Kenya! Holy Smokes! Never Saw That Coming!!!: First couple days of Safari

the first time we crossed the equator -
the 2nd time we yawned and didn't even stop

Still a couple days left of our grand adventure but I figured I needed to start posting some updates or I'd get too far behind - we've had such varied experiences that its easy for them to get muddled together - writing and posting about them helps me to keep the memories vivid. Currently I am back in Nairobi taking a break from the travels by working for a couple days. Ahhh too bad life really can't be like this - travel for a long time, work for a short time, then back on the road again... Well some people do it though - for instance my friend Paul has been traveling the world since Thanksgiving 2010 - right now he is somewhere in Laos I think riding a motorbike. Wow.

supposedly the Grand
Canyon of Kenya -
not so Grand but good
for a 15 minute road break

We started off Saturday morning July 27 heading for Marich and the Cherengani Hills. It's quite a trek from Nairobi so we stopped overnight at a sweet place outside of Eldoret. It was a long, long day of driving and we made plenty of stops - at our driver Sammy's house outside Nakuru, at the Equator, an overlook of the Kerio Valley, some deep gorge, and Eldoret town.

Sammy's place

It was nice to stop at Sammy's house. Come to think of it, it's only the second time in the 11 months I've been here that I have visited a Kenyan's house, the other time was my manager's. Guess that shows how separate our lives are from Kenyans, kind of a shame really (mental note to work on that in year #2). Most of his extended family was there, it was great to hear about the small shop his wife owns in the front of their house, their garden plot, and livestock.

By the time we got to Eldoret we were fried after spending 11 hours in the van. Luckily Richie found this place which he fondly nicknamed the Nevele - since it was a whole resort experience. Too bad we were only staying for a quick overnight stop-over. Turns out it was the nicest, most comfortable place we were to stay at till we would get to the Mara.