Of all the trips I went on this year, my week in Kenya is the only one I would do over and over again. It was the most fun, the most educational, the most relaxing, the most inspiring, the most organized, and the most unique. Here are some highlights (until we can meet for tea!):
* We spent four days in the Masai Mara and one day at Lake Nakuru. Our “animal list” (that we recorded after each game drive) includes: snake eagle, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, elephant, monkey, baboon, lion, wart hog, jackal, ostrich, leopard, hippo, crocodile, impala, cheetah, secretary bird, gecko, hyena, buffalo, water buck, Thomson gazelle, rhino and flamingo.
* We spent four days in the Masai Mara and one day at Lake Nakuru. Our “animal list” (that we recorded after each game drive) includes: snake eagle, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, elephant, monkey, baboon, lion, wart hog, jackal, ostrich, leopard, hippo, crocodile, impala, cheetah, secretary bird, gecko, hyena, buffalo, water buck, Thomson gazelle, rhino and flamingo.
* Our accommodations were an unexpected dream come true. We lived like princesses in deluxe “tents” – double sinks, large showers, king size beds, desks, balconies, ceiling fans, etc. We were told that Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey stayed in tents less “posh” than ours during their stay in the Masai Mara.
* Interesting animal facts: A baby zebra recognizes their mother by their stripe pattern. Elephants can prolong gestation. Giraffes are one of the only animals that can see in colour.
* We visited a Masai village and had the pleasure of speaking with the Masai men who worked at our travel lodge. My discussions with them forced me to be open-minded quite quickly! Some points of interest: a Masai man must kill a lion before he can marry, a traditional Masai diet consists of the blood, milk and meat of a cow, and young girls can be “claimed” with a deposit made out in cows!
* A recollection of other random events and occurrences: a baby rhino trampled my friend, two adult baboons took over our land cruiser, and a young lion suffocated and killed a baby wildebeest (YIKES I was trying to look and trying not to look at the same time). We also watched an elephant family play in the pouring rain and experienced “baboon interference” during an intense soccer match with the Masai!
Ohhhhh – it was pure magic! Imagine a real-life Lion King – with no directors, animators, actors or scripts!
GO, GO, GO! (and I’ll come with you!).
Ohhhhh – it was pure magic! Imagine a real-life Lion King – with no directors, animators, actors or scripts!
GO, GO, GO! (and I’ll come with you!).
1 comment:
Jane Goodall book in the making?
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