From Dubai to Nairobi

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Departure From Dubai & Arrival in Nairobi
All near us celebrate this first visit to the “city over the top”, but few are eager to return … perhaps when Dubai World (emulating all Disney destinations world-wide) is complete we’ll reconsider … A short bus ride to the private jetway at the international airport, a delightfully quick five hour flight (Doug still can’t believe that I watched two movies Mission Impossible III and Failure to Launch) and the hurry-up and wait begins. African protocol guided us through extensive cues and finally the first 46 of our 90 boarded a small DC7 prop plane and we were off for a 50-minute flight into the safari country of northern Kenya. Our expectation that the remainder of our tour was close behind was false, however. As our plane landed on a tar and chip/dirt runway to a gorgeous African sunset and an immediate turnaround back to Nairobi, we were told that the second plane would not be able to join us this evening (no landing lights on this strip). Apparently, Kenya Air had miscalculated take-off and landing times among other things. Good news for us … we’re here and have our passports. Bad news for our companions, they’re still there and we have their passports. We board mini-vans with our luggage and depart for a 1 ½ hour ride over what can only be described as a bone-jarring experience over wash-board road, fording streams and crossing crevices! On our way before dark we see a herd of elephants and multiple giraffes … well worth the ride. We were stuck just once … immediately other vehicles surrounded us and their drivers unafraid of potential danger pushed, pulled, and eventually extricated us. Mission Accomplished - all our own!

Our room at the Sarova Shaba “Resort” is a thatch, stone, and slate cottage which is as close as I’ll ever get to camping. We sleep under mosquito netting with ceiling fan whizzing expecting Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart to make an appearance! We awaken the next morning to a strange “ch ch” sound. It’s the groundskeepers stick and threatening coconuts in hand clearing the ever-present monkeys from our cottage! Twenty plus of these creatures, velvet or black-faced monkeys of all ages including tiny babies, hop from window sill, to palm tree, to roof. I’m truly enthralled! A quick breakfast in our open-air lodge and we’re off into the bush once again surrounded by unnamed mountains and traditional acaecia trees (the traditional ones we all associate with Africa). On our four plus hour safari we see baboons, oryx (not the vacuum cleaner), gazelle, nik nik, giraffe, elephant, white headed buffalo weaver, colorful sparrows and canaries, giraffe gazelle, impala, crocodile (no ticking overheard), monitor lizard, common and gray zebras, mountain goats and sheep, braman bulls, Colorfully attired Masi and Sarova natives could occasionally be spotted, as well. As we return to the resort we are greeted by native drummers and singers. A quick lunch, rest, and we’re off for a second safari today!

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Photos

On Safari
Male ostriches are black and white and maintain an entourage!