In the belly of a green striped zebra

I sent home some gifts from Kenya to my friends in Edmonton.  I packaged them in the belly of a green striped zebra backpack that now has a happy home with my friend's adorable nearly 3 year-old.  It was my way of saying "thank you" for the thoughtful care packages they have sent to me and for the timely skype calls that keep us in touch. Thanks, guys !

Blue Shoes and Happiness



I nearly bought a pair of blue shoes the other day.  I think they appealed to me because they reminded me of the title of one of books in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, Blue Shoes and Happiness.

I've devoured every book in series, including the most recent one that was published this year.   I delighted in relating to the locales and quirks described in the book, which are now quite familiar to me.

I even conducted a No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency tour with a couple of friends some time ago.  We visited the delapitated film set of the HBO series near Kgale Hill, we had tea at the President Hotel, overlooking the goings-on below in Main Mall, and we lunched at the No. 1 Ladies Opera House, a former garage converted by Alexander McCall Smith and friends into a theatre and bistro.

Everyday, I pass by Zebra Drive.  Unfortunately, I can't share a picture of the street sign because it is missing.  A case for Mma Rmaotswe, perhaps ?

I didn't end up buying the blue shoes. I opted instead for a more sensible and affordable pair of brown shoes.  But, who knows ?  Maybe I will go back for them some day.

Kenya Safari Sampler: Masai Mara

The Mara Simba Lodge -  the same place I stayed in 2007 !

Hippo pod.

One of many crocs !

The zebras migrate with the wildebeest.  The zebras eat the longer grasses, revealing the shorter grasses for the wildebeest.

Topi, or not topi -- that is the question.

Masai giraffe in the grass.

Wildebeest - as far as the eye can see !  They migrate here from the Serengeti to feast on the oat grass.

Are you looking at me ?

Let sleeping cats lie !

Elephant family.

Neck and neck !

What's up, croc ? (can you see both crocs ?)

Tanzania / Kenya border -- where the Serengeti meets the Masai Mara.

Kenya Safari Sampler: Lake Naivasha

Yes, we really got this close !
We went on a walking safari on Crescent Island.

Kari finally got her man to come to Africa !

Loving nuzzle.

Russ, communing with the giraffes.

Acacia thorns.  Can you imagine separating the leaves from the thorns ? 
It seems an easy task for most giraffes, thanks to their long, sticky tongues.

Russ communing with his kin, once again !
They actually came to him, like a long lost leader.

Kenya Safari Sampler: Lake Nakuru

The gang:  Bill (Dad), Toni, Donna, Russ (Brother), Kari (Sister-In-Law), Me, Bob and Marilyn (Kari's Parents).

Rothschild giraffe - with white knee socks and three horns.

Just lion around. (I love this tree!)

A very muddy cape buffalo!

Baboon family moment.

A sleepy white rhino.  It's a hard life !

Russ and Dad at Lake Nakuru.

Masai Musings

In the Masai Mara, Kari, Dad, Russ and I went for a walking safari with two young Masai men, Simon and his brother.  Simon taught us the practical and medicinal use of various leaves and roots, how to read animal tracks, and how to tell the age of an elephant from its dung.  Simon explained that pregnant and nursing women are fed elephant dung tea, for the nutrients from the processed acacia thorns.

The Masai men and boys still lead semi-nomadic lives, taking their cows and goats to graze.  Predators have learned to fear them from their red cloths.  The women stay behind in the village (boma, or manyatta) to tend to the younger children.

We visited Simon's village, which houses 10 families. The men and women greeted us with song and dance, and encouraged us to join in. Simon showed us the inside of his house, which is constructed from cow dung and sticks.  He is married with 3 children.  His family arranged his marriage, and he is okay with that.  As the sun began to set, the children led the cows and goats into the manyatta and Simon led us back to our lodge.

 Simon explains the beneficial properties of drinking elephant dung tea.

If you look closely, you can see that those rock-like lumps in the river are hippos.

Simon taking us to his boma, which is fenced with thorns to keep predators away. That baby goat was born that day.

The villagers answer the kudu horn call to dance with my brother. That's a lion mane hat he's wearing !

 

Now it's the women's turn to sing for us.

Village elder.

Taking the calves home for the night.

Thanks for the wonderful walk, Simon !

Kisii Kids

One of the main drivers for the Raymer / Bishop reunion in Kenya was for my sister-in-law, Kari, to share her passion for Kenya with her new husband, my brother.  As a special gift to me, they brought my 81 year-old father along.  I didn't expect to see my family at all during my year away, so I was thrilled to have the chance to join them for at least part of their trip.  I don't think either my brother or father would have conceived of a trip to Africa were it not for the crazy women in their lives -- Kari, and of course, myself.

Kari spent her early childhood in Kisii, where her parents worked at a school for girls.  Kari has had several return visits to Kenya as a young adult, teaching in Nairobi and leading volunteer groups.  But this was the first trip back for her parents, Marilyn and Bob, apart from a brief visit in the mid-'80's.  Kari also recruited a dear friend, Toni, and her mother, Donna, from Wisconsin.  Kari and Toni worked together in Nairobi.  So, our happy troop of 8 veered off the tourist safari track to pay homage to the Raymers' old stomping grounds in the Kisii highlands.

Kari did a bit of research before coming to Kenya, knowing the Canadian and American contingent would have extra luggage space.  She found a link to the Kisii Kids Orphanage, wrote to find what they most needed, and filled up the extra suitcases with the 'blessings' they requested.  I think it's fair to say that for all of us, one of the highlights of our trip was the morning spent at the orphanage.  It is run by a young couple, Stevenson and Damaris Maranga, who have 7 children of their own, but still found the faith and conviction to take in an extra 40 or so children from the area.  They feed, clothe, and shelter them all, through the grace of donations from friends and neighbors, and even run a small school on site for the younger kids.

Here are some of the sweet faces that made our day.

Stevenson and Damaris welcome us into their home.

Kari makes a new friend.

Getting a break from class to greet the visitors.

Moses kept us company all morning.

These little ones weren't so sure about us.