Strong Like Lion

Imara Kama Simba - that's the Pilsner brand motto here in Kenya - it means 'Strong like Lion.' I think that's my favorite kiswahili phrase!

We've had some fun adventures in & around Nairobi so far. Over the weekend, Mary and I visited the house where Karen Blixen wrote Out of Africa, then we stopped by Kazuri Bead & Pottery factory (see previous post below), and then we went to this giraffe conservancy where we got to feed giraffes by hand! (I'm counting - now that's rhinos and giraffes - whose slobber do I want next?)

On Sunday, we went to the open-air Masai Market. To me, these places have gotten a bit old - the chachkis are interesting, and of course I bought some little things - but agressive vendors physically grabbing you and using every manipulation tactic they know - it's very overwhelming. I think the worst one I experienced was in Victoria Falls - where I made up a fake identity (27 year old Amy from NYC, thank you very much) to avoid the overwhelming-ness of the vendors.

I have started to make a game out of it - how fast can I get through all the stalls without offending or buying anything (Hello sister! Yes please, I will give you the best price - a special price for you, my sister! Please make my day, and be the first one to buy from my shop. Yes madam, these goods are all the best quality - I make them myself. For you, the resident price - I can see you are not a tourist - but your friend, she must be a visitor. It started at 1500, but I give it to you for 1200.) Here you have to be a really tough bargainer -everything gets cut in 1/2 immediately, and you end up paying about 70% what they initially offered. I had a great moment on Sunday, when somebody asked me a ridiculous price for some bracelets, and I just burst out laughing and walked away. The vendor came all the way down to my price (16% of what he offered)!

Then, today my colleague and I visited this baby elephant orphanage where they rescue elephants who have been abandoned by their packs (or orphaned by hunters, poachers, natural causes, etc). The place is only open to visitors one hour each day - so that the elephants don't get too used to humans, and can learn to live in the wild. The orphanage takes them in anywhere from 2 weeks up to 2 years - and feeds them until they are 3 years old, at which time they are returned to the wild to join an elephant family.

Visitor-time feeding takes place from 11-12 every day, and the elephants come into a little roped off area to drink their bottles and play in the mud. If you love elephants, this place is for you. They are so fun-loving and cute! They roll around in the mud, cuddle with each other, and even make friends with the visitors. The elephants' skin is rough and scratchy and wrinkly, but they are just as playful as they can be - one of them even knocked a soccer ball my direction! I shot it back of course. As cute as the animals are, you still get the sense that they are wild and very powerful. Just a little tiny baby elephant could easily knock you over.

That's all so far - I'll be sure to post pictures from these places as soon as I can.