Hotel Kipepeo Nairobi

... our first game drive this evening and saw many interesting animals - baboons, zebras, giraffes, rhinos (white and black), funny little monkeys with blue you know whats... And a lake somewhat full of pink flamingos. Many have already migrated, but still there was a pink glow on the lake.

We left early the next morning for the Masai Mara to stay at the Mara Sopa Hotel. Another nice little oasis in the ...

... the UK. The only thing we have planned is that we will be in Berlin for NYE (pretty cool!!!) with our good friends Keren and Mike. Well, that's about it from us. Again, sorry we are so slack and we know that you'd like to see photos but that's the way it is. Hope everyone is well!! Love, Ben and Sarah PS) Got to watch some AFL LIVE yesterday and am hoping that Pies beat Cats today and that the Saints repeat 1966....hopefully by the same margin!!!

... bigger and completely packed! We had 30 people in total. All the duties, including truck cleaning, cooking, dishes, etc. were split amongst 4 different teams. The trip overall was well organized and since everyone helped out, the work was minimal and usually fun anyways. We had some long driving days, especially in the beginning, in order to get to the rainforests where we would trek the gorillas. For most of us, that was our priority on this trip ...

... there was a bomb in it, so i bet if it was Marmite it would get through no problem. So we had no time to shop or do anything good and we just sat had a drink and left for our plane. 8 hours later we arrived in Kenya. Then we arrived in the airport and we took the wrong taxi to the hotel and we stayed one night. Then we left the hotel the next day and got picked up by the right taxi and left to go to ...

... were two young elephants, probably 1 or 2 years old, a 6 month old, a one week old, and a mature female. Far in the distance we could see 3 more mature females. The baby was so small; we could barely see the top of its back through the grass line, and a tiny trunk every now and then lifting in the air. We saw male and female ostrich, a bird I named a rainbow bird, and more and more elephants. Sometimes it was a lone bull, way far off, or sometimes it was a family, always with a ...

... counselors to other women, because if we can help the parents fight AIDS and keep them alive, we will be preventing children from becoming orphans in the first place.

All in all, these women are so loving and so beautiful and they even cooked a huge meal for us, which we ate there in the slum with them.  One thing is for sure, Kenyan culture is all about taking pride in treating your guests VERY well and going out of your way for them.  They were all so incredibly kind ...

... so some use "flying toilets," where they put waste into a plastic bag and then fling it up onto the roof, or wherever it lands. Hopefully, more new facilities can be built when these are finished. We climbed up to the top of the hill, on the old railroad tracks, and the view is amazing! There are shacks that go on forever! The kids at the schools and playing outside the homes are always eager to shake our hands, or just touch us, and they run up to us in huge groups ...

... we would not have much time there we decided to go anyway. We are very glad we did! Lamu is an island of about 25,000 people situated off the eastern coast of Kenya. It’s known for its traditional Swahili culture where around 2,500 donkeys take the place of vehicles and nearly everyone is a practicing Muslim. The people are SO friendly and helpful and we were constantly greeted with “Jambo” (Hello), “Karibu” (Welcome) and “ ...

... br>- Going on safari in Nairobi, Naivasha and to the great Masai Mara
- Going on a walk with a Masai Elder who leant me his walking stick and cloak!
- Spending a weekend at Nakuru and Lake Naivasha with my lovely driver Silas – being tourists together!
- Staying in beautiful accommodation – a nice safe hotel in Nairobi
- Having everything taken care of with no worries!
- Getting to eat fantastic ...