It's no secret that this trip was questionable after the events that had taken place earlier in the week. However, I recovered in the blink of an eye and hopped on a plane the very next day to go meet up with my team in Kenya. Admittedly, I could have used one more day to rest, but I was so excited to see them that I really couldn't think of anything other than getting to Kenya!
 |
| I can't remember where this came from, but many days this is exactly how i feel about my team! |
You see, my team is spread out across Africa and the US. We spend most days working together via email and skype and we've only had the luxury to spend time together in person a handful of times (seriously, one of my closest friends, M, and I have only been in the same place at the same time 4 times....5 including Kenya)!!
So....I landed in Nairobi and had to spend the night there before heading to Naivasha early the next morning .... these photos are going to suggest that the meeting was all play and no work... but in actuality, we got a lot done!!
 |
| Passing through the Great Rift Valley en route to Naivasha |
 |
| Some of the residents at Sopa Lodge |
 |
| silly hairy looking monkey |
 |
| Yeah, I have a thing for baby animals.... |
 |
| that monkey is about to attack R...true or false? |
 |
that monkey is about to attack M...true or false?
|
 |
| our huts (4 rooms per hut)....we needed escorts to get to them at night since the animals just roam around freely |
 |
| like these guys who were hanging out near the huts |
 |
| and now, for a Friday afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha! |
 |
| skype buddies AND real friends! |
 |
| the bday gal at the front of the boat! |
 |
| I think I could probably handle more Friday afternoons like this..... |
 |
| wave hello |
 |
| yell hello! |
 |
| and beware of hippos... |
 |
| pretty M.... |
 |
| check out the hippo on the far right....so content sun bathing!! |
 |
| baby buffalo trudging through the water... |
 |
| if you look closely you can see a LONG line of drool coming from this giraffe's mouth (and blowing in the wind)! |
 |
| silhouette photo, compliments of my boss! |
On the last day, several of us stuck around to take advantage of being in each other's company in a beautiful part of the world. We headed to Hell's Gate for a mini safari (20 min) and a hike down to a gorge (to "The Devil's Bedroom" and "The Point of No Return"). It was a perfect way to wrap up our time in Naivasha before heading back to Nairobi and, eventually, home.
 |
| our guide had to physically guide us down some of the crevices and steep areas |
 |
| metal beam in the middle of a hike? perfectly normal! |
 |
| staying hydrated to avoid THIS. |
 |
| Our Angelina Jolie poses (this is where Lara Croft was filmed) |
 |
| if we were a band, this would be our album cover photo |
 |
| hot springs! |
 |
| who knew it could feel so nice?! |
 |
| nice enough to start a water fight! |
 |
| look, a sloth! |
 |
| and a red caterpillar |
 |
| doing a happy dance because i didn't fall off a cliff while doing a handstand |
 |
| BABY PUMBA!?! |
And finally, it worked out perfectly to meet up with a friend of mine from
grad school. R and I were among a small group of people who
took a course on the humanitarian/development sector and we've kept in touch off and on since we graduated. He now lives in Nairobi and he managed to get a small group together to meet up with us to enjoy some tapas, live music, and mojitos (can't get those in Lilongwe)!
After a rough start to the week, this trip was a welcomed change - it was a lot of work, but it was also a fair amount of play...and more important some quality face time with some of my favorite people!!!
***For those of you who are curious, most of these photos were taken with my new
Tamron 18-270mm lens .... which I have fallen completely in love with. No more switching lenses for me!!!
