(Temporary Backup) (Temporary Backup) 9/8/2023 Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club

9/8 We are near the equator and yesterday we flew to  Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club for a two night stay.This was William Holden’s retreat founded in 1959.  This morning we went to Nanyuki for a presentation about women as Spinners and Weavers which empowers them as they make their own money.  This afternoon  we visited the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and Animal Orphanage. It rained lightly while we were there.   Shelter and professional care supports a goal for the animals to be released back into the wild.  Tonight, we have a barbecue which must be under a canvas as it is still raining.  

The end unit to the left, I am on the second floor on the right.  

9/1/2023. Ngorongoro National Park

8/31 Ngorongoro Crater is a caldera.    On our game drive we may see elephants, leopards, lions, buffalo, and rhinos.  The crater is thought to be the original “Garden of Eden”.  The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest calderas in the world and contains a variety of ecosystems and many birds and animals.  We could see large herds of zebras, wildebeests and gazelles.  Elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo and rhinoceros (the Big Five)may be spotted.  A picnic lunch will be served in the crater today.  

9/1 Ave low 55/high 75Staying at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge.  Ngorrongoro Crater is the largest unflooded intact caldera in the world. It is about twelve miles wide and the rim rises 1200-1600 feet off its floor.  It seems like a “lost world” inside the crater.  There are short grasslands, swamps, forests, and a freshwater lake.  Animals continuously migrate within the crater.      On our game drive we may see the “Big Five”, elephants, leopards, black-maned lions, buffalo, and the endangered, rare black rhinos.  The crater is thought to be the original “Garden of Eden”.  The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest calderas in the world and contains a variety of ecosystems and many birds and animals.  We could see large herds of zebras, wildebeests and gazelles.  A picnic lunch will be served in the crater today.  

This day was better than expected.  It was very foggy in the morning when we left the hotel.  The roads are quite rough with potholes and washboard surfaces.  Part of the way to the bottom of the caldera, we drove on a stoned former elephant path which was much smoother than the “regular” road.    We saw elephants, lions, buffalo,gazelles, zebras, hippos, wart hogs, bird species, wildebeests, monkeys, and  baboons.   Two  things I learned today is that wart hogs live in holes in the ground.  They back into their hole.  A bird called a hammer cop makes a huge shaggy looking nest with what looks like multiple entrances.  These entrances are to confuse their enemies.  

We are so busy I think it will be hard to do this blog.  Today breakfast was served at 5:45 and we left the hotel at 6:30.  We returned about 3:30 and had a meeting at 6:00.  A ranger explained to us about the nearly extinct rhinos.  We won’t see any now as the caldera is very dry.  Rhinos prefer a moister environment.  The world has 27,000 rhinos, Kenya has 6195 and Tanzania has 190.  There are five species.  Tanzania has 2 species.  One is the black rhino and another is the white rhino.  They are all colored gray.  The white rhino is a grazer and has a square mouth.  Rhinos are chipped so they can be tracked.  On the crater floor there are 25 adults and 2 babies.  The white rhino baby follows its mother for about two weeks and then walks in front of the mother. A black rhino baby always walks behind the mother.  Black rhino babies do not survive as well as white rhinos because the mother doesn’t know what is happening behind her.  

We also watched a video put together by Tauck and BBC.  It was about the big five - leopard, African elephant, lions, buffalo and rhinos.   

Baboon

Water Buffalo

Gazelle

9/7/2023Ol Pejeta Park, Kenya, East Africa

9/7 Ol Pejeta Park Conservancy has black rhinos (largest population) and others of the Big Five which could be seen on the AM game drive.  Then visit Sweetwaters  Chimpanzee Sanctuary.   The town of Nanijuki is known for its colorful rugs,wall hangings and shawls.  Local weavers will shear, spin, dye and weave sheep’s wool by hand.  Dinner will be served in the dining room.

Ave low58/high 77.  Staying at the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club Ol Pejeta Park Conservancy has black rhinos (largest population) and others of the Big Five which could be seen on the AM game drive.  Some animals unique to the Conservancy are reticulated giraffes and Grevy’s zebra.  We’ll also be looking for black and white rhinos. Then visit Sweetwaters  Chimpanzee Sanctuary. 

Today we saw a wide variety of animals.  Warthog, zebras (Grevy’s and regular), giraffes, rhinos, elephants, water buffalo, cows, jackal, jaguar, flamingos and other  birds.  When we were at the Chimpanzee Sanctuary I learned that chimps eat 3 times per day.  They live in a big house and sleep in separate spaces.  There are eighteen on one side and twelve on the other side. Both groups are lead by an alpha male.  Chimpanzees are 95% human.  Sadly, they get all the human diseases.  These chimpanzees cannot be released back into the wild.  Trafficking is a danger.  In the Congo, rescued chimpanzees live in a natural habitat. Africa has sixteen sanctuaries.  

Ol Pejeta Park Conservancy has the largest population of black rhinos.  There are less than one thousand black rhinos in Africa.  The black rhinos are more skittish and aggressive and territorial.  Black rhinos have a hooked lip that helps them munch leaves from trees and bushes.  They will be found eating in dense brush.  The white rhinos keep their heads down to the ground in order to graze.  White rhinos will be found in grasslands and fields.   Their square mouths are wide and flat to facilitate grazing.  The white rhinos have a longer skull, a less defined forehead and a more obvious shoulder hump.    The  conservancy is completely fenced in.  Both black and white rhinos are gray in color and live about 40 years.  

Black rhinos are considered critically endangered.  White rhinos have two subspecies, southern and northern.  There are only two female northern white rhinos living.  White rhinos are the second-largest land mammal after the elephant.  The southern white rhino is considered an overwhelming success story.  “Save the Rhino” reports there are between 17,000 and 19,000.  Adult males can weigh 8000 pounds and reach six feet tall.  White rhinos tend to be significantly larger than black rhinos.   White rhinos have poor vision and the head points to the ground.  White rhino’s ears are tubular and long to keep them aware of their surroundings.  Black rhinos have better eye-sight and the ears are smaller and rounded.  The two horns of the black rhinos are shorter than white rhinos.  

Female giraffes are smaller than males.  The Masai Giraffe has unusual spots with jagged edges (irregular patterns) and are the darkest ones.  The reticulated giraffe’s spots are clearly defined network of brownish-orange patches.  It has bright chestnut colored spots and white spaces.    

My iPhone and iPad are finally communicating.  Since I am in a new hotel, I am thinking it’s the quality of the Wi-Fi.  

Jackal

There were a lot of cows in the Conservancy.

I need to find out this animals name, it is like a topu but a lighter color.

We had lunch outside today at a lovely resort.  There was a watering hole for the animals and a lot of giraffes

stopped by for a drink.  

We stopped at the official equator site today after lunch.  

9/6/2023. Kenya’s Amboseli Park

9/6 Amboseli National Park offers elephants, hippos, buffalos and antelopes.  We will visit watering holes.  Antelopes should be found in the flat grasslands.  Visit the Maasai Village prior to the AM game drive.  There will be a PM game drive.  There was no AM drive today.  

We took the morning off and didn’t leave until 9:30.  I was grateful as I was very tired.  Our first stop was the Masai Village.  We were greeted by the chief. He told us he has an assistant chief and a council of elders.  When he speaks of a village, it is his village.  When he speaks of a community, it is multiple villages.  

The Masai depend on animals.  They use the milk, meat and blood.  The population is increasing.  The Masai are nomadic.  They move the animals for survival.  Women stay behind so the children can attend school.  A man may have multiple wives and he must supply a house for each wife.  The wife must build the house.  The materials used include mud, cow dung, acacia wood and grass on the top.  There is no sharing of wives, a fine of one cow is levied if a man cheats.  A cow is generally considered to be worth $1000.  Marriages are arranged.  

The chief’s family has been here for sixteen years.  His father was chief before him and then he became the chief.  The chief has fourteen children.  Cows are branded so they can be sorted out.  School is taught by men of the village.  There is a government school nearby, but the community prefers to manage their own school.  

Dried elephant dung and the dung of three other animals are used to build a fire.  Sticks are rubbed together and when smoke is seen, they add sawdust.  They blow on the sawdust and then add dry grass.  Women bring wood to the fire as they will benefit and take home an ember to start the cooking fire. 

The Masai men and women greeted us.  The welcome dance included a lot of jumping up and down.  When times are hard, the women began making and selling jewelry.  We went through a gauntlet of blankets covered with the crafts they created.

If you’re wondering why this guy is wearing that head dress, he was the last one to be circumcised.

My vehicle mates - left Bob, Deborah, Lynn and right Bruce, me, Ianne.

9/5/2023. On to Kenya’s Amboseli National Park

9/5 

Breakfast is at 6:00 and we will leave the hotel at 7:15.  We should arrive in Arusha at 9:30.  We will have free time at the Cultural Heritage Center, followed by lunch.  

Fly to Arusha, Tanzania and enjoy another view of the 15,000 feet high Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Continue to drive overland to Kenya and the Amboseli National Park.  Begin n the two-night stay.  Herds of free-ranging elephants and other wildlife roam and we hope to experience as many as possible.  The speaker originally scheduled for tomorrow evening was tonight.  

9/5 Ave low56/high77. Fly to Arusha, Tanzania and enjoy another view of the 15,000 feet high Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Continue to drive overland to Kenya and the Amboseli National Park in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.  

Begin the two-night stay.  We are staying at the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge.  The lodge was influenced by native architecture and is in harmony with its environment.  The interiors are inspired by distinctive African design motifs.  Each room is individually appointed with authentic Africana and murals painted by a renowned local artist.   Herds of free-ranging elephants and other wildlife roam nearby.  

It was a long, hard day.  The washboard road made for a bumpy start.  Our flight was uneventful.  We shopped at the Cultural Center and looked at a lot of Masai crafts and had lunch.  Then we rode for several hours on two buses on smooth roads until we got to the border of Kenya.  Our border crossing checking out of Tanzania and checking into Kenya went very smoothly.  We continued in our Safari vehicles and were back on the bumpy, dusty roads.  

There was a speaker about saving the elephants from poaching and a buffet dinner.  The decor of the hotel is authentic but there is no air conditioning.  I do have a ceiling fan…. After dinner, I went to bed as I was beyond exhausted.  

Photos are finally uploading from phone to iPad.  

First night sleeping surrounded by mosquito netting.  

Chris Morrison’s picture of Mount Kilimanjaro.





It is very dry here.  The elephants like to cool off in the available water

I don’t remember what this animal is called.  

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