Into Africa - Mt. Kenya

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INTO AFRICA
Our marathon trip started at 6:00 pm on 9/2. Quick trip to JFK, traffic surprisingly light, ticketed, 45 minutes through security and now a three -hour wait for the flight.
Turkish Air rocks. We had comfortable seats, really good meals with real utensils, drinks and wine and beer. Nine hours later we were in Istanbul, then a three - hour layover and another six hours to Nairobi. The time at arrival was 1:30 am 9/4. We met our van drivers, ours is named Bunsen, and drove through Nairobi to our hotel. On the way, Bunsen pointed out storks roosting in the treetops. I saw a tree with what looked to be large white flowers all over it. It turned out to be ibis roosting for the night.
Never did figure out the lights but we were so zonked we hit the bed and never moved until the next morning. After a good breakfast we boarded our vans for the drive to the Serena Mountain Lodge on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. Nairobi notes: The city is trying to modernize but it’s a slow go. It is a third world capital with lots of trash and high security. It seems that every road in town is being torn up and rebuilt. This continues for miles outside the central city. The result is mud and open trenches and bumps and potholes, for miles and miles and miles. The Chinese are managing the project and employing locals for the basic work much of which is done by hand. Don’t expect it to be done in my lifetime.
By the time we got to Thika, the countryside was more rural with pineapple plantations (Del Monte), bananas, coffee, papaya, white corn, mangos and domestic livestock, cows and goats. Since it was Sunday we saw lots of folks going to church and off to visit friends and family. The roads were lined with people waiting for the busses and when the busses came they were often filled. Life teaches patience to these people.
Occasionally we would pass a town and there would be an open-air market selling everything from furniture to bananas. The ground beneath was really muddy. We had a potty stop at a “gift shop” and finally arrived at the Mountain Lodge in time for lunch. We are right at a watering hole and the monkeys welcomed us and would have helped us unpack if we left the windows open. After lunched we napped and then joined the group for viewing and drinking. Then dinner. The meals are coming together too fast. The evening viewing is great. I’ll have to research the animals to put names to them but there were a variety of deer like critters and what looked to me to be an otter.
The locals are friendly and welcoming. They like to smile and do it often. I plan an early night as we’re off at 8:00 am tomorrow but I’m setting the alarm for 6:00 am so I can see the dawn animals drinking at the watering hole.

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