Last Safari - What?!

Last weekend we enjoyed a lovely trip to Tsavo West National Park. There is a Tsavo West and a Tsavo East but we chose west because that's just the kind of people we are, we head west. 

Well actually we headed south from Nairobi early on Saturday morning to kick off the four hour drive. It hadn't really hit us yet but we were at the time embarking upon our very last safari in Kenya. What?! Last safari!? Who's idea was this? Yeah I know it's hard to believe but things are coming to an end here people. Our Kenyan safari days are numbered, and we're actually trying to understand what an American safari will look like when we return to our homeland.....RVs on Route 66? Open top buses in San Francisco? Road trips like the one in National Lampoon's Vacation? Hmmm... 

Anyway there we were on our last safari adventure. Of course I shed a tear, I'm the emotional one in this team of ours. We arrived at the park around lunchtime and shortly after pulled into our hotel at the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, one of the first safari lodges built in Kenya. Our room was quaint but one that was in dire need of renovation, which we noticed was well underway in other parts of the hotel. The lodge had an amazing terrace where all meals were served and guests able to observe birds and other wildlife mingling around the nearby watering hole.

After an enjoyable meal we set out for an afternoon game drive. Immediately we noticed the landscape in Tsavo to be much different than any of the other parks we have visited in Kenya. It’s thick brush and  crowded trees make it more challenging to spot animals. With it being so wooded, it was evident there was an abundance of birdlife present in the park. We saw hornbills flying from branch to branch, brightly colored birds swinging their long tails in the wind and small fouls scampering across the road.

That afternoon we drove out to a large lava flow that remains a sea of black from its eruption over 200 years ago. Many local people believe that the lava flow from the Chyulu Hills carried down evil spirits that still exist today. We saw nothing of the sort but instead super cute little klipspringers (small antelopes) frolicking on top of the black rock.

The game drive didn’t give us much of an animal showcase other than some birds, the tiny little reindeer like cuties and some lesser kudu (another white striped antelope) but it was relaxing and enjoyable nonetheless. That evening back at the lodge we had a lovely dinner from the large buffet of choices the Serena likes to offer its guests. As we enjoyed our cup of coffee after the meal we made our way to the edge of the terrace to keep our eyes peeled for any movement of wildlife near the watering hole. Our guide book had prepared us for some action *our fingers were crossed*.

As I was focusing my eagle eye out into the darkness, I caught a glimpse of something moving above me in the rafters. I looked and thought at first it was a large cat but as I looked even closer it was no cat but a very unique animal. It had a tail like a raccoon and a face kind of like a small fox. Brian and I followed it as it ran along one of the large beams overhead and finally we realized it was a genet. We were so excited because we saw this nocturnal catlike creature on the National Geographic channel the other night - score!

After our amazing genet sighting, my lucky contacts served me well again as I spotted a large creature moving in from the forest on the right. It was an elephant! And it was huge! This guy was sporting some amazing tusks. We watched as he came closer to the watering hole and walked along a thin pathway in between the two small ponds to come right in full view of the guests finishing their dinner. We watched as the large male gulped big quantities of water from the source. He then proceeded to scratch his side on a large boulder next to the pond.

Another elephant, almost equal in size, soon joined the big guy. As time went on there were more, coming out of the dark forest two by two and by the end of it all a family of twelve elephants were drinking from the watering hole right in front of us. It was spectacular.

We watched them for some time with other guests also taking in the view. We chatted up a nice young British couple on holiday. Soon the elephants quietly and slowly left just as they came but this time all together. That was our sign to also make a move and hit the hay.

The next morning we rose early to set off on a game drive around 6:30am. The sunrise was gorgeous and with the variety in landscape the morning views of Tsavo proved pleasant. It wasn’t long until our driver, Edwin, received a call on his radio that there was a leopard sighting. Woohoo a leopard! We had briefly seen a leopard on our last day in Massai Mara but it didn’t really count because it was running away in some tall grass. Maybe this would be our chance, our chance to complete the sightings of the Big 5 on our last safari. 

Edwin kicked the safari van into high gear, as much as you can with a safari van and in no time we were there. Two other vans were already viewing the young female leopard but just as we pulled up she came right into full view, perching herself on an open rock perfectly positioned to take in the morning sun. She sat that way for about 30 minutes and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Once she had had enough of us we proceeded on to complete the rest of our morning safari. We were on a natural high having seen such a beautiful creature and for such an extensive amount of time. The rest of the drive we saw giraffes, monkeys, the smallest of all the antelopes, the dik dik, and zebras and elephants.

It was back to the lodge for some yummy breakfast, which we were pleasantly surprised to find came with some complimentary champagne; this was the perfect way to celebrate such a successful morning and our last safari. After breakfast we made our way to some nearby natural springs called Mzima Springs. From the springs it was back to the Tsavo park entrance and then back to Nairobi. Our last safari was short and sweet and gave us some breathtaking views we hadn’t yet seen in other parts of Kenya. It was a bittersweet adventure and one great last safari.

Tsavo is also known for the man-eater lions of 1898 but we didn't see any lions

On our way to the lodge we saw a large monitor lizard on the road

View of watering hole from terrace

White-bellied Go-away-bird

Hornbill

Yellow-necked Spurfowl

Klipspringer in mid-chew

Klipspringers

We got out of our safari van to walk around the dried lava

 Chuck scopes out the scene

Tree hyrax - cute little creatures that live in rocky areas

I spy a genet!

Elephants at the watering hole at night

Good morning sunshine

The leopard sat on this rock for about 30 minutes just enjoying the morning sun

A cute little *wink* goodbye!

Lesser kudu (a type of antelope)

Dik dik (the smallest of all antelopes)

Von Der Decken's Hornbill

Mzima springs coming out of the ground

We didn't see any fortunately!

Tsavo West

What a wonderful last safari!

Glad It's Not Malaria

So I've been feeling under the weather since Monday with an incessant cough, runny nose, aching muscles and exhaustion. Today when I thought I should be making my way out of feeling icky I felt worse so I went to the hospital. 

Because Brian is in Uganda his good friend, Steve, another volunteer, came with me to Aga Khan Hospital nearby. We entered the busy waiting area and took a number. In just about 10 minutes the number was called and I filled out a form with my name and contact information. Another 10 minutes later and my name was called again to pick up a card with my name on it and then I was asked to sit on the other side of the room. 

Steve kept me company and got me water while I tried not to hack up a lung. It was about 30 minutes and my number was called by the cashier. The price for the visit was Ksh 1,200 (US$16) which I paid before seeing a doctor or nurse. 

It was another 30 minutes and I was called in to see a nurse who checked my blood pressure and took my temperature. She asked me what was wrong and I told her I felt as though I had the flu. She took some notes and sent me back out to the waiting area. 

About 15 minutes later I was in with the doctor and he looked at my throat, listened to my breathing and immediately ruled out malaria (which is the answer I was hoping he would give me). He said I have a case of the flu and that he's been treating lots of people with the flu for the past couple of days. 

Steve and I were curious to know how could one tell if he/she has malaria? He said you wouldn't have any congestion or sore throat just a fever and body chills. Good to know! 

He wrote me a prescription for some cough medicine and pain reliever which I picked up just around the corner of the waiting room. The cost Ksh 550 (US$7.30). 

After that I headed straight home and slept all afternoon. I'm feeling a bit better tonight and will continue to rest up and drink plenty of fluids tomorrow. 

I thought the process was interesting compared to that of the US and that the total cost about US$23.

Brian returns from Uganda tomorrow night to take care of me - yay :-)

Wikipedia shows us some of the symptoms of malaria:

America: An Idea

Growing up American one is well aware of the American dream. The idea that if you work hard the future will be what you make of it. Sure I've always known this but I don't think I have ever realized the true weight of this potential or that America is more than a country, it is an idea. 

This has been evident here in Kenya in watching and listening to young entrepreneurs who partook in a recent entrepreneurial exchange program with the University of Connecticut. I had the opportunity to answer questions about the US before their departure. Some asked questions about culture, some on climate and others on food and infrastructure. But what floored me most of all was the way people talked about the US. I recall one person saying, "there's one thing you must do before you die and that is go to America." Upon hearing this I felt like crying or singing God Bless America. I mean I'm proud of growing up American but never had I realized what this really meant until I heard Kenyans speak of the land of opportunity. A place to realize dreams and that place is America - wow. 

Sure America has its list of problems like other developed countries but no other country wears a sash that says, 'land of opportunity'. European countries aren't talked about the way America is talked about. It's more than a country it is an idea. 

When the team of 13 young entrepreneurs returned from the US a couple of weeks ago I asked a few of them about their experiences and what they thought about America. I was surprised to hear nothing but positive remarks flowing from their mouths. I had expected a couple of negatives but overall America lived up to the great image they had anticipated. A land of opportunity, the American dream. One guy actually didn't come back, he saw this as his only chance of living the life he wanted. 

So as an American, what is my American dream? I think it can be best summarized in this amazing commencement speech given by Bono (I know of all people, an Irishman!) at UPenn a few years back. After reading this I thought we really have something special here, something that other nations yearn for, other people long to be a part of, so let's not waste our potential: 

American Dream

Pineapples and Tea Leaves

A couple of weekends back my dear friend (and YWE program manager) Pauline, invited Brian, another volunteer, Bethany, and I to visit her village, just a couple of hours north of Nairobi. We set out, with Kiromo, a driver from TechnoServe, on a beautiful sunny Saturday to visit what Kenyans call 'shags'. Shags is the slang term for the farm or village. So I guess it turns out that I'm also from 'shags', a village of just over 10,000 called Lowell, IN. :-) 

We arrived in the early afternoon and as we pulled up, Pauline's mother came to greet us at the gate. Her sweet mother knows no Kiswahili or English, only her mother tongue, Kikuyu. So on the way to her home, Pauline taught us how to greet her mom in Kikuyu. Her mother was very impressed by our greetings. 

We followed her mother inside the gate to find a lovely concrete blockhouse inside. The home was surrounded by lush green everywhere we looked. The richness of the farmland around was breathtaking, we all found ourselves wanting to skip off and take photos before even having lunch. Fortunately and politely Pauline told us we'd have time after we ate to walk around the farm.  

As we ventured to the backyard we found Pauline's father sitting peacefully under what appeared to be his favorite resting spot, underneath a big shady tree. Like her mother, Pauline's father knew no English but knew Kiswahili, it was just that we only knew kidogo (little) Swahili and couldn't communicate directly. As a result, there was a lot of smiling and head nodding that day! 

The food was ready soon after we arrived and the women settled into the living room area inside the house. The men, Brian and Kiromo, joined Pauline's father outside. This apparently is the norm when visiting a Kenyan's home, the men hang out together and the women stick together. Brian sat with the men for a bit but he quickly joined us in the house given the language barrier. 

We enjoyed the impeccable food Pauline's mother cooked for us. Kenyan's are so hospitable and you can never go hungry in their presence. There's such a strong culture of sharing whatever you have with everyone around you and this comes out when you visit someone's home. As a visitor you will receive some of the heftiest portions and it is a good idea to try and eat as much as you can because saying thanks is much more than just a verbal gesture it's said with the stomach!

After enjoying a tasty meal of chapatti, goat stew, veg stew and irio (mashed potatoes with corn) Pauline gave us the tour of her family's farm. We walked around back out the front gate to take in the view of several well manicured farms stacked on the surrounding hillsides. There was a ravine with a rapidly flowing river below, flooded from the recent heavy rains. 

Pauline's family used to grow lots of coffee when she was younger and during that time there was a huge coffee boom in which her father was able to easily sell the beans and use the money to send all of his 11 daughters off to school. Each one of Pauline's sisters has her college degree, an amazing feat for any Kenyan family. It's important to note that Pauline and her siblings played a very big role in earning their education, as they were the ones that had to pick the coffee beans every day, a task that Pauline is very happy to have in the distant past!

As we went walking around the farm, we saw hard long spiky leaves covering the entire hillside. These were pineapples Pauline's mother was managing. Nearby there were rows upon rows heading down to the river of small tea shrubs. Pauline gave me a small lesson on how to go about picking tea leaves. You have to look for the ones that are a bit lighter in color and are accompanied by a tall stem, once you've identified the right leaves, you quickly pinch them off. 

We continued to make our way along the hillside, finally rounding back to the house. As we came back in I was inquiring about what it would be like to really pick the tea leaves; with basket in tow. Pauline asked if I wanted to try and once I said yes we were right back in the tea leave shrubs with Pauline's cousin, an expert in this task willing and eager to show me the ropes.

I placed the basket on my head and tried to identify the right tea leaves to pick. Once I had a handful I was advised to throw them over my back as they would easily fall into the bottom of the basket waiting for others to join. Well sounded easier than it was. First of all one must learn how to balance the basket and then second, you've got to actually get the leaves in the basket, good aim is important. After a few tries I started to get the hang of it but will be the first to say, it is not easy work! Apparently, Pauline's cousin wakes up at 5am to start picking the tea leaves that head to the market the same day by 1pm. When she demonstrated how she picks tea it as if someone had hit the fast forward button because she was able to pick the leaves with such agility and speed I couldn't believe my eyes. She had clearly been doing this for some time. 

Once the tea adventures were finished in the field, we went back to the house to have some in a mug in the liquid form. We sat in the open air and sipped our tea, enjoying the conversation of good friends and a simple way of life. 

As we were getting ready to leave to head back to Nairobi everyone except Pauline's dad came outside  to send us off. We didn't necessarily expect him to get up from his cozy chair as we had already said our goodbyes while he was seated underneath his tree. He is age 92 but during our visit he claimed to be well over 100 given his age could only be estimated without any proper documentation, of which he had none. However, he actually came out and joined us, which Pauline later conveyed on the ride home that for him to come outside the gate to say goodbye to visitors was a very big deal. Awww :-)

Pauline's 'shags' was a beautiful place full of green lush farmland, natural beauty and a kind of peace you only find in a place without electricity and the constant interruptions of modern life. She comes from a loving family who values the gift of education and an appreciation for hard work. We all felt very lucky to have enjoyed such a lovely way of life on that sunny Saturday afternoon. 

Farmland on the hillside opposite Pauline's farm

Pauline is always making me laugh!

Enjoying lunch (one of Pauline's sisters also joined us)

We brought a small gift for Pauline's mother (new set of spoons)

Brian, Kiromo (TNS driver) and Pauline's father

Backyard

Pineapples in the foreground

We enjoyed a pineapple and it was so sweet, very delicious!

Pauline educated me on how to pick tea leaves

She then showed me how she used to walk up the hill carrying a large sack of pineapples on her back, and emphasized how she would do this several times in a day = hardcore

I decided to give the picking of tea leaves a real try with Pauline's cousin showing me the ropes

She picked the leaves so fast!

Brian and I with Pauline and her lovely family