Coming to an end

Friday 5th July

Dinner last night at the lodge was accompanied by a masai show of singing and dancing. Most of the staff seemed to be involved in the performance. Talking to the guide last night he said that for someone to be able to build a lodge on masai land they have to employ 80% masai staff. The staff seemed to really enjoy their performance  - the Africans all seem to love singing and dancing.

Rob got involved - I was too tired.

Rob wearing his masai blanket and with his stick.

I don't think Rob achieved the same height as this masai
- maybe 3 inches. 

Heading east today, back to Nairobi. We first travelled on roads through the park to the gate on the eastern end. Dusty, but not too bad  a road. Only a few animals to be seen along the drive. Finally bitumen all the way back to Nairobi - 5 hours with a couple of toilet stops. One part of the drive we climbed the side of the hills alongside the rift valley (from the Red Sea to Mozambique). This was an extremely long, slow haul with hundreds of trucks - first gear (or less) all the way. Some great shots across the rift valley.

The long procession up hill.

Baboons.

Along the road were lots of little BBQ set ups
where the locals were cooking corn to sell.
The baboons looked forward to the offcasts thrown from cars.

Souvenir shops along the road.

Rift valley.

School buses - maybe an excursion.

Finally in Nairobi and first stop the Karen Blixen museum. This is in her house that was on her coffee plantation (looks nothing like a coffee plantation now - it is in a suburb/area of Nairobi called Karen). The guide here was really excellent with a full spiel of her life and also the life of the house.

The house - Bogani, meaning house in the woods.
This was given to Kenya to establish the museum.
A lot of the artifacts inside were given by the Danish.
The outside was used for the film but not the inside,
 as floors and walls are all timber and too easily damaged.

Karen and her dog Dusty.

Map of the plantation area.
Karen built a coffee mill but it burnt down before they were able to use it.

Out of Africa.

Back view of the house.

Sykes monkeys.

Coffee roaster.

A group of hyrax now live here.

Next stop was the giraffe rescue and research centre where we were able to feed the giraffes. Watch out for them head butting were the warnings. Was a very quick visit here but great to be so close to these majestic creatures.

One final stop - the Kisuri bead centre. This enterprise was established by an American women with a view to empowering African women. If the families cattle or goats or crops failed, then the women would still be able to have an income to support their families. We had an educational tour through the facility from making the beads, to firing, to painting, and making the jewellery. The workers and guide staff then came together to sing and dance for us. After that was a visit to the shop - yes, I had to buy something.

Clay beads.

Up close and personal

Thursday 4th July

After our really rough drive in yesterday with the flood damaged roads, we are staying in a lodge that also suffered badly in the floods. So bad in fact, that they razed the lodge to the ground and rebuilt it. That is in TWO MONTHS!! Can you imagine that? We were really happy with the accommodation, and like all our previous accommodations, the service was outstanding.

The Masai Mara did not disappoint. We were simply blown away by the sightings in the park. Our guide Antony was so careful in placing our vehicle so we could get some great shots.

Firstly the morning game drive - lots of animals but the highlights were a pride of lions where we were up really close, a herd of elephants which we were able to get in amongst, 3 lionesses with 5 cubs, crocodiles and hippos at the Mara River crossing and eland (which we hadn't seen before).

Hot air balloons over the Masai Mara.
We did consider doing this
but it would have taken time away from
the up close and personal game drives.

Secretary bird - named for the quill like feathers on his head.

Lions - just relaxing at this stage
though Antony said they were displaying behaviour
indicating they may move on. He was right.

The king of the jungle.

On the move.

Large herd of elephant.

Gorgeous cute babies - this one probably about 1.

They are so protective of their young,
keeping them in the middle of the herd.

Two young ones - about 2 or 3.

Elephants and egret.

Smoke is the fires in the Serengeti  - about 10k away.

Hello.

Crocodile in the Mara River  -
this is one of the crossings the wildebeest use.

Mums and their cubs.

Eland

After our early morning game drive we returned to the lodge for lunch and a rest until our afternoon game drive, and the piece de resistance - a cheetah and her 4 cubs with their kill - impala for dinner.

The ranger was at the cheetah site making sure vehicles kept moving
so everyone got a good look - it was like we were circling the wagons.

Mother and cubs.

Mum

The cubs were really enjoying their dinner.

The ranger keeping an eye on things.
We circled 3 times.

Girls walking home with the water from the stream.
They have great posture and are able to balance these buckets
from a young age.

Hyena - just chilling in the middle of the road.
It was late afternoon and we saw about a dozen hyenas in the area.
The guide said they were probably just starting to think about dinner.

Southern ground hornbill.