October 2

Well, just about home.  Rented a room in the yotel in London airport.  We are here for 5 hours for 57£ and it is great.  Our flight is at 5:15 tonight and we arrived in London neath row at 6:30 this a.m.  Rather than venture into London proper which would take a long time by tube, we decided to rest here before our next flights.  It is a room about 7 x 12 subdivided into two,sections.  One section has the toilet, and shower and the other has the bunk beds.  Eunice is up in the upper bunk and happily using the rapid Internet available for free!  Yippee !  We arrived into Vancouver at 8:30 then leave about 10:30 for Kelowna.  Hey!  What a fabulous experience this has been!

September

Monday September 30

Left Nairobi this am after a wonderful accommodation at a Fairmount hotel.  It was beautiful right in the downtown area of Nairobi not too far from the west gate shopping centre.  Out hotel had military guard with an AK47 patrolling all night. We drove to Ambicelli reserve.  We have quite a luxurious tent but it is really hot here and dry.  We came for a game drive at 3:30 but I nearly didn't go as I was so hot.  However it cooled off and we saw wonderful elephants moving from their dining room to bedrooms..don't sleep where they eat!  Saw a hippo, cranes pelicans Cape buffalo wildebeests who do not migrate, we are at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro which is in clouds.  Maybe tomorrow we will see it without clouds! 

Saw baboons with nursing babies.

Our tent is very spacious and has a high ceiling and many zip openings, which because of the night time winds, and dust, remain closed.  We have mosquito netting around the beds. Because power goes off in the middle of the night, we have a little LED light.  There is also a fan which helps move the air.  I find I get claustrophobic though when the power is off. 

We are going out for a game drive at 6:30a.m. Then breakfast and then free until 4 pm when we are off again for more sightings.  Amongst other things saw a hyena.

The end is near, however, as we leave here Wednesday a.m. For a visit to an orphanage supported by collet and then head to the airport for our late night flight.  Long days ahead.

October 1

Looks like rain here, but never happens..dusty.  Game drive at 4 and we 

saw two cheetahs stalking a herd of wildebeest...and gazelles..and zebras.unsuccessful as far as we could see.  Paul (our driver )says he smells a lion, so will se if he is successful at finding one. 

Saw a huge herd of elephants crossing...must have been at least 50 of them

We saw many hippos in the swamp, just their noses showing, in amongst a flock of flamingos.

Paul was successful...lioness and 5'cubs

Saw another two cheetahs lying down waiting for a meal to wander past.  It rained and this bring outs the cats apparently! 

This evening was a surprise bush dinner...very cold and very dark and Masai Dancers entertained us, briefly.  

October 2

Today we are on our way home....three of our number are continuing to Tanzania so we four cans drove to the border and dropped the three off and then continued on our way.  A very bumpy road from our camp to the border but I managed to sleep none the less..something about the motion of the vehicle puts me to sleep.  We stopped while the exchange was going on at another of the local gift shops to help some of the local economy.  

Saturday

Pooped tonight after amazing day.  Left at 7/14 this am.  Got back at 4/15.  Had picnic lunch but saw so many animals.  Lions, hyena, jackal, wildebeests, cheetah, hippos, crocodiles, giraffe, elephantsd,, ostrich,
Dead animals recently been killed and set upon.  Unbelievable!  My pictures can't justice.  The roads are dreadful.  Three vans got stuck, too.  No bathroom stop!  Well, bushes but couldn't perform, so that was a longgggg time

September 27

Went to a Masai village tonight and what an amazing experience!  Went into their dwelling, and claustrophobic feeling.  Made of cow dung.  They eat only meat, milk and blood with the milk. They jump and the higher jumper could have more wives.  Saw their home...makes you appreciate what you have!  We resume tomorrow at 7:30 for a full day outing.  Yikes!

September 27

Well, we left our accommodation at 7:30 this a.m.  Suitcase, aka duffel bag, out at 6:30.  We had breakfast and then proceeded on the drive from hell.  Ten miles of terrible road followed by 70 km of good road, then with the occasion bathroom stop, started on the next two hours of a road that is not to be believed!  Shook the very bottom of one.  I am not sure that the vehicle didn't break a spring.  The driver did get out to check once.  We are now in the Masa Mara reserve, where we have already seen a couple of new animals.  One of which is a wildebeest.  Looks like our buffalo.  Also saw another variety of antelope, whose name escapes me.  We arrived at 2:15 and had lunch..buffet..and then to our tent.  Very pleasant and spacious.  Power in these tented camps is often off and on as a preservation of power.  So, cold showers except in the a.m. No power after midnight etc.  o Internet except in common area and then only when power is on.  We are off to a Masai village 

September 27

Well, we left our accommodation at 7:30 this a.m.  Suitcase, aka duffel bag, out at 6:30.  We had breakfast and then proceeded on the drive from hell.  Ten miles of terrible road followed by 70 km of good road, then with the occasion bathroom stop, started on the next two hours of a road that is not to be believed!  Shook the very bottom of one.  I am not sure that the vehicle didn't break a spring.  The driver did get out to check once.  We are now in the Masa Mara reserve, where we have already seen a couple of new animals.  One of which is a wildebeest.  Looks like our buffalo.  Also saw another variety of antelope, whose name escapes me.  We arrived at 2:15 and had lunch..buffet..and then to our tent.  Very pleasant and spacious.  Power in these tented camps is often off and on as a preservation of power.  So, cold showers except in the a.m. No power after midnight etc.  o Internet except in common area and then only when power is on.  We are off to a Masai village 

September 26

Well, what a busy day.  Started at 7 with a walk around the place we are staying with a Masai and he pointed out some interesting flowers and birds.  At 8 a.m. We stopped in the middle of a field for breakfast...tableclothes, linen napkins and full wonderful breakfast with omelet made on site. From there we got in our vans and drove to a reserve 80 miles away.  The first ten miles on the worst rod imaginable...ruts, gullies, hard as can be.  Then pavement!  Hurrah!  Then we entered the preserve gates and the wildlife there was fabulous!  Zebras in great numbers right beside the vehicle, baboons, too, monkeys, Cape buffalo, abundance of birds...many flamingos, all seemingly coexisting happily.  No lions as yet!  Tomorrow off again at 7:30 for even more bad roads.  10 miles early in the day, then two hours late in the day...heading to a Masai camp.