No Risk, No Reward
I felt brave this week. While I have done a lot of brave things, I don’t typically feel like I’m walking around every day with a bunch of courage in my back pocket. But this week I told a few people about some of the things I plan to do on my upcoming trip. I’ll be on several safari drives in close proximity to really large and potentially dangerous wild animals of course, but I also researched walking safaris and I am going to try to do one of those. A walking safari is a chance to be out of a vehicle accompanied by a Maasai naturalist to learn about not just animals but also plants and the local ecosystem. During a walking tour you are also accompanied by an armed safari guide as a precaution. You can also view and learn about “small game” which are things like spiders and beetles. I was afraid of a spider in the bathroom earlier in the month, but I am still determined to do this walk, and hope I do see at least one kind of interesting insect (just, please don’t let it be a centipede). I am also going to do a hot air balloon ride! Everyone I’ve told about those two adventures this week (4 out of 4 people) said they would be too afraid to do either of them. I am excited to do both and it actually didn’t occur to me to be afraid, which I think is a surprise to even myself.
I also booked trip cancellation insurance this week and I did some research about travel advisories for Kenya. Doing that reminded me of the things that can go sideways, and of risks involved with this trip. And none of them are making me hesitate or feel afraid. Which is maybe also a surprise to myself.
I will be alone with my friend Jo for only a short time when we arrive at the airport in Nairobi, and then with a group and experienced leaders the rest of the time. But I am reminded that it is still important to be alert and aware of my surroundings at pretty much all times.
Kenya is bordered by South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and the beautiful Indian Ocean. Kenya is a big country and the wars that are taking place in some of its bordering countries are quite far from where I will be. Some of the areas (which I won’t be in) come with travel advisory warnings to completely avoid certain areas that are close to the border of Somalia, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
There is also an “avoid non-essential travel” warning for some neighborhoods in Nairobi due to terrorist attacks.
The reason Kenya as a whole is considered a dangerous travel destination, is due to high crime rates, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.
When I return from my trip I am going to tell you how peaceful it was in the areas I visited, and how kind everyone was. But, that doesn’t mean I am not aware of the actual dangers close to where I will be, or where I will be in some cases.
Other travel risks that were listed include the warning that tourists have been victims of crime, sometimes violent, in national parks and safari reserves; generally, only when camping alone or without expert local assistance. I can’t for a second imagine camping alone in a park reserve in Kenya, or at the campground that is two minutes form my house. I don’t know if there is risk or reward in camping but I am probably not going to be the one to tell you. I’ll get to tell you more about my actual fun trip details soon but a little spoiler alert for you is that the “tent” I will be sleeping in in Kenya has electricity, a shower and flushing toilet.
There is also a warning that travel on land between Nairobi and Amboseli and Masai Mara (where I will be), has been subject to attacks, robberies and vehicle hijacking. I’m going to be on a tiny plane instead, which I realized is just as scary as a jeep hijacking to some people. I’m excited about the little plane and hope that I see elephants on the ground below when I look out the window!
There are of course warnings of the risks of being in close range of wildlife. And there is a note that simply says for all of Kenya “public transportation is unsafe” This can be due to crime, and also due to poorly maintained and I quote “recklessly driven” vehicles.
And, there are multiple warnings of the risk of mosquito bites which have low risk to transmit Zika Virus, dengue fever, chikungunya, and of course malaria. I will be protected from malaria only with pills that may or may not make me ill. I’ll keep you posted.
You can also be fined or arrested for photographing a government building, even unknowingly. So, it is a good idea to keep your phone in your pocket in urban areas. And you can be fined for having a plastic bag (a “Sobey’s bag for my Nova Scotia readers). Use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags is illegal in Kenya. The fine is up to $40K US and/or 2 years in jail! This is something I might write more about as I get to witness Kenya’s “Our Environment, Our Life, Our Responsibility” mission in person. How handy is it to know this, if you are someone who still has IGA bags kicking around and planned to throw one in your suitcase for your dirty laundry. Imagine ending up in a Kenyan jail for that oversight. It is good to be aware of all the big and small risks to consider when travelling anywhere.
If we sat around and worried about every danger associated with a location though, we would never leave our house. Travel advisories for potential terrorist attacks exist even in London, and there are crime warnings to people visiting places like Mexico and Dominican Republic, but people go there all the time. I mean, you could get shot at a mall in the United States, and probably run a greater risk of that than anything I listed above.
As someone who is generally very aware of my surroundings and who overthinks every risk in everything I do, I am glad I took time to be aware of this information. But quite honestly, I didn’t even consider needing to be brave for most of the warnings, or of the things some people say they couldn’t do. Knowing there are some risks though – how sweet is the reward going to be in the end?!
Do you have a good story of when the risk was worth the reward? A trip or adventure perhaps? Or is there a risk that is holding you back from the reward of a lifetime?
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