At 5:30 AM last Friday a minivan pulled up to our house, and with the drivers help we quietly loaded the luggage without waking the boys. Once they were up and dressed, the excitement set is as they realized that breakfast that morning would be on a plane! Our day flight from Nairobi to Amsterdam took off right on time at 8:40 as we headed home for “R&R” – the rest and recouperation trip that we are allowed once during our tour.
Because the boys are still young, we decided to take a day flight to Amsterdam, spend the night in a hotel, and continue our journey the next day. Breaking up the trip–and upgrading to business class–made a huge difference as compared to our trip out to Kenya. We were able to rest well overnight, they boys had a wonderful time on the plane, and we spent a few hours wandering the canals of Amsterdam.
For more pictures of the trip back and our layover in Amsterdam, click here.
Dulles was, as always, a crazy zoo of jet lagged travellers, but a short bout of nausea on David’s part resulted in the unexpected blessing of being whisked through passport control. We rechecked our bags through to Charlottesville, and just a 20 minute hop later were in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on our way to Jonathan’s parents’ house.
Being back in Charlottesville is wonderfully relaxing as we enjoy the peace, quiet and space of the countryside while catching up with family and friends. Ironically, it is much hotter in the US than it is right now in Kenya, but the boys have stayed cool with plenty of watermelon and popsicles.
On our first Sunday back, our friends David and Mara Roberts graciously hosted us for an afternoon meal at their cottage in the country. We enjoyed meeting their new son Samuel, while the boys romped in the grass and discovered where eggs come from! For more pictures of our afternoon in the countryside, please click here.
While sliding down the twisty slide on our compound’s playground last week, Ethan slid right into the back of a friend’s head and knocked out one of his top teeth. A trip to the dentist confirmed that the tooth came out cleanly (a big relief), and that Ethan will be sporting a gap-tooth grin for the next two years or so.
To cheer the boys up, Laurie broke out two sets of knights armor that we had kept in storage for a rainy day…and the boys quickly armored up for adventures protecting the “queen” of their castle…Mommy!
Ethan's Lost Tooth...the fairy paid him 50 shillings!
A few weeks ago, we took advantage of a U.S. holiday (which Jonathan has off but are normal work days in Kenya) to leave the kids with Catherine and slip away for a date to Kiambethu Tea Farm. Founded in 1910 by a second generation British settler, tea was first cultivated on the farm in 1918. Jonathan visited the farm 20 years ago with his family, and today the farm is run by the granddaughter of the founder, herself approaching 70 years old.
A day at the farm begins with a stroll through the gardens with particular attention paid to the tea plants growing around the farmhouse. Once inside, tea is served and the process of transforming the tender bud into processed tea is explained in detail. Only new growth buds and the first two leaves are ever harvested, which means that tea fields are a constant spring green as the shoots regrow and are harvested every two weeks.
After downing a few cups of farm-grown tea, we set out for a walk among the forest and tea fields as a Kikuyu medicine man explains the traditional use of plants for healing. On our return, drinks on the porch and a hearty farm lunch closed out the day.
For more photos of the farm and the tea production process, please click here.
Tea fields - always an emerald green as the shoots are picked every two weeks
Tea pickers working in the fields...they are paid by weight for what they pick
Laurie and the boys on the flight line at Wilson Airport with our plane in the background
As a birthday present to Ethan (and in fact to the whole family!) we took the boys on a safari to Masai Mara in early May. For three days we had a wonderful time exploring God’s creation together–the Mara was a bright spring green following the long rains, there were many baby animals about, and the boys loved the adventure of the flight, game drives, and “camping” in a tent!
We flew down to the Mara on a small bush plane–though it is possible to drive, the roads can be bumpy and we didn’t want to arrive at the camp tired and carsick. It was amazing to fly at just 4,000 feet above the ground and watch the landscape rolling slowly beneath us. Upon landing, an open sided LandCruiser was waiting to take us to our camp. Jonathan had met the owners of Royal Mara Safari Lodge a few months prior, and we didn’t regret our decision to stay with them. We had our own huge tent suite built on the side of the Mara river which was fitted with hand carved furniture crafted from local wood. From the teak deck we could watch hippo and crocodile in the waters below. The father and son team who run Royal Mara are working with several other camps in the Mara conservancy area to preserve the natural habitat against the encroachment of farmers, overgrazing by cattle, and unscrupulous investors who seek to build mega camps in ecologically sensitive areas.
Laurie on the drive from the airstrip to the camp
Wildebeest...Cavorting in the Spring Grass
Laurie and the boys on the master bed in our tent
After settling into our tent, we climbed back into the truck for a short drive to a “bush lunch” set on an untouched bend in the Mara River. Refreshed, we set out on our first game drive, working our way across plains and through riverine valleys as we searched for big cats. Early on we spotted plentiful plains game–zebra, waterbuck, antelope–and the stunning Lilac Breasted Roller. We also surprised a group of three adolescent giraffe as they munched through the local acacia trees.
Lunch...on the banks of the Mara River
Off on our first game drive
Lilac Breasted Roller
Adolescent Giraffe
After two hours of exploring, we found a small pride of lion resting amongst shrub near a river. An adolescent male was in a spotting position in the grass, but the pride didn’t seem all that interested in hunting. Nevertheless, we spent a half hour amazed at the beauty of these animals. The sighting was particularly exciting for David, who loves the Jan Brett book “Honey, Honey, Lion!”
Adolescent Male Lion
As the sun set on the lion pride, we worked our way back to camp against a stunning slate blue sky. Dinner was waiting for the boys in the tent, while mommy and daddy were planning for a later evening candlelit dinner. Those plans had to be put aside as David was not comfortable with sleeping in the tent knowing that his parents were going to slip away with a strange babysitter in place…and so we improvised a late dinner on the porch instead. Despite the last minute change in plans, our first day had been a success, particularly for the boys who were beginning to like the adventure that a safari brings.
After a late first night, we decided to sleep in the next morning and take a game drive after breakfast. We were woken by tea service on the front porch of our tent at eight, and the boys were delighted to sit and sip chai as we watched a crocodile sun himself on the far river bank and a very tardy hippo work his way slowly down to the water. Hippos spend their day in the water and only come out to graze at night, but this fellow looked like he had been partying a bit too hard as he plodded back down the river bank, well into the morning. We were also visited by a troupe of sykes monkeys, who were disappointed that we did not have any good snacks to steal.
Hippo inching down the river bank across from our tent
Following the morning show on the riverbank and in the trees around our tent, we tucked into a hearty breakfast and then prepared for our game drive. Heading out from the camp at about 9:30, we knew that we were past the prime time to spot animals–the early dawn. Sure enough, the first hour of the drive was disappointing, with just a few sightings of plains game. After a bit, our guide did pick up the trail of a bull elephant, who we startled out of sleep, and we dipped into a river basin with a large herd of zebra. A mother zebra and her young foal were particularly captivating.
Bull Elephant, awakened from a nap
Jonathan Scouting for Game
Following the elephant sighting, Jonathan asked our guide to head south towards the Musiara marsh, known for large concentrations of animals thanks to the abundant grass. As we drove down into the marsh, we made our first big sighting of the drive–a herd of at least 60 elephant of all ages, grazing their way through the grasslands. As we approached the herd, we made an even more extraordinary find–the famous Musiara pride of lion, fifteen strong, enjoying a midmorning nap as the elephants roamed behind them.
Musiara Elephant Herd...many more that didn't fit into the frame!
Adolescent male challenging the dominant male of the pride
On our way back to camp, we came across two mothers with a young cub. After leaving late in the morning, we had endured a very long game drive–over four hours–and were thankful to arrive back at the camp for lunch. The afternoon was spent napping while the boys played and Ethan built with his K’Nex set.
In the late afternoon Daddy, Ethan, and David set off for a “boys only” game drive with the express purpose of looking for the elusive leopard. Despite combing leopard gorge (made famous by BBC’s Big Cat Diaries) and several river basins, we did not spot the leopard but did pay a visit to the lion we had seen the night before. The day concluded with dinner served on our tent’s porch, and was complemented by the sounds of the hippos wallowing in the water below.
For more pictures of the second day of our safari, please click here.
On the morning of our third day…a rainbow over our tent!
A Giraffe next to a wild olive tree in the early morning light
Our third and final day on safari was heralded by a brief but intense rain shower just before dawn, which gave way to a beautiful double rainbow and a landscape sparkling with raindrops and spring green vegetation. In true Safari tradition, we were woken by a soft “hodi (May I come in?)” from the camp staff who were bearing coffee, tea, and cookies just as the sun rose over the wet landscape. Having slept in the day before, we wanted the boys to experience a true morning game drive.
Awakened by the hot drinks, we walked outside and were greeted by our guide in the truck. As we turned to look back at our tent, we witnessed a beautiful double rainbow. Film cannot capture the intensity of colors splashed across the sky…we marveled at the hues seemingly painted on the gray clouds above.
For our last game drive, we asked our guide to head back to leopard territory, and spent an hour weaving through a river gorge. No luck–the leopard was not interested in socializing–and so we headed north towards Aitong and the Mara rhino conservancy. After a long bumpy ride punctuated by a brief snack stop, we reached the conservancy which is located on the side of the mountain escarpment that forms the northern border of the Mara ecosystem. After climbing out of the truck, we began ascending the mountain with armed guides following. A few minutes later, the rhino were in view–three adults, and a one-year-old youngster named Kofi Annan who was born when Annan was mediating the election crisis. Though rhinos are dangerous if not accustomed to humans, with the guards we were able to walk just feet away from these massive creatures, who cared more about grazing than paying any attention to our presence.
Two of the adult rhino, overlooking the Mara plains
Kofi Annan, the "Baby" Rhino
Laurie and the boys in the Rhino sanctuary
The second big cat surprise of our safari was spotted on the way back to camp. As we were driving along, our Masai guide spotted a chetah, resting after a kill under a bush about 200 yards from the road. Though we could not see the cheetah at first, we eventually were able to drive just a few feet away and watch as it pondered a nearby herd of Thompson gazelle. It was clear from the bulging belly and dried blood on its whiskers that this cheetah had already eaten, so we were not going to witness a kill.
The cheetah, resting in the shade with a full belly
A close up...note the dried blood on the whiskers
We reached camp at about 10:30, just in time for a late breakfast and then some packing and downtime as we prepared for the end of our safari.
After another delicious barbeque lunch on the banks of the Mara river, we loaded our luggage into the truck and waved goodbye to the camp staff as we headed for the airstrip. Our plane was waiting for us when we arrived, and the boys eagerly climbed aboard for the flight back to Nairobi. As we flew back, we recalled all that we had seen–lion, cheetah, elephant, zebra, countless plains game and birds–and the beauty of the Mara reserve. This was truly a wonderful safari for the boys and a fitting birthday celebration for Ethan.
In chronicling Kenya’s colonial history, it would in many ways be appropriate to center the story on Britain’s construction of the East Africa Railways system. In 1895 construction on the “Lunatic Line” was begun, an ambitious project to build a rail link from Mombasa on Kenya’s coast to Nairobi, then just a small outpost in a marsh, to Kampala in Uganda at the head of the Nile. Columnists and engineers of the day did not believe the line could be built–the vertical rise from the coast to Nairobi is over 5,000 feet, and no rail line had ascended such heights.
Defying the doubters, a crew of British engineers supported by Kenyan and Indian workers overcame malaria, the scorching coastal heat, and hostile terrain to complete the line just six years later in 1901. Built on a narrow guage unique to East Africa, the track laid then still carries passenger and freight trains today. For more details about the construction, see this Wikipedia article.
Today, the Nairobi Railway Museum bears witness to the magnificent history of rail in East Africa, and coincidentally serves as a wonderful exploratory experience for kids. Though it is evident the museum is not well funded or maintained (admission for the whole family cost less than $2), monuments to a bygone era of travel by steam locomotive and pullman coach are scattered across several grassy acres.
Jonathan and the boys visited the museum this past Saturday with some friends, and spent a wonderful morning climbing over and exploring the vintage engines and coaches. The museum has no safety equipment or plexiglass to restrain visitors–there are plenty of opportunities for falls or gashes on rusty metal–but under a parent’s watchful eye kids can let their imaginations run wild as they climb into the cabins of locomotives or bounce on the dusty blue leather of a bunk.
One of the museum’s most famous coaches is the car that Superintendent Charles Ryall used to stage an overnight vigil to trap two man eating lions that were killing the railway workers as they laid track in Tsavo. The two lions had brought work on the line to a halt; having tasted human blood, they hunted only human prey. Ryall volunteered to bait the two lions himself by waiting overnight in an isolated coach. Though armed and aware of the danger, Ryall drifted off to sleep. He was awakened by the lions, who dragged him from the coach and into the bush where he became one of their roughly 135 victims. The two lions were eventually killed by the railroad engineer, Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson. You can read more about the Tsavo Maneaters here, or for a embellished version of the story watch The Ghost and the Darkness.
Coach used by Ryall to bait the Maneating Lions
David, contemplating a lion outside...
Grim chapters of history aside, the boys had a wonderful time exploring the trains and getting thoroughly dirty in the process. We were amazed at how long many of the trains were in service–several began service on the line in the 1920s, and were not retired until the mid 1970s!
For more pictures of the boys exploring the Nairobi Railway Museum, please click here.
This past Saturday, the DCM (Deputy Chief of Mission) hosted an easter egg hunt for the community. Though the morning was overcast, the skies cleared to provide beautiful sunny weather for an afternoon hunt. After some instructions–the kids were divided by age and given separate territories to hunt in–the starting signal was given at precisely 12:30. The kids raced across the spacious grounds, gathering eggs as quickly as they could. Though it had taken volunteers several hours to hide 800 eggs, the kids found them all in less than 20 minutes!
After the hunt, everyone enjoyed a pot luck lunch with a cool breeze and sunny skies. The kids were on a sugar high after a few pieces of candy, which they worked off on the bouncy castle and exploring the gardens.
For more photos of the easter egg hunt, click here.
At the end of each semester at Ethan’s kindergarden, the school holds a special celebration to allow the children to show their parents what they have been learning. The first semester culminated in a Christmas art show; in keeping with the warmer weather a swim meet is held to close out the second semester (remember–our seasons are reversed south of the Equator and so January / February are the hottest months of the year).
With a pool just steps from our house–and regular lessons at school–Ethan has made tremendous strides in swimming since moving to Kenya. Though he picked up the doggy paddle quickly, he was hesitant to go underwater until we bought him a snorkeling mask that keeps the water out of his nose. He is now a little fish, who loves diving for rings at the bottom of the deep end, doing flips, and splashing about with David (who still likes the safety of his floaties but admires his older brother’s swimming prowess!).
Each class competed in several events. Ethan, cheered on by David and Mommy, finished first in one of his races. Here is a video and a few photos from the day.
We are entering the second night of sporadic yet heavy evening rains in Nairobi, signaling the long-awaited arrival of the long rains. Though often a nuisance to life in the city, rain is regarded as a blessing across Africa, for without it life cannot be sustained in this agriculturally dependent continent.
Kenya has been facing a food crisis since the beginning of the year, as the election violence drove many farmers off their land and the short rains which usually come in October and November were almost completely absent. We have watched over the past month the mounting worry on our Kenyan friends’ faces whenever we spoke of the weather and noted the absence of clouds in the sky. There are usually some short showers in early to mid March in the runup to the long rains, and so many were worried that a dry March foreshadowed inadequate rains in April and May.
And so the arrival of heavy showers yesterday has lifted everyones spirits, plants have already recovered from a dingy brown to emerald green, and the boys are delighted to be able to put on their rain boots and stomp about in puddles.
Despite a bit of celebration, we continue to pray earnestly for these months ahead. There are two perils–the most obvious is that the rains could fail, which means that they would be too short and too little to nourish the crops through the dry season to harvest. On the other end of the spectrum, too much rain too fast will cause flash flooding–the water will run off the fields, overflow rivers, and return to the ocean before the ground can soak it up and water tables can be replenished. Kenya needs steady, consistent, even rain over the next few months if a much larger famine is to be averted.
But for today, the boys spotted a rainbow as the evening showers approached, and as I type I can hear raindrops outside. Mvua ni baraka za Mungu (Rain is a blessing from God).
After a late first night, we decided to sleep in the next morning and take a game drive after breakfast. We were woken by tea service on the front porch of our tent at eight, and the boys were delighted to sit and sip chai as we watched a crocodile sun himself on the far river bank and a very tardy hippo work his way slowly down to the water. Hippos spend their day in the water and only come out to graze at night, but this fellow looked like he had been partying a bit too hard as he plodded back down the river bank, well into the morning. We were also visited by a troupe of sykes monkeys, who were disappointed that we did not have any good snacks to steal.
