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Published: November 16th 2008
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Vicki and I were told of a guest house, out in the Aberdare area, reasonably priced, and we decided to go for Friday night. The daughter of the owner goes to the lower school so we got a ride out after school with Petra, the owner, her daughter Tessa, and other guests who had been in town.
We picked up the other guests at the home of a Scottish woman who lives close to the school, in a beautiful house on a back lane. We had tea there, and then traveled to the ranch where the guest houses are located, first on the paved roads and then on very muddy and rutted back roads.
The main house is amazing! As we came close, there were impala and crested cranes out in the fields, along with horses. Mt Kenya can be seen from the lawn, and the guest houses.
After picking our room, we all had drinks on the veranda, and dinner later in the house at long table in a room with many interesting artifacts and pieces of art. Petra is German and has been here for around twenty years (or more). All the other guests were German,
so the conversation was often in German...
Tessa, the daughter, is 11. I had met her in the lower school already. She 's charming and funny, and a good guide!
By the time we had schapps in the living room the first night, Vicki and I both wanted to stay another night...there was room and we did...now we want to live there!
On Saturday we relaxed and then went for a bird walk in the late afternoon. Petra and Sammy, a local guide, went with us. Sammy showed us plants and birds as we walked. At one point, we started seeing traces of elephants having passed in the last few days, and then very fresh zebra droppings. Just before we returned, Sammy took us down to the creek and showed us the remains of an antelope left hanging in a tree by a leopard...a leopard had taken a youing foal and one of their dogs earlier this fall. Tessa said there were six leopards on the property.
So, even though we didn't see any animals, except for a glimpse of a mongoose before the dog chased it, it was amazing to walk where leopards, elephants, and
zebra had been not long before! In the case of the zebra, it was probably seconds before, since at one point we could smell them!
Aftetr the hike, we had drinks on the rocks, and watched Mt Kenya's snow glow in the sunset, as birds sang all around us. As I sat in front of our room later at dusk, a flock of crested cranes flew overhead...
In the morning, I sat out on the rocks alone, just looking at the green forest, the mountain beyond, and listening to the birds...
If you want more info on Sandai, here is the website: http://africanfootprints.de/ehome.html
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Jen and Family
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Hello from Seattle- Ra'ad and Julia love the pictures. I know they will just be in stitches to see the picture of Zebra poop. That is always a hit with children especially a four year old. Glad you are learning to tell the difference between animal BM- Take care Jen