E N G I N E E R ' S E N G I N E E R ' S Adventures Where a Princess Became a Queen Overnight

Ir. Chin Mee Poon

Ir. Chin Mee Poon is a retired civil engineer who derives a great deal of joy and satisfaction from travelling to different parts of the globe, capturing fascinating insights of the places and people he encounters and sharing his experiences with others through his photographs and writing.

berdare National Park was stay at the Treetops while fingers were established in May 1950 and crossed that animals would appear Acovers an area of 766 sq. km. during their stay. It’s about 100km north of , the On 5 February, a large herd of 47 capital of in East Africa. The elephants turned up at the open park is part of the Aberdare Mountain space near the Treetops Hotel shortly Range, with altitudes varying from before the arrival of the royal party, 2,000m to over 4,000m above sea giving rise to much anxiety for Jim level. Corbett, Walker’s family friend who was In mid-August 2007, my wife and I, entrusted with the responsibility of safe- she was no longer a Princess but rather together with a contingent of relatives guarding the royal couple. Queen of The United Kingdom. and friends, arrived at Outspan Hotel The situation was worsened by entered the following in and had lunch there. We the presence of a large bull and two remark in the Treetops log book: “For were in Kenya to view the rich wildlife younger bulls in the herd. African the first time in the history of the world, found in various national parks and elephant herds are led by a matriarch a young girl climbed into a tree one conservation areas. Leaving our main and a bull elephant only joins the herd day a Princess, and after having what luggage in the hotel store, we took when it has the intention to mate with she described as her most thrilling a bus to Treetops Hotel in Aberdare the matriarch. The presence of more experience she climbed down from National Park, 17km away. than one bull in a herd could mean the tree the next day a Queen – God Treetops Hotel also belongs to the trouble. Fortunately the large bull bless her.” owner of Outspan Hotel. In 1932, Eric succeeded in chasing away the two Alas, the historical treehouse was Sherbrooke Walker actually built a two- younger bulls before the royal party burnt down by guerrillas during the room treehouse in a huge 300-year-old arrived. 1954 . In 1957, fig tree, beside animal trails leading to Princess Elizabeth and Prince another treehouse was built in a a nearby waterhole in the Aberdare Philip climbed up the steep ladder to nearby chestnut tree, overlooking Range. the treehouse and the Princess, who the same waterhole and salt lick The hotel became world famous was seeing African elephants for the near the elephant migration route 41 when Princess Elizabeth of England first time in her life, wasted no time in to . This treehouse was and her consort, Prince Philip, spent starting to film the pachyderms below. subsequently expanded and rebuilt one night there on 5 February, 1952. In fact she was so fascinated by the over the years. Today, Treetops Hotel The young princess was 26 years old sight of the wild animals that she has reached its present scale of 4 then, when she and Prince Philip made asked for her tea to be served at the decks and a rooftop viewing platform a 5-day stopover in Kenya on their way viewing verandah in order to not miss raised well above ground on stilts. It to Australia. At the time, Kenya was still a any of the action on the ground. has 50 compact bedrooms that can British colony; it gained independence The royal party left Treetops accommodate up to 110 guests. on 12 December, 1963. Hotel the following morning after a Queen Elizabeth II visited the Walker and his wife, Bettie, invited traditional English breakfast. It was Treetops Hotel again nostalgically the royal couple to spend a night in only when the royal couple was back in November 1983 during her 5-day ● JULY 2018 their little treehouse, and the royal at Sagana Royal Lodge that Princess official visit to Kenya. I consider my one- couple graciously accepted. Frantic Elizabeth was informed that her father, night stay in that famous hotel in 2007,

preparations got underway to ensure King George VI, had passed away in one of the highlights of all my travels JURUTERA the royal couple’s safety during their his sleep the night before. This meant over the years. n

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA