Our first trip to Africa was between February 12 and March 3, 2014. We left Toronto Pearson at 6:30PM. We had a 2 hour stop-over in Amsterdam before our connecting flight to Nairobi. We arrived in Nairobi at 8:30PM. We returned via the same route but with a 6 hour stop over in Amsterdam.
Our trip was in multiple parts: The Safari; Nairobi; Zanzibar; the Train to Mombasa with a tour of Fort Jesus and old Mombasa.
Blog Entries:
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Zanzibar: Beach
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Zanzibar: Stone Town
Images of Stone Town Zanzibar The region, and Stone Town in particular, is famous for its doors. The carvings in the frame provide a profile of the owner (at least when the door was installed) Images of Stone Town Zanzibar Images of Stone Town Zanzibar Artist Children Children on street in Stone Town, Zanzibar Images…
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Zanzibar: Darajani Market
Images of Stone Town Zanzibar The fish market Images of Stone Town Zanzibar The meat Market Images of Stone Town Zanzibar The fruit market Images of Stone Town Zanzibar Reading the newspaper Images of Stone Town Zanzibar Street food
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Zanzibar
My initial interest in visiting Zanzibar was largely driven by the name. How many countries start with the letter Z (answer: 3, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe). But Zanzibar is not a country you say? Tell that to the customs agent as you enter / leave via the airport. Our visit to Zanzibar immediately followed our…
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Nairobi to Mombasa: Tour and Return
It was Sunday. We were up by 7:00. Before that a couple times during the night while still dark I heard the call to prayer issued from the mosque. As light emerged I went out onto the balcony. It was hot and humid. The city was quiet. Just a few cabs, and one or two…
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Nairobi to Mombasa: Journey
At 6:05 AM it was getting brighter. When the train slowed one could hear the birds. The shapes of elephants gave way to bushes, giraffes to trees. There were farms along the way. Growing corn. Hearing goats. People walking along paths to somewhere. They stop, they wait, they wave. The train stopped in a place…
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Nairobi to Mombasa: Departure
The 482 KM between Nairobi and Mombasa can be covered in about 50 minutes by plane. Our journey to Mombasa started with a drive to the Nairobi train station. Normally a 20 minute drive it turned into a 2 hour engagement with heavy traffic due to rain. There’s always an excuse for traffic; be it…
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Maasai
In their traditional life style the Maasai live with the animals of the planes. They herd their goats and cattle with the zebra and the wildebeest and the lion. So they are part of the ecosystem. Therefore, I’ve included the Maasai people as part of the Safari series; these were taken just outside the Serengeti Park’s…
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Zebra
Zebra Zebra Zebra Zebra Zebra Zebra Zebra
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Wildebeest
We were able to meet up with the migration where we witness a herd of animals that stretched across the horizon as far as one could see. Wildebeest Wildebeest
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Warthog
Warthog Warthog in Mud Puddle Enjoying the relief of a mud bath in a puddle on the road.
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Vervet Monkey
Watching an inordinate number of Ververt Monkeys, with child, beg for food around a picnic area I came to think that playing on the sympathies of others for advantage runs deeper than just our own current species.
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Rhinoceros
Fifth of the “Big 5“
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Lion
Fourth of the “Big 5“ Lions The Kill Lion Protecting Kill Old Lion Sleeping Lions
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Leopard
Third of the “Big 5“
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Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus Hippopotamus Hippopotamus Hippopotamus
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Giraffe
Giraffe Giraffe Giraffe Giraffe
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Elephant
Second of the “Big 5“ Elephant Elephant Elephant Elephant
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Cheetah
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Baboon
Baboon Baboon and children
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African Buffalo
First of the “Big 5“ Sitting Bull These African Buffalo seem unconcerned about our presence. African Buffalo One of the “Big 5”, these buffaloes watch us closely as we watch them
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Safari
As we were planning and the arranging the Safari, I wondered if this would be a trip into the wild and uncontrolled or a Sunday drive through some managed theme park, like African Lion Safari, albeit on a larger scale. The former implies a randomness spawning various dangers; the latter removes that edge of the…
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Africa
As we drove east towards Ngorongoro Crater, behind us were the planes of the Serengeti and Olduvai Gorge, where were found the 1.4 million year old bones of our human ancestors. The terrain became increasing hilly; the Rift Valley that extends north into in Kenya. To the East, beyond the crater, is Arusha and Mount…