Africa Trip

~ OUR AFRICA TRIP ~

Durng the period 17-31 August, 2002, Karen, Kirsten, and I were able to fufill the dream of a lifetime and travel to Kenya. Unfortunately, Kris was involved in training with the 10th Mountain Division and could not get away. We went with a man and wife who travel to Africa often. He was born in Kenya and did not leave until he went to college in the US. Our safari (Swahili for "journey") was as enjoyable as it was for the time and effort that Jerry and Mary Joyce May put into it.

Our itinerary was as follows:

17-18 August - Fly to Nairobi (Routing Albuquerque - Houston - Amsterdam - Nairobi).
19-20 August - Acclimate in Nairobi. Travel to Kijabe. Tour Rift Valley Academy.
20-22 August - Visit Samburu National Game Park.
22-23 August - Visit the Ark at Aberdare.
23-24 August - Visit Lake Baringo National Park.
24-26 August - Visit with Art and Mary Ellen Davis at their house in Orus.
26-27 August - Visit Lake Nakuru National Game Park.
27-30 August - Visit Maasai Mara National Game Park.
30-31 August - Fly to Albuquerque (Routing Nairobi - Amsterdam - Minneapolis/St. Paul - Albuquerque).

Of the game parks, Samburu was probably the best, even though Maasai Mara is known as the "Crown Jewel" of the Kenyan game parks. Samburu was smallish and the game was concentrated...plus the Samburu Serena Lodge was gorgeous.
Of all the places we visited, staying with the Davises at Orus was far and away the high point of the trip. The Davises are true "missionary" missionaries - Christian people that provided for virtually all the needs of the local Pokot people. Of course they ministered to their spiritual needs, but they also provided schools, medical assistence, water wells, and many of the other infrastructure items of civilized society that their own government would not provide for them. As with most African governments, the politicians in Kenya were too busy lining their pockets to consider how they could give basic quality of life to their people.
As far as animals went we saw all of the "big" game except for black rhino. Here's how it was distributed in the game parks:

Lion - Samburu and Maasai Mara
Cheetah - Samburu and Maasai Mara
Leopard - Samburu and Lake Nakuru - These animals were very hard to spot.
Giraffe - Samburu, Lake Nakuru, and Maasai Mara
Elephant - Samburu, the Ark, and Maasai Mara
White Rhino - Lake Nakuru
Hippo - Lake Baringo and Maasai Mara.
Cape Buffale - virtually everywhere!
Zebra, Impala, Gazelle - virtually everywhere!

We went everywhere in our safari vans and thus spent a lot of time on the road, where even a 100-mile drive can take three hours and be absolutely exhausting because of the quality (or lack thereof) of the Kenyan road system. However, as a result we saw a lot of the country between the game parks.
But enough of words - now on to the the pictures. For ease and speed of loading I will use only thumbnails. Click on them to see the full sized photos.

SAMBURU NATIONAL GAME PARK

THE ARK

THE POKOT PEOPLE AT ORUS

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL GAME PARK

MAASAI MARA NATIONAL GAME PARK