Nature Reserve

This majestic Waterbuck was standing right near the gate as we entered the park. He was so large and regal looking.

This wild beast is an African Water Buffalo and he was perturbed. Before I got to him, I was watching 2 male tourists from afar taunting the buck and getting far too close. I really thought the buck would charge them. Stupid tourists get killed every year because they get out of their cars and get too close to the wildlife.

                                                                                                              

There were so many types of wild game in the park. I don't know the  names of a lot of them but looked on line and think I have them correctly identified.

A lot of different types of gazelle reside in the park. A gazelle is any type of the many antelope species in the genus Gazella. I learned that the word gazelle derives from the Persian word "Ghazal" which means "elegant and quick ".

Impala, eating in the bushes.

I enjoy taking photos of animals that watch me closely.

I keep my respectful distance.

(Defassa) Waterbuck feasting in the forest.

I think this one is called Thomson's gazelle. They depend on short grasses for sustenance.

Impala

I wanted to get a little closer to the water birds. You are probably not supposed to get out of the car and walk around.  The lions are in the forest but I kept my eyes open. though I am sure I couldn't outrun a lion. The rhinos, various mammals, baboons and zebras are in a different area.

  

Friends taking photos.

Breathtaking views from the clifftop.

I love looking down from high above.

I've always been fascinated by zebras and this baby zebra was so cute.

Zebras always seem to quietly & peacefully go about their business.

This little guy was very curious and watched me as I snapped away.

See how well camouflaged these animals are. I think these are young Waterbuck or Impala Antelope.

Hiding in the bushes on the way to the cliffs was this baby Dik dik. Poor thing. I think it lost it's mom.

Joining in with host Eileen at   Saturday's Critters.

Kericho & Tea

My favourite area of Kenya is in the highlands,west of the Great Rift Valley. The small town of Kericho is in this area.

Can you spot Kericho on the map?  It is several hours west of Nairobi.

Kericho's population is about 150,000 and total population around the area is about half a million people (1999 census so the information is a bit out of date). While that doesn't sound so small it has a very small town feel about the place. Kericho is the hub or center of the tea industry. Most of what it grows in tea is shipped to the United Kingdom. The main tea companies are Unilever and Finlay's and Ketapa.

Tea is so important to this town that the town square is even called Chai Square. Chai is the Indian word for aromatic spiced tea.

On my last trip to Kericho I snapped the photo of these 3 beautiful trees as we entered town from Nakuru, a larger city located to the north east of Kericho. Nakuru tends to get a lot more tourist activity than Kericho because it is closer to the flamingos and other wildlife I featured in an earlier post. Nakuru is also a central location as a jump off point for many other tourist destinations in Kenya.

It was a very hazy day when we arrived in Kericho and the skies were not so terribly exciting.  However, the thing that stood out to me  is the sheer beauty of the town.  The tea estates and tea crops which dot the hills and valleys around the area are a vibrant green colour.  I should say shades of green which give a depth to the colour instead of making it look lifeless and flat because everything is the same shade of green.  In the photos above and below virtually all the greenery on the ground consists of tea bushes.

In this photo taken from the car, the skies are a very pretty blue with white fluffy clouds. This is how it usually looks whenever I've travelled to Kericho. It can get quite hot at times but it usually rains for a short while every day and then the sun comes out.  I understand that right now they are experiencing a dearth of rain.

I pray the rains will arrive soon.  Kericho's rain keeps everything green and fresh.  The the rain is needed for the tea crops and for the farms. The people depend on it like all farming people depend on the right weather at the right time.

In my last photo you will see how hazy it is. The beautiful red roof tops are the roof tops of houses on a tea estate. The people who work on the tea estates live and work there. The housing is provided by the tea estate companies. I'm not sure but I think the workers pay rent also.

Kericho is home to the world's single largest tea plantation. It is also the home to the first fossil ape Kenyapithecus discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961. It is a beautiful little town with manicured looking tea estates & beautiful lawns and gardens. The weather is usually very agreeable for those that prefer moderate temperatures.

I hope you enjoyed this "peek" into the town of Kericho, Kenya.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday today.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Pelicans at Lake Bogoria

Recently, I've been featuring the beautiful Soi Safari Lodge and wildlife around Lake Baringo, Kenya.

Today I begin featuring the area around Lake Bagoria, Kenya. This lake is one of the least visited lakes of the Rift Valley in Kenya and is located about 60 miles north of the city of Nakuru.

Don't be deceived by the seemingly short distance. It will take you longer than 1 hour's drive to get there but you will get to see a lot of the countryside during the drive.

If you go, I recommend you take a tour from one of the hotels or get the hotel to help you hire a driver for the day. You might also choose to stay at one or more of the hotels in the general area.

This lake is home to a hot springs (more about that in another post) and to various birds like the lesser flamingo which I featured in an earlier post.

On this day I was interested in the pelicans which seemed to congregate in a more secluded section of the lake, away from the tourists and flamingos.

It was a real treat to see these pelicans peacefully floating on the water in small groups.

Joining in with Wild Bird Wednesday today.

 

Anticipation

 

Anticipating the warmer temperatures ahead and beautiful gardens.

Linking up with Mosaic Monday
Today's Flowers
I Heart Macro 
Roses of Inspiration
and Our World Tuesday.

Continuing my Tour on Lake Baringo

In my last photo tour of my trip to Lake Baringo Kenya, I shared some photos of the interior of  Soi Safari Lodge where I stayed and some of the outside areas too.

Today I am going to share more scenes from the waterfront.

The beautiful scene from Soi Safari Lodge.

 

While I was on the boat tour I snapped many photos.

As we make our way out onto Lake Baringo, I snap a photo of the beautiful Soi Safari Lodge

Fishermen are transporting cattle to market. They are from the island so can't drive into town.

 

I am not a birder per se.  But I do like birds a lot. I was pleasantly surprised to capture a few of them in my photos while I was busy snapping photos of the beautiful environment all around me.

Birds nest in the trees on the water. I think there is a bird in the tree too.

I've read that there are over 500 bird species in and around the lake. Can you imagine?!

This is a birder's paradise and perhaps some day I will be able to spend time just to specifically for birds on a tour of the area.

 As it is I was happy for the bird photos I was able to capture in my short time on the water.

Little Egret

Pied Kingfisher

 

I'm not one hundred percent sure but I think the bird in the photo above and below is an African Darter.

The fishermen will throw a fish to an eagle so tourists can capture a photo.

The eagle wasn't cooperating because it had eaten several times that day already with other tours. Sylvester shows me his guide book so I could see what the eagle looks like.

These boats are made out of a very lightweight wood (almost like cork) that floats very well.

A close up of the wood from which the boat is made.

These buildings along the waterfront are almost hidden by the lush vegetation.

  Boats of all kinds are on shore.

 Fishermen's boats and the blue boats are probably local men hoping for tourists.

Nearing the hotel shoreline.

You can see the unique roof line of Soi Safari Lodge. Other buildings are of the small town.

There are more tourists from the lodge waiting for the boat to take them on the water.

 I hope you enjoyed the tour. 

I also hope some day you can take a trip to this beautiful area of the world.

Lake Baringo, Kenya

x ~ x ~

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.
Check it out and see lovely skies from all around the world.