January 11, 2013
This morning we awaken very early and Sam sees us off to
the airport. He's been an enthusiastic and informative guide for our
introduction to Rwanda. He also helped S & S organize with some Kenyan
connections when Sandavy B & B gave away their reservation. Sam was fabulous!!
We are met upon our arrival in Nairobi, by Robert - our
driver for the day. After dropping off S & S's luggage at their hotel
(across from the Israeli embassy), we head off for some sight seeing. First
stop is the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. Currently they have 25 elephants, 2
rhinos and an assortment of other critters. Most of the elephants are there due
to poaching. Some also fall in wells. Upon arrival they are cared for by a
rotating group of keepers who act as substitute moms. When they are ready, all
are reintroduced into the wild.
The elephants were cute and funny and you can see how
attached they are to their keepers...lots of photo ops. Sue and Shelly may go back to foster an
elephant and have a private visit.
We then went to visit the giraffes. Rothschild's
Giraffes are endangered, so this centre is all about breeding. They then introduce the giraffes to the wild
when they are 2 years old. This is also
a great program. We had the opportunity
to feed the giraffes...even from our mouths.
It isn't slobbery at all as one would expect. Lots of fun and pictures.
After lunch we visited the factory where they make Kazuri
beads. This is a program to employ
single moms and underemployed women.
They make beaded jewelry and pottery and sell it worldwide. It was a very interesting and informative
tour. Interesting that most of the women
didn't look up from their work. Most
would say hello (Jambo) if we said hello first.
All in all it was a great day. We ended up at the airport 5 hours
early...time for the long trek home. We make it home without incident and our luggage shows up the next day. What an amazing journey!. We have met some wonderful people, travelled with some great friends, seen amazing sights . . . each day was truly "the best day ever!!"
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