We started out our last day in Africa by going to Babu's store. Sister Jensen's husband had meetings to go to so she came with us. Close by Babu's store, is an open air market. My parents had never been to it and so we decided to check it out. We were walking by it, trying to find the entrance when I heard shouting behind me and turned around and saw all of these guys running towards me. My first thought was run! They told us that we were going the wrong way and showed us to the entrance. While taking us to the entrance each of us got escorts of about three guys telling us that they would help us and to pick out what we wanted and then they would give us a package deal. Inside the market Mom, Sister Jensen and I were escorted down one aisle while they took Philip and Dad a different way. They kept trying to separate us and I made them keep stopping so that Mom and Sister Jensen could catch up with me. They kept telling me that I had to keep moving because I was blocking traffic. I told them what I was looking for and they took me to a booth that sold dolls but in the process Mom and I managed to lose Sister Jensen in the crowd. At the booth that sold the doll, I asked the girl how much the doll was and she told me 1200 ksh, I told my mom and she said, "Holy moly, do we have sucker written on our forehead?" I told the girl that I had bought the same doll for 150 ksh and I wasn't going to pay more than that. She sold me the doll for that price and wanted me to buy more. After that all of our escorts magically disappeared. I think they realized they weren't going to get the tourist prices they wanted out of us. We then found Dad and Philip and split up to search for Sister Jensen. When we finally found her she was very happy to see us, she still had her escorts. We decided that we didn't like this market, there was way too much pressure and unwanted help.
After lunch we went to the factories and saw where they make some of the stuff they sell like clothes and bags and such. We were able to get some bags at wholesale prices there. At the stall where Sister Jensen and I bought our bags, the people behind the counter started laughing after we had paid for them. We found out why later when we found the same bag for cheaper at a different stall.
For dinner we went with all of the couple missionaries to Osteria, an Italian restaurant, we then said goodbye to them all and they waved their white napkins. They said they do this when they say goodbye.
Right before we got to the airport we saw zebras and then giraffes along the side the road. I thought it was nice of them to come and say goodbye to us.
Showing posts with label Africa vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Africa vacation. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Day 12 - Samson the leopard
We woke up early to go on our game drive. Everybody really wanted to see a leopard today and so when we got the call that a leopard had been spotted with it's kill we were very excited but we had to cross the river and it had rained the night before and made the crossing very slick, going down the bank on the one side of the river was okay, but when we started up the other side we couldn't quite make it, Samson tried about 5 times to go up the bank and right when we thought we were going to make it we got stuck. There were about 5 trucks that were all planning on crossing the river with us and one followed us down, when the others saw the trouble we were having they waited to come down. When we realized we weren't going to be able to make it up the one side of the river we turned around to go out the other side but the truck that had followed us down couldn't make it back out that side either, so after several attempts they had everybody in that car get out and walk up the bank and a more experienced driver drove the truck up the bank. Then Samson tried with us in the truck to get up the bank but his truck wouldn't make it either so he had us get out and walk up the bank and then he was finally able to get up. After we were all back in our trucks we got word that the leopard had taken her kill into a bush and they couldn't find her. So we search around for a different leopard for a while then moved onto another area. We decided to have them give us our breakfasts in a box instead of going back to the lodge and on our way to the spot where we were planning on eating our breakfast we saw a hippo walking out of the water and a pride of lions. We then sat by the river and our driver laid out blankets and we ate our breakfast. While we were by the river we saw crocodiles and a hippo stand up in the water.
We then drove over to lookout mountain, which my dad's usual driver Ruben, calls Luke Mountain. From there we could see Tanzania. We then started our trek back to the lodge but on the way our driver Samson decided he wanted to have another shot at looking for a leopard so we drove slowly through the trees when all of the sudden Samson slammed on the breaks and told us to look up, right above us in the trees was a leopard with his kill. After all of the trucks in our party got there the leopard decided it would bring its kill out of the tree and so we watched it come out of the tree with it's gazelle and take it into the bushes and start eating it. We decided to name the leopard Samson since he was the one that found it, one of the mission president couples that were with us have been in Africa for almost 2 years and had never seen a leopard so they were very excited to see it.
Then our drivers dropped us off by the swinging bridge across the river from our resort and we walked across the river to where lunch was waiting for us.
After lunch we went on another game drive, we saw a hippo out of the water, elephants, one had her baby and we saw the baby nursing. We also saw two male lions laying on the ground, after we started to drive off one of them got up and walked right next to the truck that was there and went over by where his brother was laying. We drove through what our driver calls Paradise Valley where we saw lots of animals. He then took us to where the animals cross in July-December when they are migrating. At the crossing we saw crocodiles and hippos, and I saw a monkey in a tree. On our way back to the resort we saw elephants, ostriches and lions.
Back at the resort while we were waiting for dinner, we saw two hippos walking along the bank of the river. During dinner the Masai warriors did a dance for us, Sister Esplin, Sister Anderson and Sister Taylor danced with them. Then all of the waiters and cooks came out singing and brought a cake out for Elder Littlefield and sang happy birthday to him, he is 70. While we were eating dinner I saw a bush baby in the rafters, they like to come and steal your food when you are not paying attention.
We then drove over to lookout mountain, which my dad's usual driver Ruben, calls Luke Mountain. From there we could see Tanzania. We then started our trek back to the lodge but on the way our driver Samson decided he wanted to have another shot at looking for a leopard so we drove slowly through the trees when all of the sudden Samson slammed on the breaks and told us to look up, right above us in the trees was a leopard with his kill. After all of the trucks in our party got there the leopard decided it would bring its kill out of the tree and so we watched it come out of the tree with it's gazelle and take it into the bushes and start eating it. We decided to name the leopard Samson since he was the one that found it, one of the mission president couples that were with us have been in Africa for almost 2 years and had never seen a leopard so they were very excited to see it.
Then our drivers dropped us off by the swinging bridge across the river from our resort and we walked across the river to where lunch was waiting for us.
After lunch we went on another game drive, we saw a hippo out of the water, elephants, one had her baby and we saw the baby nursing. We also saw two male lions laying on the ground, after we started to drive off one of them got up and walked right next to the truck that was there and went over by where his brother was laying. We drove through what our driver calls Paradise Valley where we saw lots of animals. He then took us to where the animals cross in July-December when they are migrating. At the crossing we saw crocodiles and hippos, and I saw a monkey in a tree. On our way back to the resort we saw elephants, ostriches and lions.
Back at the resort while we were waiting for dinner, we saw two hippos walking along the bank of the river. During dinner the Masai warriors did a dance for us, Sister Esplin, Sister Anderson and Sister Taylor danced with them. Then all of the waiters and cooks came out singing and brought a cake out for Elder Littlefield and sang happy birthday to him, he is 70. While we were eating dinner I saw a bush baby in the rafters, they like to come and steal your food when you are not paying attention.
The truck that followed us down, trying to get up the bank.
Our driver Samson driving our jeep up the bank without us.
Masai Warrior
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)