Bridge Between two Beauties

The Two Beauties being The Nairobi National Park and Kitengala Glass Factory.

The bridge being this!

We saw these on the drive to Masai Lodge.

First, we ordered our lunch at Masai Lodge since, for some reason, it usually takes hours for them to make. That warthog was chilling there when we ordered, and was still there when we came back to eat, hours later.

We had been told we would be going on a 'nature walk...'

and it was absolutely beautiful...

but I wore a skirt...

and it was definitely NOT a nature walk. It was a totally amazing hike, and I loved it, the skirt was just an unnecessary challenge. Luckily, I was wearing the perfect shoes for it (love you, Vibram FiveFingers).

We had to stand on and hold on to roots to cross this section. SO much fun!

This is Victor, our amazing Kenyan codirector. He's so heartbreakingly good with every child we meet, and is amazing with his own, as you can see. It was so funny watching him scoop her up from rock to rock.

I'm trying to use Victor as my inspiration when I interact with street children. He basically fathers them, talking to them and putting his hands on their shoulders, when they peddle their goods or beg for money. So I've been trying to talk to them, like the children they are, and say, "shouldn't you be in school?" or, once, when Safaricom was having one of their truckconcerts/ partytrucks, I asked him why he didn't go dance. (I can't remember the proper name for the party trucks, but businesses, especially Safaricom, blast music, sometimes live, on opensided trucks and stop at shopping centers and such for people to dance and, basically, party) 

It surprises people here, throws them off guard, and lightens them up when you speak to them like regular people. It's actually one of the best ways to get them to leave you alone, and actually have a bit of a teasing, pleasant conversation, instead of being haggled at (ie followed down the street with a product you don't want aggressively thrown in your face). Also, now that I'm learning and using more Kiswahili, people like and respect you more, realize you're not a safaritourist, and don't try to charge you 10,000 shilling for things that should cost 400.

Okay, back to the oasis that is Nairobi National Park.

These are the totally awesome rock hyraxes. To me they're similar to groundhogs, but with the insane ability to limberly leap and scurry across clifffaces from rock to rock.

She is terrified of heights and was verrrrrrrrrrrrry sad.

Much of Kitengala Glass Factory resembles Dr. Seuss 

This beautiful beam of light shone through the

"Factory" really isn't the right word for Kitengala, and really sells it short. It's handblown glass made by artisans,  who train apprentices.

They make everything from recyled glass, seen above.

Lizard!

Crazy lizard with yellow head! There are tons of lizards in Nairobi. I see them all the time.

Views from the bridge

View straight down on the bridge. Check out those sides.

Warthog, still chillin.

Monkey! It was scavenging around the buffet, but ran away from us.

This bird's fanned out from the above to larger than the below picture.

More rock hyraxes, I think.

Nairobi in the distance.

Eucalyptus tree.

Mommy and baby babbooooon! We saw them from the bus on the way home.

Babboon eating trash yummmm.