Notes from Zambia

Dec 7-Dec 11 2008
Stephanie and I arrived in Nairobi after a gazillion hours of travel. However, the flying was more broken up than the last time I came to Africa, which I appreciated. We got into the country on a transit visa, which saved us $30. Yay for our negotiation skills! The time in Nairobi was our extended layover, which I must say was much more eventful than other layovers I have experienced.

Nairobi is not at all like Lusaka; it is very modernized, with taller buildings, parks, large shopping centers, etc. We stayed in a fancy hotel, equipped with a garden, a small gym, and a continental breakfast of omelets, fruits, croissants, cheese, and sandwich meat. Needless to say, I felt as if we were in States. UNTIL….

We came across the animals!
Our first stop was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage. In Kenya, many baby elephants are found abandoned due to poaching of the mothers. This orphanage rescues the elephants, cares for them, and then reintroduces them to the wild. The orphanage is located in a National Park and so their reintroduction to the wild is not difficult at all. We saw two groups of elephants in the nursery- one was the younger batch, while the other was older. They treat the elephants just like a human infant is cared for. Workers watch for developmental milestones and give them the proper love and care they need.

They love to play in the mud!

Baby elephant getting fed

Next we headed to the Giraffe Center, where we were able to feed giraffes. The highlight: We were kissed by a Giraffe! The giraffes were eager to eat food both from our hands and our lips! His tongue was like sandpaper, so it wasn’t a slimy kiss, but nonetheless, it was very awkward.

MWAAAAAAAH!

And finally, we went on a Nature Walk. We had been under the impression that it was going to be a safari-like hike, but instead we saw animals behind fences. Since Stephanie can’t leave Africa without being on a real safari, we will have to travel to a Park in Zambia. I will not complain! On the nature walk, we saw were albino zebras, a white rhino, a leopard, and a cheetah, which were all new on my list of things to see in Africa. In fact, we were able to pet the cheetah! The animal-keeper lured the cheetah over to us, where we were inside the cheetah’s roaming territory. Slightly frightening at first, but he/she was just like a big lazy house cat, with rougher fur. And he/she runs way faster and eats antelope for dinner.

In addition, we visited Kazuri, which is a bead factory. This factory was started to give women a source of income. Beads are made here- starting from the clay and finishing with millions of beautiful painted and sometimes glossed beads. These beads are exported all over the world, and Kazuri does such a great job, they receive specific orders from their clients.

The clay beads drying before the paint job

Look at all the beautiful designs and colors!

The next day we decided to learn about Kenya’s history. We went to the National Museum, where we saw paintings, artifacts, stuffed animals (by taxonomy), bones from millions of years ago (including famous Lucy’s skeleton), and traditional clothing (including headdresses and crotch covers). We went to the Bomas of Kenya, where we watched traditional dances from all over Kenya. At Bomas of Kenya, they have 37 dances and 11 ethnic groups including Kikuyu, Luhya, Kalenjin, Taita, Maasai, Luo, Kuria, Kisii, Kamba, Mijikenda and Embu. The colors of the clothing, the sound of the music, the movements of the dancers, and the enthusiasm were spectacular. This was the first time Steph and I busted out the video camera! It allowed us to practice our AV skills and we can now share with everyone Kenya’s songs and dances.

XOXO from Africa