Kenya - April 18th, 2008

Our last day in Kenya;

Breakfast and time to pack up for the trip to Nairobi to catch our flights.

We get one last game drive on the way out of Amboseli.
Elephants galore, several large herds are on the move. We get a last look at Kilimanjaro. A stork glides past a herd, unimpressed with their size. Flocks of storks and crested cranes peck at the ground. They all look well fed. We stop to drop the pop up roof and bid our last park farewell.

At the gate leaving the park we stop for a quick break and are greeted by the vendors. I thought that I could barter a multi-tool for a Kenyan knife. I proudly showcased the Chinese made tool’s many functions, a pair of pliers, scissors, two knife blades, a small saw and a leather punch. The vendor patiently watched my demonstration and pronounced that he had no use for it, he need cash to feed his family. The tool went into my pocket and the negotiations began in earnest for the rose wood handled knife with sheath and spear with detachable points at both ends. 5000 KSH was the open,
“Are you crazy, that is almost $100.00”
It went back and forth in Shillings and Dollars, I finally said “No Way”, and turned away, the van was loading up to leave.
The deal closed at $30.00 U.S. about 1800 ksh. I sent the spear to a friend in Charlotte when we got back. I am keeping the knife.

We brace for the bone jarring ride to Nairobi, each of us in their on thoughts reflecting on the trip.

We pass some ostriches, The African Wild Asses (AWA) gave us a parting glance, A reticulated giraffe paces us for a few steps. The mud huts wiz by, We did not have time to check out the Fairdeal Electricals and Hardware store. The bicycle shop that we passed did not appear to stock Trek Bikes. The Hunter's Pub was doing a steady business.
We stop at our last rest stop/gift shop out side of Nairobi. This place was low key and relaxing. I check out the cantina, they advertise "cold beer" and order a Tusker. The bar keep pulls one out of the ancient refrigerator, opens it and hands it to me. It is only one or two degrees cooler that ambient temperature but it did not matter.

More to come....

Kenya, April 17th, 2008

I stopped at the veranda for a coffee and snacks. We had a few minutes so I decided to take a seat to enjoy the coffee. Whilst in mid descent for a chair, a monkey swooped and tried to grab my cookie that was secured with between my thumb and saucer. In the struggle I managed to keep half the cookie but spilled most of the coffee. A Masai stepped up with a traditional club and the monkey scampered away but not to far. I refilled my coffee keeping an eye on fuzzy face. He was watching me too.

Morning Game Drive,

A lone water buffalo gives us a passing glance.
We pass an abandoned lodge. The solar assist water heaters have broken collectors and the baboons have the run of the place. Our guide explains that there was a financial dispute between the two owners. Others had considered buy the lodge but backed out. It was a good choice, the existing lodges have excess capacity.

A gray heron poses as we approach Kilimanjaro. The low clouds dissipate for us to see her again. We are lucky, many only see clouds. The storks and doves peck at the ground. Elephants, elephants and more elephants parade by us in several familial units. These lumbering giants have a grace of their own. The young are well protected. The wildebeest mingle with impalas. A hyena will not be disturbed from its sleep. The young hippo watches is for a moment and waddles back to the swamp that is fed by underground streams from the snowmelt.Back at the lodge we have breakfast. Martha, Bob and Donna decide to see a local Masai Village for a 2000 ksh donation, the rest of us pass to have a little private time.

The lodge advertised high speed Internet so I decided to catch up on some news and check my e-mail for the first time in 10 days. The connection was painfully slow but I was able to get a quick news fix and see that I had 70 new messages. They would have to wait.

We were starting to get a little travel weary and feeling a bit sluggish. This is an active group and there have not been a lot of opportunities for exercise beyond some stretching and calisthenics in the room.

There is always an abundance of food at meals. I hope the staff gets to take some of the excess home to their families. Most of us had missed a meal or two by now.

Evening Game Drive;

We pass two young elephants sparring on the way to Observation Hill. We get out of the van, hike up the hill, and get a great view of the Narok Swamp and Kilimanjaro. Our driver stayed close to the vehicle.
After we shoot some pictures we trot back to the van and load up for a sunset drive to camp.

The hippos are munching in the swamp as the sun slips behind Kilimanjaro.