GETTING THERE
OK, fine; how did we wind up in Kenya anyway? It's very simple, really. Fly from Phoenix to Newark and pick up a big KLM/Royal Dutch airplane to Amsterdam. Then change to the Nairobi fight and land in Nairobi that evening. Oh, yeah, don't forget to have your guides pick you up and take you to the Norfolk Hotel. Get up early the next morning and let the guides drive you to your first game preserve and camp. Simple.
Newark Airport: We had a long time in Newark and, since we have curious minds, we explored. The monorail system is a ball and we rode it back and forth and became fascinated with the way in which train direction was reversed at each end. Look at these photos in sequence. We boarded a big Airbus to Amsterdam after we had completed our train surveys.

                                         

In the air: Everyone knows that you can't get decent photos out of a plane window. The KLM flights were about 8 hours each and they seem to understand how difficult that can be. We were treated very well by KLM - good meals were served, snacks and drinks were brought, and a full library of movies, games, and more were available using a controller unit and the LCD screen at each seat. We could also track our flight progress in the same manner.

                                                                                    

                                              Mediterranean                                         African shoreline
Norfolk Hotel: This is a grand hotel with a long history dating back to British colonial days. We found it to be a very pleasant place although we were there only to sleep and have breakfast. We were to return to this same point on the day we left to spend an afternoon.

                            

                                        

The road to Sweetwaters: Early in the morning we loaded up the Land Rovers (awesome vehicles) and drove north for several hours. This drive, regardless of an intermittent light rain, was an attraction in its own right. Roads are paved but were not very good - the difference between dirt roads and paved roads is in the sharpness of there potholes. It was Saturday morning and the roadsides were full of people walking to and from bus stops. Buses are small Toyota vans which are everywhere since few Kenyans have cars. Most of these people work in Nairobi all week and go home into the countryside for the weekends.Checkpoints set up by the police and manned by well-armed officials are common and they serve to control licensing and overloading of buses. Oh, yeah, gas costs about $4.40 per gallon when you do the math from shillings per liter. Mid-morning we made a stop at a large "curio" shop and were welcomed by Francis who attached himself to us. He told us that this shop is actually a cooperative for several thousand Kenyan local craftsmen. It was very tightly packed with teak and ebony carvings and various other art-forms. Make an offer.