Capturing the Moment

View from inside the vehicle View from outside the vehicle   From meeting African Santa Clause, to our first lion encounter, to settling into the safari spirit, Christmas in Kenya was a huge success. This is my second Christmas with the Dillon family and I couldn't be happier to be sharing it with a family that wasn't my own. It seemed like animal encounter after animal encounter accompanied our movements here in Samburu national reserve in Northern Kenya. We usual set up for a morning game drive then a break in the afternoon, before setting out on a late afternoon game drive in our two pop-up safari vehicles. It is like a big treasure hunt where a big sighting could come at any moment. Everyone has their binoculars out and eye fixed around each corner. Holiday hijink at Larsens Tent Camp, Samburu, Kenya    After getting the Samburu 5, with our Christmas sighting of a Somali Ostrich, the next big thing to find here was a lion. And not too long after our...

Norfolk Hotel style  After traveling half way around the world the Dillon clan arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. John, Ale, and Maggie flew in around dinner time so I whisked them from the airport to one of the oldest buildings in the city center, the historic Norfolk hotel, which has been in business since 1905. When you consider Kenya wasn't even a country until 1963 when it finally shed its colonial rulers, you can understand the atmosphere that comes with such a place. It has been the retreat of Lords and colonial governors to modern day celebrities and royals. And now it is where we are starting our East Africa adventure. Reunited in Africa Colonial feel of the Nofolk    With three of the thirteen tucked into their beds it was time for the rest of group to arrive. Everyone looked good getting off the plane, especially for 3am, and I told everyone to stay strong and meet at breakfast at 7:30am...in about four hours. It was so fun seeing everyone reunited the ne...

Christmas in Fiji   What an amazing place. A week of surfing and diving on the coral coast with Myles and Jack, a private surf trip to the fabled cloudbreak, and a true Fijian island experience on Wayalailai in the Yasawas is how I've come to know this country. Eco Haven, the resort here on Waylailai, is run by the local villagers. Everyone stops to say, 'Bula', or hello in Fijian, and are just downright nice. I hung out with some local kids on top of the big rock, went for hours of snorkeling on the fringing reef, and hiked to the top of the massive granite outcroppings that make this island resemble a mini Yosemite. The guys have shared their local drink Kava, which is supposed to mellow you out kind of like marijuana, and have also taken us all out for a not so intense 'shark feeding' with one curious white tip. You could tell the guide was enjoying things when we saw dolphins on the way back.  View from the top View looking the other way ...