Senior Couples Conference at Tsavo West Park

The day after Heather left, we were to head down to Tsavo West to a Senior Couples Conference.  That morning, LeRon woke up very sick and I had to run over to my neighbor, Dr. Shrikant, for help.  So nice to have a good doctor next door!!  The next day, LeRon was feeling well enough to drive us down to the conference but we missed most of it.  It was nice to be with the other couples.  I don't have a picture of all of us yet since it was taken on someone else's camera.  But I have pictures of the ride down and of the park, which is absolutely gorgeous.

Wild ostriches in a field by the road.

Everybody goes "up-country" for Christmas.  This means that they go to their rural homes to be with extended family.  Buses are packed with people and belongings.

We loved seeing the cropland beside the "Mombasa highway" which is called that because it goes from Nairobi to Mombasa.  It's a narrow two-lane road with tons of traffic and is actually a very dangerous road.

Beautiful red soil and cropland.

Lots of colorful markets along the way.

We love Muslim mosques.  Love the domes and green and white colors.

Pineapple plantation with our first look at Baobab trees.

Tsavo West park is lovely.  Love that red soil!

Marabou Stork.

Beautiful view from the Kilaguni Lodge within Tsavo West park.  These man-made ponds generally attract lots of wildlife, especially at night.  One night President Msane saw elephants and two lions come to drink.  When we were there, it poured rain and no animals came.  Sad.

The scenery was definitely "other worldly."

Mt. Kilimanjaro lies to the south of Tsavo Park.  It's usually covered in mist but this morning we could see it.  Exciting!!

Cute little dik-dik.  They are like huge jack rabbits!  We saw lots of them.

A Vulturine Guineafowl.  Lovely bird.

Volcanic mountain.

We went on a game drive and saw lots of birds and small animals but not many large ones.  T

Giraffes are my newest favorite animal.  They are so graceful and their spots are so unique.

I've always thought deer/antelopes were kind of ho-hum since we have lots of deer at home in Alberta Canada.  But here, they look so gorgeous with the trees and red soil.

An Ostrich family with seven little ostriches.

On our way out of the park, there were seven elephants crossing the road right in front of us.  I was so excited that I forgot to take the cap off the camera lens.  I kept snapping pictures but couldn't see them.  Ha ha.  Finally got the cap off after the elephants were across the road.

They are regal creatures.  And red, just like the red soil that they roll in.

So interesting how they grab branches with their trunks and stuff them in their mouths.

I've been reading about elephants, how they have definite personalities and they love their little babies and mourn when family members die.  So interesting.