people in Kenya and Tanzania
tourist getting the best view, Masai Mara
Daniel and William, reflection
Masai jumping
Masai warrior wearing traditional red shuka
Masai guides
Masai in the middle of nowhere, he was probably walking a long way.
meeting Dame Daphne Sheldrick at the elephant orphanage
http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
smoke break
Girls greet Carol. Carol, our tour leader has been supporting a girls' boarding school in rural Kenya for many years (this was her 39th safari). Many of the girls are rescued from the brutal cultural practice of FGM - female genital mutilation - and can never go home again.
http://www.natureencounterstours.com
my Canon G10 was the icebreaker and the girls were thrilled to see their pics on the LCD screen.
We stopped at a giant 24/7 store in Nairobi and bought tampons, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other essentials to give to the girls, as well as cash for the school and stuff from Canada. These girls have nothing. The school doesn't even have a water supply. their power had been cut off because they got behind on the bill. The government pays the teachers' salaries and little else.
When the girls don't have tampons, they can't even attend school. Their diet is porridge for breakfast, and rice and beans for lunch and supper. Sometimes they get cabbage or pumpkin with the rice and beans.
The Masai, especially the women, don't like to be photographed as they feel it steals their blood, so I was trying to be sly here. Carol had arranged to buy ankle bracelets from these women so they were waiting for our arrival.
Saying goodbye to the wonderful staff at the Amboseli Serena Lodge. They even served us turkey and cranberry for Canadian Thanksgiving, the only time we ate turkey in Africa.
saying goodbye to our Kenyan drivers/guides Andrew and Simon
village life, Tanzania
we gave this little guy our leftover lunches and his little sister came rushing out to see what was going on
the staff at the Roika Tented Camp in Terengire National Park saying goodbye to us in song - Hakuna matata!
buying bananas
Obama is revered in Kenya and Tanzania
Masai boys wear white face when they are sent out for a month to fend for themselves as they prove themselves as warriors. This is also the time they are circumcised. We gave these guys water, food and money.
the limbo, the metal rod is flaming. Yes he made it under!
Showtime! I was upstairs checking email and had a look over the railing.
Arusha Tanzania street scene
Leaving Serengeti National Park in Tanzania for the long trip back to Canada. The people we met in Africa (except some of the tourists) were the greatest!