Back home

There's no place like home! Here, Kido demonstrates the effects of jetlag.

Before and after

Here are before and after photos of Jacob, who had a large cyst removed from his neck. I actually enjoyed going to the ward when the surgeons rounded on their post-operative patients. Jacob was so pleased...

Stryker endoscopic sinus surgery equipment, aka "Sinus Tower"

Stryker donated sinus surgery equipment in 2010 and thus year. One of the local ENT's is using the sinus tower here.

Governor's Camp

Vervet monkeys

Elephants

Nap time

These are the lions after feeding day and night on the cape buffalo.

Brothers

Jackal

Cheetahs

Crowned cranes

Gazelle

Baboon

Zebra fun

Hippos

Who doesn't love hippos?

Hyena

This filthy, bloated hyena is resting after a feast.

Vultures

Vultures need a home with a view.

Topi keeping watch

The Topi keep watch. Often from the tops of termite mounds. The zebras like to hang out with them since they are such good lookouts. An early warning about lions can be quite helpful.

On safari

> We saw more "circle of life" action on safari this year. On Thursday morning, a pride of lions took down a cape buffalo and started feeding. They continued throughout the day and night and into the next morning. By then many had had their fill and were distracted by hyenas and vultures.
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We have landed in Detroit. Home in a few more hours.

Charter to Masai Mara

Here's our plane to take us to the mara. Our group is large enough to make this financially practical. It beats the heck out of flying to Nairobi and then getting another flight to the mara.

Utility poles

The shamba also grows some eucalyptus trees. This variety grows straight and tall. When you have at least five that are large enough to harvest, the power company will buy them. They will come and harvest.

Milk

There are 10 cows, 1 bull, and 3 calves at the shamba. Many of the cows are for milking. They get milked twice a day.

I mentioned earlier that they sell milk by taking it to the main road every day where it is picked up. They use a bicycle to carry the large jug of milk. It has a number on it that the creamery uses to identify where it is from and for purposes of their account and getting paid.

With our lunch, we were served milk in the traditional way. The cows were milked in the morning. The fresh milk was then boiled once, allowed to cool, then the cream was skimmed off the top. The process was repeated a second time. Then the milk was poured into a big, dried, hollow gourd. They add some finely sifted ash from the burned branch of a certain kind of local tree. All of this happened before our arrival. They then poured the milk from the gourd into cups. The milk was delicious. The ash added a slight smokey taste. If you would have offered me this at home, I would have declined. But when I'm a guest in someone's home in a different culture, I'm brave. I'm glad I tried it.

Shamba outbuilding

This building on the Shamba is Mark's. He stores corn in one room and when he and his family come to visit, he and his wife sleep in this bedroom. The kids sleep elsewhere.

Lunch at the shamba

When I saw chicken feathers out back, I knew we would be staying for lunch. We enjoyed a stew of boiled chicken and ate it with chapati. It was quite tasty!

Back to Amsterdam

We have survived the first of our two long flights. Halfway home!

We are at JKIA, the Nairobi int'l airport. Flight to Amsterdam departs at 10:55pm/2:55pm EST, 1 hr from now. Home in 26 hrs.

On safari in Maasai Mara. No Internet. Cell/text only. Will post more upon return.

Shamba info

A little more info on my friend's parents' shamba. The family owns about ten acres total. Two are owned by Mark. There are a half dozen or more small houses on the property. The main house has a living room and three attached bedrooms. Just outside is another one room building which is the kitchen. They cook with wood and charcoal.

The other buildings are one or two rooms each and house relatives, including one of Mark's brothers and wife, and the young son of a cousin.

There is no running water or electricity. Water comes from a 60" well dug by hand. The electric company is building a new electric pole line to the area but it is not complete. Some people have a solar panel and a battery to power some lights and radio. (maybe TV)

They plant corn and sell the excess to the govt who sells to aid programs like Red Cross.

They grow some bananas and other things. They have honey bees, milk cows, chickens and sheep. All is for the family except they do sell milk to a creamery that picks it up at the main road every morning in large aluminum containers.

Theres more to say but it's time to go to the airport to Masai Mara.

Shamba visit

Today I went with my friend Mark to visit his parents home and "shamba" which is a small family farm. Donna Also came. We had a great time seeing the farm and meeting some family members. This photo shows Mark with his mom. I hope to write mire about our visit later.

The surgeons worked late as always. All were late for our going-away dinner. As is the Kenyan tradition, we had a celebration of sorts to end the visit with speeches of recognition and thanks. It was a nice time as always.

Afterwards our driver, Moiyo, drove us back to IU House in what looked like an old military transport vehicle. We were packed in, sitting on benches that lined the sides in the back, sniffing wicked exhaust fumes. Thank goodness it's a short trip.

And finally tonight, we all met for Tuskers back at IU House, ready to bid farewell in the morning after what will be a short night.

What time is it?

This is probably the only place in the world with clocks showing two time zones only, and they are "Kenya" and "Indiana". This is in the office at IU House.