tour van on the side of the rough road as visibility had been totally deterred. Coming from a country that is widely a desert, Abdool was amazed at the amount of rainfall witnessed in the African jungle. This made him appreciate the reason for the greenness of the vegetation. However, “there are times when all the vegetation around turn pale following long periods of drought,” explained the tour guide. The situation was never as serious as it was in the desert though. As the rains subsided, the tour guide sought for a clearance signal to continue with the journey from the park’s control room. Unfortunately, it was declined as he was informed that the rains had caused so much havoc rendering most of the roads impassable. This meant that they had to postpone their journey until the following day. In as much as my friend is polite, disappointments like this bring out the worst of him and this could also have been the situation then. The information on the cancelled visit was quickly relayed to his agent by the contracted tour guide who swiftly contacted Abdool saying, “I apologize for the inconvenience caused by the unanticipated weather. Kindly allow us to reschedule your plan.” The historic sites to which Abdool was rescheduled to visit the following day excited him, perhaps due to his love for history. After spending the night in a cottage in the park, Abdool and the tour crew embarked on the visit to the Mara River early in the morning. The tour guide informed Abdool and the other tourists that early mornings could not be the best timings to witness wildebeest migration but early departure would only give them ample time to enjoy the wildlife as they slowly drove to their destination. The sight of lions, gazelles, zebras, warthogs, apes and many other wild animals as Abdool and the tour crew drove through the park was spectacular. It was a rare opportunity for him to witness these beasts live as he had only seen them on television. In about three hours, they were at the Mara River ready to witness the wildebeest migration documented as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. As the sun moved towards the center of the Earth at about noon, the migration slowly started. A massive herd of wildebeests escorted by zebras started crossing the river. In the river, drama ensued as crocodiles made a feast of the wildebeests and zebras. Carcasses and blood filled the river in equal measure with the live wildebeests and zebras that sought to cross over. Indeed, nature has so much to offer that humans need to appreciate. Watching the videos of this migration captured by Abdool made me appreciate the beauty of visiting the African jungle. There was more to Abdool’s vacation than just witnessing the wildebeest migration into Kenya from the neighboring Tanzania. The following three days were spent at the Kenyan coast. The warm sandy beaches provided an opportunity for my friend to swim in the ocean. In fact, all the three afternoons were spent swimming in the warmly heated water of the ocean. This visit was not only meant to have fun but also provided Abdool the much needed opportunity to learn about the history of the Arabs and their interaction with the Kenyan Africans. The rich history of the Kenyan coast as regards slave trade with Western nations was beneficial to Abdool. The tour guide enlightened him further on marine life and the varied economic activities at the coast and in the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, learning the culture of the inhabitants of the region was useful. The region dominated by Muslims made Abdool to feel more at home. The journey back home began at the Kenyan coast where Abdool boarded a train to the country’s capital. The easy time in the train provided Abdool with time to reflect back on his experience in Africa. He knew that he would miss this experience and had therefore made the best out of it, taking many photos and videos. After spending the night at the country’s capital, Abdool boarded his return flight the following day and was back home in about five hours. Though I was not there to welcome him back, his parents were there to make their son feel welcomed. The joy in his face was reason enough to appreciate a person who had experienced the best that the African life had to offer. Therefore, it would be appreciated that memorable journeys take proper and timely planning for them to be beneficial. Furthermore, seeking professional assistance goes a long way to make the visitor reap maximum benefit from such journeys. Were this not so, Abdool would probably have spent his opportunity to visit Africa inappropriately. Abdool’s experience made me to believe in the need for time off work to relax and rejuvenate. Such experiences provide an opportunity to reflect back on past experiences and forge forward. As such, everyone should aim at creating time to relax. Read More