Lala Salama

2/5/2010

Day... I've lost track

Confession: I am writing this from the comforts of my home in Seattle. I am mostly writing to see how it feels to have such a speedy internet connection. That, and to give you all a brief update on our safari and to assure you that we are back safely and without (major) incident.

Our safari was amazing. The accommodations were luxurious and included Wazungu style buffet meals, tropical cocktails (my favorite is called "dawa" and is vodka, lime juice, and honey), plush bedding in our private thatched roof hut, and a sparkling, aquamarine pool for cooling off. Those folks in Kijabe weren't kidding after all when they insisted that Kijabe is relatively cold for Kenya. The safari was balmy and sweaty, which allowed me to wear all the hot summery clothes that remained folded and unworn throughout the first 3.5 weeks of my trip. I somehow managed to avoid major sunburn despite a perilous mixture of constant equatorial sunshine and photosensitivity from doxycycline for malaria prophylaxis.

The Masai Mara was stunningly beautiful. And it's a good thing, too, because the drive there was no peach. I have a new appreciation for asphalt. It was interesting to pass through all the little towns on the way and to see traditional Maasai villages with herdsmen roadside. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase "off the beaten track". The drive there was over 4 hours, and the last 1.5 was, I believe, the roughest red dirt road in Kenya. At least, that is what my backside and neck muscles think. We bounced and lurched our way to the park, my belly churning all the while.

We did 4 total game drives, one the evening of our arrival, two the following day, and one early morning of our departure day (Wednesday). Some of the highlights: countless zebras, giraffes, elephants (we hadn't seen any up until that park and boy are they something to watch), wildebeests, ostriches, impala, gazelles. On our first game drive we saw a leopard and a baby giraffe in a tree. Only one of those two animals was alive. Can you guess which one? The mama giraffe held vigil for an entire day, circling the tree looking for the baby. Leopards, apparently, can drag prey 3 times their own weight up a tree away from other predators. Then they remain in the tree to feast and rest. We drove right up under the tree and got face to face with the leopard, and the dangling baby giraffe leg hovered over us. It was a bit grizzly.

Another highlight was seeing 3 female lions and 7 cubs, probably just a week or so old, parade across the road right in front of our vehicle. We also saw a few male lions stalking around in the tall grass a bit later in the day. It is amazing to see the animals so close and in the wild.

The scenery in the Mara is unbelievable. The land is vast, and every shade of yellow and green you can imagine, dotted with trees, shrubs, and tall grass. Although we saw more animals on our early morning game drives, watching the sun set over the land on our evening drives was an equally fulfilling event.

We were sorry to leave the luxe safari lifestyle, but reluctantly headed back to Nairobi to catch our evening flight on Wednesday. The return drive was just as painful as the first, though this time we concluded our journey by hitting a huge traffic jam (routine for Nairobi) in stifling afternoon heat (no AC in those parts). We started out on the road to the airport from the Mara around 10 am and ended up at Jomo Kenyatta international airport at 5 pm. It was mildly daunting and extremely exhausting to begin our long flights home in this manner.

Our flight did not leave until midnight that evening. It was a good thing, though, since the Kenya Airways folk gave Julie a hard time yet again for having her last name misspelled on her boarding pass. She managed to make it through ok in the end. We ate our last Kenyan meal at the Simba Restaurant in the airport (which was actually quite good). After no food the entire day while on the road, I think any meal would have seemed gourmet. Then we perused all the "curio" shops in the airport and got our fill of African tchotchkes. The plane ride to London was about 9 hours, and we were all sacked out the entire way, waking just long enough to eat random meals along the way.

Exiting the plane into the glitz and glitter of Heathrow airport was a bit of a shock to my system. We had breakfast at Starbucks and browsed the fancy shops (Harrods, Jimmy Choo, etc). It made a mockery of the Kenyan curio shops where we bought trinkets for $3 each.

Then it was on to our next leg: London to Houston (10 hours). Ben and I had a row to ourselves and indulged in the personalized entertainment systems. I watched 3 movies and a few tv shows. I think I made up for my tv-less month. We touched ground in Houston around noon local time, got through customs without event, and in no time boarded our plane to Seattle. Throughout our journey thus far I had had no trouble with the length of travel. When the captain announced our flight to Seattle would be 4 hours, though, I hit a mental wall. About this time I also started having some GI distress and generalized body aches. Both Ben and I passed out immediately once we boarded this last leg. I woke briefly to inhale a cheeseburger that was placed in front of me, and didn't resurface until the wheels touched down in Seattle. We were all rather weary by this point. Given that ourselves and our luggage all reached the US without incident, there is truly nothing complain about.

Today, our first full day back, we are weeding through the pile of travel related items that somehow exploded all over our house. We slept without a problem last night, though I did wake up extremely confused this morning, unsure of my location and of the time/day/month/year.

It is so strange to be back immersed in familiarity. It seems as though the past month almost didn't happen. I keep racking my brain to keep the memories fresh. I will have to go through the photos soon. And maybe even start planning for the next adventure?

So now it is time to put the blog to bed. I think my final musings from my last post summed it up best, and I, therefore, will refrain from attempting to trump it. I will merely say that I am blessed and thankful for this past month abroad. It has certainly been eye-opening and life-changing. Thanks again for tuning in and helping me feel connected while I was so very far away. Asante sana and lala salama!