Capturing the Moment

Lake Nakuru National Park   The old flooded entrance gate Sopa Nakuru Lodge View from the bar After a long morning of travel we arrived at our next destination  Lake Nakuru. After some quick paperwork at the new gate, since the old one flooded and is now partially under the lake, we sped through the forested side of the park towards the Nakuru Sopa Lodge, our base for exploring this park. The road winded way up the escarpment overlooking the lake, and perched ontop was a beautiful collection of stand-alone bungalows and a huge bar and dining area. We arrived just in time to catch the tail end of lunch. Our rooms, 27, 28, and 29 were far enough away from reception to necessitate a golf cart shuttle service, but we were up for a bit of walking. Everyone was pretty amazed once inside the rooms. The view was gorgeous from on top of the escarpment, there was fine woodwork everywhere, and the bathrooms were ludicrously large...complete with what we assumed was ...

 We left Samburu after an early breakfast knowing that we had a long day of driving ahead of us. We did take advantage on our drive out to stop for some more animal encounters, and luckily the roads around this part of Kenya have really improved over the last couple of years.  I wanted to break up the drive a bit so I had planned some fun and educational stops along the way. Our first stop was at the equator. We crossed from the Northern hemisphere to the Southern hemisphere in a town called Nanyuki. If you are wondering what the light blue water pitcher is doing in the picture above then you are about to find out, just like the group. A local gentleman came over to the group and offered to do a little demonstration. He asked if we had heard about the toilets flushing in different directions once you cross the equator. He told us to watch closely as we walked from one side of the equator to the other. He pored water into a small bowl with a tiny hole in the bottom. ...

  Samburu Reserve: Day 2   In Samburu we stayed inside the park at a lodge called Sentrim Samburu Lodge. As is the custom here in Africa we were met with a hot, wet towel to and a cool fruit juice as we arrive to refresh ourselves after the long ride. My sister and I stayed here once before and as I remembered it was rustic and quiet. The generator came on in the morning and in the evenings so you could charge up you devices, but during the night it was just the noises of the surrounding wildlife and nature. Everyone had standalone bungalows with ensuite bathrooms, mosquito nets draped over the beds, and a hammock on the front porch. Our first night here we had the entire place to ourselves, which meant very attentive service at dinner. For example as I brought the last morsel of food to my mouth my plate would be swept away by our waiter out from under me. The staff was incredibly nice, as they have been at all of our lodges. Richard was our go-to guy here this time and ...

  Over the past six days we have seen lions in Tsavo East, drank tuskers while watching big tuskers jostle at the watering hole in Tsavo West, laughed at the antics of sleepy cheetah in Amboseli, walked with zebra and dung beetles in the Swara Plains, and fed colobus monkeys in the Aberdare Mountains. And those are just a sample of the highlights. It also brings us to the midpoint of our safari. Which means we still have a lot left to see and experience! Next on the list is our northernmost park, Samburu National Reserve. This park is split into two by the Ewaso Nyiro river. Samburu vista Gerenuk antelope Vulturine Guinea Fowl   The ecosystem here in Samburu is very different than what we just experienced in Aberdare . We've traded lush waterfalls and dense foliage for arid plains, golden grass, and acacia trees of the African savanna. This ecosystem is the southern extent of some animals range, which gives us the opportunity to encounter some different specie...