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.