Tuesday, August 31, 2010
On to Ngorogoro highlands
I am not sure that any of these posts are in the right order or whether you can read them. I am doing them each night and copying them now. The internet is slow and some may be missing. I will redo them or at least check them when I get to free internet. Same with photos. Man, there is so much to tell! We left this AM and drove to Lake Manyana national park. We didn't see any tree climbing lions but we did see a kipspringer and the biggest hornbbill, whatever it is called. We ate lunch with yet another tribe and had a really great day. I will try to say more later but need to get off the computer. We are staying on a coffee plantation and it is so pretty and lush. Rooms are great and we will be taking a break for two days from game drives. Jim and I are both doing well and seeing SOOO much.
Dusty Day
Today we left Ambroseli and headed to Lake Burunge so that we can visit Tangaire National Park tomorrow. We headed out and did a game drive as we headed toward the border of Tanzania. It took us about two hours to get to what seemed like a main road, but we didn’t mind even despite the dust as we went through Ambroseli National park again and saw wildlife all along the way. We saw the usual elephants and Thompson’s Gazelles and enjoyed watching them a short while but then we hit two lions waiting and watching. One was crouched and waiting but the other wildlife was still pretty far away. The other was hiding in a clump of bush just watching. We drove on and saw the usual zebra and wildebeest and such. Then when we got to a more remote part of the park, we came upon four genuck-the antelope that stand on their back legs to eat from trees. They have long necks similar to giraffes and are pretty skittish so are rare to see. These were by the road and one ran to one side and the other three to the other. Omari told me tonight that there actually was one on its hind legs eating from a tree but it was too hard for us to spot so he didn’t mention it! That sighting was very exciting.
We arrived mid morning at the border crossing. We had to go in to exit Kenya which didn’t take long at all. Then we crossed the border into Tanzania and had to go to the office there. Jim did not read the signs above the window and the man did not think he had a visa so he demanded $100. The rest of us went to other windows-I had mine open to the Tanzania visa so the lady told me no charge and I was done. So when they wanted the money from Jim, we were all gasping. Omari took care of it by explaining to the man that he had a visa, Jim found it and showed it to him and we were on our way.
From there we drove to Arusha which was much bigger than I expected and much busier. We went to lunch at a nice restaurant at a place where handicapped people make beads and things from recycled glass. It is such a nice project and very much needed and worthwhile. At the lunch, we all got so tickled about the desserts . The waiter was so possessive and would not let us go to the table to get it, but brought the cart around. The cake slices were so tiny that they were not even one good bite. And he was very strict with the merrenges too. We just laughed til we cried it was so funny.
We went by the money exchange and the ATM.
The countryside is so different here. The dirt is so fine and the dust is unreal. So many of the roads are unpaved and it amazes me how many maasai there are. You see the bomas everywhere and they are easy to see because of their dress. They take the cattle and goats out to graze each day and the ladies do the building of the houses and other work.
The last 12 miles toward Burunge were not paved and they are working on building the road and oh my, was it dusty. I had brought masks and gave them to everyone and we used them periodically through the day and were grateful for them at this point in the drive. We arrived at the tented camp and we love this one. It is very isolated, not fenced and the tent is lovely and big. They put Jim ande in the first tent and he can use the power all night. This is huge for him. Omari is being very helpful about that. It has mosquito netting for night and each tent is private.
We had a nice dinner and we are the only ones here. Another oat group is coming in tomorrow so we won’t have the camp to ourselves but will be able to visit with them. We can hear the animal noises. Ahhhh this is what it is all about! We charge our batteries up at the
Today we left Ambroseli and headed to Lake Burunge so that we can visit Tangaire National Park tomorrow. We headed out and did a game drive as we headed toward the border of Tanzania. It took us about two hours to get to what seemed like a main road, but we didn’t mind even despite the dust as we went through Ambroseli National park again and saw wildlife all along the way. We saw the usual elephants and Thompson’s Gazelles and enjoyed watching them a short while but then we hit two lions waiting and watching. One was crouched and waiting but the other wildlife was still pretty far away. The other was hiding in a clump of bush just watching. We drove on and saw the usual zebra and wildebeest and such. Then when we got to a more remote part of the park, we came upon four genuck-the antelope that stand on their back legs to eat from trees. They have long necks similar to giraffes and are pretty skittish so are rare to see. These were by the road and one ran to one side and the other three to the other. Omari told me tonight that there actually was one on its hind legs eating from a tree but it was too hard for us to spot so he didn’t mention it! That sighting was very exciting.
We arrived mid morning at the border crossing. We had to go in to exit Kenya which didn’t take long at all. Then we crossed the border into Tanzania and had to go to the office there. Jim did not read the signs above the window and the man did not think he had a visa so he demanded $100. The rest of us went to other windows-I had mine open to the Tanzania visa so the lady told me no charge and I was done. So when they wanted the money from Jim, we were all gasping. Omari took care of it by explaining to the man that he had a visa, Jim found it and showed it to him and we were on our way.
From there we drove to Arusha which was much bigger than I expected and much busier. We went to lunch at a nice restaurant at a place where handicapped people make beads and things from recycled glass. It is such a nice project and very much needed and worthwhile. At the lunch, we all got so tickled about the desserts . The waiter was so possessive and would not let us go to the table to get it, but brought the cart around. The cake slices were so tiny that they were not even one good bite. And he was very strict with the merrenges too. We just laughed til we cried it was so funny.
We went by the money exchange and the ATM.
The countryside is so different here. The dirt is so fine and the dust is unreal. So many of the roads are unpaved and it amazes me how many maasai there are. You see the bomas everywhere and they are easy to see because of their dress. They take the cattle and goats out to graze each day and the ladies do the building of the houses and other work.
The last 12 miles toward Burunge were not paved and they are working on building the road and oh my, was it dusty. I had brought masks and gave them to everyone and we used them periodically through the day and were grateful for them at this point in the drive. We arrived at the tented camp and we love this one. It is very isolated, not fenced and the tent is lovely and big. They put Jim ande in the first tent and he can use the power all night. This is huge for him. Omari is being very helpful about that. It has mosquito netting for night and each tent is private.
We had a nice dinner and we are the only ones here. Another oat group is coming in tomorrow so we won’t have the camp to ourselves but will be able to visit with them. We can hear the animal noises. Ahhhh this is what it is all about! We charge our batteries up at the
On to Ambroseli
This morning we arose early and walked down to the jetty. Two of the staff were there to talk to us about the animals as we walked. The waterbuck were asleep on the lawn outside our room again which was neat and were up and grazing as we started out. Just over the bridge, the first giraffe appeared. Then there was a mama and baby that was about 6-8 months old. It was so amazing to stand that close and watch them move around so freely. There probably were 8 or 10 around in the area this AM and these are the Masai giraffes which are darker and smaller than the ones we saw in Botswana. We moved on down to the jetty and watched the birds and zebra and other animals that were moving about early in the AM.
We left the lodge which was just a superb lodge. Then we stopped around the bend and took a two hour boat ride and nature walk on Crescent lake. We saw pied kingfishers galore and comorants and pelicans and yellow billed storks. There were hippos everywhere and we would go a little farther and there would be two eyes peeking above the water checking us out. The neatest pod we saw had a baby sunning up on the rock and most of the others were laying in the water all over each other. The mama hippo was in the water nearby watching her half grown baby. The boat driver picked up some fish and we rode over near the fish eagles and he called them down by whistling and throwing them in the water. The fish eagle would swoop down and get it. It was neat to see and we did a pretty good job of capturing it on camera.
From there we got back in the van and took off for the Nairobi airport. Today was a huge holiday because of the new constitution that passed in Kenya. Everyone was off work and roads were closed. So we had to go a longer way to get to the airport to check on our luggage. It is very interesting to drive and see the way of life. It is very different but the people seem happy and to enjoy life. They stay outside and are so active physically.
We got to Nairobi airport about noon and Omari took Jim and me to the security office where we had to hand over our passports and they gave us badges to wear through security as we were going through the staff entrance. We had to go through security just like we do when we go through it ourselves to fly. That put us coming in right at the baggage place where we were the other night. I spotted the orange duck tape right away and knew it had arrived. We presented our paperwork and claimed our two duffel bags and left happy campers! We returned our badges and got our passports back and considered it all another discovery event as OAT likes to call things.
We got back on the road and some of the back roads were REALLY rough with potholes that were so big you had to go offroad to get around them. The seatbelts in the van don’t work so we hold our breath a lot. Again, cars passed on both sides and in short distances. We made a couple of stops for a box lunch and to use the bathroom, such as it is.
It was a long drive on into our lodge but along the way, we did see some animal-giraffe, impala, zebra, and camels! Yes, there was a camel farm along the way. We arrived at Amboseli but on the final stretch of the dirt, bumpy road, there suddenly appeared two dozen or so elephants right by the road. It was so dusty and they were not terribly happy at us stopping to watch. One even did a mock charge! There was a mama and baby and several just huge old guys! Two safari vehicles joined us shortly and after a nice time of watching, we moved on and got to our tented camp-Ambroseli Sentrim. It is very nice. The bathroom especially is more modern and bigger than any we have stayed in. No electricity between 11-5 so this will be a big test. Before the evening was over, we killed two scorpions in the tent. That does not make me feel good. The restaurant is open air and so nice. All in all a very very good
This morning we arose early and walked down to the jetty. Two of the staff were there to talk to us about the animals as we walked. The waterbuck were asleep on the lawn outside our room again which was neat and were up and grazing as we started out. Just over the bridge, the first giraffe appeared. Then there was a mama and baby that was about 6-8 months old. It was so amazing to stand that close and watch them move around so freely. There probably were 8 or 10 around in the area this AM and these are the Masai giraffes which are darker and smaller than the ones we saw in Botswana. We moved on down to the jetty and watched the birds and zebra and other animals that were moving about early in the AM.
We left the lodge which was just a superb lodge. Then we stopped around the bend and took a two hour boat ride and nature walk on Crescent lake. We saw pied kingfishers galore and comorants and pelicans and yellow billed storks. There were hippos everywhere and we would go a little farther and there would be two eyes peeking above the water checking us out. The neatest pod we saw had a baby sunning up on the rock and most of the others were laying in the water all over each other. The mama hippo was in the water nearby watching her half grown baby. The boat driver picked up some fish and we rode over near the fish eagles and he called them down by whistling and throwing them in the water. The fish eagle would swoop down and get it. It was neat to see and we did a pretty good job of capturing it on camera.
From there we got back in the van and took off for the Nairobi airport. Today was a huge holiday because of the new constitution that passed in Kenya. Everyone was off work and roads were closed. So we had to go a longer way to get to the airport to check on our luggage. It is very interesting to drive and see the way of life. It is very different but the people seem happy and to enjoy life. They stay outside and are so active physically.
We got to Nairobi airport about noon and Omari took Jim and me to the security office where we had to hand over our passports and they gave us badges to wear through security as we were going through the staff entrance. We had to go through security just like we do when we go through it ourselves to fly. That put us coming in right at the baggage place where we were the other night. I spotted the orange duck tape right away and knew it had arrived. We presented our paperwork and claimed our two duffel bags and left happy campers! We returned our badges and got our passports back and considered it all another discovery event as OAT likes to call things.
We got back on the road and some of the back roads were REALLY rough with potholes that were so big you had to go offroad to get around them. The seatbelts in the van don’t work so we hold our breath a lot. Again, cars passed on both sides and in short distances. We made a couple of stops for a box lunch and to use the bathroom, such as it is.
It was a long drive on into our lodge but along the way, we did see some animal-giraffe, impala, zebra, and camels! Yes, there was a camel farm along the way. We arrived at Amboseli but on the final stretch of the dirt, bumpy road, there suddenly appeared two dozen or so elephants right by the road. It was so dusty and they were not terribly happy at us stopping to watch. One even did a mock charge! There was a mama and baby and several just huge old guys! Two safari vehicles joined us shortly and after a nice time of watching, we moved on and got to our tented camp-Ambroseli Sentrim. It is very nice. The bathroom especially is more modern and bigger than any we have stayed in. No electricity between 11-5 so this will be a big test. Before the evening was over, we killed two scorpions in the tent. That does not make me feel good. The restaurant is open air and so nice. All in all a very very good
Ambroseli National Park and the Masai
Today was a bit of a mix up day. When we left dinner last night, Omari told us that we were to rise at 5:30 and eat breakfast at 6 and meet at 6:30 to go to visit the Masai tribe. We all were there and it turns out, Omari had told the lodge to notify us of a change in plans because it was a holiday and there was no school so we would go later than originally planned. Only no one from the lodge came and told us. That didn’t sit too well with a lot of folks. Jim did not sleep at all last night once the power went out and he did not have his CPAP machine. So he was very tired and so was Carolyn, who had been kept up by the noisy kids who were in the tents behind them. We all heard them as the tents are too close together to suit my fancy. They are gorgeous tents with granite countertops in the bathrooms and lovely everything. But it is rather like living in a trailer park since they have an electric fence to keep the animals out! But to get to this area, it is a nice lodge, but just not my favorite in the way it is planned. The food is excellent to everyone else and the chef has been great to me-even fixing tomato wine soup tonight with no garlic or onions! And it was so good. Anyway, we were not in the best of moods as we left the camp.
But the visit to the Masai was very very interesting and we all enjoyed it. The leader’s name is Joseph and he showed us around as did some of his men. They showed us how they make fire each time and they had a lovely one going within 3 minutes. They took us into the boma and showed us how they live and explained a lot of their traditions. While we were there, one of the hot air balloons landed just up the hill which was fun to see. Mt Killamanjaro was hidden behind the clouds today but during our Masai visit, it peeked its head out behind the clouds which was thrilling. At the end of the visit, the ladies of the village had their beadwork for sale and we bought a couple of items for our travel wall. We enjoyed playing with the children and we gave our items we had bought for the school to Joseph who is the director of the school. The school was beautiful and was built with the help of the GCT foundation and is going to do much to improve the life of the masai.
We said our goodbyes and headed back to the lodge where we had several free hours but no power except from 1-2. During lunch, it came up about the CPAP having no power. Larry asked why we didn’t use the backup power. I said “what backup power”.Turns out that two tents have backup solar power-but we had not been given one of those tents but Larry and Elaine had. They offered to trade, but instead I asked if the other tent was occupied and it was not. So they moved us over there and were very nice about it. We rushed as the group had also contacted Omari and asked him if we could start the afternoon drive at 2 instead of 3. So we felt pretty disjointed by having to grab our stuff and rush to get it all moved, but it was worth it. However, the solar power lights the bathroom and the bed lights so when the power is on, if you run those lights, then it uses the saved power. So we showered with the candlelight of a wind up battery lantern! After the adventure with the scorpions last night, we decided it was just another discovery event! Jim is now peacefully sleeping with the cpap on and I am hoping it will last all night.
On the game drive, we saw so many animals. It was very different than I expected as the land here is flat and barren. There are a few trees but nothing like we have seen before so it was long stretches of flat grassland that is void of grass for much of it because it is the dry season. We saw so much though- lots of ostriches! We probably saw closer to 2 dozen of them over the course of the drive. We saw our first hyena and as we were leaving the park, we saw a lion asleep in the middle of a sandy patch! We saw rhinos in the marsh, over 200 elephants , wildebeast (a different type than we saw in Botswana) and tons of zebra and cape buffalo and Thompson’s gazelles. It looks like the Thompson’s gazelles are as common here as the impala were in Botswana. We saw two kinds of jackels-the silver backed and the golden. We saw a couple of dozen secretary birds and a lovely saddle back stork. We took time to sit and watch the animals and not just photograph them and move on which I enjoyed. So it was a very satisfying visit.
We came back and ate dinner and worked a little to pack for our leaving tomorrow. Omari says the next camp is much better than this one for our liking-the animals will be around us and no fence to keep them out. So we are all looking forward to it , though it will be a long day’s drive.
.
Today was a bit of a mix up day. When we left dinner last night, Omari told us that we were to rise at 5:30 and eat breakfast at 6 and meet at 6:30 to go to visit the Masai tribe. We all were there and it turns out, Omari had told the lodge to notify us of a change in plans because it was a holiday and there was no school so we would go later than originally planned. Only no one from the lodge came and told us. That didn’t sit too well with a lot of folks. Jim did not sleep at all last night once the power went out and he did not have his CPAP machine. So he was very tired and so was Carolyn, who had been kept up by the noisy kids who were in the tents behind them. We all heard them as the tents are too close together to suit my fancy. They are gorgeous tents with granite countertops in the bathrooms and lovely everything. But it is rather like living in a trailer park since they have an electric fence to keep the animals out! But to get to this area, it is a nice lodge, but just not my favorite in the way it is planned. The food is excellent to everyone else and the chef has been great to me-even fixing tomato wine soup tonight with no garlic or onions! And it was so good. Anyway, we were not in the best of moods as we left the camp.
But the visit to the Masai was very very interesting and we all enjoyed it. The leader’s name is Joseph and he showed us around as did some of his men. They showed us how they make fire each time and they had a lovely one going within 3 minutes. They took us into the boma and showed us how they live and explained a lot of their traditions. While we were there, one of the hot air balloons landed just up the hill which was fun to see. Mt Killamanjaro was hidden behind the clouds today but during our Masai visit, it peeked its head out behind the clouds which was thrilling. At the end of the visit, the ladies of the village had their beadwork for sale and we bought a couple of items for our travel wall. We enjoyed playing with the children and we gave our items we had bought for the school to Joseph who is the director of the school. The school was beautiful and was built with the help of the GCT foundation and is going to do much to improve the life of the masai.
We said our goodbyes and headed back to the lodge where we had several free hours but no power except from 1-2. During lunch, it came up about the CPAP having no power. Larry asked why we didn’t use the backup power. I said “what backup power”.Turns out that two tents have backup solar power-but we had not been given one of those tents but Larry and Elaine had. They offered to trade, but instead I asked if the other tent was occupied and it was not. So they moved us over there and were very nice about it. We rushed as the group had also contacted Omari and asked him if we could start the afternoon drive at 2 instead of 3. So we felt pretty disjointed by having to grab our stuff and rush to get it all moved, but it was worth it. However, the solar power lights the bathroom and the bed lights so when the power is on, if you run those lights, then it uses the saved power. So we showered with the candlelight of a wind up battery lantern! After the adventure with the scorpions last night, we decided it was just another discovery event! Jim is now peacefully sleeping with the cpap on and I am hoping it will last all night.
On the game drive, we saw so many animals. It was very different than I expected as the land here is flat and barren. There are a few trees but nothing like we have seen before so it was long stretches of flat grassland that is void of grass for much of it because it is the dry season. We saw so much though- lots of ostriches! We probably saw closer to 2 dozen of them over the course of the drive. We saw our first hyena and as we were leaving the park, we saw a lion asleep in the middle of a sandy patch! We saw rhinos in the marsh, over 200 elephants , wildebeast (a different type than we saw in Botswana) and tons of zebra and cape buffalo and Thompson’s gazelles. It looks like the Thompson’s gazelles are as common here as the impala were in Botswana. We saw two kinds of jackels-the silver backed and the golden. We saw a couple of dozen secretary birds and a lovely saddle back stork. We took time to sit and watch the animals and not just photograph them and move on which I enjoyed. So it was a very satisfying visit.
We came back and ate dinner and worked a little to pack for our leaving tomorrow. Omari says the next camp is much better than this one for our liking-the animals will be around us and no fence to keep them out. So we are all looking forward to it , though it will be a long day’s drive.
.
Nakuru National Park, Kenya
Wow. What an awesome day! Still no luggage and the report last night that it would arrive today was erroneous. Now we are hoping it is enroute to Nairobi today and we can pick it up at the airport on our way tomorrow. Meanwhile we are washing clothes and buying new tshirts to wear. We wish we had packed more socks and underwear! Lol But we are managing!
Today we drove to Nakuru National Park and it was just full of wildlife! We did not spot a leopard unfortunately but we saw so much else. We saw several types of antelopes that we had never seen before-Thompson’s gazelles, and Elands. We saw a herd of rhinoceros and some were black ones and some were white ones. It was amazing to watch them. The car decided not to start when we were ready to leave so we held our breath as Omari had to get out and tighten some connections and the white rhino was not that far away. Watching him time his exit from the vehicle, he has a health respect for the rhinos! We saw lots of baboons and some dik dik and several types of the vervet monkeys. We saw the gorgous pink flamingos-by the thousands and oh my, are they something to see fly. We saw storks and a masked weaver working on his nest. The sheer amount of wildlife here is amazing. We cape buffalo by the hundreds and impala and a pair of jackals.
The weather was wonderful and we took the top of the vehicle off and were able to stand (sock feet) and get good views of everything. We had lunch at the Lion Hill Lodge which was wonderful and the staff was so helpful to me with getting me the right food. There were beautiful birds all around the yard.
We were amazed at being passed on both the right and left hand side of the van simultaneously-rather unnerving! The life here is so interesting to watch. The average person still dresses with native attire of sorts and most business is transacted in small stalls on the street. There are pockets of great poverty and living in pretty grim circumstances. Other areas are very clean and more prosperous.
It was a great day and we all came home very happy. But the fun didn’t end there. Jim and I walked back out to the water which is about a ¼ mile I estimate from the lodge on the back of the lodge property. About 1/3 of the way there, you go over a little gulley with a bridge that they lock at night to keep the animals from coming onto the grounds. But the waterbucks just jump over that. So therefore, they are on the grounds near the lodge a lot. Last night they were out from our patio and they slept and grazed all night which was so neat. There are spotlights enough so that you can see them, without it being too light. I love this lodge. It is just delightful. Jim and I saw a giraffe right after we crossed over the gulley and enjoyed stopping to just watch him. He eventually meandered farther away so we went on down to the jetty. There was not as much wildlife visible when we first got there so we just enjoyed the quiet and the flowers that are beginning to open and the birds that are so plentiful. I saw a pied kingfisher as well as the superb starlings that are so beautiful. Then we headed back to the lodge and to our right, we spied a whole group of giraffe. I later counted and there were 12 of them. They are Masi giraffes and the spots are so beautiful and dark. There was a small lake pond between us and them and it made such a pretty scene. We stood there and enjoyed watching them and happened to glance around and there was a maribou stork walking toward us about 10 paces from us. As we stood watching her, a male stork flew down and came toward us as well, though I imagine it was his lady friend he was heading toward. Before we knew it, there were 3 males and this one female and they headed toward the pond and walked right by us. About that time, someone spooked the giraffes and they started running right by us. It was a beautiful sight! They formed a long line and were just so neat. It is an incredible experience to be able to stand close enough to these animals and observe them and take in the beauty and majesty of them.
What a wonderful 45th anniversary it was for us.
Wow. What an awesome day! Still no luggage and the report last night that it would arrive today was erroneous. Now we are hoping it is enroute to Nairobi today and we can pick it up at the airport on our way tomorrow. Meanwhile we are washing clothes and buying new tshirts to wear. We wish we had packed more socks and underwear! Lol But we are managing!
Today we drove to Nakuru National Park and it was just full of wildlife! We did not spot a leopard unfortunately but we saw so much else. We saw several types of antelopes that we had never seen before-Thompson’s gazelles, and Elands. We saw a herd of rhinoceros and some were black ones and some were white ones. It was amazing to watch them. The car decided not to start when we were ready to leave so we held our breath as Omari had to get out and tighten some connections and the white rhino was not that far away. Watching him time his exit from the vehicle, he has a health respect for the rhinos! We saw lots of baboons and some dik dik and several types of the vervet monkeys. We saw the gorgous pink flamingos-by the thousands and oh my, are they something to see fly. We saw storks and a masked weaver working on his nest. The sheer amount of wildlife here is amazing. We cape buffalo by the hundreds and impala and a pair of jackals.
The weather was wonderful and we took the top of the vehicle off and were able to stand (sock feet) and get good views of everything. We had lunch at the Lion Hill Lodge which was wonderful and the staff was so helpful to me with getting me the right food. There were beautiful birds all around the yard.
We were amazed at being passed on both the right and left hand side of the van simultaneously-rather unnerving! The life here is so interesting to watch. The average person still dresses with native attire of sorts and most business is transacted in small stalls on the street. There are pockets of great poverty and living in pretty grim circumstances. Other areas are very clean and more prosperous.
It was a great day and we all came home very happy. But the fun didn’t end there. Jim and I walked back out to the water which is about a ¼ mile I estimate from the lodge on the back of the lodge property. About 1/3 of the way there, you go over a little gulley with a bridge that they lock at night to keep the animals from coming onto the grounds. But the waterbucks just jump over that. So therefore, they are on the grounds near the lodge a lot. Last night they were out from our patio and they slept and grazed all night which was so neat. There are spotlights enough so that you can see them, without it being too light. I love this lodge. It is just delightful. Jim and I saw a giraffe right after we crossed over the gulley and enjoyed stopping to just watch him. He eventually meandered farther away so we went on down to the jetty. There was not as much wildlife visible when we first got there so we just enjoyed the quiet and the flowers that are beginning to open and the birds that are so plentiful. I saw a pied kingfisher as well as the superb starlings that are so beautiful. Then we headed back to the lodge and to our right, we spied a whole group of giraffe. I later counted and there were 12 of them. They are Masi giraffes and the spots are so beautiful and dark. There was a small lake pond between us and them and it made such a pretty scene. We stood there and enjoyed watching them and happened to glance around and there was a maribou stork walking toward us about 10 paces from us. As we stood watching her, a male stork flew down and came toward us as well, though I imagine it was his lady friend he was heading toward. Before we knew it, there were 3 males and this one female and they headed toward the pond and walked right by us. About that time, someone spooked the giraffes and they started running right by us. It was a beautiful sight! They formed a long line and were just so neat. It is an incredible experience to be able to stand close enough to these animals and observe them and take in the beauty and majesty of them.
What a wonderful 45th anniversary it was for us.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Having a ball!
Well, can't remember what my other post was but have to make it short and sweet but have oh so much I want to share. We made it fine but our luggage is still not here-it is Thursday,the 26th. So far we are managing and getting ready to buy some tshirts on OAT to make it easier. The last two days have been superb. We have seen so much wildlife. This lodge is incredible and has wildlife all around. It has giraffe, zebra, and waterbuck that run around and graze and it is awesome! Today we saw so much. We even saw about a dozen black rhino and white rhino. It is wonderful to see new things and especially the number. The pink flamingos are just awesome-thousands of them. Baboons make faces and are so funny-they are all over the roads and highways. I watched as about a dozen waterbuck slept and grazed outside our lodge room.
The birds are incredible too. I just can't say enough about how much we have seen and experienced in two days. If the rest of the trip is this good, all I can say is WOW. But I would like to get my suitcase. Let's face it, most of what you bring is in that and without suntan lotion, bug spray and other liquids that we packed, we are mooching off our friends. And a trip of 6 people is wonderful as well!
The birds are incredible too. I just can't say enough about how much we have seen and experienced in two days. If the rest of the trip is this good, all I can say is WOW. But I would like to get my suitcase. Let's face it, most of what you bring is in that and without suntan lotion, bug spray and other liquids that we packed, we are mooching off our friends. And a trip of 6 people is wonderful as well!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
We are here but no luggage~
We may well find out how it is to really rough it as our duffel bags did not get here. Our travel friends out there who have traveled on British Air know why we don't like to fly them. The flights themselves were fine but no luggage. Hopefully we will eventually get it. Mainly we will do with what we have til then!
We are fine and I saw 3 storks on the roof top across from us before we went to breakfast this AM.
Good start. It is misty rain today. So much for the dry season! They knew the Burtons were coming!
We are fine and I saw 3 storks on the roof top across from us before we went to breakfast this AM.
Good start. It is misty rain today. So much for the dry season! They knew the Burtons were coming!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
OFF TO AFRICA
We are off on another African safari on Monday. We are taking the OAT Best of Kenya and Tanzania. There are supposed to be only 6 of us on this trip and we are really looking forward to it. Some of the lodges and tented camps have internet so we are hoping to be able to update at least from time to time!
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