Safari (simply a vacation to the locals)

As my birthday is approaching my memory has geared down yet another notch. That combined with just returning from the bush and negotiating crazy downtown Nairobi, and this post may or may not make sense.

To catch up, last Thursday night I had an Indian feast at the home of Jetinder Singh's parents in Nairobi before departing on Friday am. Wonderful, intelligent and hospitable people and a true local experience.

Friday am took my first walk venturing into neighborhoods and finally felt like I had seen at least a corner of town. Taxi drove me 2hrs to Lake Naivasha where I stayed in a lovely "cottage" onthe lake with hippos in my back yard at night. Amazing birds, like none I have ever seen and not one true, flowering bush, plant, giant cactus that Ihave ever seen anywhere in the world.

On Saturday I took alocal minibus (mutata) 10 miles down the road. By law only 14 peopl allowed, but in fact >20. Tried to hold my breath for 10 miles since they don't seem to take showers here, but it didn't quite work. Hiked 2 km down the road to Hell's Gate National Park, the only one in Kenya that allows you to walk. Saw ostrich, zebra, wildebeest, watrbuk, giraffe, buffalo and many others as I waalked5 miles to the "lower gorge". Met up with Minister of Commere frm the Czech embassy and hiked (with guide) 4 km down and thru an amazing gorge (18'wide at its narrowest), the site of several movies. Steaming water coming from the bowels of the earth, so hot you can boil an egg!. Then walked another 7 miles back before hitching onthe back of a motorcycle.

Met 3 American med student from BeerSheba medical school in Israel on a two month elective in Eldoret,Kenya. Had a picnic lunch with the Czecks. Delightful food, hiking and accomodations.

Sunday am my taxi driver returned as scheduled from Nairobi, drove me back to nairobi where I took a twin engine Otter to theMasai mara. An adventure in third world avionics. The pilot, flight attendant, baggage handler, check inagent are all one person.

Was met at the dirt air strip in the middle of nowhere and drove 1 1/2 hrs (15 miles) over horrendous road, rocks, thru a river to nirvana, the Royal Mara situated on a peninsula jutting into the mara river. A heavenly place -- not a "tent camp", not a "rich American safari tent", but an architecturally fascinating place. Feels like you are sleeping in the bush, while actually in a rustic (huge) safari cottage.

Did a total of three game drives and saw more animals than you can imagine. Two most interesting sitings were a Cheetah and a mal lion having breakfast, lunch and dinner(all inone) -- a gnu. Monkeys, baboons, hippos, crocodile and more in my back yards. A deranged elephant visitor at 1:30 am

Need to meet my taxi to go to airportfor flight to Addis tonite.

Regards to all.