Yesterday,we awoke at 4:45 to head out for our Serengeti hot air balloon ride. Tena finally got to realize her long time dream of floating over the Serengeti. It exceeded all our expectations. soaring above a heard of elephants, including babies, schools of hippos, and untold numbers of zebra, wildebeests, gazelles of various types, and one of Africa's big uglies, the warthogs. They are so ugly they are cute. We also saw hyenas roaming the plain in search of prey. After we landed we were greeted by staff with champagne for toasts all around and then we jeeped to a white linen breakfast under a huge acacia tree. We then went on a game drive. Wow, what an experience! We saw several leopards and came across two cheetahs lounging under a tree with their fresh kill of warthog. Sitting in a nearby tree were a flock of vultures waiting their turn for leftovers. To top off the drive we then came across some lions enjoying a siesta in the heat of the day.
This morning we were up and out on another game drive where our luck in viewing the wildlife continued. Once again we were up close and personal with the lions, cape buffalo and especially the giraffes, the national symbol of Tanzania. I think the giraffes are fast becoming everyone's favorite. Hopefully, our photos turn out clear and you can view them when I return and download them to the blog. Particularly exciting today was the stop at the hippo pool. It was a full sensory experience-sight, sound and odor. The little baby being held afloat by riding on its momma's back was the precious moment. We later stopped by another pool where more hippos and Nile crocs lived. The pool was sue wounded by many Maribu storks, another of Africa's big five uglies. I'm sure the crocs make an occasional meal of them. On our last leg of today's trip we encounter a young lioness lying in the open and calling to her cubs. Our wonderful driver guide,Nico, did his best to locate the cubs, but momma lion kept grunting to tell them to stay hidden. We're now at the Kiri Wiri Ten Camp for the night. We are high up overlooking the Serengeti and our "tent" accommodations are incredible. It's embarrassing to be in a tent that has a bathroom five times nicer than our own home. Obviously,the term tent is a loose interpretation (lol). We have to be escorted to and from our tent by guards due to the danger presented by predators. We were also advised to leave no food around one the baboons will trash the joint. Welleveryone else is off to dinner and they just came for my order. I get the hint so time to go. More later if Internet is available.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Elephants, Giraffes, Hyenas, oh my!
We have tried to update our blog on a daily basis, but have been unable to do anything except a title. I am on limited internet time right now so I won't go back to each entry and update. Our nephew is currently receiving our messages and he will update the blog if he can access it for us. Computers-love 'em/hate 'em!
Though long, we had good flights and arrived Nairobi on schedule. The hotel was beautiful, comfortable and had great food. We got to visit the home of Karen Blixen of "Out of Africa" fame, the giraffe center and the elephant orphanage. Tena and I were both "french kissed" by a giraffe, literally. We even have photos to prove it. The baby elephants in the orphanage were without a doubt some of the most precious things we have ever encountered. Most are their as their mothers were killed by poachers for their ivory. So, every time you buy anything made of pure ivory, your condemning some poor elephant to death and it's baby to being alone. So, don't buy anything made of pure ivory.
We arrived in Amboselli after a long drive in a 4X4 from Nairobi. Our three safari drives have put us in contact with numerous elephants, cape buffalo, zebras, wildebeasts, hyenas. giraffes, gazelles of all types, hippos,and some I'm sure I'm forgetting. The elephants are amazing. We have been up close and personal on repeated occasions with entire families and the lone big bulls. The babies are like little kids with their mothers and when playing with the other babies in the herd. We have a great safari driver who knows how to be at the right place at the right time. He is also a wealth of knowledge about African wild life. We are also lucky in terms of other in our group. They're fun people who share our love and fascination with wild life and the environment. Our stay at the Amboselli Serena Lodge has been wonderful. We sit on the veranda in the evening enjoying the delicious Kenyan beer, Tusker, and watch the wild life walk by only yards away. Tonight we had a family of elephants, gazelles and a hyena. We are up and out early in the morning to head for Lake Manyara in Tanzania. When we cross the border we lose our Kenyan driver. We just hope our new driver is as good. Running out of computer time. Got to go.
Though long, we had good flights and arrived Nairobi on schedule. The hotel was beautiful, comfortable and had great food. We got to visit the home of Karen Blixen of "Out of Africa" fame, the giraffe center and the elephant orphanage. Tena and I were both "french kissed" by a giraffe, literally. We even have photos to prove it. The baby elephants in the orphanage were without a doubt some of the most precious things we have ever encountered. Most are their as their mothers were killed by poachers for their ivory. So, every time you buy anything made of pure ivory, your condemning some poor elephant to death and it's baby to being alone. So, don't buy anything made of pure ivory.
We arrived in Amboselli after a long drive in a 4X4 from Nairobi. Our three safari drives have put us in contact with numerous elephants, cape buffalo, zebras, wildebeasts, hyenas. giraffes, gazelles of all types, hippos,and some I'm sure I'm forgetting. The elephants are amazing. We have been up close and personal on repeated occasions with entire families and the lone big bulls. The babies are like little kids with their mothers and when playing with the other babies in the herd. We have a great safari driver who knows how to be at the right place at the right time. He is also a wealth of knowledge about African wild life. We are also lucky in terms of other in our group. They're fun people who share our love and fascination with wild life and the environment. Our stay at the Amboselli Serena Lodge has been wonderful. We sit on the veranda in the evening enjoying the delicious Kenyan beer, Tusker, and watch the wild life walk by only yards away. Tonight we had a family of elephants, gazelles and a hyena. We are up and out early in the morning to head for Lake Manyara in Tanzania. When we cross the border we lose our Kenyan driver. We just hope our new driver is as good. Running out of computer time. Got to go.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Packing and Flying
Spent yesterday and today organizing and packing. Our modes of travel in Kenya and Tanzania require us to limit the weight of our luggage to 33 lbs. The travel company actually sent us duffles with their name boldly emblazoned on the side, that we are required to use. But hey, we got a nice duffle out of the deal. It has been interesting watching Tena trying to pack for a 16 day trip with a 33 lb. limit. To those who are familiar with her travel packing, it probably comes as no surprise that she is eyeing the unused space in my duffle (LOL). The pencils, erasers, sharpeners, glue sticks, etc. that she pruchased for us to distribute to students attending the school we'll visit have added 4 lbs. to my duffle. Once those are distributed about half way through the trip, we'll have a little extra space for purchases she is already contemplating. At the conclusion of our exercise class this morning she was talking with some other women in the class about tanzanite. One showed her a tanzanite ring she was wearing and I could already hear the cash register ringing (cha-ching).
We will drive to Tena's brother's home in Fairfax in the morning and he will take us to Dulles for our evening departure. Our Nooks are loaded with a variety of reading material, including the "Fifty Shades of Gray" trilogy. That should keep her busy during our 15.5 hours flying from Washington to Nairobi with a 3.5 hour stop over at London Heathrow.
If all goes well and we have internet access, our next blog entry will be from Kenya. We arrive in Nairobi at 9:00 PM their time and the travel company tells us clearing immigration and getting a visa may be a lengthy experience. So, it will probably be near midnight before we get to our hotel, The Nairobi Serena Hotel. This means we'll be running on adrenline during our first full day. It looks to be busy as we have excursions to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Center, and the home of Karen Blixen (she was the character played by Meryl Streep in the movie "Out of Africa"). Tena loved the movie and is excited to visit her "coffee garden and museum." Hopefully, I'll have the energy to write a blog entry. More later!
We will drive to Tena's brother's home in Fairfax in the morning and he will take us to Dulles for our evening departure. Our Nooks are loaded with a variety of reading material, including the "Fifty Shades of Gray" trilogy. That should keep her busy during our 15.5 hours flying from Washington to Nairobi with a 3.5 hour stop over at London Heathrow.
If all goes well and we have internet access, our next blog entry will be from Kenya. We arrive in Nairobi at 9:00 PM their time and the travel company tells us clearing immigration and getting a visa may be a lengthy experience. So, it will probably be near midnight before we get to our hotel, The Nairobi Serena Hotel. This means we'll be running on adrenline during our first full day. It looks to be busy as we have excursions to the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Center, and the home of Karen Blixen (she was the character played by Meryl Streep in the movie "Out of Africa"). Tena loved the movie and is excited to visit her "coffee garden and museum." Hopefully, I'll have the energy to write a blog entry. More later!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Getting Ready-September 10, 2012
Only 3 days until departure for our African Adventure to Kenya and Tanzania. Our travels will take us to Amboseli, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara Nat'l. Park, the Serengeti and the Masai Mara with stops to visit an elephant orphanage, Karen Blixen's home (she was played by Meryl Streep in "Out of Africa") and Olduvai Gorge where Louis Leakey found the earliest human remains. We'll also be visiting a Masai village and then the "biggies", a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti and another over the Masai Mara. Nearly every day we will have 2 safari rides to get "up close and personal" with the animal life. Hopefully we'll have many photos to post on our return. Unfortunately, we won't be able to post photos during our adventure since we won't be dragging our laptop with us and will be using the computers that should be available in the lodges where we stay.
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