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African Adventures turned 9 today!

#tumblr birthday #tumblr milestone

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I am now at the beautiful Resort on the coast at Watamu. Here are some photos of it.

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November 8, 2023

A lot of water has gone under the bridge and over it as the case was since I last wrote.

I left Pardamat on Monday the 3o Oct with 3 other volunteers who had finished their contracts. Joanne an I went down to Nairobi an stayed at Keren Inn and Suites. A lovely and safe place to stay with a nice little restaurant. The others went on to fly back to USA that night.

Joanne and I were picked up by the driver, Joseph, for Bonfire Adventures and Tours to travel to Samburu the next AM to the Shaba National Game reserve and specifically the Shaba Lodge. It is far to the North and took a good many hours. The road is paved to the turn off into the reserve and then it is a hellish rocky road with several stream crossings to get to the lodge. Entrance fees are 70$ a day for which I had set aside US dollars for the 4 days of our stay.

It was 3:30 Pm by the time we arrived. I was beat, but Joannne and Joseph went for a game drive while I had a swim in the lovely pool. The lodge is lovely. Here are photos of the lodge taken from my lounge chair at the pool

After a lovely buffet dinner in the restaurant high above the river we went to our rooms after stoping to see the fat crocodile on the banks of the river where he is fed by the lodge so folks can see him.

It rained most of the night and by morning the river was ver high and had over flowed its banks. We were evacuated to another room. We were only supposed to be two night there then on to Sopa Lodge in Samburu. However that lodge had a bigger problem with the river, It washed out the bridge there. Much discussion ensued over was there room for us to stay the two days at Shaba and could we try to venture to Sopa over the next few days. It finally got all sorted after a lot of stress and watching the river rise higher and higher an would we be able to leave etc etc. Here are some more photo of it all.

We were able to get out but it was a tough go forging raging streams 6 of them before we finall reached tarmac.

The drive to Masai Loge was. nightmare in that we were stranded by the side of the highway for two hours with engine trouble. It was getting dark. No one seemed to know what to do. the driver and some passers by were working on fixing the engine. Just as dark fell they succeeded. We drove to a gasoline station. dropped off the two helpers and carried on. We had picked up the drivers wife and his 3 young boys before Thompson”s falls so there was very precious cargo on board. After several miles it was found that the battery was not charging and the headlights went out on a busy highway two lanes. Terrifying. Fortunately there was a pull off f across the road to a gas station. But no mechanic. We tried calling several drivers we knew and the head of the To0ur agency, no one answered. We are tired, scared and wondering what next. then Joseph said a matatu was there. that is a commercial van. the driver agreed to take us all. We drove through the night to Masai Lodge arriving around 10 PM. What a relief to be safe once again.

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Images of Our passengers, and Thompsons Falls. Joseph and family and Joanne.

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Scenes of wildlife-zebra and giraffe and a crowned lapwing sitting on her eggs on the ground.

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Our Maasai guide, Sem with the beautiful decorations made by his wife, lunch time in Naboisho Conservancy and huge herd of cattle grazing.

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More harassment of the lions by the jackal. Finally, one lion chased the jackal but it came back for more. Just playing I think.

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A beautiful pond in Pardamat Conservancy.

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Pahrdamat Hill at Sunset

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young male lion grooming his sister. Lions are very affectionate. this is a-video. When the female rolls over you can see the flies in her groin area.

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Lions resting. there is a jackaal barking at them press the video icon in the lower right of the photo.

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The big male walked over to be with the girls

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Oct 29, 2023

It is the end of the 6 weeks at African Impact at Pardamat.

Everything comes to an end and feeling like this has been a great experience, but I am looking forward to the next two weeks. Joanne and I go to Samburu in the north. There are a few different wild animals there to see along with all the marvelous beasts that frequent Kenya wilds.

The Masai Mara trip last Sunday was wonderful. It is a beautiful place of rolling hills, plains, rivers and grass, acacia trees, gardenia trees etc et. Endless it seems with no man made structures as far as the eye can see. It must be like the world was before man messed it up. Or the garden of eden.

AsAS

As

As you can

I think photos tell the best story so here goes. These are of three cheetahs two males and a female who got discovered. Cars came from everywhere to see them. I am glad there are tourists wanting to see these beautiful creatures, but this seemed overboard to me and the cheetahs got confused trying to leave through the circle of safari vehicles.

Topi and Eland

leopard looking like a slug on the dry river bed, hyena crossing the road, and elephants in the distance.

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Oct 21, 2023

I think for the last couple of posts I put Sept for the date instead of Oct. Oops, lost in time here.

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Sept 21, 2023

Today we go to the Maa trust to shop! Beautiful beaded work by the 700 Maasai women who belong to the trust. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, belts, purses and on and on. We can take our credit cards!

Tomorrow, Sunday we are all going to the great Masai Mara Game Reserve for the day: two truck loads of us. A total of ten volunteers. It will be an all day drive. 12 hours. Exhausting and exhilarating. One is always anticipating. What will we see next? Pictures to come next week. For now here are some from last week.

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Dr taking dart out of elephant anddoc examining arrow wound. Almost under the elie. It would have been a lot of work to turn him.

THe ear is placed over the eyes, water poured on to keep him cool and a small stick placed at end of trunk to keep nostrils open. The dr. injected hydrogen peroxide into the would to clean it after removing most of the debris- pus and necrotic tissue, then he packs the area with green clay and an injection of Penicillin given. The elephant will be fine.

the elephant getting up after the antidote to the tranquilizer was given.

Success!