Southeast Squared: Giraffes, Rhinos, Baboons, Oh My!!

Lake Nakuru National Park

No lions, tigers, or bears, but my first trip to Kenya was filled with giraffes, white rhino, zebra, African buffalo, and many more animals. Work sent me to Nairobi, Kenya, for a training last week and I took a couple of extra days to enjoy the sights around town. My first impression of Nairobi was that Kenyans deserve their reputation for being friendly. Everyone was super nice, smiling, and so helpful--even at 6:30 am on a Saturday when I landed! I spent Saturday hanging out with my friend H who I met in Vietnam and now lives and works in Nairobi. She took me to the Giraffe Center where I fed giraffes from my hand and even got a smooch from one of the friendliest giraffes I've ever met--Lucy. On Sunday, I went with some of my colleagues on a safari at Lake Nakuru. It was so beautiful! We were able to get out of our vehicle and walk around right there with some of the animals. Although, only with the more docile ones. No mingling with big, sharp horns!

Other than my animal adventures, I got to catch up with an awesome friend from grad school who I hadn't seen in six years. I ate amazing Ethiopian food with friends. I feel in love with a specialty drink from Nairobi called a dawa, which means medicine in Swahili. The vodka, lime (or lemon, depending on your tastes and the bar's availability), and honey concoction would be a perfect sore throat calmer if it was served hot. Instead, it was a slightly sweet and refreshing summer cocktail served over ice. All around a great trip!

Some of the photos from my trip are posted below, but you can visit my album on Snapfish to see the rest of the photos. I highly recommend a visit to Kenya if you've never been!