Goodbye Kenya - June 14, 2012

The day finally arrived when it was time to close our bags, lock the door, hug Lady one last time, shake Benson's hand with words falling short of the gratitude in our hearts and head out on a new segment of our adventure.  

Those last days were frenetic but filled with meaningful goodbyes - a celebration of a beautiful time in the land of Kenya.

There is much for which we are grateful!   God has been good.

Thank you for following our blog on the journey.   We will pick up a new blog in a few weeks to describe the next stage of our wanderings.

Blessings and love!

The DesRoches

The Journey Continues at...

andyandrebecca2.blogspot.com

Last Kenyan Safari - Lake Nakuru - June, 2012

Just a few days before Davita and I were scheduled to leave Nairobi we took a visiting professor with the ISK SUNY Masters program to Lake Nakuru.   It was a beautiful day.   A great way to finish off those last hectic days in this beautiful country of Kenya.

We were especially delighted to come across 3 white rhinos grazing right beside the road as we passed.   Our first time seeing the rhino so close!

Davita's Graduation - May, 2012

Graduation Day finally arrived marking the end of Vita's sojourn at ISK.   Surrounded by beloved friends made the day a good one.

Graduation Banquet - May 23, 2012

The parents of the senior class hosted a banquet this week at Zen Gardens in Nairobi.   It was a beautiful evening of laughter and excitement as the kids get ready to graduate in a few days.  We enjoyed the company of friends from ISK, Brian, LeeAnne, and Hannah.    

It was a real celebration of this milestone in Vita's life and the journey that she has travelled with such courage and determination.

The evening finished off with a Father-Daughter dance which was absolutely delightful in the bubbles.   Parents and kids then danced together in an expression of the joy of the moment.   Wahoo...



Last Safari - Easter Weekend, April 2012

As our time winds up in Kenya, we decided to make time for one more safari to a new area in the country.   We invited our friends Rod, Yvette and Sara to come along.   And with the help of Peter, a friend who runs a safari business,  we drove to Samburu, about 5 hours north of Nairobi, for the Easter weekend.

We stayed at the Samuru Intrepids Lodge - a beautiful resort along a dry riverbed, nestled among the trees within the Samburu Reserve.

Samburu is located on the edge of the dessert - so the landscape is very unique.   It has a rugged, dry beauty of its own.  

Instead of battling mud and water, we navigated sand - even getting stuck once - to be rescued by some Samburu warriors in a safari truck.

We spent many hours in Peter's truck driving through the park.   We saw the Special Five (animals unique to the park)...



Reticulated Giraffe

 The antelope, Gerenuk, is known for its ability to stand on its hind legs to feed on the branches of small bushes and trees.


Gerenuk



Beisa Oryx

The Somali Ostrich - distant relative to the Somali pirate.  Ahoy!


Somali Ostrich

Grey's Zebra - look for the white belly



You had to work harder to see the animals which felt somehow satisfying when you finally found them.   It felt more like the 'real Africa'.  

A little Dik Dik

A type of Gineau fowl - noisy little fellows

Sitting on the roof

Dry riverbed - elephants dig for water

We were thrilled to finally see a leopard.   The poor fellow was surrounded by vans and trucks - all straining to catch a glimpse.   We managed to catch him by camera... completing the Big Five for the DesRoches family.

Peek-a-boo

Lilac Breasted Roller

An elephant standing Babar style with his legs crossed - a perfect gentleman.

Just hanging around with the guys

Horn Bill

Big Kitty

Wee little baby monkey!

Once again we come away amazed by the beauty of God's creation and the blessing of living in the place where we can see it so closely.