Summer memories

 The lack of blogs since May is evidence itself to the fact that we are not very good bloggers (excluding Ben, who regularly contributes to http://www.bbfo.blogspot.com ). While the winds are raging outside and the temperatures dip close to zero, it seems a good time to catch up a bit and especially to dwell on warm summer holidays.........
Our expedition to Kenya was a special treat, one that we had been looking forward to for years (well, most of us had - Steve took a little persuading as his last sub-Saharan visit was a bit of a bad experience health-wise! Thankfully this Kenyan visit was a positive one).
 Here's a few snapshots....

We started our Kenyan tour with a few days of luxury on Samatian Island in the middle of Lake Boringo.

View of Samatian island from Ol Kakwe

Our lovely accommodation on Samatian island..with an all-round open view.

Ben was rarely without his camera; it seemed permanently attached to his shoulder!

Jo and Ben in one of the canoes on our way over to visit the island of Ol Kakwe. There were crocodiles in the water but they weren't too big .

The biggest termite mound we saw!

                          And we thought that getting sheep off Ynys Enlli was a challenge !

Rachel sketching the resident Verreux eagle owl, 'Wu' (top right-hand corner in the tree)

'Wu'..a dignified and aloof bird who spent most of his time sitting in the tree above the path, looking down on everyone.

                                                    A tortoise crossing ..!

You need big machines when your fields are 900 acres each ! Laurie Sessions shows Steve around the machine sheds at their farm near Mt Kenya.

Steve had an opportunity to check Laurie's hives of African bees...they were a lot more aggressive than our mild Welsh bees...so much so that they are only checked during late evening darkness so that they don't follow you back to the house !

         We spent one morning being shown around a wildlife reserve next door to Sarah and Laurie's farm.

A blind White Rhino callled Baraka....it would gently eat grass out of your hand !

A rare sight; an elusive leopard right next to the road.

We had a quick walk up the lower slopes of Mt Kenya....drove up to 2500m then walked up to 3500m.

                       Internal flight from Nairobi out to the coast at Malindi.

         Watamu beach. We were staying at the A Rocha base just 100m back from the beach.

      The raised board walk at Meda Creek where A Rocha have been pioneering conservation work.

       Steve found a kite-surfing school just along the beach...you're never too old to learn new things !

We spent a couple of hours early one morning watching this turtle cover it's nest of eggs with sand before heading back to sea.