Nyamera: Great detailed narrative and full of topi sightings as well as cats! The photos are wonderful and it looks like you had terrific sightings with not much traffic. Your time in Nairobi and interacting with people is interesting too as its different than what is typically reported on.

I'm through Day 2 and the coriander in the teeth. Thanks for the education on Daim. What a coincidence it is made by Marabou.

You meet such characters and now one of them has a shaved head.

While I usually like to get to the wildlife, you have such interesting tales leading up to it that I am happy for the delay.

Day 3 tomorrow.

Thanks for the good read, Nyamera.

Until Ms Nyamera Contradiction X figures out how to use tinyurl.com,
the easiest way I've found to read the report is to select (highlight) the text,
then paste it into Notepad (or any other text editor) and read from there.

Thanks for the comments!

Sherry, I was just complaining about the pictures so that you would tell me how wonderful they are. ;) I’ve probably seen too many professional quality photos here on Fodor’s and on Safaritalk. Earlier I’ve blamed the lack of sun for my inability to capture the light in the eyes of the animals, but this time there was some sun. I’ve had a year to practise with my camera, but I’ve not even tried any other features than automatic. Everything looks so much better in reality. I thought I had got some good bird photos, but most are very blurry.

Div, you have a couple of trips to look forward too. Nice!
I’ve looked at Kicheche for previous trips, but have always ended up somewhere less expensive. Kicheche Bush Camp in Olare Orok looks interesting.

PB, maybe all Fodorites should start reporting about human sightings and strange interactions.

Lynn, the marabou was among the first African animals I learnt about as a child. On the chocolate bars there used to be a marabou silhouette on each square but now there’s only an M. I think they’ve returned to the marabou on the modern 99% (or so) cacao bars, but I’ll have to get one to confirm that I’ve not just been dreaming.

Rizzuto, how am I supposed to figure out tinyurl when I can’t figure out my camera?

What a great read, you've improved my lunch. Soup, sandwich and Kenya.
I read it in the post reply section as suggested - much easier. I was too lazy to transfer over to word.

Don't worry about everything having to be wildlife related, as I actually love your stories, bend on life and the doings in Kenya.

nyanmera
YES kicheche bush is fantastic - and more luxurious then the main camp and it's smaller! very intimate!
but what i read from your personal expectations (regarding flush loo etc.) you certainly might much more appreciate the mara camp as it is a bit more rustic but still have all amentities you would expect from a decent bush camp.
close to kicheche is suppu the leopardess.but i have already posted this. if you want to know and haven't read yet i'll post again.........
when you fly in and stay for a week it's not THAT expensive as you have unlimited gamedrives incl. in the rate and from 5th day onward you get a discount.
try them in the off season means between beg june until mid/end of july and you will be surprised that such a camp is THAT favourable!
kicheche is heavily booked so we book our space for sep/oct 09 in oct or dec 08 at the latest!
i don't know of a camp which offers that value for money! we have been to kicheche several times and they have clients which return year after year........for obvious reasons.

div

yes - we are quite excited in view to SA/bot/zam/zim despite it's going to be hot like hell......

Thanks, Sherry. Did you have tomato soup?
I have perfect eyesight when I’m not bothered by the sun and the wind, so I didn’t quite understand why the report was difficult to read, or maybe it was the s-word. If the text is too wide you can also have something like “favourites” on the left of the screen and when you make that part wider my report becomes slimmer.

Div, I prefer the location of Kicheche Bush. Last year I stayed close to the Kicheche Mara at a less expensive camp. Anyway, I can’t start planning my next safari yet. Now I have to find money to return to Kenya and when there I need to find a way to stay. Today I got a phone call that I’m starting a nightmarish 24/7 job on Friday and I suppose that could be the start for my next trip if I survive long enough.

nya
i cross my fingers that the job is not too exhausting but highly paid so that you can return to kenya soon!

it's really bad if one longs for the bush but is temporarily limited to dreaming about it or memories.

anyway - head up....eventually you will make it!

div

Try tinyurl.com, free, easy to learn and use.

regards - tom

For "bad" pictures, those are really great. Loved them and you captured great close-ups! Thanks for sharing. I couldn't resist reading at least part of your report based on the title alone! I think I am ready to plan another trip--if I just didn't have two others I need to take first. www.pbase.com/pattyroth

There's much to ponder here. You do like tomato soup, don't you?

I'm ready for the next 9 days.

I hope you like tomato soup.

Just what the last few rhinos in the Mara need, a Somak lodge in their breeding ground. So it is already under way?

How terrifying with elephants and dead people trying to get into your tent.

Thanks for the info on the Marabou chocolate.

Great to know the Terminal Hotel is still there - assuming it's the one I think it is - on Moktah Daddah Street facing a small park.

Last visited in 1991 - switched to the Gloria thereafter (and for subsequent visits) being cheaper and more central. Now can anyone tell me if that's still there too?

Enjoyed your report, Nyamera!

I'm really enjoying your report so far! Thank you for writing it, even if you do think your trip was stupid. If it's any consolation, nothing you've told us so far about your time in Kenya is as stupid as my stupidest day at work.

The dead people trying to get into your tent struck me, too. Eek! I'd definitely prefer elephants.

Looking forward to the rest...

Div, thanks for crossing your fingers. The job is for 2 months to start with, but if I can stay until Christmas I’ll saved enough for a Kenya trip that has to be the definite Kenya trip.

Tom, thanks for the link, but stupidity is a theme here and I don’t understand why I need tinyurl. My long photo link is on several lines, you just have to click on it and it’s not making the text wide.

Pattyroth, thanks for your kind words, but photos like yours are the reason I have to apologize for mine.

Leely and Lynn, I do like well made tomato soup and most of the tomato soups were OK or better. Only the soup at Nyumbu tasted a bit strange. Kamara actually asked if it really was tomato soup and was told it was <b>cream</b> of tomato soup. They must have put potato in it.

Lynn, the Somak lodge was under way, but is now stopped until a “task force” has a look at it at the end of the month. That’s all I know.

Afterall, the Terminal Hotel is near Jevanjee Gardens, but not facing them. That’s the Parkside. Since 2005 the Terminal is facing Nakumatt Lifestyle. It’s definitely on Moktar Daddah Street, so it must be the same hotel. Nelson was already working there in 1991. I’d never heard of the Gloria Hotel, but found it in this blog from last year: http://www.yachana.org/reports/wsf7/blog.html Where is the exact centre of Nairobi? The Gloria is closer to train and bus stations and I need a cheaper hotel, but I don’t think I can switch.

MDK, now I really think I should have marked the stupidity with an (S). Maybe the trip wasn’t stupid – I was, considering that I had to find a way to stay in Kenya. I’ll try not to write about job stupidity, but I’ll probably fail. Maybe I should start a new thread for that.

I’ll try to post 3 more days this very busy weekend or earlier. There will be very little wildlife though. At least not of the living kind.

You are too kind and you do have a way with words! I do really like your photos.

I'm actually more interested in the Kiringai and Kamara interactions than I am in the wildlife, so don't leave any of that out! I like reading about all the other staff as regular people. I like your perspective.

It would be nice to see some captions with your photos.

Day 4 and I have not found any stupidity yet.

Your hair, mascara, and the unmentionable lip gloss all added to the suspense of the crossings in a strange way. It was like all the animals were participating in it from lions to crocs to zebras. Very exciting.

The spit on the sunglasses would bother me.

I forgot about the battle ship description. That's what your photos looked like.

Yes, I'm still waiting for the stupid part too...It must be like one of those games where you have to find the inconguous detail in the picture, and I haven't figured out how to play yet.

I don't want to be the last one to comment so I'm cheating and skipping to the end. I've only spotted a very corny marabou joke (aren't they all, though?) a few intensely embarrassing moments, even more surreal than usual Nairobi experiences and a lot of topis so far, but I do still have faith that the stupidity is coming. :-)