Day 2 Samburu

2/10/09

Today we got up and hit the road before sunrise. We saw lions & cubs, elephants with babies, almost a leopard, assorted birds, kudu, eagle that is a fresh kill predator able to take down an impala, and a yellow beaked hawk. Excellent meals again today, talked shop with the chef. Visited and danced with the Samburu tribe cousins to the Massai.

Africa Day 1

2/9/09
I flew out of Qatar on time. When I landed in Nairobi I went to baggage claim and it was all safely there. They immediately took me to security again and walked me right out to the small Cessna plane. We took off right away and I was in Samburu in an hour. I was met by my guide David, who let me, put my cameras together and went right out on a game drive. I saw cheetahs and cubs, ostrich, 3 different antelopes, part of what they call Sumburu’s “Special Five”. Baboons, monkeys, elephants, giraffe, vultures, Impala…. Not bad for my first two hours. We came back to the camp at 6:30 where I got my Tent and had a nice gourmet 4 course meal in the main lodge with our leader Roger of "Nature Workshops" and fellow participants Penny and Dondi and our Guides David and Felix. We get up at 5:30am to get out before sunrise.

My Day in Doha

I went to the mall to buy a change of clothes, it was pretty nice also. At the bottom was an ice skating rink where I observed a young Arab girl in covered attire doing her best "Peggy Flemming". The crowd was very multicultural but the mall still had Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins, etc. I also heard the "call to prayer" from the tower. My room came equiped with a Koran and a marker to show which direction to pray.

I layed down to take a nap and my bed was like a cloud! It got dark around 6pm so I went outside a took this shot of the Hotel. I am going to dinner and get up early so next time you will hear from me in Africa.

Qatar

I have just arrived in Qatar. My flight to Nairobi was missed. I am being put up by the airlines overnight in the Movenpick Hotel (Swiss), I am on the 19th floor, luxury high rise overlooking the Persian Gulf. They supplied me with vouchers for meals. The food at Lunch was world class. Beautiful presentations real humus, Baba Ganoush, tabbouleh, a nice variety of cheeses, shrimp, pate and many salads. The hot food was middle Eastern, Indian and Oriental style. Very good.

Still Delayed

My Qatar flight is now delayed 3 hours. Arrangements have been made for me to catch up to the safari group by a small plane. I am not sure if I will even make my connecting flight now.
Pray

In Transit

I was late arriving from Dallas to London. No I am awaiting a flight to Qatar to reach Nairobi a day late. They have a small plane arranged to catch me up. I stayed in a day hotel and rested a bit. Had fish & chips in London. More later from Kenya.