A Remarkable Day

Today we "booked off" from our responsibilities at the hospital and hired a local driver and tour operator to take us on a day trip to Lake Naivasha. One hour from Kijabe we travelled to the Lake Naivasha Country Club and entered into a totally different world. Spacious grounds, manicured lawns and flowers, a playground, and even a swimming pool were a part of this resort. The kids practiced some of thier playground skills then opted for an hour in the pool before lunch. The pool is heated (by the sun of course) and with our overcast days is was a little cooler than the one in our backyard. The warm sunshine easily compendated for the "refreshing" nature of the pool.

We ordered lunch, and waited an unusually long time, even for Africa. Apparently the hamburger that Brett had ordered was still frozen and took a considerable amount of time to prepare. Once it arrived the food was excellent and there were few leftovers (the french fries vanished).

We then travelled by what seemed to be a large powered canoe to Crescent Island. We had no idea that this island was the site of both "Out of Africa" and "Born Free". Stepping form the boat we had entered yet another different world. The 5 of us and our guide were the the only ones on the island for most of the afternoon. The animals roamed freely and we could walk among them taking pictures at will. Our "tour" started with a visit to a nest of baby Python snakes (see Brett's pictures) and the guide stood right the nest to take the pictures with my camera. He tired to pick up a few of the baby snakes but they were justa little too fast and slithered back into their nest.

We then saw 2 of the 33 giraffe on the island. The female is nearing the end of her 13 month pregnanacy and is expected to deliver within the week. The zebra and gazelle seemed unmpressed by our presence as we wandered among them. The Gnu were described as God's creation from leftover parts: the tail of a horse; the hind quarters of an impala; the forelegs of a zebra; the horns of a waterbuffalo; the beard of a goat and only half a brain. Very curious indeed. Then there were the hippos, the guinea fowl, the fish eagle, and even a dung beetle at work. A truly unbleievable opportunity to walk among the animals of Africa.

We returned to Kijabe to find the water heater had been dismantled for repair but the water to it had not yet been shut off. the maintenance team soon remedied the situation and we are hoping for hot water before Easter. An evening fire is becoming a tradition in a home that without the help of central heating (or any heating for that matter) gets cool in the evenings. Power remains unpredictable but we manage to eventually get meals on the table and spend much of our evening playing table games, reading, or taking turns writing this online diary. No TV, occasional power, no hot water, no video games, no car, no clothes dryer, and yet all that we need.

Gary