After spending 4 days visiting schools in the slums of Nairobi and running a medical clinic, we took the day off to see the sights. We visited Lake Naivasha which is northwest of Nairobi by about 2 hours (or 93 km).
Along the way we visited the shops on the hills of the Rift Valley. Many of us bought a variety of carvings, batiks and jewelry. Some were better negotiators than others and the proprietors were pretty good at negotiating as well. But in the end, all were happy with their new purchases.
On the top of this ridge, we also saw baboons and some animals that looked like large goundhogs. And if you looked off in the distance, they said those straw huts were for a Maasai tribe. It was pretty far away so we couldn't say if he was pulling our leg or not.
The roads along this ridge were extremely narrow - barely enough for 2 lanes - with significant drop off on both sides of the road. And the drivers and walkers along this road seemed to "use the force" to avoid getting hit.
However the real treat of the day was the boat ride to Crescent Island on the lake. Along the way we saw fish eagles, egrets, pelicans and hippopotamus - yes, hippos. They were scary when they were under the water. Nobody was sure where they would come up and our canoes were no match for these big animals.
On the island, which locals say has a place in the film Out of Africa, we saw giraffe, monkey, gazelle, impala, antelope, wildebeest, zebra and more we couldn't recognize. We were able to walk among these beautiful animals as there were no predators on the island. We also walked down a long dirt road which many speculated was the airstrip in the film. However, we all vowed to watch the film again to look for familiar sights and certainly the airstrip.
It was a long day when we arrived back to our lodge about 7:30 p.m. - way after dark. But all felt the awe in seeing these animals in the wild when we normally only see them in the zoo. Just a great day.
Cindy and Terry
Along the way we visited the shops on the hills of the Rift Valley. Many of us bought a variety of carvings, batiks and jewelry. Some were better negotiators than others and the proprietors were pretty good at negotiating as well. But in the end, all were happy with their new purchases.
On the top of this ridge, we also saw baboons and some animals that looked like large goundhogs. And if you looked off in the distance, they said those straw huts were for a Maasai tribe. It was pretty far away so we couldn't say if he was pulling our leg or not.
The roads along this ridge were extremely narrow - barely enough for 2 lanes - with significant drop off on both sides of the road. And the drivers and walkers along this road seemed to "use the force" to avoid getting hit.
However the real treat of the day was the boat ride to Crescent Island on the lake. Along the way we saw fish eagles, egrets, pelicans and hippopotamus - yes, hippos. They were scary when they were under the water. Nobody was sure where they would come up and our canoes were no match for these big animals.
On the island, which locals say has a place in the film Out of Africa, we saw giraffe, monkey, gazelle, impala, antelope, wildebeest, zebra and more we couldn't recognize. We were able to walk among these beautiful animals as there were no predators on the island. We also walked down a long dirt road which many speculated was the airstrip in the film. However, we all vowed to watch the film again to look for familiar sights and certainly the airstrip.
It was a long day when we arrived back to our lodge about 7:30 p.m. - way after dark. But all felt the awe in seeing these animals in the wild when we normally only see them in the zoo. Just a great day.
Cindy and Terry
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