M&S in Kenya - Easter weekend camping

Saturday, April 20, Day 10 - We took a rest day in Nairobi. Mandy documented flowers on ILRI campus. The kids played and bickered (a bit). Nate caught up on some work after a week away. Mandy and I went grocery shopping for camping and Easter.

In the evening, we hosted the Favas for dinner in our backyard and planned our camping trip for the next day.

One of my favorite plants in my cactus garden;
I got it from a Kenyan acquaintance, do any of you know what this is?

In our kitchen garden.

Sunday, April 21, Day 11 - Easter Sunday. We hosted Mati for an Easter egg hunt in our backyard.

Ready to hunt!

 

Sampling the goods

Then we basically spent the next 4 hours in the car on a trip that was supposed to take 1 hour. At some point we just pulled over and had a picnic lunch, then kept going.

About 3 hours in; this is NOT the place we wanted.

Back in the car!

 Nearly there... or are we?

Moving the elephant electric fences out of the way of the car

Crammed in the backseat

Eventually, we got the right information and directions from our friend Ben and made it to the Canopy campsite at Gatamaiyo Forest. 

A view from the hilltop that was worth the trouble.

Our tents in the trees out of the wind.

The Favas made pasta; we made salad and sausages
(once Nate got his burner working)

Kenyan Forest Rangers Raphael and Jane joined us at our campsite that night as guards. Elephants come through this area as part of the Aberdares fenced range, so armed guards are required for camping. They were delightful campfire companions (when they weren't watching videos on their phones at top volume).

Skylar found a rhino beetle

Campfire photo art with Nairobi lights and moon in the background, photo credits to Nate with our new digital camera:

Monday, April 22 - Day 12 -- The next morning, we were attacked by biting ant as we exited our tents and tried to make breakfast. There was a lot of hopping around, pulling off pants, and moving our gear to ant-free areas. Then the ranger Jane returned to lead us on a hike. We'd only signed up for an hour and a half walk to the bamboo forest, but we ended up making the whole trek to the waterfall and back, a 4-hour hike with all the kids.

Using our "Tracks & Signs" book to successfully identify hyena "sheets"
and give Skylar a giggle.

 
Through the bamboo forest:

We made it to the waterfall after a very steep and slippery path!

Checking out the huge bats in the cave.

Baby Teresa and daddy Francesco relaxing

 Group shot by Jane:

Back at the campsite, the kids played (and tried to avoid the ants) while we packed up the tents.

Tuesday, April 23, Day 13 -- Back in Nairobi, it was Mandy & Skylar's last full day in Kenya. They wanted to do some souvenir shopping, and I needed to buy Cora a new backpack for school the next day (after hers was stolen at Lake Challa), so we went to the Masaai Market at Prestige Plaza.

I didn't take any photos of our good little shoppers, but Mandy took this one of me during our juice break at Urban Burger when the negotiating got too intense:

That afternoon, the kids got a swim in before a big storm hit:

Soon I got a call from my friend Charlotte who had fallen on a slippery floor at her job at the French School. She was heading to the hospital to see if she had broken her ankle (she hadn't, but she had a very bad sprain and bruising that 3 weeks later is still painful) but her kids were home alone. I drove over to pick them up to stay at my house until she could come home, and found this scene after the wind and rain storm had hit their yard:

That night, we had an unexpectedly large dinner party for M&S's last night in Nairobi. The kids
got along great and Skye was super happy to have some older kids to play with for a few hours. 

Clockwise from L: Mandy, Skye, Leo, Amelie, Nate, Cora and Silas

April 24, Day 14 -- Then somehow it was the last day of M&S's visit. Our kids had to return to school, so Mandy and Skylar had a relaxing and quiet day of packing and reading. They came to pick up the kids at school and got a tour of Braeburn. After a last dinner together, we were suddenly saying goodbye:

Mandy and Skye enjoyed a cold and rainy trip into Amsterdam on their layover on the way home:

And now it's goodbye until summer!