Haba na haba, hujaza kibaba: Mom Visits Kenya

After our week in Eldoret, my mom and I joined one of my good friends from Eldoret, her husband and her parents for a grand tour of Kenya. The landscape, culture, and climate change drastically as you move around the country, and we wanted our parents to experience the many different wonders that Kenya has to offer. Here is a map outline of our trip:

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We started out in Masai Mara Game Reserve for a 2 day safari. The landscape was gorgeous and we were able to get close to most of the big five (minus the leopard who was well hidden behind bushes).

Big Five sans leopard

Lions

Cape Buffalo

African Elephant

Black Rhino

One of the most exciting/frightening events from the Mara was when the rhino above decided that we were way too close and she turned and started to charge! Our driver quickly reversed out of her path. Cool fact: rhinos cannot turn when they are charging because their vision is poor. They focus on their target before the charge but once they start running they don't realize that their target has moved. Useful advice if you are ever face to face with a rhino!

Other animal highlights:

Cheetah

Hippos

After the Mara we made our way to Nairobi and then flew to Mombasa. From there, we drove to Watamu, a small coastal fishing village on the coast of the Indian Ocean. We were very lucky to find an inexpensive private home to rent with a pool and a cook. Fish is not readily available in Eldoret so we made sure to have fish with almost every meal! In addition to stuffing our faces, we did a lot of relaxing and enjoyed some wonderful snorkeling in the Indian Ocean.

Lunch

Dinner

Snorkeling and the beach

We all agreed that we could have stayed in Watamu forever, but we had some sightseeing to do in Mombasa before our parents had to get back to the states. Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city, is a major port in East Africa and has been a prosperous trade center since the 12th century. Control for it's economic wealth was fought over by Arab traders, the Portugese and the Brits and it was also home to Indian traders as well as the Bantus (Africans who migrated from west-central Africa to the coast over 2000 years ago). The variety of cultures are visible in the Old Town's fascinating architecture. This was one of the most interesting places I have ever visited and I could get lost in the small alleys for hours without getting bored.

small alleyways and mosques