Nairobi activities: Rolf's, Kitengela Glass, and Anselm's Hot Glass

Quite an adventurous suspension bridge spanning the river gorge below

Great spot for lunch!

Kitengela Glass and Anselm's Hot Glass Furnace, a magical place in the 'bush'

Three wise monkeys - see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

Nairobi activities: Giraffe Center and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Giraffe Center, part of the Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife

In the 1970's American Betty Melville and her husband, Jock, discovered the plight of the Rothschild giraffe losing their habitat in Western Kenya. Rothschild giraffes are characterized by white legs and five horns. The Melvilles were among the earliest conservationists to raise a wild giraffe.

They bought a patch of land near Nairobi (before developers could snatch it), and made it a sanctuary for the endangered giraffe. In 1979, they founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. In 1983, they opened up an outstanding education center for Kenyans. Thousands of school children and tourists visit the Giraffe Center every year.

The Melvilles also set up giraffe preserves in four national parks in Kenya. The population of Rothschild, then around 120, is now over 400 in Kenya, and perhaps 500 in all of Africa.

Watch the movie (on YouTube), The Last Giraffe (1979) about Betty and Jock Melville's start at saving this sub-species of giraffe. It's based on her book, Raising Daisy Rothschild, about the first young giraffe they rescued and raised.

Several whimsical Warthogs also hang out with the giraffe

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, commonly referred to as the Elephant Orphanage

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world and one of the pioneering conservation organisations for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa. It was founded in 1977 by Daphne Sheldrick, in honor of her late husband, famous naturalist and founding warden of Tsavo East National Park, David Sheldrick.

The heart of their conservation activities is the Orphans’ Project, which has achieved world-wide acclaim through its hugely successful elephant and rhino rescue and rehabilitation program. It offers hope for the future of Kenya’s threatened elephant and rhino populations as they struggle against the threat of poaching for their ivory and horn, and the loss of habitat due to human population pressures and conflict, deforestation and drought.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has successfully hand-raised over 150 infant elephants and has accomplished its long-term conservation priority by effectively reintegrating orphans back into the wild herds of Tsavo, claiming many healthy wild-born calves from former-orphaned elephants raised in our care.

Nairobi activities: GP Karting and Carnivore - fun family competition and delicious food

Game faces, before the racing begins!

We are ready to race!

Antonio

Aaliyah

Mia

Naomi

Grandma Deb

Always great food at Carnivore!

Walking from lunch at Carnivore back to GP Karting for another go-round at racing

Nairobi activities: Oloolua Forest - a hike, a waterfall, and an introduction to GeoCaching

Future GeoCachers at a large bamboo stand in the forest

Eager to check out the waterfall

Antonio did a lot of exploring around the waterfall

Time for a 'selfie' photo

Yippee! We found a hidden GeoCache!

GeoCaching is sometimes called 'the world's largest treasure hunt,' consisting of millions of small hidden objects all around the world. The object is to find them and sign the miniature logbook. On this day, we found two of the nine hidden caches in the forest. It's quite a fun adventure.

Hidden beauty in the forest

Flower close-ups

God's stunning creation

Nairobi activities: Ngong Hills - hike, sack lunch, and flying a kite

We each hopped on a motorbike taxi for the short ride to the entrance. The kids loved it!

Entrance to Ngong Hills, under the management of the Kenya Forest Service

Mia signs us in on the guestbook

Aaliyah looks for the Nairobi downtown skyline

The girls loved all the sheep (and occasional donkey)

Naomi took a turn flying the kite

Such good times together!

Tony loved the dogs, who helped herd the Maasai sheep

Greeting two older Maasai gentlemen

Several families live up on the hills and make the trek daily

Back at Ngong town, enjoying ice cream after our time up on the hills

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, 

I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35

Whenever I go up to Ngong Hills, I take extra food. There are always young children keeping watch over their family's sheep, goats, and cattle. They typically spend the whole day out with the animals and don't have anything to eat. The interaction with these three boys in the video is common. When we got back to Ngong town, we stopped at an ice cream shop. The old man was begging, so I bought him a fruit juice which he thoroughly enjoyed!

Stunning beauty along the way