Jan's Kenya trip 7-30 - 8-17-06
Aug 26th, 2006, 02:51 PM
#22
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Jan -
I just knew you had shoes in your luggage! How did I know. Maybe because it's not usual for visitors to bring shoes. But, you're right on... they should weight the passenger and luggage vs. just the luggage. Your comparison makes lots of sense. Little people should be able to bring heavier luggage! Not holding my breath on that though.
Sorry the smile didn't work; and though I bring extra stuff/gifts/items requested, my duffle bags weighs close to nothing, I've pared down what I pack, it's just stuff I pick-up and have to bring back to the States that add to my weight, though leave this in Arusha or Nairobi to pick-up on my way home.
Don't know about counterfeit '96 or '99 100s, as I never bring $100 bills, nothing more than $50 and that's for my Visas. Mostly $20s, $10s & $5s (oh and a handfull of $1s). I do my utmost to check dates not being more than 3 to 4/years old. As I understand it has something to do with the fact that the local currency looses value readily, so locals feel if our bills are more than a few years old, so does ours. Well, of course, our money looses value as we know everytime we go shopping or buy gasoline... but that's not their thought on value. As to the tri-color bills, haven't run into any problem with these that have been around for about 6/years (the $20s for sure, the $10s maybe a year or less) so these have been seen by most. I've also found that locals know our US currency very well, even 12/yrs back, when all you had to do was open your mouth and the touts knew which currency to quote prices - USD, Pounds, Francs, Marks (before the Euro). If there wasn't enough to concern yourself about in planning your visit... it's checking dates on currency.
Now, Jan - very exciting trip. Elephants out the door so not need for game drives, lions roaring in the night, ellee stuck in the mud, cheetah and cubs, rain in the summer (there was a period in July or Aug when there was some unusual weather - rain and cloudy, just plain nasty), road washouts, tourist overturned and left to the elements (now that's very strange, not saying anything till next morning; where did he think his family was)?
And a new baby! How wonderful. If I remember correctly, there is a school at Amboseli over near Tortilis; check on this.
Yeh, I wonder why so few non-stop flights out of BOS, rather go via Detroit or Minn (both hubs for NW).
Great report and way faster than I'm getting to finishing mine. Enjoyed and wish I could think about more than a few weeks in Kenya/Tanzania at one time. One of these days! Thanks.
I just knew you had shoes in your luggage! How did I know. Maybe because it's not usual for visitors to bring shoes. But, you're right on... they should weight the passenger and luggage vs. just the luggage. Your comparison makes lots of sense. Little people should be able to bring heavier luggage! Not holding my breath on that though.
Sorry the smile didn't work; and though I bring extra stuff/gifts/items requested, my duffle bags weighs close to nothing, I've pared down what I pack, it's just stuff I pick-up and have to bring back to the States that add to my weight, though leave this in Arusha or Nairobi to pick-up on my way home.
Don't know about counterfeit '96 or '99 100s, as I never bring $100 bills, nothing more than $50 and that's for my Visas. Mostly $20s, $10s & $5s (oh and a handfull of $1s). I do my utmost to check dates not being more than 3 to 4/years old. As I understand it has something to do with the fact that the local currency looses value readily, so locals feel if our bills are more than a few years old, so does ours. Well, of course, our money looses value as we know everytime we go shopping or buy gasoline... but that's not their thought on value. As to the tri-color bills, haven't run into any problem with these that have been around for about 6/years (the $20s for sure, the $10s maybe a year or less) so these have been seen by most. I've also found that locals know our US currency very well, even 12/yrs back, when all you had to do was open your mouth and the touts knew which currency to quote prices - USD, Pounds, Francs, Marks (before the Euro). If there wasn't enough to concern yourself about in planning your visit... it's checking dates on currency.
Now, Jan - very exciting trip. Elephants out the door so not need for game drives, lions roaring in the night, ellee stuck in the mud, cheetah and cubs, rain in the summer (there was a period in July or Aug when there was some unusual weather - rain and cloudy, just plain nasty), road washouts, tourist overturned and left to the elements (now that's very strange, not saying anything till next morning; where did he think his family was)?
And a new baby! How wonderful. If I remember correctly, there is a school at Amboseli over near Tortilis; check on this.
Yeh, I wonder why so few non-stop flights out of BOS, rather go via Detroit or Minn (both hubs for NW).
Great report and way faster than I'm getting to finishing mine. Enjoyed and wish I could think about more than a few weeks in Kenya/Tanzania at one time. One of these days! Thanks.
Aug 26th, 2006, 06:23 PM
#23
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nyamera and sandi:
No one could figure out what this young man was thinking (or not thinking).
I'll bet when his parents got out of the hospital they had a few choice words for him!
No one could figure out what this young man was thinking (or not thinking).
I'll bet when his parents got out of the hospital they had a few choice words for him!
Aug 29th, 2006, 11:59 AM
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I don't know how I missed this. Another great trip, another great report. Pretty eventful, all in all, and more good than bad ultimately. The elephant rescue story was very touching.
By the way, some Northwest flights I was pricing had me flying to Seattle, then to Boston, then to Detroit, and <i>then </i> to Amsterdam. Uh, no thanks.
So, will it be Amboseli and Tsavo in another six months?
By the way, some Northwest flights I was pricing had me flying to Seattle, then to Boston, then to Detroit, and <i>then </i> to Amsterdam. Uh, no thanks.
So, will it be Amboseli and Tsavo in another six months?
Aug 30th, 2006, 02:17 PM
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Leely:
Thanks for your kind comments. It was fantastic - wish I were still there.
Am already working on return trip in late January. Hopefully it will be the dry season again when I see so many more animals.
For those who want to read a sad story go to www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and click on updates. Mpenzi is one of the orphans now living free. She returns to the stockades once in awhile and the men didn't relize she was pregnant when she returned to the bush. Apparently she had a stillborn calf and was standing protecting the body from 12 lions.
It appears than many areas of Tsavo have lots of lions now. Don't know if it is due to the weather or whether their numbers are just normally multiplying.
Thanks for your kind comments. It was fantastic - wish I were still there.
Am already working on return trip in late January. Hopefully it will be the dry season again when I see so many more animals.
For those who want to read a sad story go to www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org and click on updates. Mpenzi is one of the orphans now living free. She returns to the stockades once in awhile and the men didn't relize she was pregnant when she returned to the bush. Apparently she had a stillborn calf and was standing protecting the body from 12 lions.
It appears than many areas of Tsavo have lots of lions now. Don't know if it is due to the weather or whether their numbers are just normally multiplying.
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