Day three- Pelicans and poverty

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Lake Naivasha and orphanage at Gilgil.

Today was a mental day! Our heads were spinning.

Up at dawn for a quick Denford brekkie (fried egg toasted sarnies and fruit salad, just the thing) and then back on the boat heading across Lake Naivasha, past the same group of hippos and spotting the same fish eagles sitting up in the treetops. This time we crossed the lake right to the other side and with our guides disembarked onto a beach to begin our walking safari in a national park. It felt like Jurassic Park! There were storks and pelicans on the beach and as we walked into the park area we gradually saw various impala, Thompsosn's gazelles, other antelope type things, and before long herds of zebra. Everyone was very excited and it really was the perfect thing to do at the start of our trip, as by the third national park we were all very accustomed to seeing zebra and giraffe - but at this point it was magic. So nice to be on foot as well, able to stroll over to the animals, pretty close, before they would edge away.

We walked for a good hour or so, eventually climbing up to a look-out point where we could see a soda lake with some flamingoes and expensive-looking lodges fringing the lake. Then we headed back and found our first giraffe. There were a few of them, hanging out munching acacia (enormous spiky thorns, the whole thing does not make sense). Again, it felt magic; we all had silly grins plastered across our faces.

But we had to leave and get back to the truck, to drive to the orphanage at Gilgil. The journey was typically crazy; I was always glued to the window as everything we drove past was madness. Trying to take pics in a bumpy truck was a nightmare but at least some have come out!

At Gilgil we set up lunch and met Harry someone, a retired colonel, very plummy, who had set up various schools in the area. He told us about the problems they faced and then we crossed the road and visited Saidia Children's Home. There is too much to say about all we heard and saw but it was unforgettable and quite heartbreaking, and also incredibly happy. The kids are amazing.

After we had played with the kids for a while and they sang to us, we went to visit one of the Granny's from the project they ran, matching up grannies whose own daughters had died with orpans, and teaching them methods to survive and earn a living. This woman lived in a little shack with a fire in the middle of her floor and no chimney, her crops had failed and she had to walk several miles to get water each day. She had a grown up son with severe learing difficulties and had taken in an orphan. She was really happy to meet us and all smiles.

An unruly band of children, presumably including her orphan, were running around and playing, full of beans. One, about six, carried a machete as if it were a toy sword.

Like I said, mental day.

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Photos

2001
Early morning call

2032
Hello there I'm a pelican, my beak can hold more than my belly can

Comments

[EliseH]

Hey! Recently been to Kenya and Tanzania, and I just wondered who your tip leaders were, because Denford was OUR cook too!! He was attacked by a babboon on our trip, when he was getting out the food in the serengeti, so we bought him a sling shot =) =P Thanks!