It's Hot Over Here

I know we complain about cold and rainy Seattle, but this heat takes some getting used to.

After a long flight, including a 12 hour layover in London where hung out with Kelly's college friends Matt and Leda, we arrived in Kenya. We headed straight for Lake Naivasha to camp under the tree canopy next to the hippo-infested shores. We spent countless hours watching birds (to Kelly's delight).

On rented bikes, we headed into Hell's Gate National Park with fully loaded packs. (Bike seats were not meant for this.) Camped on top of the cliff overlooking the gorge and watched giraffe, zebra, Thompson's gazelle walk by down below. This is one of the only parks in which you can walk or bike among the wildlife. Kelly's favorite was the warthog, even though Michiel tells her that they are going to feel as common as squirrels later on (and tasty too). We climbed a few pitches on Fischer Tower's basalt (one of several towers in the park).

We rode motorbikes to Crater Lake, a tiny jade green lake esteemed by the Masai, the following day. And now we find ourselves in Nairobi. We've just learned that Michiel has pneumonia, which seems to be a complication from the flu the week we left. Not the easiest to travel with. Since this is a budget trip, we were able to save a dollar fifty on a used needle for the IV at the clinic.

Tomorrow we fly to Madagascar.....