On Safari in Kenya and Italy

October 6 to November 2, 2000

We went on safari with Micato in Kenya, then visited Italy.

Friday, October 6

Fly from Portland to Milan

Saturday, October 7

Milan - Hotel London

Sunday, October 8

Milan

Monday, October 9

Fly from Milan to Nairobi

Tuesday, October 10

Nairobi - Grand Regency Hotel

All the shops were closed but we kept busy with a tour of the city, a visit to the Giraffe Center where they keep a herd of very endangered Rothschild giraffes, lunch at a tea plantation and a visit to the museum.

Our group consisted of Deb, Joanne and Paul along with Linda and Glenn from St. Louis.

• at the hotel - Joanne, Paul and Deb with a Samburu and our guide Tonnie
• Joanne feeding a Rothschild giraffe at the Giraffe Center
• "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong hills..." Karen Blixen's estate
• Our hosts for lunch at their tea plantation
• A Colobus monkey visits for a handout
• The next morning, a quick visit to the safari outfitter's shop

Wednesday, October 11

Amboseli National Park

We did our first game drive right off the plane, and another in the evening. Every day in the parks there was a morning and afternoon game drive.

• Zebra and a Thompson's gazelle
• Elephant in the marsh, birds in the forground, Cape buffalo and other game in the distance
• Two elephants - our first close encounter
• A hippo feeding on the afternoon drive
• View of our camp with elephant
• Two female and one male ostrich

Thursday, October 12

Amboseli National Park

Two game drives and a visit to a Maasai village.

• Dawn from our cabin
• Male lion
• Cape buffalo, about to scratch himself on that stick. Wildebeest (Gnu) behind.
• View from our cabin, Joanne watches an elephant
• Joanne with Maasai women at the village
• Linda adorns a warrior with a hair ornament as Glenn looks on.
• Making fire
• Inside a hut
• The children sing and recite for us.
• On a hill overlooking the park
• Other groups below drive by elephants
• Mother elephant with baby
• Lions at rest, Kilimanjaro in the background.
• Sunset with game

Friday, October 13

The Ark in the Aberdare National Park

• Warthogs trim the grass at Aberdare Country Club
• The Ark
• Two black rhinos at the salt lick at night

Saturday, October 14

Samburu/Shaba Game Reserve

• Reticulated giraffe
• A leopard munches its kill
• Licking its chops up in the tree

Sunday, October 15

Samburu/Shaba Game Reserve

• Our huts at Shaba
• Joanne dances with Samburu women at the village
• Unmarried women and children with our host in front of a hut.
• The blacksmith
• Jumping warriors
• Termite mound

Monday, October 16

Mount Kenya Safari Club

• Weaving at the women's cooperative
• At the equator

Tuesday, October 17

Maasai Mara Tent Camp

We stayed at Kichwa Tembo camp in the nortwest corner of the park at the base of the ridge.

• Deb is the copilot on the flight to the Maasai Mara
• Cheetah
• Eagle

Wednesday, October 18

Maasai Mara Tent Camp

• Early morning balloon ride over the Mara
• Champagne on the ground with zebra
• Vultures in a tree
• A herd of elephants clusters around its young
• Two lions

Thursday, October 19

Maasai Mara Tent Camp

• A mother lion with its kill dragged into the bushes
• Walking between the safari vehicles
• The mother sees a cub in peril
• Lion cubs (a different set)
• Giraffes fighting
• Rhino after a mud bath
• Monkeys on the path by our tents. The green thing is our water heater.
• Our tent
• Hippo in the river
• Crocodile
• Gazelle

Friday, October 20

Nairobi, Fly to Milan at midnight

Before leaving the Maasai Mara we took a morning walking safari from our camp down to the Mara river.

• Termite mound taken over by mongoose
• Hippo footprints, baby on the right
• Hippos in the river
• Two hippos walking into the river
• Our group at camp - Shieni (the camp driver/guide), Linda, Glenn, Joanne, Paul, Deb and Tonnie, our guide
• Crested crane
• Parting shot of wildebeest

Saturday, October 21

Lake Como - Albergo Olivedo Varenna

• The hotel and docks on Lake Como
• Villa Carlotta and gardens

Sunday, October 22

Lake Como

• Villa Cipressi and gardens from Villa Monastero:

  Villas - Villa Cipressi Hotel Varenna Italy
  Holiday villas and luxurious cottages rental offers, information about caribbean vacations

Monday, October 23

Lake Como

Tuesday, October 24

Train to Rome - Albergo del Senato on Piazza della Rotunda by the Pantheon

Wednesday, October 25

Rome

• The forum empty because of museum worker's strike
• Joanne shows us her new jacket at the Piazza Navona

Thursday, October 26

Rome

Friday, October 27

Train from Rome to Naples, visit museum Train to Sorrento - Hotel Loreley

Saturday, October 28

Sorrento

• The forum at Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius in the background
• In a villa courtyard in Pompeii

Sunday, October 29

Visit Capri, then take a taxi along the cliffs from Sorrento to Ravello

• Capri

Monday, October 30

Ravello - Villa Cimbrone

• The famous Belvedere of Infinity
• The gardens
• Breakfast on our terrace

Tuesday, October 31

Paestum - Hotel Helios

• Temple of Ceres
• Bronze armor in the museum
• Temple of Ceres illuminated

Wednesday, November 1

Trains from Paestum to Milan - Hotel London

• Arriving in Milan

Thursday, November 2

Fly back to Portland

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