(leaving) Nairobi, Kenya - 7 July
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places dates
Our last day, we spent going to the office and finishing up some NGO work, going to the art market and buying some last trinkets. We went to a daily art market near Sarit Center. Stall 155 was helpful and recognized me from the weekend visits to the mobile market.
Another red eyed seller tried to take advantage of me. I was warned of these guys who try to jack up the prices and sell for the artisan. Then they go blow the money on something that does not last. The artisan gets more money, but they get some too.
Then we went back to the Classic Guest House to wait for 5pm. Then we began going to the airport. It took 1.5 hours getting to the airport in a thick, nasty "jam". It was awful. Then we had to get seats, hopefully close together. WE ended up traipsing around the airport for 4 hours until 9pm, then going through gate security and waiting until 10:30 - flight delay, to board and get going.
We had good enough delays in between flights, but it meant longer travel time - it'll be 27 hours or so by the time we arrive in Sac'to tonight. I write this in the Portland airport at gate B2.
Nice wine bar nearby. We had a good salad and good sandwiches and nice red wine for $6 a glass. Ah, it's good to be in the states again. Now, I can't wait to get to my own bed.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
To Kenya - Maasai Mara -2
Maasai Mara, Kenya - 4 July
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places dates
Again we got up at 5:45am to take tea or coffee at 6am, and get in a morning game drive. (We made the kids try English style tea to help them along.) The goal for the morning was cheetahs. Francis had gotten some info about where they might be yesterday, but began listening in to the guide radio right away. He had mentioned that we could have to drive quite far to get in to see the cheetahs and rhinos. We passed the thickets where leopards tend to hide on the way out, and as we came up tpo a bridge where another van was parked, we saw a lady lion in the road. Then I noticed an older male lion just behind us on the right, so we backed the van up to get a better look. He eventually got up and stretched, and walked past us to scratch himself in some branches hanging to the ground of a nearby tree. He and three females soon moved off to the green shady culvert for what we imagined might be the heat of the day.
After that we took off again, speeding down the red dirt road towards where Francis heard cheetahs had been spotted. On the way he told us that he had not seen as many wildebeasts as we now saw on either side of us... 10,000s. Literally thousands and thousands of wildebeasts that Francis said were not here last week.
Within 100 meters of a team of minivans we saw 7 cheetahs. They looked sleepy, played with each other and chased the wildebeasts into groups, or just pushed them around. IT appeared that the group was a mother and her adult children. We watched them for over 30 minutes. Chasing and walking, lying sown and rolling around, hopping on each other's backs, only to "get serious" for a moment and chase after some wildebeasts for 15-25 seconds again.
We moved three or four times, following their movements, before we decided we had to leave to make breakfast by 10am. We made it back only by carreening our way in to arrive at 9:45. We found mostly slim pickings in the buffet, and limited pancakes that tasted really good. The omelette and sausages, were pretty good too.
_________________________________________
places dates
Again we got up at 5:45am to take tea or coffee at 6am, and get in a morning game drive. (We made the kids try English style tea to help them along.) The goal for the morning was cheetahs. Francis had gotten some info about where they might be yesterday, but began listening in to the guide radio right away. He had mentioned that we could have to drive quite far to get in to see the cheetahs and rhinos. We passed the thickets where leopards tend to hide on the way out, and as we came up tpo a bridge where another van was parked, we saw a lady lion in the road. Then I noticed an older male lion just behind us on the right, so we backed the van up to get a better look. He eventually got up and stretched, and walked past us to scratch himself in some branches hanging to the ground of a nearby tree. He and three females soon moved off to the green shady culvert for what we imagined might be the heat of the day.
After that we took off again, speeding down the red dirt road towards where Francis heard cheetahs had been spotted. On the way he told us that he had not seen as many wildebeasts as we now saw on either side of us... 10,000s. Literally thousands and thousands of wildebeasts that Francis said were not here last week.
Within 100 meters of a team of minivans we saw 7 cheetahs. They looked sleepy, played with each other and chased the wildebeasts into groups, or just pushed them around. IT appeared that the group was a mother and her adult children. We watched them for over 30 minutes. Chasing and walking, lying sown and rolling around, hopping on each other's backs, only to "get serious" for a moment and chase after some wildebeasts for 15-25 seconds again.
We moved three or four times, following their movements, before we decided we had to leave to make breakfast by 10am. We made it back only by carreening our way in to arrive at 9:45. We found mostly slim pickings in the buffet, and limited pancakes that tasted really good. The omelette and sausages, were pretty good too.
To Kenya - Maasai Mara
Maasai Mara, Kenya - 3 July
_________________________________________
places dates
The day began early so that we could meet our guide and drive from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara. We were scheduled to leave at 7:30am, so we set alarms for 6am.
We wantted to say good bye to some of our party who were leaving, but we missed a couple people, J and J who were traveling straight back to the U.S. yesterday. P and her family we saw and said goodbye to, the 3 others we thanked for dinner and said goodbye to on Saturday night at the Ethoipian restaurant.
We met our guide at 7:30 and drove out the rift valley, the same way as the previous monday on the way to Kisumu, past the escarpment, and satellite listening station. Francis, our guide, told us how the Maasai owned alot of land and had sold some to people on the way into the Mara. He talked aboiut how the Maasai are one of the only tribes in Kenya to retain so much of their culture, not integrating into the mainstream and losing it.
Other than stopping for expensive water in place of even more expensive hotel water, and one bathroom break we drove nice, then bumpy roads to the lodge. The Sopa lodge is inside the gates of the park, but technically outside of it.
We took lunch then went out again for the typical 4pm game drive. It was typical for the guides, but entirely new for us, of course. The top of the minivan popped up so that I could almost stand, and everyone else could easily.
By the time we had returned, we had seen at least 10 lions, hundreds of wildebeasts, many water buffalo, many birds, and over 20 elephants in the gloom of falling night. And only one elephant had almost charged us.
To say that it was really cool is an understatement!
We reached the lodge and went straight to the lobby for some refreshment. The kids got non-alcoholic drinks (Dik-Dik for Ksh-300). Then we had dinner, which looked alot like lunch, with all kinds of food on a buffet. I chose the Indian food again, plus a spare rib and some wacky pastries that looked like chocolate but weren't. The best dessert was the cheese and crackers with fruit.
_________________________________________
places dates
The day began early so that we could meet our guide and drive from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara. We were scheduled to leave at 7:30am, so we set alarms for 6am.
We wantted to say good bye to some of our party who were leaving, but we missed a couple people, J and J who were traveling straight back to the U.S. yesterday. P and her family we saw and said goodbye to, the 3 others we thanked for dinner and said goodbye to on Saturday night at the Ethoipian restaurant.
We met our guide at 7:30 and drove out the rift valley, the same way as the previous monday on the way to Kisumu, past the escarpment, and satellite listening station. Francis, our guide, told us how the Maasai owned alot of land and had sold some to people on the way into the Mara. He talked aboiut how the Maasai are one of the only tribes in Kenya to retain so much of their culture, not integrating into the mainstream and losing it.
Other than stopping for expensive water in place of even more expensive hotel water, and one bathroom break we drove nice, then bumpy roads to the lodge. The Sopa lodge is inside the gates of the park, but technically outside of it.
We took lunch then went out again for the typical 4pm game drive. It was typical for the guides, but entirely new for us, of course. The top of the minivan popped up so that I could almost stand, and everyone else could easily.
By the time we had returned, we had seen at least 10 lions, hundreds of wildebeasts, many water buffalo, many birds, and over 20 elephants in the gloom of falling night. And only one elephant had almost charged us.
To say that it was really cool is an understatement!
We reached the lodge and went straight to the lobby for some refreshment. The kids got non-alcoholic drinks (Dik-Dik for Ksh-300). Then we had dinner, which looked alot like lunch, with all kinds of food on a buffet. I chose the Indian food again, plus a spare rib and some wacky pastries that looked like chocolate but weren't. The best dessert was the cheese and crackers with fruit.
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