Day 1 - Ellies, Giraffes and Beads

To ease us into our new time zone and sooth the jet lag somewhat they had us spend a full day in the Nairobi area before we headed out to Bogani. This included visiting David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage - our first taste of the African wildlife up close and personal. Many of the ellies were orphaned as a result of poaching and the killing of their parents. The handlers bring the baby ellies out each day for an hour at 11 am so people can watch them feed and then romp and play. The infants love to wrestle with one another, piling into a muddle of reddish skin and dirt. It was mesmerizing to watch the personalities of these playful mini giants emerge so quickly before our eyes. Just when it wasn't surreal enough ... "cue giraffes"  two giraffes sauntered gracefully across the backdrop of the whole ellie scene. Pinch me.

 

We moved along to the Giraffe Centre which is dedicated to breeding and preserving the endangered Rothschild giraffe. You can feed the giraffes and if you are feeling a little lonely and don't mind a long tongue, you can even share a big wet kiss with a long necked beauty.

After lunch our final stop was a visit to the Kazuri Bead Factory. Kazuri means “small and beautiful” in Swahili and the factory produces hand made ceramic jewellery, beads and tableware. The neat thing about this place is that it started with two Kenyan women and grew to provide sustainable employment for many other single mothers who need regular employment. Kazuri has grown and prospered and now ships their handmade jewellery all over the world. The shop is an explosion of colour and textures and completely lures you in. I found myself loading my basket with a potpourri of shiny beads, necklaces and bracelets - gifts for the girls and women in my life back home. Because it was Sunday, the workers were off however the shop echoed with their vibration, laughter and the positive, handwritten posters taped to the walls told the rest of the story. This was a good place in which dignity resides - a workplace in which the women could access the health clinic; feel proud of their craftsmanship and entertain possibility.

Notes from my journal:

~ peaceful breakfast on the veranda at Karen Blixen, breathing in the freshness and peace

~ an embarassing encounter with the coffee press

~ getting a piece of branch from a local man to clean my teeth

~ scenic beauty of the National Reserve

~ Tuskers in the bar before dinner

~ dinner with candlelight and Celtic strings

~ stimulating conversation

~ tearful when asked about my personal highlight of the day ... dream come true

~ wishing I could share this with hubby

Next stop ... FTC Bogani camp on the Mara.

Landed in a Dream

When I was thinking of what to write first about our trip, the answer seems logical: start at the beginning. But honestly, I can't decide when the trip started. So our posts will not be linear, in a perfect straight timeline, but rather in clumps of memories and impressions, just as they materialized to us.

I suppose the magic started just outside the ladies' washroom in the Nairobi airport. A pretty woman with golden hair grabbed my arm and asked me if I was Lyn. My mind raced ... had I dropped my passport? I answered that yes I was, and her face burst into a sparkling smile. "I recognised you ... actually Darcy ... from your blog." Instantaneous warmth, familiarity and kinship. She introduced herself as Megan and the spark was set. We had our first friend! In the hours following the lengthy wait for a visa and then baggage Megan was assigned to the same bungalow as Darcy and I at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden Cottages. The universe made a perfect match. Later that night we met our roommate Lisa who would complete our quartet for our Nairobi stay.

Staying on the exact property that made up Karen Blixen's coffee plantation was surreal for me. Out of Africa is one of my favourite movies and I found myself walking around in a dream turned into reality. This  would the recurring theme of our trip ... walking in a dream.

Our first night in Africa - in Kenya - was a mardi gras to my senses. Everything was exciting - the authentically decorated cottage with the mosquito net and stone floors and shower; the screams, twerps and chirps of exotic birds unknown to me; thumps and pitter patters of the feet of little creatures on our roof and the surprisingly cool, fresh air that we inhaled deeply and exhaled reluctantly.

Megan, Darcy and I walked explored our little patch of luxury eagerly chorusing oohs and ahhhs and giggling like school girls (that would be Megs and I).

From my journal: Woke up early this morning to the sounds of birds whistling, a dog barking and the crowing of a rooster. Africa is amazing. She assaults your senses, crawls under your skin and holds you tightly in her grip.

The first day was spent getting acquainted with the other people who would become our far away family. Introductions to follow!

Breakfast on the verandah at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden.