Blogs from Kenya, Africa - page 237

Maasia Mara We got of the over night bus and caught a taxi to the meeting point for the Maasia Mara, the train station. 7 am at Nairobi train station. No one was there. I hastily called the safari company. They came by and picked us up. We took care of the payment and after buying some essentials, off to the Mara we went. It was a 9 hour journey by road. We stopped briefly so that the others could switch vehicles and then came the bumpiest road I have ever been on. For 6 hours we were tossed, jolted, churned and thrown around in the 4x4. It wasn’t so much that the road had pot holes on it, it was more like there were islands of tarmac in the dirt. Most of the time the ... read more

As I sit in the comfort of a cozy home in Katy, Texas with soft carpet, electricity at all times of the day, running water (even hot at that!), and a soft bed I think of the kids in Kenya. The kids of Into Abba’s Arms with whom I shared a fun filled, educational six months. I think of my room with the cement floor that was separated from the five little girls’ room by a thin piece of plywood that didn’t quite reach the ceiling and how I would hear their giggles each night at bedtime. Of the generator being switched off at 9:15 p.m. and how our home on the hill went from brightly lit (one of the only houses around with lights) to pitch dark in one instant. It wasn’t a problem if ... read more

We had arranged a two night trip to Tsavo East and West National Parks. Every one was excited about seeing African wildlife. I just wanted too see the place where the man eating lions went on their killing spree from the film The Ghost And The Darkness. We had a bit of a hiccup on the first morning. Even though everything was booked for the weekend the way we wanted it, the contact at the tour company thought it was the following day that we started. We quickly made alternative transport arrangements and off we went… 8 Hours Later we entered Tsavo East National Park already for a safari. At first every one did the classic ‘Oh look every one! There’s an elephant.” Pointing to a spot on the horizon and “What’s that? It’s an impala” ... read more

Kenyan Merry-Go-Round My recent trip to Africa (see my last three blogs) weren't inspired by visions of setting off on a safari in the Maasai Mara or mounting a camel in the Egyptian desert. It was a trip that would not have been complete if I hadn't accomplished the one task I had come to Kenya for in the first place: to build a playground. The organization I started in the wake of the tsunami, Operation Playground (OP), was the realization of a dream to build playgrounds for children that had been either effected by a natural disaster, or simply lived in a region of the world that could not afford them a place to play. And so I found myself, once again, online depserately trying to organize my trip to Kenya. Airline Ambassadors International (AAI), ... read more

Road To Samburu: Archer's Post (Please read the previous blog for Part One) I want to preface this blog with this very little known fact: From a BBC News Excerpt: "Kenya's government has spent more than $12m on new cars since 2002 - enough to send 25,000 children to school for eight years, their report said." Read full story here. The next morning our journey would take us through some of the roughest terrain of our trip. Our new friend and armed guide, Lempei, has informed us of the dangers of passing through this region. There are bandits that litter the countryside and lie in wait for vehicles that are carrying foreigners. Their intent is to rob you, and if needed, they will kill to get what they want. Lempei had instructed us to keep a ... read more