Nairobi safari and Giraffe park

Last Saturday my bowie-friend, Sybilla, her husband Vic, and I went to the Nairobi National Park for a game drive. They picked me up in a SUV stocked with American potato chips and grahm crackers-- yum. Nothing says safari-drive like munchin' on some salt n' vinegar chips and looking at a herd of zebra. heh
At the park, we saw zebra, wildebeest, eland, t.Gazelle, giraffe, baboons, and vervit monkeys. One of the best events of the park was when we stopped for a toilet break and two baboons and their baby (hooked to the mamma)were right outside the vehicle. Sybilla had already gone outside the vehicle when Vic spotted the primate couple. .

Vic tried to keep the baboons on one side of the vehicle using carrots so that they would not attack Sybilla. At one point the male baboon charged us and jumped up into the window sill. He was hanging on by his hands and Vic started yelling random noises at it until it backed down. It was pretty scary-- and funny. Then I gave Vic his asp from the front seat so he could show the baboons who's king of the jungle. However, at one point the male jumped onto the hood of the car and then onto the roof. We could see his feet and bum walking over the sun roof. Fortunately I caught that moment on camera. When the baboon jumped off the vehicle, we kept it at bay until Sybilla could make a sprint for the vehicle and get in safely. (For those who don't realize this, but baboons have very sharp teeth and are agressive).
We laughed about that for a bit as we drove on to see the alleged hippos in the hippo pool. There, at the entrance to the hippo pool, there were the cutest vervit monkeys and some of them had little babies attached to their bellies.
We took an armed guide along the trail to the hippo pool, but none were to be seen that day. It was a nice walk though and we were able to see some hippo dung as evidence of their existence.

After driving around a bit more and seeing the above mentioned animals, we left the park and went out to Karen for lunch. We ate at a place called Talisman, which I totally recommend if you are in Nairobi because the place is beautiful and the food is excellent. They even served me my coffee in a french press with steamed milk on the side. Now, that is a good place when they know how to make good coffee!

After lunch we went to the Giraffe Park to feed them. There, they give you food and the giraffe roll out their long slimy tongues and take their food from you. Its really fun and cute, but also pretty gross. Your hand is left all slimy and sticky at the end of it all. My coordinator told me that some people put the food pellet in their lips and make the giraffe kiss them. EWW GROSS! I did not see anyone do that and I am better for it! All in all, the giraffe park was nice to enjoy. For those who are visiting Nairobi, one can stay in the Giraffe Manor where the giraffe peek their long neck and head into your bedroom window as a morning wake-up call. I have only seen the brochures, but it looks like fun.

So last weekend was fun and all week I have been helping Carolyn with the preparation for ABO (orientation). Except for Monday, when I had to go to the doctors because I had the worst night ever and woke up sick as a dog. I had been sorta sick since Friday (probably picked up the bacteria in Nakuru), but the worst of it all was Monday. I had to drop off a little **cough** sample and get it tested.
So, in the end, I found out that I had some bad strain for a bacterial infection and they gave me an injection in my rear for the horrible, skull-bashing pain I had in my head, and another injection for the bacteria. Then, on top of the doctor's bill and lab fee, I had to pay $50 in meds to fight this sucker off.

Now I feel great and hope not to have a repeat during ABO for the next 3 weeks. I promised Carolyn that I would not get sick this time. We have 9 kids to entertain with Africa trivia and 1 man down could be disasterous. Please pray that none of us gets sick while in Machakos. I will be posting from there.