Hakuna Matata

I’ve been stuck in the Nairobi area for two weeks, because I didn’t want to go too far away from the race area incase of transportation troubles. Also, I wanted to be able to train (which I have not been doing, fail on my part). Anyway, after lounging around and spending time with other travelers, I decided to actually be productive and see some things. I spent a day near the Nairobi National Park; first I went to the Giraffe Center. Everyone tries to get you to take cabs here and there, but I refused and got on the bus; it may be a bit slower but all the buses and matatus maybe cost me a dollar in total whereas the cabs would have been probably around twenty after all is said and done with.

There really isn’t that much to do at the Giraffe Center besides wonder around a tree house looking at student artwork and learning facts about Giraffes. Also, you can feed the animals if they come up to the platform. You are given a handful of pellets which looks a bit like rabbit food, and you feed them one by one. The one is was feeding was named Daisy; she had a very long tongue and her saliva is extremely slimy, leaving long gooey strands hanging between her mouths and my fingers. You can also get “giraffe kisses” by putting a long piece of food between your lips and letting the giraffe take it out; which left my face all gooey, but it was funny. Also, if you put a handful of pellets at their mouth, you can pet them and even hug them; but watch out once the food is gone because they try and head-butt you. “No food, No Friend!”

After that, I walked back to the bus stop, which is a three kilometer walk each way down a semi-deserted roach through a beautiful forest area, lined with bushes and flowers. The dirt here is this incredible orange/rust color that contrasts beautifully with the green surroundings and bright blue sky. I took the bus to the Animal Orphanage, which is just inside the Nairobi National Park gates. As soon as I walked in, a group of school children were gawking at the muzungo. One man tried to be my guide, but I immediately shot him down; thanks, but no thanks. Two girls then came up to me and started asking questions. I thought they were trying to interview me about my travels, but at the end they just said they wanted to say “hi” because they admired me☺

The orphanage is like a small zoo; all the animals had been abandoned as babies due to poachers. While walking, I ended up talking to a young Kenyan woman, Emma, about the leopard that was making itself vomit in front of us (hah). She was there with her Mother, Jane, and her two-year-old daughter. I ended up wondering around the park with them, looking at cheetahs, leopards, lions, all types of monkeys, a mongoose, warthogs, hyenas, a crocodile and tons of birds. It was like being in “The Lion King.” We were there at the perfect time, because they are only fed once a day. The food barrows come out at 2:30; at this time, the animals start going nuts, pacing back and forth in front of the gate—they know what time it is. Two deer like animals, herbivores, were fed with carrots and beans, but when they zookeeper walked away, the two free roaming monkeys from the Nature Walk nearby snuck over and stole some of the food. They’re quite intelligent animals, though, they knew exactly who to hide from. The same guy also fed the cheetahs huge pieces of meat. He’s been feeding them since they were cubs, so they listened when he said, “up and jumped up on a wooden platform, waiting to be thrown their food. He was only a few feet away when he tossed them their grub and there was no aggression from the animals; they’re quite tame. One lion, however, was throwing a fit and laid down in the corner, growling. Emma growled back at him and he’d actually respond in order for us to get a few good pictures. At the last cage, the warthogs, Emma’s daughter wanted to take photos. I let her grab my camera and she just host away. Her grandmother basically had to wrestle my camera from her and switch it with Emma’s. Before she wrestled it away, she did get a good (read: hideous) close-up shot of me as well as a very focused shot of a warthog’s behind. Warthogs, btw, are quite odd looking creatures; they look like piggies but have tusks and long straw-like fur that looks more like strategically placed hair plugs because it is not a full coat. . They also kneel down on their front legs when eating (carrots and corn OFF of the cob) and have long nails on their hooves. When we walked out, I had to wait for my change from buying the ticket while the other three were going on to the nature walk. They wanted me to join, but I said I was headed back, so Emma invited me to come stay with her and her family for a night for a free bed and food when I hike Mt. Kenya. I guess, since so many people took her in when she was in California, she felt she could and should do the same here in Kenya, which I am extremely appreciative for! It took Emmas daughter about five minutes to finally go; she just stood in the walkway staring at me, waving and yelling “Come on, Kelly!” It was so cute. I actually received an e mail from emma a few days later saying that her little girl talked about me all day ☺

After that, I headed home and chatted with Richard for a bit; the poor guy is stuck in Nairobi because he got a rare parasite and has to keep going to the hospital to get scoped shoved up his bum to make sure all the eggs that were laid )from the two inch worm they pulled out) have died. All this occurs with a bunch of medical students in the room because this parasite has never been seen in Kenya. So awkward. I then gathered up my stuff so I could go spend time with “Action for Cheetahs in Kenya!”