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Trip Report: Tanzania, Kenya & Zanzibar with MICATO May /June 2006

Trip Report: Tanzania, Kenya & Zanzibar with MICATO May /June 2006

Old Jun 17th, 2006, 09:49 PM
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Trip Report: Tanzania, Kenya & Zanzibar with MICATO May /June 2006

�IT IS SAID THAT GOD DOES NOT SUBTRACT FROM ONE�S ALLOTTED TIME, THOSE DAYS SPENT ON SAFARI�
-unknown author (or at least unknown by me)

As promised, here I am sitting down the day after we returned to get this trip report out to everyone out there ASAP! WARNING: THIS REPORT WILL BE LONG, AND DETAILED!!!!
As mentioned in my return home post, it was an INCREDIBLE, AMAZING trip. Africa is securely in my blood now, and I know it will never wash out, no matter how much time passes, or how many times we return. This was our first safari and our first trip to East Africa � but, we had been bitten by the bug previous when we visited South Africa and Namibia in 2003.

THE PLANNING AND DREAMING:
This trip was 5 years in the making � in the summer of 2001 we booked a cruise with Orient Lines that would have taken us from Mombasa, through the Suez Canal and up to Athens in March 2002. Orient Lines included a 3 day safari, but having dreamt of a safari all my life, I knew that would not be enough, so we changed it to the �optional� 7 day safari. With some research I found out that this safari would be handled through Micato Safaris. Plans went ahead, time marched on, but, as you can all imagine, that cruise was cancelled by the cruise lines by the time Sept. 2001 drew to its disheartening close. No problem we said, we rebooked for March 2003, the next time they said they would offer the cruise/safari. Again I planned, and again I dreamed of waking up in a lodge listening to the sound of the lions in the wild. But, as fate would have it again; as the war in Iraq heated up, with the final straw being the bombing of the hotel in Mombasa, Orient Lines changed it bit by bit until it no longer had ANY ports the same, which negated the safari completely. And I cried, but not for too long as our three week cruise/1 week safari ended up to be a 5 week cruise/ 1 � week land tour that took us from India to Rome, with many wonderful stops in between. But I never let go of that dream of the land safari.
Having by this time ordered the brochures from Micato to see what we would have been doing, I was convinced that someday, we should just book the safari separate from the cruise. And that is what we did � against all odds (our �job� situations) in August 2005 I took the plunge and said YES � BOOK IT!! By this time I had done quite a bit of research on the type of safaris available (independent/private/group) etc., as well as some of the options of the companies we could use. Jim and I decided that we wanted to go with a group, as we are very social �animals� and love to be with and meet new people, as opposed to going with just ourselves and a private guide. Also, I wanted a break from the �nitty gritty� of planning logistics (I get enough of that in my day job). I wanted a company that would hand-hold us from start to finish � I turn over my credit card for a pre-determined amount and they in turn hand over a well-run, smooth-as-ice, hassle-free 3 week safari. And, as I by this time knew every word by heart in the Micato brochure, it was hands down Micato.
We booked MICATO�S Stanley Wing Safari, as it would give us a good variety of parks in Kenya and Tanzania; and the Zanzibar extension that they offer. I booked direct through the email with Fran, the NY Micato representative, that had been patiently answering my endless questions on the safari since Sept 2003.

THE PACKING:
As you all know, I had quite a time with this one. In April, a huge box from Micato arrived. In it was a well-made, huge, green duffle bag for each of us to use; a wonderful flashlight; an �America Shares� bag, luggage tags and a personalized detailed safari destination/itinerary book for us.
The America Shares bag is a program that Micato runs separately. They support an orphanage in the Mukuru slums in Nairobi. They send the bag out to those who request it � we in turn fill it full of stuff that they need (a list is sent with the bag), such as kids and babies clothing, toys, school supplies, medicines, toiletries, etc. � pretty well anything kids will need, new or used, or whatever. We then take it with us on the plane as one piece of our checked baggage, store it in the Nairobi Hotel while we are on safari, and then take it to the orphanage after we get back to Nairobi from the safari. More details on that will be in my report as it was a very moving experience.
My problem though was with packing our one duffle bag each. The well-made very heavy zippered bag in itself weighed 8 lbs. See the thread below for details of what I took:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...4&tid=34802443
So, that left 25 lbs. each, and that very exciting day of �oh my gosh, we are going to Africa today!� was spent weighing and re-weighing each article of clothing or item to see what would go and what wouldn�t as we were both SERIOUSLY overweight. I started this at 7 am on the morning we were to leave (at 8 pm that night), by noon, I was pretty well in tears wondering how I could cut it down anymore when Fran (Micato representative) phoned to wish us Bon Voyage. �Don�t worry�, she said as I sobbed the overweight blues to her, �take what I think we will need, it will all work out�. A voice from heaven I thought! My bag weighed 40 lbs., Jim�s weighed 41 lbs., and that is what we went with.
All of the clothes that I listed went (they weighed 13lbs), but in the �things� list, I cut things here and there to cut down on the weight. As you can all imagine, the ultra tiny coffee maker and coffee did NOT go. (Yes, Dennis, the tiny stapler and the tiny tape did go- more on that later!)

WHAT WORKED & WHAT DIDN�T ON THE PACKING LIST:
Here is a good place I think to tell everyone a few highlights of what I thought worked and didn�t work on my packing list ( I promise, I�ll TRY to be brief!)
I LIVED in the convertible pants. I had two pair, but only took one. I probably should have given something else up and taken both pair. Those convertibles owe me nothing � I bought them brand new for this trip over the internet. They are a smokey/olive green kind of colour which was ideal to hide the red dust/clay/coffee spots/food slops/etc. I literally wore them every day; they started out as pants every morning and usually ended up as shorts in the afternoon, to become pants again at night. Every two or three days (at the most, I promise�) I would rinse them out in the sink with the Magellan�s concentrated Sink Wash, hang them on my wonderful �stretchy-no-clothes-peg-twist clothes line� from Magellan�s, and they would, without fail be dry and wrinkle free the next morning as they are almost like a nylon. They don�t look like nylon, but when I went to iron a new �hem� down before I left, the material burnt like nylon. (lucky it was just on the old hem which I didn�t need).
I had enough tops, I felt I took the right number (4 t-shirts, 2 short sleeve shirts and 1 long sleeved shirt). The Tide-To-Go pen was a life saver here as I am slop. We sent our shirts out at least two or three times each for laundering at the lodges, it was cheap enough.
The Tilley safari vest was incredible too � it is light weight, not too many pockets so I didn�t feel like a marine in the field. I wore it every day, it was invaluable. I carried film (yes, I still use film), an extra camera battery, my point-and-shoot camera, my field notebook, a pen, sunglasses, a roll of Magellan�s toilet paper-to-go, some packets of sani-wipes, a very small first-aid kit (Imodium, After-bite, Neosporin and band-aids), �Off� wipes and a small bottle of sunscreen. I wore a hidden wasitpouch for the money, an Amex card, a MC, a Visa and a bank card. I could have left the Amex at home, I didn�t use it, same with the Visa.
I didn�t use my Tilley hat � Jim used his all the time, but I liked the green �Micato� issued hat (it�s like a Tilley), I used it instead.
I used the fleece hoodie on a few occasions � Ngorongoro crater for the game run in the morning, as well as the evenings on the crater, the Mara in the morning for the balloon ride and one of the evenings in the Mara.
The packable rain/wind jacket that folds into its own pocket came in VERY handy in Zanzibar when it rained for 2 � days solid. Tropical rains at that � it poured. Things sure are green there�
I wore the capris in Zanzibar � they were great especially when we were slopping through the mangrove swamp in the pouring rain, or walking through the open market in the pouring rain - no pant legs to get mucky! The shorts could have stayed at home � I didn�t wear them.
The �slippers� (they are really Clarkes slip-on sandals) were invaluable when I had to wash my Mephisto walking sandals out which I wore every day. Three times I had to give my Mephisto�s a shower � once after visiting the Maasai village � it was authentic I could tell by the cow dung; once after trekking through the fish & live chicken market in Zanzibar; and once after slopping through the Mangrove forest in Zanzibar. Without those Clarke�s I would have been sunk as they took many hours to dry.
I should have left the Rockport closed in shoes, as well as the socks, at home � only saw the light of day for the Mara balloon ride and in retrospect the Mephisto sandals would have been fine. It really wasn�t that cold. I didn�t used the gloves either for the balloon ride, could have left them at home.
The 4 pair of quick dry underwear was a little tight � 6 pair would have been better, I felt like a scullerymaid washing underwear out every 2nd or 3rd night. The throw-away-undies worked great for the travel there and back days � a godsend.
I wish I would have had time to use the bathing suit and cover up, but I didn�t. I�d still bring it next time though.
The PJ�s were great � they were quick-dry from Magellan�s and they really did dry quick.
As for the THINGS (non-clothes):
Toiletries � the small wash cloth (many places didn�t have), hair conditioner, body wash & facial cleanser were needed, not needed was shampoo as all of the lodges & tents supplied this at least. Some places had conditioner and body wash, others didn�t.
OTC drug stuff � Contac C is all gone � Jim ended up with a cold that tried to start. Chapstick, band-aids, Neosporin and some antihistamine were used. Didn�t need the Visine, gravol, throat lozenges or Imodium.
Sun & Bug stuff � We only used the �off-wipes�, the Afterbite, the anti-itch cream (Benadryl brand) and the sunscreen � didn�t use anything else.
Bush Loo stuff � used one toilet paper dispenser toll (Magellans), and lots of Sani-wipes.
Laundry stuff- used the clothes line, the laundry sack, the tube of SinkWash and the Tide-To-Go pens extensively � invaluable.
Books & Writing stuff � used the animal field guide once but didn�t really need, 1 paperback book (not much time for reading), field notebook (my own), small tape, tiny stapler, white-out, small note cards for driver tips, small FX calculator and the plastic file pouch. Didn�t use anything else on my list.
Security stuff � used the colourful zap straps, the wire cutters to cut the straps extensively, the waist money pouch and the zippable document money holder, and the luggage locks for the camps/lodges. I�ll revist this subject later in my report�..
Comfort- Jim used his Magellan�s comfort �touche cushion� extensively for the bumpy roads, I didn�t use mine at all.
Camera stuff � used it all � Jim took 2700 images on the Nikon � he said he would upload a select �few� to the Kodak Gallery soon � but I�d give him a month to do this as there is so many!
Miscellaneous � used the Kleenex, binoculars, travel alarm clock, the converter, the adaptor plug and the multi plug outlet, lots of ziplocks, all of the �bubble wrap� I brought, lots of extra batteries, the duct tape, the Micato flashlight, and the small basic sewing kit. Didn�t use, or didn�t bring (ditched before going) anything else on my list in that category.
The �candy result� was a surprise to me � well, I did eat some, but I just didn�t have the craving to eat much of it - it was either too hot, or I was too busy, or just plain too full to eat those wine gums � could really have left that at home after all! And, never bring chocolate � I threw a bar in at the last moment and two weeks later discovered it melted all over the bottom of my carry-on bag! What a mess�.
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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 09:51 PM
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“ONCE YOU HAVE VISITED AFRICA, YOU NEVER LEAVE IT. AND AFRICA NEVER LEAVES YOU. IT’S DUST, MOSTLY RED, SOMETIMES WHITE, OFTEN BLACK, SETTLES ON THE HEART…AND REMAINS FOREVER…”
-writer Don Steffen

THE JOURNEY THERE:
The day started with a bang – there we were sleeping at 5:45 in the morning when the phone rang. Now who could be phoning that early I thought? Anxiously, I jumped out of bed, grabbed for the phone only to hear that someone had hung up. Jim, meanwhile had awoke too, and was actively listening, motioning me to stay quiet while whispering that someone was coming in the front door. Confused, all I could think of was that a break-in right now would put a big damper on our travel plans for this most exciting day of our lives! But a break-in? No, not in our peaceful area, it couldn’t be. With my heart beating a mile a minute, we stood shock-still while we heard the front door open, and someone come in.
“Hello?” Mr. & Mrs. Swain, I hope I didn’t scare you, but I used my key to get in as no one answered the phone. Are you guys still asleep? Shouldn’t we be leaving for the airport at 6:00, it’s getting late, you don’t want to miss the plane to go to Africa!”
Going from fright to peels of laughter, I thought I was going to have a heart attack! It was our son’s best friend, our ‘second-son’, Andrew who was coming at 5:45 to take us the the airport at 6:00 for our 8:00 flight. Our 8 PM EVENING flight!!! Only Andrew could be 12 hours early for this I thought! We had a good laugh over this one!
After spending all morning fighting with the weight issue, in the afternoon I got down to the nitty-gritty of being excited about going to Africa! Today was the day – I couldn’t believe it! The afternoon sped by with all that I had to do, but I was ready on time at 6 pm when Andrew came back (at the right 5:45 this time…) to take us to the airport.
Checking in was a breeze – I had checked in on-line in the afternoon, all we did was drop our luggage at the Fast Drop and that was it – no check in line ups, very civilized! The BA flight (Vancouver – London) was delayed by 1 ½ hrs though, so we had a nice supper at the Vancouver airport while building up the anticipation for our exciting trip ahead. The flight over was really good, we had paid extra for BA’s World Traveller Plus and was thankful that we had – the seats are much roomier, recline further back and have way more leg room, which makes for a much more comfortable 8 hours. After an uneventful flight (the type we all like) it was finally time to go into the eternal holding pattern that happens all the time at Heathrow, followed by a grateful landing.
Originally, I had booked a room at the Novotel Hotel as our layover was 7 hours, but, we decided to cancel it as our plane was a full 2 hours late landing, which only left 5 hours. From what we saw of the passport control line up, we figured this, along with getting to and from the hotel, could take up the whole 5 hours, so we decided to cancel the room. Thankfully our TA had suggested that we take it on an up to 6 pm cancellation term, so it was just a matter of trying to figure out how to dial the hotel from those confusing pay phones the airport has! The 5 hours passed by slowly, but eventually did pass, and soon it was time to board the plane for Nairobi! Not very many people on this flight – we only had 5 other people in the World Traveller Plus section so we all had plenty of room! But, even with all this room, it didn’t help us get a good sleep, as the arm rests in between the seats on this plane did not raise up and we could not stretch out. After a restless time of trying to sleep in the seats, we arrived in Nairobi, a little early at 7:05 AM Sunday morning. Nairobi at last! I couldn’t believe it! All I could think of as we excited the plane was Nicole’s (BostonGal’s) very descriptive phrase ‘as we stepped into the hot, exotic Africa air’!


DAY 1 – SUNDAY MAY 28TH, GRAND REGENCY HOTEL, NAIROBI
We had pre-done our Visas by mail at the embassy, but we still had to go through passport control, which took about ½ hour. I took note of the line up time for the people who were purchasing their visas on the ground, and it seemed about the same as those of us who had the visas. So, for all who are wondering whether to buy the visa in advance or not, it didn’t seem to make any difference time wise – the lines took about the same amount of time. The deciding factor then would only be the cost of the postage there and back to the embassy.
Walking downstairs to the luggage claim area (stairs, no escalator here), we ended up right at the baggage claim carousel, with plenty of carts available to carry our two Micato duffle bags! And, if I thought we had luggage, I stood beside a couple who kept pulling off bag after bag after bag – I was amazed! They actually had 10 bags between them, I couldn’t believe it! And that was 10 big bags! The lady volunteered to me that her husband was originally from Nairobi and that they were bringing lots of things for his relatives. Hmmm, a likely story I thought….
Now here is where I was first to fall for what would become the norm for me – falling into the trap of ‘service’ for money. I just seem to attract these guys I thought as one guy raced up to me with a cart to give me. Handing him a dollar, I took the cart for our two bags. At this point I have to mention a sign Jim noticed – it has to be the best sign I have ever seen in an airport. Beyond the carousel is the inside luggage handling area, it is separated by a big glass window. In this area, where the handlers unload the luggage is a sign “EVERY BAG YOU HANDLE LIFTS KENYA HIGHER”.
Customs was a breeze, they asked why we came, we said ‘safari’, they said ‘of course’ and off we went through the door into the throng of safari outfitters waiting for their guests. The Micato guys were easy to spot, no sign was necessary, their outfit gave them away. Introductions were made; Juma, our Nairobi driver, and Daniel, our safari director who would be with us for 24/7 over the next two weeks. We were the only two coming in the morning – the rest of the group (13 more) were coming in the evening.
As I told everyone I would remember the first wildlife we spotted – it was egrits along the road from the airport and a tree full of Maribou storks. There were SO many people walking along the roadside, I couldn’t get over it! Daniel explained that Africa walks, he smiled and said they can’t afford fitness club memberships so they walk. At that point I knew I would be in for 2 weeks worth of great humor, and I loved him already! I spotted my first colourful matatu, as I spotted it I exclaimed ‘ oh a matatu!’ Daniel was impressed that I knew what one was and offered me his job…. Then, too soon, we were at the hotel, the GRAND REGENCY, which, as Daniel explained, Micato uses as it is a nice hotel in a ‘quiet’ area of the central city. Through the ‘checkpoint security’ which I would see would be the norm in this city. The lobby is beautiful, not ‘over-the-top’, but just very attractive and nice. We were greeted with a hot towel and tropical fruit juice; Daniel asked us to take a seat at the Micato concierge desk, while he obtained our keys. Keys! I was so happy as it was so early, Jim and I were worried that the room wouldn’t be ready until 2 pm or so and we were concerned that we would have to take on Nairobi without the benefit of a shower since Friday morning. At the same time that Daniel came back with our keys, I saw Kennedy walk in to the lobby (Kristina from this board had sent me a picture of him on Friday, the day we left). I called ‘Kennedy’ he stopped, looked at me and gave me the biggest longest hug I have ever had from someone I had never met – it was incredible! I felt as thought we were long lost friends. Daniel actually thought he must be a long lost friend; he was surprised when I told him we had never met before! Telling Kennedy that we had the room and would like a shower before going out, he said we could skip breakfast plans and he would be back at 10:30 for us.
The room and the hotel were awesome. All rooms overlook a central atrium; there are 12 or so floors. On the back wall is a gigantic sparkling painting of a beaded Maasai wedding earring; and on the opposite wall are three glass elevators. The rooms are really big, air conditioned, with two queen size beds, a sitting area with a couch, chair and table, a writing desk, a vanity desk, in-room safe (easy to use) and a big picture window. Our view overlooked a nice park. The large bathroom is tasteful with lots of marble and comes with lots of great amenities such as combs, nail files, q-tips, shampoo, bath foam, body lotion, razor kits. There is a hair dryer, and robes to use. The carpets were a little shop-worn, but everything else was in great shape.
At 10:30, feeling much more human (and cleaner) we were downstairs to meet Kennedy for our exciting first day in Nairobi. First off, though, Daniel walked me over to a bank machine to get Kenya shillings, I had decided that I would take US money for drivers/guides tips (Micato picks up all camp/hotel tips) in cash and TC, but get the Kenya shillings for spending, souvenirs, hotel/lodge incidentals etc. from the ATM.
Finally, it was time to take on Nairobi. Hopping into Kennedy’s nice black Suzuki Vitara made me really feel as though were on safari! Lions Ho! Talk about rough roads, pot holes and no infrastructure! I had read that the tax dollars collected in Kenya do not end up in the roads and we found out first hand that was true. I kept looking at Jim in the back to see if he was still alive with his bad back – but he was fine – grinning from ear to ear like a little boy on his first Disney ride! I had warned him, and he had brought that wonderful Magellan’s cushion! We visited DAPHNE SHELDRICK’S WILDLIFE TRUST (entrance fee by donation) first to see the elephants. Sheldrick’s was very crowded, it was truly standing room only. I was surprised though at how many people ‘passed’ by the donation box without giving it a second thought. I thought of Jan Goss with all of her dedication of coming here 5 or 6 times a year, and others on the board that I know give so freely from their heart and soul and I felt bad for that poor ‘donation’ box. I put a 20.00 USD in, hoping that that might cover the three of us. Kennedy told me he was surprised to see so many pass it by as well. We listened to the information one of the handlers was giving out on the elephants, took some wonderful pictures, and I got to pet one of the younger ones as it came right up to me when a few of the people had dispersed. It was a wonderful experience to see these elephants.
UTAMADUNI CRAFT CENTER was next, for lunch. This is a lovely spot for lunch, eating out in the very pretty garden was quite an experience, and the food was good. Not very African, but, hey we would get lots of that in the days to come. Kennedy told us all about life in Nairobi during lunch, while Jim regaled him with stories of our travels. Just as I had thought from our emails, Kennedy is an incredible person – a great sense of humour, very knowledgeable, and a terrific guide. The craft center was nice to look at – the carvings were beautiful, but, it was pricey. We didn’t need anything to add to our weight anyways!
And then, it was time for that Cheetah hug!! We made our way to the KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICES ANIMAL ORPHANAGE (entrance fee 8.00 USD) at the gate of Nairobi National Park. Kennedy turned us over to Noah, who works for KWS and would be our guide around the orphanage. Noah told us the history of each of the animals as he pointed them out, and gave us some in depth information of their habits as a species. We saw warthogs, cranes, lions, parrots, sokoke forest cats (looks just like our kitty cat only with pointed ears!), serval cats, hyenas, ostriches, baboons, bushbucks and monkeys. And then, finally, Sharon, Misa and Teva – the three adorable cheetah sisters! Amongst many curious stares Noah took us into the cheetah pen, introduced us to the three girls and turned us loose. I could hardly believe it as I knelt down to pet the Sharon, she was so friendly! I hugged her, snuggled my nose to her, (she smelled like mint!) and hugged her again. She returned my hug with ‘sandpaper kisses’ on my hand. She was being lazy and wouldn’t stand up for long, but she did sit up long enough for Jim to get a picture of her and I a few times. Noah told us they were usually lazy like this. After spending some time with her, I went on to hug Misa, and then Teva. Jim did too, and even had Teva pose with his Tilley hat. She looks so cute in it! It was truly an incredible ½ hour; I just couldn’t stop smiling I was so excited! Many jealous people came over to watch us in the pen with the cheetah, one guy was begging the staff to let him in – not sure whether he got in in the end or not. We didn’t get to see Mandera (the new little guy they just brought in that Lynn (Atravelyn) sent the link to the article about a month ago) as he had been pretty overwhelmed as late with all the people that were around him, Oh well, guess we’ll have to go back someday to see him!
As nothing could top this for the day, and it was around 4:30 by this time anyhow, we decided to call it a day with an early ‘sundowner’. Kennedy took us to the Pan Afric Flametree Restaurant – it is an open deck terrace restaurant/bar. There was a live African band playing – they had most people up and dancing, it was great to sit and listen to them. Jim tried on his first ‘Tusker’, which he said was an excellent smooth beer. It is his self-appointed duty to try every beer in the world, wherever we go, he takes on this task. Someone’s got to do it, he says…. It was an wonderful close to a wonderful day. Kennedy took us back to the hotel where we rested up until 7:00, when Kennedy came back with his wife Valentine, and his two daughters Sarah and Agnes. I had brought ‘goodie bags’ for all of them, and we were anxious to meet them. The girls loved their goodie bags full of chocolate, bath products, school supplies, bears and dolls, while Valentine loved her goodie bag full of bath products.
Knowing how tired we were after flying since Friday evening, they didn’t stay long. Jim and I went to Roberto’s - the Italian Restaurant in the hotel for a fire brick oven pizza and a drink before finally retiring to that comfy bed in the room, with visions of an exciting upcoming safari dancing in our dreams.
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 03:18 AM
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Lynda -

You shame me. Guess I have to get on with my own trip report. As expected, you provided details, details, and more details... but that's Lynda.

Your quotes sound very familiar to me!

Great start and introduction to Africa. Waiting to read more.
 
Old Jun 18th, 2006, 03:38 AM
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OMG Lynda - I have butterflies!!! What a trip report.... I'm waiting with baited breath for more.

I have a couple of questions (what's new!)
Where online did you get the convertible pants?
Would you skip the Utamaduni Craft Centre next time?

And those Cheetahs, I have butterflies and more butterflies in my tummy in anticipation.... WOW!

Imelda
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 03:44 AM
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Hi Lynda,

I am too tired to start all that reading so it shall await me at work tomorrow. Glad to hear that you had such a fantastic trip and that you shall be able to cut down on your luggage for the next trip.

Kind regards,
Kaye
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 03:52 AM
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Lynda,
Karibu nyumbani. I’m really looking forward to the continuation of your looong and detailed report. It seems like it has reminded Sandi of what she has to do
Asante sana.
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 04:35 AM
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Lynda:

Is this a record for quickest posting of a trip report?

I'm really enjoying it - thanks for taking the time to do it in such detail. You have to share your secret of no-jet lag!

Cyn
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 05:44 AM
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Amazing, it has taken me three months to get my trip report going and here you are already under way. The cheetah encounter sounds fabulous. Anxiously awaiting more!
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 06:28 AM
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Lynda,

Welcome home.

Your travel day wakeup tale is hilarious. I can't imagine what was going through your head when you heard the door open!

I love the convertible pants also and always pack two pairs.

Can you enlighten me on the zap straps and wire cutters?

The cheetah smelled like mint? Did you slip it some minty wine gums?

Looking forward to the rest of your report including the role of tiny stapler and mini tape on safari.

Glad this trip that was 5 years in the making went so well. Let the details begin.
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 09:54 AM
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Thanks for the start of your very detailed report (we expected nothing less from you ) and yes, I believe you've set the record here for quickest report posting! Looking forward to more.
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 10:51 AM
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Lynda we are also flying Traveler's Plus through British Airways to Nairobi in September...how would you rate Traveler's Plus? Was it worth the extra $$ to upgrade from regular coach? Thanks!
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 11:47 AM
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Hello Lynda,

A great start to what looks like a great trip report!

Interestingly, the cheetahs I petted in SA definitely didn't smell like mint (though they didn't smell like Patchy the wild dog pup, who smelled vaguely like BO). Maybe it's something in their diet?

Cheers,
Julian
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Old Jun 18th, 2006, 04:06 PM
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Thanks guys for all your kind comments! I am working on the second day at the moment - should be finished tonight, or tomorrow at the latest within the next couple of days.

Sandi- can't remember where I got those quotes from, I think maybe from Gary Clarke's I'd Rather Be On Safari - I have a few more really good ones I will intersperse in my report!

Imelda- I am a plus size person, so I got the pants from a plus-sized outfitter called Junonia. It was the only website in cyberspace that had plus-sized convertibles, so I guess I lucked on the versatility! No, I wouldn't skip Utamaduni, we had a great lunch - I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the food, the gardens, and of course, Kennedy's wonderful company. And, looking in the shop was great too, I had decided early on though in the planning of this trip that all I was going to buy this time was a carved lion. And, as much as Jim can't believe this, I only bought one other thing other than the lion on the whole trip! (and that was Patty's fault... )

Cyn- I am convinced that the secret to the jetlag, is to get on the plane at departure, sit down, do up your seatbelt, and change your watch to the time of where that plane will land. Most airlines seem to try to do this also for you by serving the meals in conjuction with the time zones where they land, as well as turning out the lights, etc. And then think in terms of that time for the rest of the plane ride. If you are transferring to another plane, and another time zone, do the same thing when you get on the second plane. I have done this on all of our trips, and I have never once suffered jet lag, it really does seem to work. And it works for me forward and backwards, long or short flights.

Lyn- loved that comment on the minty wine gums, you made me chuckle! Before I left I promised you guys I would listen to the lions in the night, smell the cheetah when I hugged her, etc etc. so when I was snuggling into her fur, she actually smelled like mint! I commented to Noah (the guide who took us in) that she smelled like mint, he said it was an herbal solution they had rubbed on the cheetahs in the morning, but he didn't volunteer why! Smelled nice though
The zap straps and small wire cutters
were for locking my carry-on bag. The morning we left, I packed it, zipped it shut, and pow. The zipper broke. It wasn't even stuffed full, and the darn zipper broke! A little distressed at first, I realized though that there was two zippers on it, so I ingeniously thought, hey, why don't I zap strap the broken zipper on the one side to the back strap so that it can't move, then I will zip it up with the good zipper pull and lock the two zippers together when I'm out of the room. Ingenious but I could only find two suitcase locks, which I needed for our duffle bags. So, I threw a bunch of the small coloured zap straps and the small wire cutters (to cut them) in the outside pocket of my checked bag in order to use them as a lock. Anyone can cut through them, yes, but I figured I would know when the seal had been broken. More on the result of this later - watch for it in my 'Serengeti' report.

Teri- I read your report over coffee this morning - it was FABULOUS! Well done, I felt as though I was right there with you, and I couldn't agree more with what you said about the greetings and the friendliness, I too brought that home with me.

Cindysafari - We had American Express points which we converted into $ to cover the extra for the World Traveller Plus. (WT Plus was about 2500.00 CDN extra, we had a 3000.00 credit from the points) So, I kind of felt as though I got it for free, which is why we did it. But had I paid for it, would I have done it? In retrospect, yes. Economy was pretty crowded on all legs of the flights, and the extra room was very noticiable. Not so much the width of the seat - it's only a few inches bigger as I recall, but the space between the seat in front and yours is WAY bigger. And the way that the WT Plus reclines way back is really nice, plus the leg rests are a big plus. I was disapointed though that the arm rest didn't go up on the seats, but then, maybe they didn't in economy either. Try for bulkhead seating if you can get in WT Plus - tons of leg room there!

Julian- somewhere, I can't remember exactly where, there was a grass that smelled like mint along the road - oh, just came to me - it was in Tarangire - there was a lion party that was happening in the middle of the road, so we had to drive around them, when we did, we could smell mint. Maybe that was the herb that they rubbed on the cheetahs! And maybe we should suggest this for Patchy? ;-)
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 06:23 AM
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‘IN THE HIGHLANDS, YOU WOKE UP IN THE MORNING AND THOUGHT ‘HERE I AM, WHERE I OUGHT TO BE’
-Karen Blixen, Out of Africa

DAY 2 – MONDAY MAY 29TH, GRAND REGENCY HOTEL, NAIROBI

With this quote running through my head, I jumped out of bed at 6:00 and recited it to Jim. ‘Yes’, he said, ‘true, and we paid a lot of money just so you could say that!’ 
It was the start of the safari – my dream come true and I just couldn’t wait to meet the other 13 people that would become our friends and family for the next 13 days! At breakfast I looked around the room, trying to guess which people would be with us, but I can’t say though that I got any of them right! The buffet was good, I love omelet stations on a buffet and was happy to see this.
At 9:00 it was time to meet in one of the conference rooms for our safari briefing. We were the first there; the Micato concierge, Fidelis, greeted us with a lovely wooden animal necklace, a package of pre-stamped postcards, a wildlife checklist and of course, those famous green Micato Hats. We sat down and watched as the rest of the people came in. Everyone appeared to be our age or a bit older, with the exception of a mom and her daughter who were there on a ‘university graduation’ present. The daughter was in her early 20’s and the mom looked like her sister. Six people from Massachusetts were friends who had booked this trip together; there was a couple from New York, a couple from Florida, and a single guy from Michigan. Our safari director, Daniel appeared to be in his early 30’s. And this would be our family over the next 13 days. Daniel would be with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to direct us, take care of logistics, requests, etc. He would eat with us, sleep in the same lodges with us, and, as we were to find out, be a very important and integral part of our vacation. His knowledge of the wildlife was vast, he had an incredible sense of humour, and it seemed that no request was too big, or too small to at least attempt. And sometimes, as we would see later, he really did work miracles for us.
The briefing ran for an hour, Daniel covered everything he could think of and then turned the meeting over to Rakita, a Maasai who told of their way of life. Next up was Jane and Felix Pinto’s (owners of Micato) personal assistant to let us know that she would be hosting the dinner at the Pinto’s that night for us as they were away in London for a few days. And then ‘let’s go – let’s start!’ Along with Edwin, a new guide who was in training with Daniel, we boarded the ‘Micato’ bus. This bus, with approximately 20 seats, was to be our transportation in Nairobi. As Jim and I were the last people on it, we sat right in the back – I was soon to find out why Bat (from this board) told me not to forget that heavy duty sports bra.
First up was a city tour. We drove past the government buildings (now, no pictures of these Daniel said!), the National Center Newspaper building, past the Stanley Hotel with its original Thorn Tree, the Hilton Hotel, past the library, the conference center, the matatu gathering grounds, and the site of the original American embassy where a memorial tree now sits. Even as a Canadian, I felt a great sadness as we paused there. What I didn’t understand though is why they charge people to get into the little park they have made there. Maybe someone on this board can enlighten me on this?
Driving south of the city, Daniel pointed out Kibera slums. Having started reading the ‘Constant Gardener’ while on the plane, I knew of it as it was the slum where Tessa worked. It was incredible to see, I couldn’t believe how big it was – 1 million people apparently, with ½ of them being under the age of 15. We had visited a township in South Africa on our trip in 2003, but this was probably 3 times the size. I found myself thinking of this slum all the way to our next stop, and it would continue to haunt my thoughts for the rest of this trip.
Soon, we were at LANGATA GIRAFFE CENTER. This was an incredible place – those Rothschild giraffe as so cute! A man gave us a talk inside the pavilion on the three different types of giraffe, and then turned us loose to feed them and get giraffe ‘kisses’ in return. It was great fun, and made for wonderful memory pictures.
KAREN BLIXEN MUSEUM was next. This house was pretty awesome to see, I like looking at houses and contents that are done up with period antiques. And, even if some of the furniture was a just a replica, that was OK, I could still picture Karen Blixen sitting in her study at night, telling her stories while Denis listened at her feet. Must be the romantic in me… ‘I had a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills…’
B-u-m-p-i-n-g 35 km northeast of the city to KIAMBETHU TEA FARMS in Limuru, we enjoyed the country scenery, as well as the local ‘small towns’ along the way. Greeting our bus was Fiona Vernon, the granddaughter of one of the original settlers who started this once massive tea farm. With blue Colubus monkeys playing on the roof of the lovely farmhouse, and her corgis at her feet, Fiona offered us a drink in her beautiful gardens while she told of us the history of tea growing in Kenya and the process of growing, and marketing tea here. A delicious lunch was then served in the garden, featuring hand churned butter, fresh vegetables from her garden, and home made ice cream.
A shopping option at the Collectors Den was up next, most went, but not us, we flaked out back at the hotel. Walking into to our room it was a pleasure to see a dozen red roses on the desk, and a beautiful (and delicious) fruit basket as a ‘welcome’ gift from the Pinto’s.
At 5:30 we all met downstairs at the Micato desk, for a ride through Nairobi’s busy rush hour to the outskirts in Lavington for a wonderful ‘mixer’ cocktail party and dinner at the Pintos. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know one another, first over cocktails and then while having a wonderful traditional African & Indian buffet meal together. And a wonderful surprise for desert – there we were socializing at the tables after we finished the main course when we witnessed the first of what was to be a few of the traditional Swahili ‘celebration’ processions. There was Daniel, leading the pack of the staff, holding a very large cake, singing ‘Jambo, jambo bwana ….. hakuna matata’ (anyone who has been in Kenya/Tanzania will know which song I am speaking of – I swear it is their National Song & VERY catchy!) The procession went around all the tables with the cake, only to rest in front of Jim and I!! It was an anniversary cake for us!! What a wonderful surprise, and a wonderful way to remember our ‘first day on safari!’.
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 06:37 AM
  #15  
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Great info for everyone. Just one suggestion - smaller paragraphs and separations would make it easier on the eyes.
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 07:18 AM
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Lynda, thanks, this is great. The sense of emotion and excitement really comes through, and I can say, with only 8 days until leaving for my sixth safari, that sense of excitement does not lessen. Looking forward to hearing about the game viewings.

Michael
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 07:29 AM
  #17  
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I was so happy to see you had posted your next installment. I am enjoying your story and now look forward (as you were doing) to each new day.

Thanks.

CW
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 09:02 AM
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LyndaS,

The reason they need to charge a "very nominal" fee to get into the Embassy memorial is that it is right in the middle of town. And if it were free entry, the general public would enter it, and idle/sleep/hang out as is common in the other city parks. If it were free, it would obviously be too crowded (like the other city parks) and security would become an issue (like the other city parks).

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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 09:30 AM
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Lynda,
This report is so descriptive that I was almost annoyed that you didn't “show me” the Collector's Den.
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Old Jun 20th, 2006, 09:35 AM
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Wonderful report so far Lynda!

Convertible, quickdry pants definitely RULE. They were simply the best purchase I made for my trip.

And hugging a cheetah sounds amazing
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