We’re Home!
Safe and sound — SOOOOoooo much jet lag … must sleep.
Don’t think this blogventure is over … this blogfari will continue tomorrow … pictures, videos, more stories …
but now — sleep in bed or face down on keyboard.
Love to all.
Best Safari Picture
Here’s a little teaser (ooooh — I love highspeed Internet) … we actually went on a second safari (which means “journey” in Swahili) — and this one was in Maasai Mara (the 7th Wonder of the World according to USA Today).
We had a spectacular time and took jillions of great pictures and video.
In my sole role as judge — I consider THIS picture to be the best safari picture we took, with our own cameras, from the car:
High Speed Internet
We’re in the Yotel in Heathrow — I’m online with highspeed Internet and feel like I can breath again. It’s absolutely amazing how dependent on the ‘net I am — but on review, I’m ok with it — the benefits outweigh the liabilities.
I know just about every other post promises to send pictures later — but this one is going to say just the same thing. I promise to send pictures right away — and then, once we’re home — I hope to post videos (!)
As you can imagine, videos on a 25kbps connection (terribly slow) was out of the question.
Here are a few directed messages to people as we reconnect to the grid:
Hillary: woot
Heather: holla
Boopsie: umm… boop
Pat: Yes — we’re ok, call off the black helicopters
Alex: The amber light only means that it has a non-volatile issue — blinking amber/green is a problem
M&D: see? The Internet is a blast
Ann & Kez: I’m going to make up a full DVD of the house video and pictures asap
Jack: If you’re reading this — coffee asap!
George: don’t read Grisham’s “The Appeal“
Everyone — we’re in Yotel for a few hours — it’s cute little “automat” formatted hotel — I’ll take pictures — right now, it’s time for a moment of unwinding — and then I’m uploading ALL sorts of things … so watch this space!!!
God Bless and much love to everyone!
We’re ok and loving Kanamai!
Sorry — I just realized that my last post was sardonic commentary about the People’s Republic … and then I stopped posting for two days 
In any event — we left Jumuia (not Dumuia) because it was miserable — the heat was oppressive in the rooms, the food was mediocre — we felt SO far away from home — and lonely. I will say that I feel like I kept my “grumpy” down to a minimum — so that was a positive.
We headed out of Jumuia, thinking we might go to look for a place up North of Mombasa — but some of the “beach boys” (as they’re called — don’t like the term) told us that “Salama Beach” is the best in this area … but we heard that as “Long Beach”…
In any event — we started searching for Long Beach — couldn’t find it — and then someone we picked up at Jumuia told us it was probably Maradadi … which happened to be right next to where we’d left
… so we headed BACK to check it out and — lo and behold — it’s gorgeous.
I’ll post pictures later — but it’s like all those ads with the pool in the foreground and the ocean in the background — we have a huge (1,000 sq. ft.) cabana with AC (thank you, Jesus) — the food is the best in the area — and it’s just phenomenal!!!
The rate was amazingly cheap — and I’m trying to figure out who else in Kenya can come here — because it’s awesome.
Anyway — we’ve had a spectacular time — the family is well — the area is beautiful — and we decided to fly out tomorrow from Mombasa to Nairobi … so the long journey is also removed.
More later — God Bless, all.
Kanamai — a Journey
So, after Tsavo West, we headed East towards Mombasa.
Now, for the people who don’t know it — there’s a concept called “Africa Time” — I personally think it’s a curse on the entire continent — but that’s a discussion for another time.
Africa Time goes something like this:
“I’ll be there by 1pm” means “I’ll be there after 1pm but before dark“
“We need to leave by 9am” means we are in the car at 9:45am
“It will take you 3 hours to get there” means it will take you 5 hours to get there.
———
So, Africa Time had us getting from Nairobi to Tsavo in 2.5 hours — actual travel time: 4.5 hours.
Africa Time had us getting from Tsavo to Mombasa in 2.5 hours — actual travel time: 4.5 hours.
That of course means we’re 9 hours away from Nairobi right now… which is, in its own sense — kind of freaked out, since our only connection back to all we know and love is our (very nice, intelligent, and friendly) driver, Wilfred. He is related to Utugi in a very African way (his mother’s sister was the second wife of his grandfather, who in turn was the child of another something or other, etc. etc.) — but we’d essentially call them something like 2nd cousins once removed or something.
Anyway — we headed from Tsavo, onto Mombasa road — through some interesting land, into the city, which is REALLY run down (maybe some pictures later) on the outskirts — lots of shanty shacks, etc. … then onward into town, which is less run down, but still pretty industrial… then through the city (sloooowly due to traffic) … back to the other outskirts — more shanty shacks … then drive, drive, drive … until we start seeing references to Duluia, which is the name of our “resort” here in Kanamai.
So, we follow these signs off Mombasa road, into the outskirts of the outskirts — through gatherings of shacks that make the original outskirts look metropolitan … into the woods, towards our “resort” … (and I start singing to God for Mercy in part as a gag … and Kathy starts laughing nervously at the situation…)
and then, we get through some of the poorest communities on earth, definitely … and come to a gate.
…and we enter a resort of sorts. It’s lovely on the face … has a beautiful pool, a private beach on the Indian Ocean, the rooms are pretty nice (no AC, and it is warm — but otherwise nice) … but, well… we’re alone.
We’re like the ONLY people at this “resort” … it’s REALLY eerie…
I feel like the last ugly American in Cuba just as Castro took over … it’s like we’re at the real Copa Cabana, but nobody told us the Revolution is underway … we’re ALONE (ok, there are 2 other couples rattling around somewhere — but we only know that because we all ate in the huge (empty) restaurant together)…
So, I’m in a cabana, 50 yards from the Indian Ocean, with probably 10 acres of beach to use alone … surrounded by trees and buildings (it’s more a conference center than a resort, actually) … and I’m waiting for the People’s Republic to kick in the doors and take us all out for being rich westerners…
…but aside from that — and the fact that we’re 9 hours from our last link to home with nothing to defend ourselves but a few glass Sprite bottles… I’m good. Having a blast
Here are some pictures of just how alone we are.
PS — we might be moving in the morning … the absence of AC in the cabanas, PLUS the requirement to block all the windows with massive curtains because we’re right next to the pool, is making the heat slightly stultifying… we hear there’s a place down the road with AC.
PPS — while it does look in the pictures as if my son has figured out how to use the force to keep the sea from reaching him, it’s actually an incredible low tide that goes back maybe half a mile to the reef (as indicated by the line of white-capped waves in the distance). Yes, I’m told it’s NOT actually a harbinger of another tsunami … but don’t worry, our cabanas are right here facing the beach, 50 yards away. Sleep well, Malcolm. Keep the soda bottles nearby.
Tsavo West — Safari — 2009
At long last!!!
Pictures.
We went on a two-day safari to Tsavo West, which is in Eastern Kenya, but the Western part of the park.
The pictures are pretty self-explanatory — the cat is one that we met at a restaurant on our way — and it’s the “little cat” we got to see (we didn’t see any big cats besides the one we saw before that we got to scratch behind the ears).
The days are broken up by the night pictures. Those night pictures were taken as we were sitting in the restaurant, overlooking an open-air watering hole. That’s when the critters came in and we got the pictures you see.
Our room had a terrace that also overlooked the watering hole and a wide savanna — so we could see critters during the evenings and morning. We were only there for a short period of time — but it was fun.
It was a VERY good time!
When you look at these Pictures, up at the top of each page is navigation to get to the next page in the album. You can click on any photo to see it in close up, then hit the back button to get back to the album page.
So — to see the safari … click here!
On the Road to Mombasa
We’re in the van with our driver, Wilfred — who is a distant cousin to Utugi, and a professional tour driver. We’ve been taking a lot of pictures, which I will be uploading as soon as we reach our destination — which is Tsavo National Game Reserve.
We’ll be staying at “Tsavo West” which is the resort on the (unsurprisingly) western side of the park.
This afternoon, our plan is to get out and see some animals, God Willing — and then head back to the resort for some rest.
Then tomorrow, we’ll head out for more animal watching — then head to Mombasa, where we’ll be staying at Kaifana — a Christian resort (I’m likely repeating myself for my last post).
There are things to see at Mombasa (including an old Portugese fort!), and we’ll get a chance to swim in the Indian Ocean.
Currently, the road to Mombasa is a blend of well-paved (new construction happening right now), and road so bad you wished it was a dirt road — but we’ve been told that we’re past the last diversion (detour) so it’s paved road all the way.
More from Tsavo!
Hurray! I’ve got ‘Net
Oh … the pain has been great — the network on my Mac has been somewhat substandard — the provider I have (SafariCom) just couldn’t make it work … I knew it was the driver — but couldn’t get it repaired.
We met with the tech (finally) — he confirmed that I continue to understand computers — it was the driver. He gave me the correct drivers — and repaired the account itself to work better with a Mac.
I am now online!
Just in time, too. We’re headed to Mombasa tomorrow — our first stop at the Big Game reserves of Tsavo. Should be great for pictures and fun!
God Bless all — watch this space — now that I’m online — the fun can begin anew!
Pssst — hey buddy…
First, let me take a moment to apologize for the absence of posts — the Internet here has been absolutely horrible! I have this cool wireless modem thingy that gets, on average, about 2-5Kbps … that’s just … aaaargh SO SLOW! For comparison — your standard connection these days gets 200-512Kbps at its slowest … so 2–5 is just, well — basically useless. It’s like trying to read email through an eyedropper. So again — Apologies!
I will try to have a text-only post of what’s happened over the last few days — but in the meantime — I have this!
SO!
A few days ago — we’d decided it was time to involve a little animal excitement into our lives — not the big Safari thing — but just a little local visit to the orphanage in Nairobi.
Well, when we got there — it was now called the “Nature Walk” — and frankly … was basically the same as the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.
Having shelled out a bunch of money as non-citizens to walk around — I was, honestly, getting a little miffed that many of the cages were empty — that we weren’t even SEEING anything … and the entire area was basically devoid of any people … only a few folks wandering through the entire zoo — it was a little unsettling.
We saw this guy — a pygmy hippo:
THEN!!!
We’d finally found the Cheetah, and were staring at it through the scratchy glass wall viewing area — when this guy comes up and basically says:
“Psst… would you like to see the Cheetah more closely?“
Yes, my internal alarm lit, and well — I was slightly disquieted by this all — but for some reason, Kathy and I both thought it was worth looking into … and well — we went through a back cage entrance — into the cheetah habitat and…
…I mean — it’s just a big cat… right?
…are we bad parents for letting our children play with big cats?
…well, after that — I paid the guys a few tips … and one of them kind of “stuck around” … ended up that he was one of the zookeepers … and I guess business was slow… he had the keys, we were all bored — and it was clear I was gonna be thankfully generous afterwards — so well, he gave us access to this zoo like you wouldn’t believe…
So we saw an albino Zebra with him:
…and then we followed him off the path, into the woods — he took this picture:
and past this 7 foot high electric fence — pssst … be careful of this electrified fence — it’s, you know — electrified …
…and we got to see the lions up close along the back chain link fence…
…then he let us inside the rhino cage so we could pet the rhino — named “Dubai” … it was a nice rhino… it’s a white rhino, btw… mind you, while we’re petting the rhino, our guide was standing a few feet away, taking pictures…
…then we saw the cutest thing! A 5-day old Colobus monkey …
They stay white for 2 months when they are born — then turn colors like their parents — it was about the size of my forearm, or maybe smaller…
…then it was time for our guide to do his job … which meant throwing meat to these guys:
…and finally — feeding time for the biggest cats — up close and personal like you wouldn’t believe:
Ok — so when the lions get their food, the first thing they do is basically lay down on it and growl — and I mean GROWL … it was freaked out! Think of a Harley Davidson motorcycle, being pumped through an amplified PA system — it was a sound that just told your brainstem — time to go!
Nate wasn’t very enthusiastic about being 5 feet from feeding lions, frankly…
Someday, I hope to have the video of the feeding available online (with better connection, more likely) — but trust me — it’s intense… the phrase blood-chilling comes to mind.
So — we left the lions, headed back towards the entrance — stopped off for one more rhino visit …
Oh — and an up close and personal of the crocodiles — specially for Hillary:
and well — by the time we got home …
we were beat:
Various Bits of Daily Color — Day 1
Kathy had an interest in the making of the chapati, so she was invited right in and started cooking up the flat bread. Along with all the normal kitchen features that everyone has, they also use these portable cookers for chapati — you can see it in the foreground:
The kids had fun playing around — Angie and Nate had some fun with Israel, Faith’s son (3):
…then later in the day they kicked the ol’ basketball around:
…and finally, at night — they played the most nerve-wracking round of Jenga I’ve ever seen (that’s 25 layers) — we all got tense watching it… btw — Jenga means “build” in Kiswahili (and Kiswahili means swahili in Kiswahili):
…and finally — during preparations for the honorific meal — a “twin banana” was discovered. These huge things are made of two bananas in one skin:
…legend has it that if a woman eats one, she will have twins… so handle with care, Fava:
…that’s it for the day. Tomorrow we visit the Vanguard ministry, and possibly go to the Giraffe Center for the kids!