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Across the Fence:  THIS IS AFRICA  |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 09 2007 : 11:50:41 AM
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JO .. GOOGLE IT THIS WAY: TRAVELEARN (DON'T SEPARATE THE WORDS OR PUT TWO L'S)
LOTS OF INFO ON THERE .. (BE SURE TO TELL THEM FRANNIE SENT YOU!) XO
What's in a Name?
Our name, TraveLearn,
is a genuine reflection of our mission
which has set us apart
from other tour operators
for over 25 years.
The TraveLearn Experience:
Overseas Travel and the Joy of Learning
Outstanding Teachers
Great Food in Authentic Settings
Excellent Accommodations
Small Groups of Curious and Engaging Travelers Like Yourself
"Boring? Not on your life.
Dull? No way.
A good trip? Well, just about the best vacation
I've ever taken, and that's saying something."
From a well-known travel writer in a
nationally syndicated article about TraveLearn
So . . . Learn Something
While You Are Having Fun
TRAVELING!
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It's Like Taking a Luxury Field Trip
with the Best Teachers You Ever Had!
TraveLearn® is entering its 28th year as one of the leading tour companies specializing in educational tours and travel. TraveLearn provides international Learning Vacations for adults ages 30 - 80+ which are promoted through more than 300 universities, colleges and associations nationwide. These unique cultural adventures are now also available to the general public. As our name suggests, we are specialists in learning as well as travel, and our unique program itineraries are designed to inform you about the people and places you will visit. Accordingly, we pay as much attention to the quality of the people who lead our programs as we do to the selection of the first-class accommodations and transportation that will assure you a trouble-free tour.
Please Note: If one of our scheduled group departures does not fit into your plans, why not utilize our great guides and resource people on an individualized program. Great for Families, Couples, Friends and Small groups who have specific dates and ideas. Call or e-mail our offices. Our staff is ready to help.
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True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2007 : 11:51:44 AM
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here is their e-mail addy:
TraveLearn
Send E-mail to info@TraveLearn.com
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2007 : 11:54:02 AM
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A KENYA ADVENTURE
January 9 - 24, 2007
July 31 - August 15, 2007
October 2 - 17, 2007
Please Note: If one of our scheduled group departures does not fit into your plans, why not utilize our great guides and resource people on an individualized program. Great for Families, Couples, Friends and Small groups who have specific dates and ideas. Call or e-mail our offices. Our staff is ready to help.
An escorted safari will provide you with the opportunity to view, study, and photograph the richest concentration of wildlife and birdlife on the continent of Africa in a spectacular array of habitats, ranging from snow-capped peaks and tropical forests, to grassland plains. You will also explore the rich cultural traditions of the diverse peoples of Kenya.
Monthly Weather in degrees Fahrenheit
Average rainfall in inches
Nairobi, Kenya
Month J F M A M J J A S O N D
Average High 77 80 80 76 74 73 71 72 76 78 75 75
Average Low 58 58 60 61 59 56 54 54 55 58 60 59
Average rain 1.8 1.7 2.9 6.3 4.7 1.2 .5 .5 1 1.7 4.7 3
Sample Lectures: “An Introduction to Kenya,” “The Ecology of Amboseli,” “The Ecology of the Aberdares,” “The Ecology of the Mara.”
People to People Experience: Meet the people of Kenya during a special visit to Boystown where you will learn about current social issues affecting children in Kenya. Visit a Masai village and learn about their traditions as well as their daily lives.
PROGRAM FEATURES
Deluxe and first-class accommodations in hotels and lodges and all meals on tour as indicated.
All specially arranged lecture/seminars and field experiences as indicated in the itinerary.
All transfers and safari transportation by specially equipped safari vehicles with guaranteed window seat.
All professional English-speaking driver-guides are personally selected for you from first-hand experience by our Kenya coordinator.
All sightseeing and park entrance fees, and tips and taxes normally added to your hotel bills. Flying Doctor Service.
Day 1 - Tuesday
USA / Nairobi, Kenya
Depart the U.S. for your flight to Nairobi, Kenya
Day 2 - Wednesday
Nairobi
Transfer with assistance to the Safari Park Hotel.
Safari Park Hotel
Day 3 - Thursday (B, L, D)
Nairobi
Enjoy the hotels wonderful pools and surroundings. Morning orientation lecture, "An Introduction to Kenya." Visit to the Department of Paleontology at the National Museum of Kenya. A special viewing of Part II of Richard Leakey's - BBC Time/Life television series, "The Making of Mankind," will be provided, followed by a guided tour of the museum. Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to Boystown to learn about some of the current social issues affecting children in Kenya. Dinner at Nyama Choma Restaurant at Safari Park Hotel.
Safari Park Hotel.
Day 4 - Friday (B, L, D)
Nairobi / Amboseli
After breakfast, drive across the Athi Plains, home of the proud Masai tribe, to Amboseli, one of Kenya's best-known game parks. Lunch and game viewing in the park with the snow-covered peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, in the background. Dinner and overnight at the Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Day 5 - Saturday (B, L, D)
Amboseli (Mt. Kilimanjaro)
Early morning game-viewing safari. Breakfast at the Amboseli Serena Lodge. Visit the working campsite of wildlife researchers for a lecture/seminar, "The Ecology of Amboseli." Free time; enjoy a swim in the lodge's pool with Mt. Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. Lunch at the Amboseli Serena Lodge. Late afternoon game viewing safari. Dinner and overnight at the Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Day 6 - Sunday (B, D)
Amboseli / Nairobi
Breakfast at the Amboseli Serena Lodge. Game-viewing safari through the park and across the Athi Plains to Nairobi. Visit the "Bomas of Kenya" to view tribal villages and traditional African dancing. Early evening lecture will be followed by dinner. Overnight at the Safari Park Hotel.
Day 7 - Monday (B, L, D)
Nairobi / Aberdares
After breakfast, safari through Kikuyu country via Thika (the setting of Elspeth Huxley's The Flame Trees of Thika), to the Aberdare Forest. Lunch at the Aberdare Country Club looking out upon Mt. Kenya. Safari through the Aberdare Forest to The Ark. The verandah overlooks a waterhole and saltlick, which is bathed in light at night. Lecture/seminar "The Ecology of the Aberdares." Dinner and overnight at The Ark. Game viewing from the hotel verandah.
The Ark
Day 8 - Tuesday (B, L, D)
Aberdares / Samburu
Safari past Mt. Kenya and across the equator to Samburu Game Reserve, noted not only for elephant, leopard, and lion, but also for species of wildlife seldom seen elsewhere - the Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa Oryx, and Gerenuk (giraffe-necked antelope). Late afternoon game viewing safari. Dinner and overnight at Shaba Sarova Lodge and evening game-viewing from the lounge overlooking the Uaso Nyiro River.
Shaba Sarova Lodge
Day 9 - Wednesday (B, L, D)
Samburu
Morning game-viewing safari in the Shaba Game Reserve. Lecture/seminar, "The Samburu." Free time to enjoy a swim at the lodge's pool. Lunch at Shaba Sarova Lodge. Afternoon game-viewing safari at Buffalo Springs and Samburu Game Reserves. Dinner and overnight at the Shaba Sarova Lodge and evening game viewing from the lodge.
Shaba Sarova Lodge
Day 10 - Thursday (B, L, D)
Samburu / Mt. Kenya Safari Club / Sweetwaters
Drive to the stately and historic Mt. Kenya Safari Club where you will have ample time to explore the club's beautiful grounds. Enjoy a magnificent luncheon at Mt. Kenya Safari Club. Drive to Sweetwaters Tented Camp, located in the heart of the 24,000 acre Sweetwaters Game Reserve. The camp has a special game-viewing platform overlooking a waterhole. The gentle lower slopes of Mt. Kenya offer an excellent opportunity for nature hikes and bird watching.
Sweetwaters Deluxe Tented Camp.
Day 11 - Friday (B, L, D)
Sweetwaters / Lakes Nakuru
After breakfast at the Sweetwaters Tented Camp, drive to Nyahururu Falls and descend into the Great Rift Valley. Safari around Lake Nakuru, home of a million flamingos and truly a paradise for ornithologists.
Lion Hill Lodge.
Day 12 - Saturday (B, L, D)
Lake Nakuru / Masai Mara
(Northern Serengeti Plains)
Safari to Masai country to one of Kenya's best-known reserves, famous for its black-maned lions and great herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle. Late afternoon game-viewing safari.
Mara Sarova Deluxe Tented Camp
Day 13 - Sunday (B, L, D)
Masai Mara
Early morning game-viewing safari. Free time to enjoy a swim in the pool with the breathtaking vistas of the vast open plains, rolling hills, and acacia woodlands of the Mara as a backdrop. Visit a Masai Village and take an afternoon game-viewing safari.
Mara Sarova Deluxe Tented Camp
OPTIONAL BALLOON SAFARI
approx. $425 per person
Day 14 - Monday (B, L, D)
Masai Mara
Safari across the savanna grasslands in search of the Mara lions and to observe the diversity of wildlife. Picnic lunch along the Mara River where you will view hippos and crocodiles. Continue game-viewing safari in western Mara. Lecture/seminar, "The Ecology of the Mara."
Mara Sarova Deluxe Tented Camp
Day 15 - Tuesday (B)
Masai Mara / Nairobi
Safari back to Nairobi. A day room will be provided at the Safari Park Hotel. Rest of the day at leisure (last minute shopping or pay a visit to the National Museum of Kenya), followed by your transfer to Nairobi Airport for departure to U.S.A.
OPTIONAL RETURN FLIGHT
Approx. $125 per person (a 40 minute flight from the Mara will return you to Nairobi by noon). Payments for this flight will be made in the Mara by American Express, cash, or Travelers Checks only.
Day 16 - Wednesday
Arrive in the USA
Visas are required for all U.S. citizens. You can obtain your visa at the Nairobi Airport upon arrival for a $50 fee per person (subject to change).
PROGRAM PRICE
AUGUST & OCTOBER DEPARTURES
$3,695 p. p. double occupancy Land Only
$995 single-room supplement
JANUARY DEPARTURE
$3,495 p. p. double occupancy Land Only
$895 single-room supplement
OPTIONAL TANZANIA EXTENSION
Day 15 - Tuesday (B, L, D)
Masai Mara / Speke Bay, Tanzania
You will depart with picnic boxes after breakfast. Drive to the Isebania border where you will meet with the Tanzania driver and after some brief border formalities, you will proceed on safari. Lunch will be en route to the Dutch owned Speke bay lodge situated on the shores of lake Victoria. Different bird species may be seen like the giant kingfishers, dwarf bitterns and Senegal lapwings on the shore as well as yellow white eyed and yellow throated greenbulls. It’s a very pretty lodge situated on the lakeshores. The following excursions are available: canoe-trip on lake Victoria to a fishing village. Mountain-bike trip through Masamba hills. Fishing on lake Victoria, lake cruise and bird walk.
Speke Bay Lodge
Day 16 - Wednesday (B, L, D)
Speke Bay / Serengeti, Tanzania
After breakfast in the lodge depart for Serengeti arriving in time for lunch. Game drive will be conducted on your way to the lodge. Embark on an afternoon game drive.
Serengeti Serena Lodge
Day 17 - Thursday (B, L, D)
Serengeti
After breakfast proceed on a morning game drive returning to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, another game drive can be taken to explore this park famous for large concentrations of plains game such as zebra, wildebeest and gazelle.
Serengeti Serena Lodge
Day 18 - Friday (B, L, D)
Serengeti / Ngorongoro
After breakfast, depart for Ngorongoro crater via Olduvai Gorge site of archaeological findings, where traces of prehistoric people dating back to 3.5 million years have been discovered. Picnic lunch will be eaten at Olduvai Gorge. Continue to Ngorongoro and arrive in the evening.
Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Day 19 - Saturday (B, L, D)
Ngorongoro
After breakfast at the lodge, proceed on a half-day crater Tour. In the crater you can see a spectacular array of wildlife including the big five. The crater has a variety of ecosystem including grassland forest and swamp. The lake on the crater floor is home to Flamingoes and many other species of birds. The rest of the day at leisure.
Ngorongoro Serena Lodge
Day 20 - Sunday (B, L, D)
Ngorongoro / Lake Manyara
After breakfast, depart for Lake Manyara where you arrive in time for lunch. All the lodges are situated on Mto WA Mbu escarpment, overlooking the Great Rift Valley and a good variety of big game.
Manyara Serena Lodge
Day 21 - Monday (B)
Ngorongoro / Arusha
After breakfast drive to Arusha arriving in time for lunch. After lunch, departure transfer to the Kilimanjaro Airport.
Day 22 - Tuesday
Arrive in the USA
TANZANIA
EXTENSION PRICE
JANUARY DEPARTURE PRICING
$1,795 p. p. double occupancy
$325 single-room supplement
(Extension price based on a minimum of four persons.)
AUGUST & OCTOBER PRICING
$1,995 p. p. double occupancy
$395 single-room supplement
(Extension price based on a minimum of four persons.)
(NOTE: Tanzania visas and yellow fever inoculations are required for this extension.)
B - Breakfast
L - Lunch
D - Dinner
Drinks are not included.
Any Questions? Are you ready to Register?
(click this link)
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2007 : 11:59:36 AM
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jo .. i think the kenya tour is about $8,000 for two of you (rounded up) .. and the Tanzania extention is about $4,000 for two. PLUS airfare!! (plus .. they 'recommend' an $8.00 per day per person TIP for your driver!)
KENYA IS TWO WEEKS
TANZANIA IS ONE WEEK
I do highly recommend that if you are going to spend this kind of money .. that you spend a few extra dollars to get a really good company behind you. There are some pretty dreadful places to stay in Africa .. and unless you are young and healthy .. I don't recommend them. Your travel agent will HIRE a travel company in Africa to take you on tour. I HIGHLY recommend Kenya Wildlife Tours .. and absolutely ask for PAUL (Ngigi) . .i can get his exact name if you need it .. he was FABULOUS!!!
We did not fare as well with our guide in Tanzania though! I would have preferred someone else .. we were supposed to get a guide named JUMO .. but i think because there were only three of us .. so we got 'arnold' who had a smaller vehicle (too small!!!) .. a nice enough man .. but his heart didn't seem to be in his job .. he didn't seem to hear our questions and certainly wasn't as knowledgeable as Paul was. JUMO drove us an hour from our final luncheon in Tanzania to the airport .. and i swear .. that young man told us more about Tanzania on that hour's drive than Arnold did the entire week we were with him.
I think with the Africa trip, airfare and three days and nights in Amsterdam on our way home (this part was on US) .. plus some 'souvenirs' .. we spent a little over $20,000 .. a HUGE amount of pennies I know .. but if you only do Kenya or Tanzania (and oh my gosh .. they are equally wonderful .. and it would be a shame to miss either one of them as long as you are already half way across the world!) .. but skipped the Amsterdam trip .. and went 'light' on the souvenirs (what ran ours up higher is some wonderful jewelery that Hank bought for me both in Africa and Amsterdam) you could probably stick to about $12,000 plus air fare.
When I was told that most Africans think that all Americans 'walk on gold' .. I told them that we work all our lives .. save some pennies for when we retire .. and hopefully .. life has been kind enough that health and family has not depleted our savings .. so that we can take these 'once-in-a-lifetime' trips. I know it is lovely to leave some pennies for our children when we are gone .. but .. if we don't get to 'come back and go around again' .. we need to treat ourselves to what we can afford and what makes us happy.
Our motto in the last few years has been: IF NOT NOW .. WHEN?
Hank's personal motto is: HAVE FUN!
I respond to him that MY personal motto is: SPEND MONEY! (his, of course!)
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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Edited by - CabinCreek-Kentucky on Feb 09 2007 12:15:01 PM |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 08:41:53 AM
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LION/CHEETAH SAFARI
Saw a big lazy male lion today .. Paul says there was most likely a 'pride' of female lions not far away.
Lions sleep 20 hours out of 24! They don't get real active unless they get very hungry .. and after they have eaten a big fat zebra, gazelle or other unfortunate critter .. they may go two or three days without eating again.
SIMBA notices us ...
... but is obviously FULL .. and isn't the least bit interested in us!
Looks like he is day-dreaming!
Decides to exhibit his 'manly parts' (or maybe he was just 'tooting' in his sleep!
ROLLS OVER and goes back to SLEEP!
This is a a typical road that we travelled on with lots of these
'muddy dips'
We see three FAT CHEETAH!
We are all sure that they are 'pregnant'!!!
But Paul assures us they are males .. who have just had a tasty snack!
What a beautiful coat and magnificent tail!
Looks like he stopped at one of our lodge buffets!
We are ALL starting to resemble this guy!!
During the Safari .. we see lots more animals ..
my most favorite being this momma elephant and her baby!!
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 5:33:39 PM
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Pappa Lion .. Fat Cheetah and Momma Elephant with her Baby
SAFARI
Saw a big lazy male lion today .. Paul says there was most likely a 'pride' of female lions not far away.
Lions sleep 20 hours out of 24! They don't get real active unless they get very hungry .. and after they have eaten a big fat zebra, gazelle or other unfortunate critter .. they may go two or three days without eating again.
SIMBA notices us ...
... but is obviously FULL .. and isn't the least bit interested in us!
Looks like he is day-dreaming!
Decides to exhibit his 'manly parts' (or maybe he was just 'tooting' in his sleep!
ROLLS OVER and goes back to SLEEP!
This is a a typical road that we travelled on with lots of these
'muddy dips'
We see three FAT CHEETAH!
We are all sure that they are 'pregnant'!!!
But Paul assures us they are males .. who have just had a tasty snack!
What a beautiful coat and magnificent tail!
Looks like he stopped at one of our lodge buffets!
We are ALL starting to resemble this guy!!
During the Safari .. we see lots more animals ..
my most favorite being this momma elephant and her baby!!
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 5:36:08 PM
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SATURDAY, 1/20
MASAI MARA
We do not stop for lunch and all snack on the big bag of munchies I have brought along. We enter the Masai Mara .. land belonging to the Masai Tribes. These Maize .. who will NOT garden .. (they are herders) .. sometimes sell their land to the Kikuyu Tribes. The Kikuyu make successful vegetable gardens .. then the Masai tried to claim the land back. (not for the gardens .. but they just want their land back!) There have been killings over this. The government has to intervene we are told. The government decrees that the Masai have to BUY the land back. But they want it for the same price they sold it for. The government tells them NO. They must buy it at the asking price. There is animosity between these two tribes.
We pass the MOTHER of all FLEA MARKETS .. and it is Market Day. I, of course, get teased by everyone in the van! AND I pretend to want to stop. But I am telling you .. there is NO "treasure on earth" that could have forced me from our vehicle!!
We rush by it too fast for me to snap a photo!
Even though the Government owns most of this land .. the Masai are free to roam and build their homes (huts) on the Government-owned property.
Again .. photos do not give the experience of actually seeing the sites. Lone Maisi Men dressed in RED (which they believe protects them from the wild animals .. red symbolizing the blood shed when an animal attacks) walk the land with their spears .. herding goats and cattle.
*
I see a small boy of no more than 8 or 9 years of age herding his goats .. and across the dirt road .. herds of zebra and wildebeest and giraffe!
I
The non-meat-eating animals truly live in pretty much of a 'Peaceable Kingdom". We pass many villages similar to the Samburu Village we visited a day and a lifetime ago! Surrounded by thorny bushes erected to keep the meat-eaters at bay.
The road we travel on makes the one in the Somali/Kenya area seem like a super highway in America. Dangerous, deep ruts, mud holes, rocks, portions of the road washed away. This is the VERY area that three short weeks ago flooded from unexpected, rare rains at this time of the year .. and YES! it is starting to rain! Paul said that indeed this rain is rare! He shows us (and skirts around) the many places where dozens of safari vans got stuck in the muddy roads just a couple weeks ago. He told us that the people had to all be helicoptered to safety. He wastes no time rushing as fast as he can to get us to our lodge .. but there is about 50 miles (for real!) of this road.
AND SO MUCH WORSE THAN THIS .. but it was so bumpy
I couldn't get too many photos!
*
Finally, we do arrive safely in a beautiful pounding rain and have the most delightful lunch in a tropical storm. We all like this place and hope the tents are nice.
OH MY GAWD! We walk to the edge of the campground .. right to the very edge where the electric wire only separates our tent from the Mara where wild animals roam. Hank and I have the last tent in the compound. Across a bridge over a river and through trees and brush on both sides of the path .. we wind around the last of the stone paths and step over the portals of earth to the very gates of heaven!
These tents are unimaginably beautiful! Wonderful African furniture .. a bathroom so large .. with a separate room for the shower so large that I cannot reach my arms out from side my sides and touch the walls.
The view from our tent overlooks the 'mara' and is breathtaking!
Our Beautiful King Size Bed!
these tents are HUGE! I would LOVE to have a TENT on our farm
back in Kentucky! Have to put that on the 'to-do' list!
We open every window flap in the tent (it is screened) and walk around .. ooohing and aaahing in amazement. Then snuggle in the bed more at peace than we have yet been on this journey.
Alone together with a million birds singing us their love song.
Later I read my journal to Hank as he watches out the window (from our huge king size bed) at passing critters. A tiny little dik-dik ... (looks like a new born fawn) tip toes to the door and peers in! What a delight! We let sleep overtake us .. only to occasionally hug and murmur "I love you".
*
At dinner time, we discuss in sleepy tones:
"I think I'll skip dinner .. how about you?
"I think I'll go" ... (pause) .. well .. maybe not!
o.k. I think I'll try and get up and join the others .. can I bring you something?"
"No, I'm fine" .. pause.
o.k. I think I'll stay here too."
That conversation goes on for a few minutes and we are again in a deep sleep.
At about 8 p.m., a native/guard is at our door .. he says our friends are concerned we did not show up for dinner. Is all o.k.? We assure him we are fine and have decided to skip dinner. He quietly disappears but we are already asleep again.
At about midnight, our native/guard has appeared again (they do patrol all night watching that no 'cat' has appeared in the compound and offer to put our window shades down all around the tent. Hank tells him 'no thank you' .. we love the breeze and night view. He disappears as softly as a midnight breeze.
At 6 a.me., he returns to wake us. We have a 6:30 a.m. SAFARI that we do not know of because it was announced at dinner last night. Paul has sent this man to wake us. I am up and dressed .. hank is naked as the day he was born .. and Paul and G appear to get us! It takes exactly 30 seconds for Hank to get dressed and out the door!
(more on the Safari in my next 'chapter'.
MEANWHILE .. back to this lovely 'tented camp'.
When we return from our 'dawn' safari .. and after another
huge breakfast (my appetite is BACK and I eat like a starving lion!), I visit the gift shop and see a wonderful African painted cloth of a mother and baby elephant and think of my time among the forest elephants and purchase it as a remembrance.
I now sit on the verandah listening to and watching hundreds of beautiful yellow-bellied weaver birds chirping and industriously building their nests at the tips of the thorny acacia tree.
They build them at the slender tips with the openings facing downward to prevent snakes from entering and eating their young.
These 'weaver bird nests can be seen all over Kenya.
They are beautiful little birds ..
Weaver Bird Nests .. I coulda' brought home a million of these ..
but would not have been able to get them through Immigration!
This is a BEER TREE .. a very strong FRUIT BEER is made from the gourds ..
Paul says this beer will make you VERY DRUNK!
Nature .. at it's finest!
I loved this 'buzzard' perched on top of this big bush .. and he is HUGE!
Giraffe eat from the thorny ACACIA TREE.
In Africa, the Acacia tree is known as The Yellow Fever Tree because travelers would often stop under them for rest while on their journey. Many people got yellow fever and died from it. They believed it came from the trees. It was later discovered, of course, that it was from the malaria-carrying mosquitoes in the dirty little streams that lined the roads where these trees grow and under which people rested on their travels.
Meanwhile ... Back at the Lodge ..
this was the 'gathering room' at the lodge ..
I spent a little time in here doing some
hand-sewing.
It was such fun to sit and watch people and listen to all the accents from all over the world!
This is the 'candelabra' over one of the 'buffet' tables.
Lovely bridge that led to our tent.
THIS IS HEAVEN!
(to be continued)
MORNING SAFARI ...
in which my camera and arm attached thereto
almost become 'lion kibble and bits'!
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2007 : 5:37:37 PM
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A PRIDE OF FEMALE LIONS
AND CHILDREN
our first "pride of lions" .. several mama's with several cubs .. 2 generations
the children will from time to time jump up and 'play' with each other.
This is really very endearing to watch.
Everyone is up and a little more attentive.
It is not US that has gotten their attention .. probably another
animal that they smell (perhaps dinner??)
Unless they are hungry, lions are pretty lazy .. all laying around in a pile .. little ones taking turns nursing the mother lions. Paul says they each nurse from several mothers .. it helps build up their antibodies. The male lion is always nearby .. but will not usually join them unless for mating. Each morning and evening, he will 'spray' his territory near the pride he is protecting with his scent as a warning to other male lions. If another male decides to 'challenge' .. he will rush in to KILL the CUBS of the current dominant father lion! If the happens .. the females will NOT protect her cubs .. and will then follow the new dominant male .. if the father has not fought the new male for dominence. IF the new male is larger/stronger ..
the father lion will NOT challenge him to save his baby lions' lives!
WHEW! my 'momma insticts are kicking in again .. (deadbeat moms and dads!)
I think this fact about lions surprises me more than any other I have learned!
*
We also see 2 female lions lying together apparently sleeping.
I stick my arm waaaay out the window van to get a very close-up photo.
Paul yells for me to pull my arm back inside the van IMMEDIATELY! He tells me that the lions do not sleep ard are not used to 'human body parts" that close to them and in a FLASH .. they could have jumped up and made a tasty morsel out of both my camera and my arm.
I think I have just won the 'most stupid trick' on this trip!
Paul tells me that no .. the WINNER of that Category was by far the walking close to Cape Buffalos. He said that he would NEVER let one of his tourists do that and says he is amazed that we were allowed to. They are extremely strong and powerful and can run very fast and can knock over an elephant and truly is the fiercest animal in Africa.
WELL .. I guess is win both first and second place!
*
It rains again on our way back to the lodge and we see another magnificent rainbow --this time over the Masai Mara.
Mara means "plains" but with different landscapes .. grass, brush, tees. Much like a crazy quilt.
another beautiful TREE .. I am in love with the Trees of Africa!
we see more herds of elephants
and more giraffe
*
When we return to the lodge .. a Masai Warrior in full regalia gives a talk to us about the ecology of the
Masai Mara.
The questions we ask of him do not deal so much with the ecology or animals .. but we are curious about their beliefs and ways of living.
He tells us (and i have had this verified by Paul and by reading the same thing from several sources).. their diet is EXCLUSIVELY cow's milk and cow's blood mixedtogether! They pierce the cow's juglar vein in his neck .. drain the blood into a container filled with clotted cows milk .. straight from the source!
NO grains .. NO fruits .. NO Vegetables.
Just a Bloody Milk Milkshake .. I must say .. they do have the MOST BEAUTIFUL TEETH I have ever seen on humans! (The men may eat cow meat .. but NEVER is a woman allowed to see them doing so! (I do not know the reason for this). The Masai believe that ALL cows were given as a gift from heaven from God sent down on a rope .. to ONLY the Masai and that ALL cows in the world belong only to them .. including those in our country. He even looked very seriously at us and told us that when we go back to America .. we need to send ALL our cows to them in Africa! HA! I had an internal chuckle at what the farmers in Kentucky .. and dear GAWD .. Texas Ranchers would have to say about that! They do steal cows from other tribes .. because they do not believe it is stealing as all cows belong to them!
They believe in God .. but not in an afterlife. I am still haunted from what the Samburu do with their dead. I asked if there is a ceremony when someone dies and if they bury their dead. He very matter of factly told me .. "no ceremoneies .. we cover their bodies with cow fat and put them in the brush for the animals. And then we forget them. It is the way of the animals."
They still fight only with spears .. and that is their only weapon against wild animals. They will protect themselves and their villages with spears and fighting .. but if they are killed .. it is simply the way of life.
Dinner and to bed .. Tomorrow is our last day in Kenya .. Priscilla and "G" will be leaving us mid-way .. they will be staying on with some of "G's" family in Kenya .. then going on a TraveLearn trip to Egypt for several weeks! Lady Barbara will continine to Tanzania with us for another week.
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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Kim
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Kim
Pflugerville
Texas
USA
146 Posts |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2007 : 06:57:38 AM
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thanks sweet kim .. the PHOTOS do make the trip come alive, don't they!!
which places have your girls enjoyed the most? which are most shocking to you? any surprizes that you didn't know about?
(oh .. just wait t'il you see the Mballagetti Lodge in Tanzania .. we thought we'd died and gone to heaven .. we spent three night there .. it was incredible ... and these were TENTS .. by far our very most favorite place we stayed .. claw-foot bathtub on an outside deck .. each dusk and dawn .. a Masai Warrior had to walk every back and forth from their tents because this compound was NOT fenced in. I so much want to send our children here someday to experience Africa and to stay at the Mballagetti Lodge!!!) (we were told that these tents cost $800. per night .. UNBELIEVABLE!!!) never have and probably never will stay at any 'lodging' as wonderful! NONE of us wanted to go on SAFARI .. we all wanted to just stay here! AND .. of course, the dreaded tse-tse fly (about a ba-jillion of them) were on the prowl on the safari roads .. oh my GOSH and the 'adventure' we had just getting there! but that chapter will come soon!) xoxo
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2007 : 07:28:47 AM
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Monday, January 23
Last full day in Kenya .. we all choose to skip the morning safari (unless Paul promises a sighting of the very elusive LEOPARD -- very hard to find!) or some exotic animal we have not already seen! We each take our lazy turn to breakfast .. me arriving first .. shortly after, Barbara .. followed by Priscilla (women first you notice!) Paul joins us .. "G" and Hank barely making it before breakfast is over.
Free time until 3 p.m. when we will visit a Masai Village.
I sit with my journal and think of our two very eventful weeks in Africa .. I have come to some profound 'opinions' during our travels .. but need time to think upon them .. lest I sound 'judgmental. I know that this short time has just been a very small glimpse of this country .. and I am feeling very nostalgic for 'home'. So, I will let my feelings and opinions rest while I 'find the familiar' .. so, while sitting in the sun and watching for a zebra, giraffe or elephant to appear .. I pick up needle, thread and a sewie project and think of our children .. our grandchildren and how wonderful it will feel to hold them again in our arms!
*
We visit a Masai Village
I did not journal of this visit while in Africa
because when this visit was over .. (and I had to
do all I could in my strength, power, and good taste
to not RUN from this village ..
(I did indeed have to 'make-up' a story of not feeling well and leave everyone
mid-visit and return to the van ..
and cover my head feeling on the brink of hysteria!)
I used my 'power of humor' to overcome just sitting there
in the back seat and screaming uncontrollably!
In a few short minutes, I had lost all my 'romantic notions'
of these people known as the Masai.
TraveLearn has included this visit in our fee ..
And I must say .. that we should have been
warned that our 'American sensibilities' might be somewhat disturbed.
Looking back .. I don't know whether I am glad or not that we did
visit the Masai Village .. but I do wish I had been 'ready' for what I would witness.
And uppermost in my thoughts as I write today and look over these photographs
is "what must be going through the minds of these people who allow 'gawkers' to
come into their midst and photograph them". I realize that because of what I see .. I feel they are
nothing more to me than a 'curiosity' .. and I am reminded of a Circus 'freak show' .. where you pay to see
human beings so different from yourself that it titillates some inhumane 'sense' we seem to have.
I hope in time .. I will look back and see the beauty of their culture as a people who have chosen to live a harder life than I can imagine.
Outside the village, we are greeted by this
colorful warrior who is blowing the antler of
one of the larger gazelles. Very impressive!
As is his hat .. until he took it off and offered it to us to try on!
I was fascinated by this masai's earlobes .. the huge holes are
seen on all the men.
He did not seem to mind at all 'posing' for my 'kodak moment'.
This is a typical 'building' .. but larger than some of the homes 'inside'
the village.
I think my first 'shame' this entire trip came when
I saw this photograph! I believe OUR shadows tells more than the photo taken!
Tourists .. snapping photos of these women and children as if they were interesting
animals in a zoo. This little boy was wore no underwear and was 'peeing' .. and when
his mother discovered it .. like most mother's .. she turned
around and admonished him.
Warriors lined up to 'entertain'.
This is their real life though. They live and look like this daily ..
whether or not visitors are there to pay to take photos and look
at their lifestyles.
As always, the Masai seem very proud of their 'jumping' dance.
*
ALWAYS .. the children grab my heart and shake it in my chest!
And .. it was the 'children' who were my 'undoing' on this visit.
*
Mother and Children
This baby's face was covered by hundreds of flies. The mother
on her right .. has covered her child's head.
THIS was when my 'angst' began!
We step INSIDE the Village .. their homes are in the background ..
and the 'brown' you see is where they bring in a couple hundred
cattle each night .. to protect them from wild animals.
The 'brown' is more cow poop than it is 'earth'. I cannot begin to
tell you how many million FLIES were swarming everywhere!
I made it through the 'fire-starting' demonstration ..
but when a Masai Warrior started talking to us about 'circumcision' ..
... and it is honestly, mostly a blur as he tells us it is done right here ..
and plunges a stick into the cow dung.
O.K. .. I think that is about where I mentally 'passed out'.
And knowing that our next 'treat' was a visit to one of the homes ..
I lied and complained of sudden stomach cramps and said I
HAD to return to the van RIGHT NOW ,. or die on the spot!
And ... in a pile of cow crap is NOT where I wanted to end my life on this earth!
I believe it was a combination of the the FLIES .. Circumcision Vision ..
Cow POOP .. but mostly the CHILDREN!!!
Their faces were filled with flies! The lips and eyes of the little boy on the left
were covered with flies .. I could only imagine how many must go into his mouth to be swallowed.
And I know these flies have been feasting on cow-doodie!
I stumble back to the van and get into the back seat .. I am immediately swarmed by natives looking
at me ... NOW I know how they must feel!
All I can do is to cover my face with my jacket and within seconds I am laughing uncontrollably!
I am picturing myself back in Kentucky trying to explain to the 'gentle people' of our town about this 'adventure' .. and all I can think of is:
Well .. we were in the middle of a small Masai Village where they live
.. and I am covered with flies while I stand ankle-deep in ..
ummmmm ... now how can I put this delicately:
ummmmm ..
COW sh**!
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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Across the Fence: THIS IS AFRICA |
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THIS IS AFRICA
