Heading Home...

We leave for home tomorrow with an overnight in Amsterdam.  I have much to post, but no time as I'm trying to clean up this system as I will leave it here for their use and am backing up photos and finalizing other blogs.  I'll post more on my return...including some videos.

Here's a couple last shots posted from Africa:

Our last day on the ground in Kenya...sad to be leaving, happy to be coming home.

All the license plates...for the whole country are hand made! (note the cut makes on the plate)

My new friend Brianna - an HIV baby at a baby home in Nairobi.  It was touching to be able to spend some time and help out at this home.

Our new friend Brian Jones - grandson of my Mom's friend.  Brian is an amazing young man doing great things in Kenya.  We were blessed to meet him.

Another new friend in Kenya - Samson whom I met online in a most random way.  I look forward to seeing him again when I return to Kenya.

Syd bartering for goods at a market on the last day...she loves this stuff; learned it from my Mom!

Thanks for following this and check back in Augus for some updates after I get back to reliable power, connection and a better processor.

Regards,


Scott

Tsavo back to Nairobi...

Here are a few more photos from Tsavo and some on our trip back to Nairobi and the smog:

While we definately missed the elephants, we saw a number of these tall creatures

The bugs and bug size is amazing...this guy was bigger than my thumb

Fun to watch these move

Interesting hot water heater...all wood fired - first hot shower in over a week!

Selling everything on the side of the roads...endless fruit!

Typical Central Africa...

Back to the joys of Nairobi traffic!

Our new home for the last week of the mission - beautiful guest house.

Great flowers everywhere we go...

More later.   Scott

Still on Safari...

We were wrapping up our time in Tsavo and our endless search for the elephants, proved fruitless, it was a nice visit and provded some great time to relax and catch some sights.  Here are some more shots:

Sorry there are so many of these...they were just so awesome.

There was a huge fire in the are of the park...just a small thing the first night, but it spread significantly the next day.  Provided some opportunity for a time exposure without a tripod.

Looking for the Southern Cross

Silly Syd

Sunrise our last morning...heading out in search of elephants.

Willie on watch

The lighting was out of this work on this morning

A poorly focused, nice lighting shot.  :-(

One more of the beauty that is Africa.  When the sun rises, it is amazing and like a globe in the sky.

That's enough for this post.  I need to get some laundry done.  Adios.   Scott

Rest and Relaxation!

After our week in Kitui (the bush) I think we were all a little exhausted and many were dealing with some travel illness issues.  Our days in Tsavo were a great help to unwind and rest before heading back to the big city of Nairobi!  Here are a few more shots:

Willie making some music

Syd catching up on some reading

Baboons, the baboons are here!!

What!  Who has my camera?  Beautiful rest.

Early morning dust making!

Hippo spotting...unfortunately this was as good as it got.

How nice of them all to line up for me.  :-)

The lighting in Africa has been amazing!

That's all for now...lots more heaing this way.   Scott

In the Wilds of Africa...

We spent a couple days resting and taking in the sights after or we spent a week in the bush at Kitui.  The place we stayed was the home of the former park warden for Tsavo.  He was the main character in the movie "Ghosts in the Darkness'.  It was an awesome couple days.  Enjoy a few shots from that time:

First morning heading out...to get skunked!  However I got some great shots along the way.

Typical safari van with our crew trying to find something wild!

Syd at one of the big lodges...it was sweet!

Tough to take pictures of yourself, but here's one!  Google!

First wild beasts we found...just like the ones in Dallesport!

We found some lins lumbering around the grass...they went up under a tree and took a nap.

Our headquarters for the safari...built in the 30's I think.

Goatheads just like at home!

Our team enjoying a meal in the dining room - this place was great!

A little zebra action at our waterhole in front of our house.

The outlook at the house...so relaxing to look out and see everything coming and going.

A large group of Impalas visited us, lots of babies!

More later.  Scott

Internet in Africa??

I'm not convinced they have good connections over here.  I'm sure they are better than they were in the past, but if you ever come over here, expect spotty connections and slooooow!  However, I have one now!  So let's post some photos:

Leaving our host family in the early morning...hey there's me!  Our driver took the picture.

Here's our whole group...plus a couple of our hosts

Syd shopping at a bush carving cooperative

Some carvings done by the locals here

Produce at one of the markets we shopped at - notice the sorting of the ripeness - this was a great market

Goat hearders everywhere along the roads

Our first flat tire on the way to Tsavo (no spares left - got another one in a few miles the stopped us dead in a remote village for awhile).  Way to help Willie...says the cameraman!

This was our last 'good' tire.  We were broke down right in front of a mosque.  Rolled the tire to town and found a 'tyre' shop.

We were doing skeet shooting with rocks at fruit along side of the road. The locals must have thought we were nuts!  That's me launching the fruit for the 'shooters'.

A little boy that Syd befriended and gave some things to, then she found out he stole some other things from her pack.  Sucker!  ;-)

That's all for this post...next up will be safari photos.