Our safari guy, Joseph (the same one who took us to Amboseli) met us in Nairobi with another two people - Jess and Jackson from Australia. We all went together and arrived at the camp just outside of the park on Friday, late afternoon. The camp was great! We slept in tents that were huge and pitched on a cement pad, so we had a floor to walk on. Also, built onto the back entrance of each tent was a tile floor bathroom, so each tent had their own toilet, sink, and shower. This was luxury camping for sure!
It was very much fun at the camp, but the real excitement was found inside the park! During our game drives we saw so many animals. We saw a trio of cheetahs, a massive group of about 15 lions, zebras, antelope, gnu, wildebeest, giraffe, gazelle, elephants with babies, so many birds, and even dik diks! A dik dik is a very small deer-like thing, its only about the size of a rabbit.. and they are not very common, so I was super excited to see them! They live in couples and (as Joseph told us...) "they mark their territory with shits!" Joseph was such a great safari guide, he could answer almost any question about the wildlife, the trees and habitat, the parks.. even questions about Kenya and Africa. He is the best. If anyone is going on safari in Kenya, I have his contact info. He was also great for Kyle and I because he knew that we were volunteering here and gave us a really good price.
On our last day, we had the choice of going on another game drive, or going to a traditional masai village to see a performance. we had heard from other volunteers that the village was pretty fake and not work the extra shillings, so we decided to see more of the wildlife. We are so glad we decided to go back into the park - we spent our morning watching a lion eat an ostrich! The pair of lions had already killed the ostrich by the time we arrived, and we got to see the feast. We were so close that we could even hear the lions tearing the flesh from bone. It was so sweet. We took so many photos and videos. It was a great way to end our safari.
I can only upload of couple of photos.. so here is the highlight of the safari:
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| This lion dragged his kill right in front of our van. |
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| Our Safari Group - Jess, Jackson, Me, Kyle, and our guide Joseph |
It was a good way to say farewell to the friends we have made in Nakuru. We are moving on to Kisumu tomorrow and will try and find a good internet place there to continue our blogging. We plan to come back to Nakuru on our way through at the end of our trip to check up on things and say our final goodbyes.
As a good end to a great weekend, we took another two children (I suppose I should say adults, as they are both 18) from the slum to Nakuru to enroll them in driving school. Kennedy, our first student is doing very well and his final test is scheduled for the 20th of this month!
The two that we brought today are Gerald and Josephine. We hope that they will do well also. We gave them a little talk about how we can provide them to opportunity, but it will be their responsibility to work hard and achieve what they want from it.
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| Kyle with three of Nakuru's newest student drivers! |
Kennedy is one of the older kids from the slum, he is 20. He is shy, but polite and makes friends easily. It was sad to say goodbye to him today, as we are moving on soon, but he thanked us for the chance we gave him and gave us wishes for safe travels. Kennedy lives with his older sister, as his mother passed away due to HIV. His sister was raped at a young age and now has four children. Kennedy goes to driving school in the mornings, while the children are at school, so that he can be home in the afternoons to help look after them. He wants to get a job with his driver's training and use the money he gets to move his sister and her kids from the slum to somewhere safe for them. Kyle and I are both extremely proud of Kennedy, and the pride he has in his abilities are finally showing through in his attitude.
Where you came from doesn't matter, it matters where you are going.
Peace
-Kate and Kyle
Always good to read of your continuing adventures and travels to new places.
ReplyDeleteSo good that you are already seeing some of the positive results of your time and labor of love among the children and young adults.
May you continue to show and declare the great love of Jesus to all those with whom you come in contact.
Our church is faithfully praying for you. We pray God's blessing as you move to Kisumu and get involved in a new area.
Thanks for all the updates!
In His loving grip,
Pastor Ted
Hey guys - I am still following you closely as you talk about the places I plan on visiting in May. I have booked my flight to Nairobi for April '27. Can you tell me how easy/hard it was to get your Visa? Did you get it at the airport - before or after picking up your luggae? Also, can you give me the contact info for your tour guide Joseph - I am looking for a reliable/affordable safari company. Good luck in Kisumu - you guys are making a difference!
ReplyDeleteHi Tracy,
ReplyDeleteThe visa was quite easy. We just got ours at the airport by filling in a form or two, and paying $25 US Dollars. It is good for 3 months. The gate for a visa is just before you get your luggage, and customs is pretty much non-existent.
Joseph is the director and head tour guide of a company called Purple Grenadier Safaris
Joseph Thuo
Director - Tour Guide
web: www.purplegrenadier-safaris.com
email: infor@purplegrenadier-safaris.com
personal email: josephthuo2007@yahoo.com
Tel: +254 721 930056
+254 738 683956
not sure if the telephone numbers are the same if you are calling from Canada, but those are the ones listed on his business card. Hope that helps, He was really great, accommodating, friendly, and hilarious. He has a cooler in his vehicle for drinks while you are out on a game drive, and will answer any question about the animals that you have.
For our safari he gave us a deal of 90 dollars a day (US) all inclusive. I think the park rates are going up, so he might be increasing his rate a bit too to cover the higher entrance fee.
Have Fun!
We are home on the 5th, so We will be sure to have a visit with you and share some stories.