Leaving Africa Behind....

It is said that one can leave Africa but Africa never leaves you. I can attest to that and I imagine Amber will soon agree. It has been a wonderful time, seeing old friends, showing Amber around, making new friends, bartering, visiting and yes, going on safari. I will be sad tomorrow as we depart. I always am. But this is not the place for me to be at this time.

We enjoyed our last day here. We slept in, spent some time around the pool, sorted out what to pack for Amsterdam and what to just pack. Amber downloaded her students' work and graded papers for a few hours. We walked across the street for pizza at about 8 pm. Amber was asleep by 9:15 and I'm doing the electronic stuff....clearing the memory card on the camera, charging the iPod and now a bit on the blog.

Before we stepped out of the hotel, I asked the concierge if it was safe to go across the street for pizza. He said it was not safe for us to go out. Amber asked if they would deliver pizza. He replied, "oh, you want pizza? I can show you where to get pizza" and took us out of the hotel, and pointed to the Pizza Inn...across the street, the place I asked about at first. So, it is not safe to go out for pizza but if you want pizza, you can go out to this place. That is typical of many of our experiences with this English language. Apparently our sentence structure, body language and gestures make it difficult for Kenyans to know what we mean. The Pizza Inn is directly across the street. We had to cross three lanes of one way bumper to bumper traffic. There were dozens of people on the sidewalks, in the street. You cannot imagine the vehicle and foot traffic. And we were the only msungu (white) people on the street. I took a short video of the street earlier in the day. Maybe I can post things when I get back to Greentown.

The last leg of our trip should be fun! Neither of us have ever been to Amsterdam (I've been through the airport 19 times so on #20, I will get out and "do" the city!!!) Our hotel is in the theater district. We've found that we can buy an iAmsterdam pass for public transportation that includes admission to several museums and a canal boat ride. It's 59 Euros (about $100) but it should be a bargain for Tues pm, all day Wed and Thurs. Amber, the planner, has a guidebook and has looked over where we might want to go. One place is a handbag museum....I'll like that! I have entirely too  many totes and handbags--I think I'm looking for the perfect bag. It will be fun to see the bags over the centuries. Of course, we will go to Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh and maybe the Rembrandt museums. And the street market. And buy tulips. And....And...And..

It is after 10 pm here. We must be up at 4:15 to take the "courtesy" ($20) shuttle to the airport.

Lala salama.....which in Kiswahili means "sleep well". I said that to Amber the other night and she answered with "Haile Selassi"....funny girl! She doesn't have much Kiswahili!!

More photos

More photos are just not possible from the Hilton this morning. I don't know what the problem is but I cannot get any more to upload.

We have a quiet day today. Hand laundry, repack our bags, rest. I have to write an article for the Advocate (USFWI magazine) and Amber has much information to record and begin to digest and assess.  It may not be as "quiet" and "restful" as I had hoped. Tomorrow we fly to Amsterdam for our short visit there!

A long day with a serendipitous extra game drive!!

The monkeys threw things on our tent last night! Annoying! The wakeup hot chocolate and tea were delivered to our tent at 5:45 am. I didn’t wear my pajama top on the game drive this morning. The Fairmont has terry bathrobes for the guests so Amber and I both showed up dress with our robes over our clothes! It was chilly!!

The major things we have not seen yet are the rhinos, the leopard and the crested crested crane. Chase, Jimmy’s wife, was able to get away from surgery in Tenwek Hospital and joined her husband and children in our van. She kept asking Hunter if she had pictures of the elephants, the gazelles, the zebra…everything. And of course Hunter had lots! The first stop of the van was in front of a tree with a leopard vulture perched on top. Apparently it ‘cleans’ up the carcass when the leopard is finished.

We drove around looking for lions but seeing elephants, zebra, topi, wildebeest, gazelles, and impala. We have only seen the waterbuck twice and there were no cheetahs today. Finally, Wilson heard on the radio and went to the spot. A male lion was sleeping out in the open. We watched a while, he woke up and “posed nicely” for photos, then walked into the bush. Further in was the lioness that we have seen before. We have not been able to get close to her…only seeing her and the three cubs through the bush. This morning they were out playing. They were just fun to watch.

I had told Wilson we needed to see a crested crane. Soon a pair flew over. That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but it would have to suffice. Our next stop was a Hippo Point.  We got out of the van and walked up to the river’s edge. Our vantage point was high above the river so we were overlooking the point where dozens were sunning. We walked further and looked across to see a large crocodile sunning.

Back in the rover for our next adventure! We stopped at a Masai compound. The moran came out to see if we wanted to tour the boma. Chase and Jimmy were interested but their children were not. Amber and I were not but we encouraged the other s to go if they wanted to. We were ok to wait. After all, how often do you have the chance to go inside a Masai home? I went in 2001 and think once is enough but I did go then. They didn’t stay long but were able to take photos. We who waited were not allowed to take any pictures. (I’ve heard that the Masai believe that tourists come, take pictures and sell them to National Geographic or similar magazines. If their pictures are going to be sold, they want part of the money. Journalists have probably done that in the past.) 

We went back to the Fairmont, had breakfast, packed, shopped in the gift shop. Amber had been eying a necklace since Friday. It has large cow bone pieces and some orange/yellow beads. When she paid for it, the clerk said the ‘beads’ are yellow AMBER! How wonderful that she was able to get amber. There was one amber pendant that was $300. The yellow amber is not that expensive. I bought the amethyst…I never get tired of it…and you know, it will match everything I own!

We were waiting for our bags to be brought from the tent only to find he had carried them out to the pickup spot. We paid our bill, Kennedy’s bill and after a farewell to Leah, the wonderful receptionist, we were off. We drove the 12 km to the t-road and Kennedy turned right. I thought it should be to the left but he had just come in from Narok so I assumed he was right. We were seeing lots of animals on this road and Amber and I both commented that we had not seen animals as we came in on Friday. Amber saw a crested crane but I didn’t have the camera out.  After 45 minutes, Kennedy said “I am starting to question”, meaning he wasn’t sure about the road. We turned around. There was nothing out there. No houses, no traffic, no passersby. I saw a sign for David Livingstone Lodge and said we should go there. And now, the gas gauge is below ¼. It is 61 km to the main road from Fairmont. I am getting a bit concerned. I asked if the lodges sold fuel to independent drivers and he assured me they do. We neared the David Livingstone and stopped where there were three men gathered under a tree. Armed with directions, we headed back to the place just 12 km. from the Fairmont where he had turned right. Along the way we saw more animals and there were now two crested cranes! Kennedy stopped so I could get a picture. We finally located a Masai market where there was a shanty with a sign “filling station”. There was nothing there but they gave us directions to another Masai market. I had some candy so we gave it to the children we saw. It was another 6-8 km. to the next market. We pulled into the station. I said to ask the price so I would know whether to get only enough to get us out of the Mara or to fill up. She said it was 100 /- per liter. That translated into about 35 cents/gallon more than we would have to pay in Narok or Nairobi but she didn’t have any. She forwarded us to a mud/dung structure a few hundred metres away. They had fuel! They siphoned it from an old water cooler tank. There was no pump meter so Kennedy had to watch the gas gauge and estimate when it showed what he thought was 3000/- worth. Children were nearby so I motioned to them and gave them candy. They giggled and ran away. After a few minutes they came back with their hands out. We gave them more and they ran off happy.

Leaving this market, we still had to get out of the Mara. One of the drivers had told Kennedy a ‘short cut’ so after 2 hours of roaming around in the wilderness, we headed out. I took photos of the Masai women doing laundry at the river. They were not happy and were yelling at us! We had left the Fairmont at 12 noon. We finally got to the paved road at 3:30 pm. It was a long “61 kilometres.”

We stopped in Narok for a rest stop and a bit of lunch. The samosas were 100/- each, about double what they should have been but they were big. It was 1650/- for 9 samosas, 3 sodas and 3 waters….$22. Leaving Narok, we went up the escarpment and round the narrow road on the edge of the mountains. I love the view but Amber was not so impressed with the mountain on one side and the dropoff on the other. It is a beautiful but dangerous drive. We arrived in Nairobi by 6 pm. The desk clerk said “have you been on safari?” so we must look rough!  

We were happy to have a/c and hot showers after our long afternoon game drive and trek to Nairobi!

(Monday-having trouble uploading photos. Will post them separately. Note that background of the lion is savannah and the cub is in green grass.....they were 20 feet apart! That is the diversity of the Mara!!)

Saturday

Saturday, February 26, 2011

“Hodi” was the quiet call at the door at 5:30 am. The porter had come with our hot chocolate and tea as our wakeup call for the 6:30 game drive. We got ready and were at the reception at 6:25, ready to go. For some reason, I did not bring a sweater or jacket from Nairobi. All I have here is short sleeves and I knew it would be cool on the savannah. I apologized and wore my fleece pajama top over my shirt. We were riding with the same family from yesterday. Jimmy with Aaron, Hunter and Isaiah. Hunter is a high school senior and she plans to go to Asbury next year. The boys are maybe 15 and 12. (Oops…later  discovered they are 14 and 9).

We saw most of the animals from yesterday. We did see jackals yesterday that I didn’t mention. Today we added male waterbuck, lioness with cubs, ground horned bill (bird) and elephants!! The herd of elephants was magnificent. There were several babies with them. We watched and watched and some went into the bush. The bush is so thick that once an animal is in a few feet, you cannot locate them unless you have seen them go in. It is difficult to imagine just how many animals might be in that bush.

Wilson heard on the walkie-talkie radio that there was a lioness who had made a kill and taken it to her cubs. We went to the location and waited while another jeep backed out. Then we drove in. The lioness was several metres ahead of us. The cubs were romping and playing but it was difficult to see them. The photos taken by my average camera may not show them.  The lioness got up and moved but did not come close enough.

Wilson took us to a curio shop out in the Mara….far from everything! I didn’t buy but did look. Hunter was looking and Isaiah, the 9 year old, was saying she should hurry. She looks at everything and doesn’t buy. I told him that is why they call it “shopping”. She said ‘thanks’. I imagine she gets it from those boys like Darian did from Dylan and Dalton (my grandkids). Amber bought a unique piece and bar-gained quite well.

On the way back to the lodge we saw a strange large bird, maybe the size of a pelican. It is black with a red head and a big bill….a ground hornbill. There was a pair of them. We also saw a tawny eagle perched in a tree.  Still no rhinos…maybe this afternoon.

We stopped in the Fairmont gift shop when we returned. There is a beautiful amethyst necklace with silver that I’m eyeing; however, I did stop at reception to ask about the hot air balloon ride.  A balloon ride over the Mara has been on my “bucket list” for about five years. It makes sense to try to do it while I’m here this time as it is long to the Mara and expensive. This may be my last big safari.  Leah, the clerk, told me she would check. Amber signed up for a full body massage. She brought her swimsuit so will be in the pool after the massage. I didn’t bring a suit so I don’t know what I’ll be doing. My camera needs to be charged and so does the laptop so I’ll be doing that kind of stuff too.

Leah came to our table during breakfast to tell me that I am the only one signed up for the balloon. They need three more…the minimum is 4. If she can find others, I’ll be going up on Sunday morning. If she cannot….maybe I’ll get the necklace! If she cannot find others, then I will know that God has taken the balloon ride off the bucket list! Leah also told us that the lodge changed internet carriers and that even though we joined the president’s club, our free internet will come with our next visit but the rate for internet changed. So we will pay 1000/- per laptop for our entire stay instead of per day. It’s a good deal…better than the Hilton! Yesterday it was an excellent connection which is difficult to understand. We are very remote out in the middle of the savannah. The connection at Sosa was so slow and it is in a populated area. But This is Kenya!

Breakfast was a large buffet with eggs, ham, baked beans, sweet potato hashbrowns, breads, fruit, juice, and eggs with kuchambari. It was like deviled eggs except the filling was kuchumbari. That’s a clever idea but the kuchambari was too hot for me! (Finely chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cilantro and hot sauce).

After breakfast we went to Hippo Lookout. Jimmy and Isaiah were there and Isaiah had counted ….are you ready?.......65 hippos basking in the river. Oh MY! You cannot imagine! I didn’t count but there were many out of the water and others kept coming up and going back down. We watched them sleep for twenty minutes or more. Impossible to catch a snap (photo) of one with his mouth opened…they are just too quick.

My next task was the blog and Amber went for her massage. She came into the lodge area (no internet in the tents) and said it was the most wonderful massage she has ever had. She looked relaxed! The pool was not heated so in comparison to the hot sun, it was cold. I didn’t miss anything by not getting in the pool.  Maybe I can do a massage tomorrow? But we check out tomorrow….

This safari life is a life of luxury. Great service, wonderful amenities….not your every day stuff.  

After a leisurely morning and a big breakfast, Amber opted to skip lunch. I had a small piece of cake and some minted cucumbers. It was soon time to go for the afternoon drive. We stopped to see Leah and the balloon party is a maybe…if Amber goes and if they find one more person.

The goal for this drive was to find a male lion and to find rhinos. We followed the narrow paths and went up and down searching. Then we went up a hill and Wilson told us to get out of the rover. We were at a curio shop so I thought it was another friend. No…a conservancy officer joined us and then we were to climb the hill. Wilson stayed with the Rover and another officer came along. In the distance we saw a rhino, we continued to climb, another! And another!! I was huffin’ and puffin’. We were on a hillside overlooking an open area with four rhinos…big ones! The guide said, “danger, hide!” So here we are out in the open with two guides who only have a stick. We are watching these rhinos eat grass, as we snap pictures and wonder about these big boys!! They are massive!! It starts to rain. We keep taking pictures. Finally, we began going down the hill. The guides’ job is to keep track of these rhinos to keep poachers away. I’m not sure they are equipped to protect the tourists.

Getting back in the rover, I asked about snakes in the Mara. Wilson said only cobras, puff adders and the green mamba were here. That was a bit jarring. Amber had been in flipflops and I had Crocs on as we were out meandering the hillside.

Next big find….two male lions asleep in the bush. They were sprawled out. Vehicles came and went as we got in close to get more photos. We watched them sleep for half an hour, then one awoke and sat up. Wilson jockeyed us around to the front side and this lion was ten feet from me…looking me directly in the eye. You’ll love the photos!!

On to find the hyenas. There was a pack with several babies. The mother had brought back some scavenged food and the babies were chewing on the bones. We did hear the hysterical laugh. They romped and played. They have a strange posture with their shoulders higher than haunch. They have round ears. The kids thought they looked like bears.

Heading home, we saw a pack of mongoose. We stopped three times to take pictures of the setting sun. It was a glorious sight. Wilson stopped so that we could get an acacia tree in the foreground. There was a stork in the tree and a zebra beside it and the mountain on the horizon. The pinks and purples of the sunset were beautiful.

I had booked a massage for myself at 7pm.  I just got out of the rover and went directly to the massage table. Leah at reception had said I would get an African massage (the game drive) and then a Swedish Massage. It was wonderful. I lay on the table while Maggie worked on my body. The birds were singing and every so often I heard the hippos’ grunts and the water splashing when they turned over. At one point I realized she didn’t have music playing which is typical when you get a massage. Nature sounds were the music.

Supper at 8 and both Amber and I got tickled about one thing after another. We laughed til we cried. We are tired but relaxed. It has been a good day. But I did find that no one was found to be the 4^th person on the balloon ride and the 3^rd person canceled. I guess I’m not supposed to take it this time either!

As I type, I can hear the music from the special event. The drums are loud and it sounds like tribal dancing. It doesn’t really sound Masai but not sure what it is.

We have a wakeup for 5:45 for our last game drive.

Sunday drive is finished. We are checking out and posting this today. Will download photos and hopefully post tomorrow but if we go the the cybercafe, photos will not come. Hopefully, wi-fi will be free in Amsterdam. I don't mind paying a reasonable price but $11/hr is much!!

Blessings on you today as you worship. Hasn't God created an incredible amazing world and we are privileged to be a part of it. Just as there is beauty in Africa, so is there beauty all round each of us. Take a look today and praise Him for all that you see and all that you have. This has been a grand safari! If you have come this far in reading, I think you will agree. Thanks for coming along and there is more to come!!

More memorable photos

Pair of cheetahs drinking after missing a kill

Cape buffalo...meanest animal in the plain. Usually in herds but we saw a solitary one.

Masai Giraffe...there are three kinds of giraffe in Kenya, the Masai found in the ...Masai Mara, the Rothschild found in the central area and the Reticulated Giraffe found north of the equator.



Baboons were seen along the road as we approached Fairmont and out on the savannah.



This is a female. The male has black feathers. We are in a vehicle like the one pictured. The top is raised so you can stand up to see out. It is not easy to stand while moving because of the deep ruts. Riding across the savannah is much like riding across a field that has been plowed but not cultivated....rugged!

This is a Topi, an antelope. He is different from the water buck in that he is smaller and had a blue "patch" on his hind side. They call it 'blue jeans'. Beautiful animal. Better shot still on camera but it is being charged just now.

Giraffe in the bush. At one point we saw 14 together.



Finally Fotos!!

This was our cottage at Sosa.

Amber interviewing John Muhanji at Sosa outside in February.

Tea at Vihiga Boys School. Bread and Butter, boiled egg, mandazi, watermelon, chai.

Amber cuddling a baby at Kaimosi Hospital.

A magnificent cheetah. See Friday blog for his story!

Meeting with Dorothy Selebwa, Janet, and Gladys Kang'ahi in Chavakali. Dorothy is Presiding Clerk of USFW-Kenya.

A precious little 3 year old girl, daughter of one of the staff at Sosa. Her hat says Obama. I asked her name and it is Michelle! Sweet!












Tea fields near Kericho....when we had gone too far..see Friday post. The houses in the back are provided by the plantation owner for the pickers and other employees. Tea fields are as big as Indiana corn fields or bigger!



Pat and Amber halfway through our 8 hour drive to Fairmont. I think we'd both had one nap by this point. We were beginning to look tired.

Finished with the Research!!

When I awoke, Amber was on the phone with Madison. When she finished, she asked “what was is that  noise we are hearing”.  It was a donkey but it was not the familiar hee-haw but a crying sort of bray. Loud and annoying!

This morning began as usual with breakfast…fresh fruit (passion, pineapple, banana, watermelon), tea, eggs and toast. I pass on the sausages and cereal and juice. We again joined John, Mai and Roger. We are learning their personalities and our conversations are profitable to us and hopefully to them. John gave Amber a book about peace and reconciliation and some tips about traveling ‘round Paris…a trip she plans for later in the year.

The drive from Sosa to Chevakali is short and I was intentional today about pointing out a few things to Amber. They seem common to me (for Africa) but I have to remember that this is Amber’s first trip. We saw a carwash…a spot alongside the road with a rain tank and a few men washing vehicles. There were many small children, maybe 2 or 3 years old, walking about near the road while their mothers tilled the ground with jembas (similar to a hoe). 

We were at the hotel by 9:30 for our meeting which was to begin at 10. The six people on the secondary school peace curriculum committee arrived one by one until about 11 when tea was served. I was expecting USFW Kenya women to come and meet with me and they also arrived at about 11 (but our appointment was for 11). We arranged for another room and ordered tea. It was a wonderful meeting with Gladys Kang’ahi, Dorothy Selebwa and Janet ??. They had come from Vihiga, Kakamega and Kitale. Gladys had traveled since 6 am. We chatted a bit and then talked about USFW International and USFW Kenya concerns. They invited me to come to the USFW-Kenya Triennial in April of 2012 and be the installing officer. I imagine it may also involve speaking but maybe not. We ordered lunch which came at 1:30. I told these women that I had shared with FUM General Board about the regular prayer meetings that they hold….when nearly 3,000 women come together from far distances to pray all day. They do this 4 times a year. The ladies were humbled that the board was informed.  (The location is moved around but nearly half of the women who attend will travel at least a few hours to attend!) More conversation and then expressions of appreciation. They wanted to meet Amber so I went up the 3 flights of stairs (for now the 3^rd time today) to see if she would be able to get away for a few minutes. The committee was also finishing up so I remained there for those expressions of appreciation and prayers, then asked Amber to join us. We visited with the women a few minutes then headed for the vehicle. Henry was taking three women, two from Amber’s meeting and one from mine, so they did not have to pay transport. We stopped in a small village to check on mail for one of them. Finally we were dropped at Sosa. We will not see Henry and Wesley again on this trip. Amber gave me a letter that a former student of mine had sent via a committee member. He was on the committee but had had a death in the family and was not able to attend. He sent greetings and regrets that we did not meet as “you are like a mother to us”.  

 Amber was especially impressed with the caliber of teachers she met today. They are writing curriculum. She told them that in the US, major companies write curriculum, not local teachers. They are doing the student text and the teacher manuals. 

Sasita has introduced me four times…at Vihiga Secondary School, at Kaimosi Primary School, and at the two Peace Curriculum Committee meetings. He tells them that “She is Patricia Shrock, the president of the USFW International…president of the whole world!!”  Receiving honor is almost unQuakerly as we do have the Testimony of Simplicity and the Testimony of Equality. In the evenings though, Amber jokingly reminds me that I am the president of the whole world. : )

We spent the afternoon processing much of what we have seen these last four days. This evening she will work on getting her data categorized. I need to write an article for the USFW magazine, The Advocate.  I will try to post a blog or two and pay our bill. I have told them that we will pay tonight after supper so that it is taken care of.  We also have to pack up everything as we leave at 6 am for the Masai Mara for two days of game drives! Let’s hope that the internet is better there and you can see some photos!!

Posting on Fri. We talked and talked last night and did not get our work done. We are now at the Mara...had a great day, have great internet access and hope to post many photos tomorrow. The trip was an 8 hour drive and the last two hours on jutted dirt path across the floor of the Rift Valley to the camp.

We are at a tented camp. The generator goes off at 12 midnight so we won't be working late! But the game drive is at 6:30 am! We had one game drive this afternoon and saw baboons, eland, Thompson's gazelles, Grant's gazelles, zebra, giraffe, warthogs, ostrich, cape buffalo, topi, water buck, dik dik, secretary bird, a lion from a distance and two cheetah stalking a small herd of wildebeest.  We watched the stalk for about half an hour, then they pounced and ran. The wildebeest scattered and the cheetah are still hungry. The verandah on our tent overlooks the river where the hippos are half submerged. The monkeys threw things at Amber when she sat outside. Most of the animals listed above were in groups of four or five or even herds. Amazing! Beautiful!!

Tutaonana