Travelers' Tales: Kenya

“I’VE BEEN A TOUR GUIDE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THIS WAS SOMETHINGSPECIAL”

When Damon and Carole took a trip to Namibia, little did they know they’d meet a new friend in their tour guide, Benjamin – let alone invite him home to share a glimpse of their lives in Minnesota

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n April 26th, Audley clients Damon and Carole Sierk wrote to the immigration office in Nairobi, Kenya. They were determined to help their guide and new friend, Benjamin, obtain a visa to visit them in the United States. In this letter, they wrote:

‘In February of 2018 we were on a threeweek safari in Kenya and Tanzania. One of our stops was at a camp on the Masai Mara, operated by the Asilia Co. We were met at the airstrip by Benjamin and he was to be our driver and guide for the next three days. When we shook hands at the airstrip, an instant bond formed between us. His intellect and knowledge of the area made our stay on the Masai Mara a wonderful memory.

Through our many conversations, Benjamin informed us that he had never been on an airplane or out of Kenya. This information planted an idea in my mind, and now to reciprocate all that Benjamin gave us, we would like to invite him to come to the United States, and spend time with us in Northern Minnesota by a lake surrounded by tall trees.’

Receiving a visa for travel from Kenya to the United States is no easy feat, but the Sierks were determined to share their home with

Benjamin, just as Benjamin had shared his with them. They would be joined for two days by Audley Country Specialist Katie, who planned the Sierks’ initial trip to Kenya.

BATTLING THE RED TAPE

Three months after the initial application was submitted, and accompanied by an additional letter sent by Senator Chuck Grassley of Sioux County, Iowa, Benjamin was presented with a five-year travel visa to the United States.

Approval meant the continuation of a friendship that would extend beyond Africa, all the way to the Lake District of Minnesota. Friendship is hard to explain but for Damon it was simple: “I instinctively knew that we got along. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and from the moment we met at the airport and he joked that our forty-minute transfer to camp would last four hours, I knew he was someone I wanted to know better.”

Benjamin’s journey to Bemidji, Minnesota, began five days before he arrived at the home

“DAMON AND CAROLE WERE WILLING TO KNOW MY HEART AND I WAS READY TO SHARE WITH THEM AS MUCH AS I COULD”

Benjamin Kisemei

of Carole and Damon. As Benjamin said, “You start a journey with one step forward,” and so he began his travels to America, walking six miles from the lodge to his village. Once there, he waited for a motorbike, which took him two hours to the nearest paved road and then onward another few hours to the closest city. He waited in the city for two days where he picked up travel money that the Sierks had sent, and bought supplies for the

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TRAVELERS’ TALES

trip, careful to pack a carry-on bag that only contained one change of clothes in order to take every precaution possible to not raise any alarm at immigration. It was then a three-hour journey in a mini bus to Nairobi, where Benjamin’s flight departed from.

BOARDING THE PLANE

Benjamin arrived at the airport 12 hours early to ensure that he didn’t miss his first flight to Amsterdam. The flight was the first of his life but instead of feeling frightened he simply looked around and noticed that nobody else looked alarmed as the plane flew higher above Kenya and so he relaxed as well.

Chocks away (clockwise from this) Benjamin prepares for a flight; Damon, Carole and Benjamin in Minnesota; Benjamin dons traditionl dress to meet the locals

For eight hours Benjamin watched the navigation screen on the seat back in front of him; he was fascinated by the distance and speed at which he was soaring over the world. As he watched, he could not help but marvel at the distance that his clients regularly travel to see the bush in Kenya.

Once in Minneapolis, a mere hour-long flight away from Bemidji, he was stopped by immigration. He was questioned and asked to present the home address of the Sierks. Without the address on hand, he missed his connecting flight due to further questioning and had to spend an additional twelve hours in an airport hotel. Still, he didn’t sleep.

FRIENDS REUNITED

“If I had to describe Benjamin in one word, it would be dignified” said Carole. This composure was crucial in Benjamin’s successful journey to the Sierks’ home.

Just as Damon and Carole opened their home to Benjamin, it was this initial openness about Benjamin that they were equally drawn to. While in Kenya, Damon and Carole stayed at Asilia Africa’s Naboisho Camp for three nights, the property where Benjamin has worked for the past eight years of his 14-year career. During their time together, Benjamin opened up beyond the confines of his job; he spoke about his childhood, describing the meals of boiled tree bark, cow’s milk, and blood that were only available every third day, with matter-of-fact honesty. He described a life where acquiring food meant stalking a lion until it made a catch, and then, in a group, spreading out their robes as wide as possible in order to steal the catch.

The stark contrast of their backgrounds was not a topic that they skirted around. The two talked openly about growing up with different types of abundance, resources, and different financial realities. Just as the Sierks were fascinated by the lions on the Masai Mara, so was Benjamin taken by the array of fresh and potable water in Bemidji.

The more one gets to know both Damon and his wife, Carole, it becomes quickly evident that, despite the seemingly grand gesture of hosting Benjamin in their home, the emphasis of their time together was on friends seeing each other again.

In order to celebrate the reunion, Carole and Damon planned a party in order to introduce Benjamin to their friends and neighbors from the lake association. It was a no-frills event where cookies and lemonade were served, a simple backdrop for good conversation, connection, and the chance for Benjamin to talk about his life in Kenya. The party was not organized to wow people, it was simply an opportunity to bring them together, making for a truly inspiring moment.

Benjamin stayed with Damon and Carole for ten days in Minnesota where they took an aerial tour over the lakes in a small plane, enjoyed time out on their boats, and tried both fishing and swimming. Both agree that the trip was simply another milestone in their friendship as they plan to stay in contact via email. And with a five year visa in Benjamin’s pocket, all are hoping that they can meet again in Minnesota on the beautiful lake surrounded by tall trees.

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