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Amboseli, mid-day Avid readers of these bulletins will remember that the Ford Escort Mk1 of Jean-Michel Martin and Vincent de Raikem "retired" on the selection stage last Sunday. However, nothing daunted, they decided to continue. But first they had to build a "new" engine from the one out of the car and another engine. When that was completed, they set out to follow the rally attending to other problems as they went. On the Tuesday for instance, they had to change the rear axle as some broke inside the hub and the wheel - with half-shaft attached - came out to the side of the car. It was while they were doing this job that the big 4x4 servicing the Citroen of Frederic Daunat and Guy Chiriqui had an accident right in front of them and rolled onto its side. >From that moment, it was everyone to the rescue to get the service truck vertical again. Martin commented that: "The last time I was here four years ago, we were running at the front with a Porsche. And now I have the chance to discover that the spirit and good feeling extends right down through the field. It is a nice experience." Martin did all three competitive sections yesterday. "I remember that first one from four years ago, the second was quite technical but quite nice, but the third was just fantastic. Now we have done so much work on the car - we have Mercedes brakes! - we hope to see the rest of the competitive sections." Every year he comes from Germany to be a spectator on the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally and every year he winds up competing by stepping in for someone who, at the last minute, can't start. This year, he co-drove Gianluca Ciaraldi in his Ford Escort Mk1. They have had all manner of problems and, for the moment at least, Kurzenberger is back in the role of a tourist while the Escort is transported up to Nairobi to see if there is any possibility of restoring it to good health. This morning, much to his surprise, Aslam Khan found that he was in brake problems. But not on his Ford Escort. Yesterday, he had an aeroplane flown in so that he and some colleagues could go aloft and look at the animals out in the Amboseli game park. However, the aircraft was parked out overnight on the airstrip and some hyenas, evidently with a taste for hydraulic fluid, had wandered over and chewed some of the brake pipes. Thus end of flying until replacement pipes come down from Nairobi. Incidentally, the service park was much better guarded overnight as the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Rangers stood watch to ensure that elephants, hyenas and other large animals did not get in and create havoc. The thought did occur to some wag in the press office that a bull elephant with full size tusks could perform a useful duty as a quick-lift jack. But one can never be sure if the "raise" and "lower" instructions will work when you want them to .. Security is just one part of the KWS's work. Amboseli may not be the largest national park in Kenya but it creates the third largest amount of revenue from tourism. Its main strengths lie in its high level of biodiversity and strong connections with the local communities. Amboseli has one of the largest and most studied elephant populations with research dating back over thirty years. Research is becoming increasingly important in the KWS according to Adan Kala, deputy senior warden of Amboseli National Park. "The KWS now employs many research officers. We embrace research and use it to advise the management of the park." The KWS also support a number of community projects, providing water, schools and health facilities. "We have a large intact Masai community," says Adan Kala. "They still practise all their traditions and tourists can visit the communities to see how they live." Maintaining the forestry and vegetation is very important in Amboseli. Every month the management of the Ol Tukai lodge and guests plant 100 seedlings such as acacia and the Ol Tukai tree after which the lodge takes its name. This year three drivers planted trees: Thomas Flohr, Paul-Eric Jarry and Gerard Marcy. Ex-world rally champion Bjorn Waldegard also visited and watered the tree he planted two years ago on the rally. Amboseli, 14:00
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