Hujambo! (hello in Swahili)
 |
| Giraffe French kisses (actually, eating a food pellet from Judy's lips) |
We had an absolutely amazing October break in the East African country of Kenya! Experiencing the wide-open savannah, the Great Rift Valley, mountains, forests, and animal conservancies (safaris!), we found Kenya to be a diverse land with welcoming people. Encompassing 224,000 square miles, Kenya is about the size of Texas. It borders 5 countries and the Indian Ocean, and 38 million people live there. Among the people are 42 ethnic groups with unique languages and culture. The two most well-known are the Massai and the Kikuyu.
 |
| It a LONG WAY to Kenya from Morocco |
We left Casa at 4PM on Sunday, and after touching down in Chad for about 40 minutes, we arrived in Kenya's capitol of Nairobi less than 10 hours later. The trip equates in distance to crossing the USA. This is the first country to which we have traveled that required the purchase of a visa, and we had to pay for them in US dollars (go figure). We were careful not to pack anything in plastic bags, as these are against the law in Kenya, and being caught with one carries a hefty fine!
 |
| Hmm - I guess you'd sleep well here! |
Our driver, Joseph, picked us up in his bronze-colored car, and Richard proceeded to jump into the "passenger" seat, on the wrong side of the vehicle!
 |
| "Where everybody knows your name!" |
The British influence cannot only be seen in driving on the left side of the road, but also in the use of shillings (100 shillings equals about one USD) for currency, and the fact that many Kenyans speak English along with their native Swahili. The British took over control of Kenya and Uganda in 1885, and established the East Africa Protectorate. Eventually, Britain lost interest in maintaining Kenya as a declining colony, and in 1962 the country gained its' independence.
Driving west from the Nairobi airpot for about a half hour brought us to the suburb of Karen, and the home of our hosts. After a quick 3-hour nap, our first day of exploring began bright and early at 9AM. Here is what we did on our first day:
 |
| Richard getting ready to feed a giraffe (quite the tongue) |
 |
| Rothschild Giraffe are the type rescued at the centre |
Our first stop was the Giraffe Centre, created by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, which combines a nature education center with giraffe rescue. Getting up close to these graceful creatures was quite the experience. We even fed them by hand and by mouth!
 |
Warthogs nursing at the Giraffe Centre (I love warthogs!) |
Next we visited the Elephant Orphanage, a part of the David Sheldrick Wildlife trust. These young elephants are recused after falling into wells or being left orphaned because their parents have been killed for ivory, among other situations. The workers care and feed these (big) babies, and then integrate them back into wild herds, a process that can take years. The elephants can only be visited at feeding time, between 11 and noon, and come out in two separate social groups. It's so amazing to see them up close, playing in the mud and drinking formula from bottles. Each one seems to have his/her own personality, from the class clown to the introvert.
 |
| An older baby feeding himself a bottle |
 |
| Keeping cool in the mud |
 |
| The keepers have to hold the bottles for the younger orphans |
"I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills" . . . The former home of Karen Blixen of "Out of Africa" fame was our third stop of the day. Karen bought the house in 1912, and if you've seen the movie or read the book, you know that she and her husband ran a coffee plantation there. She returned to Denmark in 1931, where she chronicled her time in Kenya writing "Out of Africa", which eventually was made into the Meryl Streep/Robert Redford movie. The house was given to Kenya in 1964 by the Danish government as an independence gift and is now run as a museum.
Our well-informed guide expertly led us through the house and grounds. It was fun to see some of Karen's belongings in the house, as well as original farm equipment from the coffee plantation on the grounds. It is speculated that the actual land which made up the farm later became the city of Karen, where our hosts live.
 |
| Karen Blixen Home and museum |
 |
| Painting of Karen Blixen |
 |
| The cuckoo clock that the Kenyan children enjoyed |
 |
| You may recognize Denys' phonograph from the movie |
 |
| View of the property |
Our last stop of the day was the Kazuri Bead Factory and Pottery Centre. Kazuri means "small and beautiful" in Swahili, and the beads created there are just that. Each bead is shaped by hand, fired, glazed and fired again, and then strung into lovely jewelry. We toured the workshop and learned about the process that goes into creating the beautiful pottery and jewelry made there.
 |
| Hand shaping the beads from clay |
 |
| Beads on racks ready to fire in the oven |
 |
| Colorful beads after glazing and firing |
 |
| Some of the finished products in the shop |
The company was founded in 1975, and now over 340 single, disadvantaged women work there (and10 male employees). There in an on-site clinic where workers receive free medical care and thankfully the women are able to make a living. You can find Kazuri products in stores like "10,000 Villages"; rest assured that you will be helping people if you make a purchase.
 |
| The flag of Kenya |
Wow - and that was just our first day! More coming soon.
 |
| Blankets at the Elephant Orphanage |
No comments:
Post a Comment