Lake Nakuru,Samburu,Mt.Kenya/back to Nairobi

After camping it was really nice to spend one night in a hotel in Nakuru.

The next few days we spent time in two very different type of game preserves.

Lake Nakuru National Preserve is green covered with cacacia trees, and a large lake with millions of pink flamingoes,pelicans,sea gulls,stocks,connant and other sea birds. It is completely different from Masaai Mara,which was very dry and dusty. It is smaller and very lush and green. The animals were like in an outdoor Zoo. Even the rhinos and buffalos were calm and relaxed.
Here there were no "wildbreasts" but all the animals we saw before plus a different breed of zebras(narrow stripes and white belly)giraffes with a litle different pattern skin,and a few other animals we didn't see before like the hyena.

On our way to Sanburu National Preserve we crossed the Equator. An interesting demonstration showed us how 20 feet on either side of the equator how when water is poured into a container it twills in the opposite direction.

The boys from Holland who joinned us for this portion of the safari really enjoyed Samburu because our camp was inside the Preserve. These two boys spent 12 weeks in Kenya working for a company for their Master in civil engineering. Olaf,yes Pastor Olaf another Olaf, was blue eyed blond Dutch and E.K. was a Chinese Dutch. His parents moved to Holland from Hong Kong in the 70's so all the children were born in Holland.

We really roughed it,more than the camp at Masaai Mara, but we were camped right next to the river so many animals came by the camp. And the monkeyes and baboons,and all kinds of birds came to steal our food and block us from using the outdoor shower and toilet. We had to make sure we kept our tents tightly close to make sure they didn't get in and steal everything.

I must say living among the animals day and night was more exciting. One day a huge elephant came by. He had only one tusk. The story one of the workers told us as the reason this happened is that he was in a fight with another elephant for a female elephant and the other elephant knocked his tusk completely off.

One of the animals we did not see at the other two preserves was the leopard. Here we saw the lepard twice. Once on a tree and another time lying quietly on the ground only 15 feet away. He was beautiful.

Samburu is dry but no huge praire land. It is covered with small bushes. Here we saw a different kind of Ostrich and many many colorful birds. We also saw monitor lizzard which are about 14 feet long. Here we saw many Digdigs a very small type of gazelle and Ornyx which looks like gazelles but have long sharp horns;look like over two feet long. According to our guide lions have a hard time killing these because they can pierce the lions with them.

After a long drive we dropped Olaf and E.K. who had signed up to do the 3 days hike over Mt. Kenya.
I really enjoyed the company of these two boys. There were two other groups of Europeans at the same camp.

We lost Diana of Germany and Peter of Rwanda after four days when there places were replaced with Olaf and E.K. Kate who was very sick the first half recovered enought to enjoy Nakuru and Samburu,but became very sick on the way back to Nairobi. I was told that Malaria does that; it comes back. Both Tim and Kevin got sick in Nakura. The old lady,me, was the only one who didn't of the original group.

After returning from the safari, I have been staying at the Nairobi Youth Hostel. I have been staying in the dorm where I have meeting many many interesting people. It seems many who stay at the hostel are people who have come to Kenya with a mission to help Kenyans. They stay in remote villages or visit government schools which lack supplies and equipment and raise money for them. I've met groups from Canada and Holland who are doing this. There have been about 12 who have been living in the girls dorm. Many are Kenyans from the country who are staying here and attending colleges in Nairobi.

Especially interesting to me was the story told me by this Masaai girl,22 years,whoes mother ran away from her Masaai husband and seeked refuge at a Catholic Church. The Belgium priest raise her like his own and gave her education so that she was able to find a job as a receptionist and secretary. She remarried but her husband died three years later leaving her with Yamayan..Masaai for Blessing...and two other children all one year apart. Blessing or Yamayan was raised by her Masaai grandmother until she was 12 years old when her mom took her back. Her grandfather now 85years old worked for the colonist and learned to read. He named his four daughters and sons from words he chose from the Atlas....like Geneva,Cleveland,McMillan,etc.
Blessing said he was given an opportunity to continue his education in England but he refused because he did not want to leave his cattle. To a Masaai his cattle is valued very highly. He had four wives which is common even today among the Masaais.
Blessing is very thankful she has experience the old ways and the new modern ways. She is serious about completing her college education in Business Administration. Two of her mothers sisters also left their Masaai husbands and have learned to earn a living on their own. The youngest sister who has four small children has remained with her husband. Blessing said that Massai men beat their wives because their custom says they should. According to her the life of a Masaai woman is very very hard. Each wife must build her own house. It takes about three months. The other wives may not help her. She has to get water from the stream somethimes miles away and cook and take care of the children while the man lays around and plays games.

This post has gotten extra long. I won't have easy access to the internet once I leave the hostel. I return to Mary's place soon. Lillian,Mary's sister from Kehaka, Kauai will be arriving this Thursday. I learned that Lillian has been away from Kenya for 6 years. Her return will be a big affair. Lillian has said she will like to take me "Up Country" to meet her parnets. That should be interesting.

I have also met with Rev. Phyllis Byrd who I was able to connect with throught Carolyn Winston who connected me to Sandra Gourdet of Global Ministries of the Christian Churches,Disciples of Christ. That was another very interesting encounter. Rev. Byrd is from New York. She met her Kenyan husband while he was studying in a New York university. She lives in a beautiful home in Nairobi. I have been able to see the many sides of Kenyans.