Nairobi National Park, Game Drive #6 – Kenya 2026, Blog post #11

Our time in Kenya was winding down. It was Friday, July 31. Nick and Jessica would fly home that night, and the rest of us – the three old ladies - would leave the next day. We had to pack in as much as we could that day. But for me, one thing mattered. One thing I was hoping for, almost counting on.

We left early in the morning for Nairobi National Park, which is only a twenty-minute drive from where we were staying. It’s a small park, less than 30,000 acres, compared to Masa Mara which is ten times bigger, at over 373,000 acres. What would we see here that we hadn’t seen already?

We found wildebeest, hippos, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and a variety of birds. Our driver, Peter, told us that the lion pride had moved south, out of the park and into the Kitengela Conservation Area. Leopards aren’t known to be in either place, so I was out of luck seeing one this trip. But what about the last of the Big Five? We’d seen elephants, lions, and buffalo. What about number five?

What’s that in the brush?

And what is with it? 

Could it be? Not just one Southern White Rhino, but a mother with her baby. 

There are between 16,000 and 18,000 Southern White Rhinos alive today. Their numbers had dwindled to around 100 in 1900, due mostly to poaching for their horns, which some people, mostly in Asia, believe have medicinal benefits. Their comeback is a conservation success story.

Not so for the closest subspecies. The Northern White Rhino is basically extinct, with only two, aging females remaining, living on a reserve in Kenya, protected 24/7 by armed guards. The last male of their species, Sudan, died in March of 2018, at the age of 45.

These white rhinos in Nairobi Park are also guarded night and day. I didn’t want to zoom in on them, so the picture is not the best. But they were there.

After we left the mom and her calf, we found these two bachelors, living their best life, 

even if they were surrounded by safari vans.

We watched them for a very long time. I'm sure they didn't know how special they are.  

Island Life, Game Drive #5 – Kenya 2026, Blog post #10

This wasn’t actually what you would call a game drive. It was more a “boat ride to a game walk”. But it was cool walking out among the animals.

We started with the boat ride on Lake Naivasha. 

When I was first on that lake in 2019, the water level was much lower, so the island we rode to wasn’t there at the time. It was more of a peninsula where the animals could come and go. 

Since a flood in 2020, Crescent Island has been an island more than a peninsula, averaging around 180 acres of mostly dry land. Which doesn't bother the hippos at all. 

The rest of the animals seem to have adapted.  

And as much as I enjoyed walking around the island, there was one thing that blew me out of the water. This is where my friend Phyllis needs to stop reading and stop scrolling through the pictures. And Phylis, if you don’t heed my warning, well, I warned you.

I wanted to see the leopard and the rhino on this trip, but I never expected to see this guy.

He had recently captured and killed a small antelope, swallowed it whole and then crawled into his hole to digest it, which will take a couple of weeks. And it will be another two months before he needs to eat again, so at least everyone should feel safe on the island for a while.  

He (or maybe, she) is an African Rock Python. Hard to get a decent picture because he is hunkered down in his burrow, but I thought it was still so fascinating to see him. Like I said, something totally unexpected, I've not even seen him on any safari brochures. I was so thankful that our guide walked us over to where he was resting, even if all we saw was his patch of skin.

And that’s about it from the island. 

Game Drive #4 – Kenya 2026, blog post #9

Hard to believe that just shy of five weeks ago, we were in Kenya, heading out on another game drive. This one to the beautiful Masa Mara, where I’ve been several times before. As usual, the number of animals we saw was amazing, but I won’t share all of the pictures of the ones which I’ve already shared here on my posts from Amboseli.  

Amboseli is known for its herds of elephants, but there are very few big cats there. In the Mara, however, prides of lions are readily seen. These beautiful cats were feasting on a fresh kill for breakfast. 

The youngsters wanted to play with Dad, and he seemed good-natured about it

But the male lion will always think he is the coolest creature.

We saw one cheetah that morning.

And another later in the day.

Topis will always be my favorite antelope. Their coats are so beautiful.

Maybe I like them the best because I can easily recognize them. All those other species of antelope?

Sometimes, I’m just not sure.

Another jackal.

And more hyenas.

Lots of wildebeest.

And literal tons of buffalo.

These giraffes were cool, coz they were all laying down. Saw more elephants, hippos, and zebras too. But one guy remained elusive.

Somewhere in these trees or somewhere nearby, the leopard is watching us from his lair.

I’ll need to keep going on safaris until I spy him. 

Water, Water Everywhere – Kenya 2026, blog post #8

On our first Saturday in Kenya, we woke up at Anyoraa, the beautiful safari camp run by our friend, Izzo. Anyoraa means believe in the Maasai language, and it is our friend’s belief that we can all make a positive, lasting impact.

We slowly got moving that morning and had the usual breakfast of crepe-like pancakes, fried potatoes, and chai tea. Then we wandered out to the edge of the camp, where remarkable things were happening. 

Sometime before 2018 (when I first saw these filled water tanks), Izzo discovered a spring up the hillside from one of the other safari camps he had been taking volunteers to. He tapped into that spring, ran the water into these tanks, and provided clean water to the town’s people. And added more tanks.

It was his dream ever since then to build his own water bottling plant, to not only continue giving water away to the locals, but to sell it to the many safari camps in the area, offering employment to the women living there as well as generating income for his other projects.

The plant was only in its second day of operation when we wandered inside. The women were hard at work and happy to be productive. They run two shifts – one from 8 am to 5 pm, and the other starting at 6 pm and running until they are caught up on orders.

We thought it was a busy place when we were there on Saturday. But then we walked in the door Sunday morning . . .

The night shift had worked until 4 am and didn’t want to stop then, but they had run out of space for the filled bottles. One problem is that the building runs on solar power. During the day there is plenty of sunshine to keep on the lights and the industrial hair blowers used to shrink-wrap the labels and seal the caps, as well as wrap 24 bottles into a case. But at night, the batteries provide only enough power to keep the lights on inside and the filtration unit running.

So, while the women were in church that morning, we got to work. 

Using a gadget to print the lot number, date bottled, and expiration date on the labels.

Putting on the labels and cap seals, then shrinking them.

 Then putting 24 bottles together in a case. 

To really put the icing on the cake – or seal on the cap – I watched a young man load three cases on his motorcycle to deliver to one of the camps. Can’t get much more full circle than that. Even Izzo, the boss, got into it. 

Even Izzo, the boss, got into it. 

It was an amazing day.