So Day 2 at Naivasha, incidentally low on cash and far from any internet, we ride our rented bikes down to the national park, Hell's Gate. Volcanic activity led the local Masai people to believe this area was literally the gates of hell, and even now the steam drawn from the ground powers most of Kenya's lakes region. Riding our bikes through amazing rocky geological formations, not unlike a very green version of Utah, we passed within a few hundred feet of a herd of Cape Buffalo. Cape Buffalo are the second most dangerous animal in Africa (after the fearsome hippo) and Travis Murray (Safari West in Sonoma) is pretty sure one will kill him someday. God I hope so. Anyhow, being within a few hundred feet, and much less than a hundred at one point, you feel like you could reach out and just pet one of these F-150-sized beasts.
The main attraction of Hell's Gate is the gorge, at the top of the bike trail. The gorge has been carved out of soft volcanic soil by heavy tropical rains over a few decades, leaving a multilayered, miles-long scar in the earth, 2-10 feet wide and 20-100 feet high, broken up with a stream at the bottom and hot water dripping out of the sides. The guided hike lasts about two hours as you wander the gorge.
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