valandian-in Africa: Lake Nakuru

July 11

To Thompson's Falls en route to Lake Nakuru. As we drive we see the local people herding their cows and goats along the side of the road. People are very industrious, they earn a living however they can. Selling farm produce mostly. There is a lot of poverty and starvation in this area. Samburu tribe people usually only have enough food for one meal a day. Our left over bits and pieces from our lunch boxes was not wasted. We handed over a box to a young boy outside his home just outside the gate of Buffalo Springs; mother came out to thank us as well. I should have asked if I could take a picture (for $1) as she was beautifully dressed in local costume with gorgeous beaded necklaces, a feature of this tribe.

DAILY LIFE IN KENYA – A PHOTO COLLAGE

A not uncommon sight. Life has been made easier with motorised transport

But at what cost - he's sitting on the fuel tank

There are many motor cyclists who now make a living as an unofficial form of transport

For larger loads donkeys are the main beasts of burden

See the name of the Hotel - look closely at the yellow banner!

A hardware store with a boutique next to it. The boutique is also a gas supplier. Now that's diversification

Unaccompanied this donkey must know the routine well

A building site - looks like it's all legit the hand written sign details the various contractors

A fish shop on the left, then a butcher and a 'Cyber Cafe' on the right!

When we come to larger towns they are always bustling and busy with people going about their daily lives

Yet another common sight - no 'wide load' signs here

Some of he houses at Nakuru have beautifully painted walls which look lovely and do not attract graffiti

A short break at Thompson Falls

After checking in at the Lake Nakuru lodge which overlooks a waterhole, we went on an afternoon drive. We see buffalo, common zebra, lesser flamingo, grey heron, greater egret, spoonbill, maribou stork, Thompson's gazelle (with the distinctive black stripe), Egyptian geese, BLACK RHINO. Also we find our first Male lion, with his mate

Some local tribes people earning a living by having photos taken with their chameleon

Beautiful fertile valleys

Buffalo coming to wallow in the waterhole at the lodge

A young zebra leaving the waterhole

Down at the lake the variety of water birds is wonderful

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The spoonbills are always special

Lots of baboons along the roads

This was a very large family with lots of youngsters

Big Daddy

We became very glad we were not travelling in a vehicle like this. Our safari Land Cruiser was so much more versatile

The proverbial Zebra Crossing!

This beautiful male lion was some distance away from the road.

Well he did want some privacy!!!

But she's in charge - enough already!

Lake Nakuru from a lookout. No longer a lake gorged with flamingos because of flooding

The last of our Big Five and these are black! Just look at those wonderful horns

We watched them from afar for quite a while

The end of a wonderful day

After dinner at the lodge these locals put on a super acrobatic display for us

July 12

Out early we went to the lake shore and saw both lesser and greater (more pink and longer necks) flamingo. The lake was very still and the reflections were amazing.

We also saw black backed jackal, Steppe eagle, Rothschild's giraffe (with white socks), lesser and greater flamingo, buffalo calf – approx. one day old, bull buffalo, white rhino – large group, yellow billed stork, spoonbill, eland, cylinder tailed mongoose, hippo, hawker buzzard.

During our drive I asked Abraham about schooling in Kenya. Children start around age 3 in Baby class then progress to Kindergarten, Prep and 1^st class and on with primary education until age 14. Then they go to high school from 14-20 – 4 years Ordinary level and 2 years Advanced level.

Abraham went to the African Wildlife College, an international college, to study African wildlife. His father was a hunter and Abraham used to go out with him to track animals, but he decided he preferred to see them alive in their natural environment which took him down the path of wildlife guiding. It is no wonder he is so skilled at his craft.

Cape Buffalo - a fearsome beast - the fourth of the Big Five as we saw several before we saw our rhino yesterday

Birdlife here is plentiful

This little chap would be about a day old

Hyenas, vultures and Maribou stork abound

Flamingos in flight

Greater and lesser flamingos

These beautiful birds are finding their food elsewhere since Lake Nakuru flooded

The look that says it's time to leave

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Two young impala testing their skills

There's a rhino

Yes there is!

Two giraffe were 'necking' on the Lake Nakuru airstrip

A large group of impala were racing up and down and prancing

Eland, the largest antelope

Spoonbills are in number here too

View from one of the look outs shows clearly how devastating the flooding has been

A banded mongoose runs across the road in front of us. Then it was gone

The reflections on the lake make for some interesting pictures

Among the drowned trees there are still many thousands of flamingos, though the numbers have dwindled

Such huge animals. This road is wide enough for two vehicles

A beautiful specimen of a flat topped acacia

All grazing happily together

The zebras are close enough to the rhino to demonstrate how huge they are. By contrast the impala and gazelles in the foreground are out of proportion