Nakuru is the fourth biggest city in Kenya: the perfect place to drop off the face of the earth, and still have easy access to modern conveniences. Nyos and I went in August, while I was still doing my homestay with the MSID program.
It took us about two hours from Nairobi to get there by matatu. In the average matatu, my butt lasts approximately 45 minutes before the onset of pain. It’s a jolting, bumpy ride. Seat cushions are usually well-worn. Luckily, Nyos is usually willing to offer up his jacket as a cushion.
Nakuru is best known for Lake Nakuru, a lake dyed pink by the number of flamingoes that inhabit its shores. I'd probably seen too many photos of the flamingoes, though, because I was most fascinated by the pelicans. They're some of the most sophisticated, coordinated group hunters in the world, as you can see in the photographs. They systematically herd fish into the center of their group, then dive down all at once to capture them. It was also exciting to see troops of baboons, and a White Rhino.
You can only go through the park by car, and can only get to the park by private vehicle, so we negotiated with a safari company once we got into the city. The ride to the park was fun in itself. We passed tenement houses, which have a long, rich history in Kenya, painted with beautiful murals. Once in the park, we had a great guide who had gone to school in Wildlife studies, and knew all about all the animals and birds we saw. And, I only had to pay 10 dollars to get in, since I'm a student/resident, as opposed to the usual 30-50 tourists have to pay to get into national parks (always a perk).
Follow the link to my Picasa web album. I'll caption the photos with more details. Just scroll over the photos to read the whole caption.
