Monday, April 30, 2012

CORRECTIONS

...I have noticed that recently some of our readers have be viewing posts from last year...

...you will notice that some of these posts are missing images...

...my fault...

...I removed some of our pictures on Google+ to make room for pictures we shared with the TOSC participants in Ghana...

...this in turn (for reasons I don't and may never understand) removed certain blog pictures - even though they remain on my laptop...

...it has been labour intensive but I have been bit by bit replacing them...

...please have patience as I will eventually have it all right again... 

...apologies from ...

Kat

Sunday, April 29, 2012

SWAN HOTEL, STAINES

...Mara to Nairobi - 7 hours...
...Nairobi to London - 6+ hour overnight flight...
....London Heathrow arrival 05:30...
...carted luggage to 'left baggage' depot at our departure terminal...
...short cab ride to Staines (just 9 km from airport)
...up for more than 24 hours...
...weary travelers arrive...
...still too early for check-in but the proprietor of this charming inn/pub on the Thames prepared us some juice, toast and coffee...
...Swan Hotel, Staines...


...waiting for our room to be available we took a stroll around the neighbourhood...






...some urban wildlife...

...beautiful community...

...enjoyed a pint of local beer on the patio...
...everyone else was in shorts and t-shirts and we huddled shivering in fleece sweaters - may take some time to adjust...

...view of our room...








...our room...

peaceful reflective interlude...

...all the amenities...


...including a view of the Thames...


...as the sun set on the last day of our trip we enjoyed a delicious dinner watching the scullers...

...took our cappuccinos on the patio then retreated to grab some much needed sleep...


...many thanks to Laura and Jim...
...our stay at the Swan was the perfect interface before heading for home...























Tuesday, April 24, 2012

LEAVING THE MARA - ROAD TO NAIROBI


"Don't cry because it's over,
 smile because it happened." 
~ Dr. Seuss

 
...soaking in the view one last time...



...early morning departure...


...leaving the great Mara Conservancy...
 


...through the Oloololo gate of the Trans Mara Triangle...


...almost six hours on this lovely road...


...our route at times daunting and physically demanding...


...with just one day of rain since our arrival, the Mara River is looking partly replenished...





...still plenty of wildlife to be seen outside the gate...


...Maasai village...


...its children on their way to school...

 
...a brief stop to document our route one last time...
...Mara to Narok to Nairobi...


...our wonderful Client Relations Manager at the Ole Sereni arranged for a room so we could shower and re-balance our luggage...

...one last view of the Nairobi National Park, one last Tusker beer and a bite to eat and we were off to catch our midnight flight to London...

...a special thanks to David (our driver/guide) and James (safari coordinator) of Jameson Travel Ltd. who came back to the hotel that evening to transport us and all our luggage to the airport...

...it is with great sadness that we leave this beautiful country, this magnificent continent...we both agree that under other circumstances we could easily live here...if ever given the opportunity to return we would without hesitation...

...the dream is over (for now) but what a dream it was...



Sunday, April 22, 2012

MARA TREES

...this may seem like a strange post but I was totally captivated by the trees in the Mara...each one different from the other...like beautiful sculptures...

..."Mara", which is Maa (Maasai language) for "spotted," is an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that mark the area...and Mara is an extension of the great Serengeti, "Serenget", which is Maa for "endless plains"...
 
...they are indeed endless...





...the majority of the trees are the umbrella acacia...




 ...small whistling acacia...
...named because stinging ants  burrow into the trees' pods producing a whistling sound as wind blows through the holes...