Bert's Travels: Treetops Hotel, Aberdare, Kenya

The Treetops Hotel,

Aberdare National Park,

Aberdare Mountains, Kenya!

It's evening . The mosy-tents are grouped in a semicircular alignment.

Ant and John sit on collapsible field chairs. I found a semi comfortable log on which I perch. We dig up old memories of previous Safaris, previous adventures.

Out of the blue John looks at me and asks: “Do you remember the Treetops Hotel?”

Do I remember the Treetops? You bet I remember the Treetops.

“In the Aberdare Mountains” I say. “Beautiful area.”

John nods his head. “Yep, lovely hotel” he adds.

It had the narrowest dining room. Just enough space for a table and a row of 12 chairs on each side. Not enough space for a waiter on either side.

“The little platform running on a toy track was a brilliant solution”

John adds.

Ant looks questioningly at both of us.

A more detailed explanation is necessary.

“To overcome lack of space, they just laid a toy track down the middle of the

dining room table, a round platform on 4 little wheels, soup pot on top, everybody helped themselves and pushed the pot down to the next diner.” John explains.

“A brilliant solution to a space problem” he adds.

“Yes,” I said, “there was also the mysterious placement of the seating cards... instead of sitting next to me, you ended up with this red-haired lady Journalist from Ireland.

I've never figured out how this happened.”

“ 'twas a miracle” John said.

Another important, even if not miraculous, event took place at the Treetops long before.

On the 5^th of February 1952 Princess Elizabeth of England and her new husband stayed there. During the night of the 5^th to the 6^th King George VI passed away. According to the Constitution, Princess Elizabeth, being first in line, automatically became the

“Queen of England (and territories).

So, it is said, she climbed up into a tree one day as a Princess, had a wonderful time and came down the next morning as a Queen.

“Yes, I remember the Treetops well.