We enjoyed our last breakfast in our Amsterdam B&B yesterday morning, before walking to Centraal Station and taking the train to the airport. Centraal is huge and there are lots of different platforms, so its a little confusing ensuring you are on the right platform. The train took around 20 minutes to get to the airport, and then we had to figure out where to go - the airport is really big and its also a bit confusing. I found it much more confusing than other airports. Once we found the correct check in location, it all went very smoothly. We had to show our proof of negative covid test, and the QR code we downloaded yesterday, and that was it.
We got to our hotel about midnight last night, after a pleasant 8 hour flight. We decided to upgrade to which gives you a bit more legroom. The flight wasnt full and there wasnt anyone sitting in the centre seat, so we could stretch out more. The veggie meal was quite nice, and I it with a Heineken
After we landed in Nairobi we were greeted by the rep who ushered us through customs, and took us to meet our driver Stanley. Stanley us with Twiga Tour safari hats, and sparkling wine. It was a very nice to Kenya. Stanley then drove us to our hotel, the Savona Stanley hotel, which is a nice old hotel, built in the early 1900s, with a colonial feel. It has lots of beautiful woodwork, and we have a very nice, spacious room. Martin (our friend and travel agent who organizes these safaris) had already checked us in. There is a lot of construction from the airport to the city, as a bypass is being built (apparently it has been in the process of being built for several years with no end in sight).
We settled in the room, did a bit of laundry, and got to bed about 1 am. We had a good sleep, and woke up quite early (Im still trying to adjust to the time difference). We had an excellent breakfast in the hotel (I had fruit, a yogurt and granola parfait, a mandazi (a semi sweet donut),
and some uji (a thin porridge made from bean, millet or other flour - this one was made of millet). Also very good Kenyan coffee.
We met some of the others on the safari at breakfast, and the rest in the lobby before we headed out. There are a total of 12 (two safari vehicles of 6 each) on our safari. On our vehicle are Martin, Susan and I, Rick and Donna, and Terry. I think it will be a nice group to travel around with.
Our first stop was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which is located in the Nairobi National Park. Here they take care of orphaned baby elephants, and raise them until around age 4, when they are released back in the wild. The elephants have feeding time from 11 am to noon each day, and it is such an amazing sight! The handlers bottle feed the baby elephants, and the little guys play in the dust, and in the watering hole. While the elephants were being fed, one handler gave a detailed talk on each of the orphaned elephants and about the work done by the Wildlife Trust, and the importance of eradicating poaching.
No human needs ivory or rhino horn, and yet these animals are being slaughtered, to the brink of extinction, because of the trade in these illegal products. Dont buy or use these products, just dont. If you do you will be responsible for the extinction of these magnificent animals, and the world will be a lesser place, because of your actions. It is as simple as that. If there was no market for ivory or rhino horns, these animals would not be killed for them.
You have the opportunity to adopt a baby elephant, which is a fundraiser for the Wildlife Trust. We adopted a young female named Kindani. Well get regular email updates on Kindani and on the work of the Wildlife Trust.
After the Wildlife Trust, we drove to the Giraffe Centre, which is located in the Karen neighbourhood of Nairobi (named after Karen Blixon). The Centre is a breeding centre for the highly endangered Rothschilds giraffe. You can hand feed the giraffes from a raised wooden structure.
