WELCOME TO MY TRAVEL BLOG

I have always enjoyed traveling, even if it meant sleeping in a tent when I was younger. I prefer hotels and cruise cabins now, but the motivation is the same...an adventure waiting to happen. Sometimes you will find me traveling with my husband and/or family. Sometimes I will travel alone, and sometimes I will travel with friends. I hope you find it entertaining to keep up to date with me as I explore the world around me. Warning...I like to take pictures of food so don't read if you're hungry. More adventures await...see ya soon...Amy.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Kenya: Hot Air Balloon and Last Safari

We had to get up before dawn this morning for a Hot Air Balloon ride!!! The balloons take off as the sun is rising, I suppose to take advantage of the air currents.



To take off and to land, we were in a sitting position with our back flat against the side. We were actually laying on our back to take off


















We survived our Balloon Ride with a pretty big jolt upon landing. The winds were higher than the pilot expected so we came in a little fast. We were picked up by a vehicle that had been following us. We saw more animals as we were driven to where we would have breakfast.




we might not have seen this Cheetah if it had not been spotted by another safari vehicle




We were quite surprised to arrive at our "breakfast" set out in the middle of Massai Mara.


I was super excited to see the "potty tent". There was a little red stool with a hole in it to sit on. When you came out they rubbed your hands with soap, poured water on them and dried them.

We had a first class spread of delicious breakfast food!


This group of Lions had worked hard to take down a hippo.
I loved how the Topi like to stand on mounds of dirt!










When we arrived back to Fig Tree Camp after our Balloon ride and last Safari, I jumped in the shower quickly before we went to lunch. Danny chose not to shower as we expected to take a shower later that evening when we arrived in Nairobi.

Eating lunch before we set out to travel back to Nairobi and then home.

We thought Jonathan did a GREAT job at showing us the safari!
Vance and Cherry had a friend picking us up from the airport and taking us to his house where we could shower and his wife would serve us dinner. Our best laid plans succumbed to traffic woes and by the time we arrived at his house, there was only time to "wash the stinky parts", eat very quickly and then back to the airport for our flight home.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Kenya: A Full Day of Safari

While at Masai Mara, we have a morning safari and a late afternoon safari. Today we decided to have a longer morning safari and to have a picnic lunch out on the safari!


We saw these balloons this morning and we were excited because it's what we are doing tomorrow if the weather allows.















This Cheetah had a kill up in the tree. There was a younger cheetah at the base of the tree that we did not get a good look at.




Our picnic lunch was delicious served on a blanket spread on the hood of our safari vehicle. I thought these eggs were interesting as they were orange with a white center. 






 When Cheetahs move in the grass they are very well camouflaged.








 This set of cheetahs passed right in front of our vehicle without stopping. We were told that as long as we are in the vehicle, we become part of the vehicle. If we stepped outside of the vehicle we would become prey.


We stopped at this Hippo pond where Crocodiles were also present.   Danny scared me half to death by climbing out on this log to get a better look. Hippos are extremely dangerous and we kept a respectable distance from them.



One of these little innocent looking fellows jumped over my shoulder from a tree, bounded onto the table while my head was down praying, and snitched a roll off of the table at dinner!!












 We were surprised to see a tiny little Dik Dik camouflaged in the grass!




At dinner we were treated to a traditional Massai dance. They jump really really high!




 This Eland was orphaned and the hotel took it in and raised it. It comes back to visit often and is very tame.


 It was a full day of safari and we were exhausted when we returned back to the hotel. While we were at dinner, our mosquito netting was pulled around our beds and we could hear the hippos outside in the water below our tent.  Sleep should come quickly. Until tomorrow....