Kenya: Making friends with a giraffe

As a pretty seasoned traveler, there are some things that were never on my bucket list. Some of them I had no interest in seeing or doing. Others I figured would just happen naturally in the course of my travels. Floating in the Dead Sea is a great example. I never dreamed of doing it, but assumed it would happen one day. And it did. Going on a safari is another example. I have never dreamed of doing one, but wasn't against the idea. It just wasn't at the top of my bucket list.

Bossman announced in August that we would lead a training event at a conference center in Kenya, and all of a sudden I was excited about the idea of a safari. However... I didn't want to spend loads of money on one, and I didn't want to spend 7+ hours in a Land Cruiser just getting to the Masai Mara after having just recovered from back surgery. A friend who grew up in Kenya suggested a hotel called The Ark Hotel, which is just a few hours outside of Nairobi. I spoke with some others about joining along, and they all agreed they wanted to go the non-traditional route for our safari.

Our driver picked us up at the airport in Nairobi, and after packing all our suitcases into the back of the Land Cruiser, we took off for Aberdare National Park. Immediately upon leaving the airport, we saw zebras!!! After that we laughed about how the only animals we saw on the way to our game driver were loads of cows, sheep, and birds. We took note (literally) of all the interesting business names and ads we saw along the way. 

• Montezuma Mona Lisa Funeral Home
• If You Win We Win Super Market
• If you like it Crown it
• Enjoy a Tusker
• Small Wonders for Construction Miracles
• God’s Favor Shop
• Prestige Butchery and Hotel

First stop: Aberdare Country Club for lunch and then a walk around the animal reserve. We were able to walk up to any animal that didn't run away. The zebras were a bit skittish, but it was still amazing to see them in their natural habitat. Next we saw impala (which I mistook for antelope...I learned a lot about animals on this trip) and some warthogs that ran off into a bush.

    

As I was walking back to the Land Cruiser, I spotted a giraffe off in the distance. I slowly walked my way towards her (I decided it was a her, but it might have been a him...I couldn't tell). I walked as slowly and quietly as possible so as not to scare her off into the bush. I sure wanted to see what she looked like running...but I also wanted to get as close as she would allow. She turned and looked me directly in the eye, even took a step towards me. Never have I seen such a beautiful animal. 

I was fully mesmerized and delighted. I'd seen three kinds of animals already, within my first hour in the park. I think I'd kept my expectations low to actually see any animals...and so already my expectations were exceeded, and we hadn't even started our game drives yet. We climbed into the Land Cruiser full of excitement for what was to come...would there be more zebras and giraffes? Would we see elephants? Would a rhino charge our vehicle? Would we spot the ever reclusive leopard in the trees? What other kinds of animals might we see? Would any animals appear at the watering hole next to the Ark Hotel?

This much I did know: after just one small encounter with a friendly giraffe... the camel had been replaced as my favorite. Sorry camels. I still love you, but giraffes are more elegant and less ornery. This friendly tall creature didn't spit at me, growl at me, or try to bite me. We had a connection and it was lovely enough to steal my heart.

Doing a safari had never been on my bucket list... and just a few hours into one, I'd seen how wrong I'd been to never dream of doing one. There's a reason why seasoned travelers all seem to do certain things like float in the Dead Sea and go on a safari. Those things are amazing, beyond words or description. They are something one who wants to see the world must do. The awe of meeting this giraffe in the wild opened my mind to dream of more bucket list things this traveler needs to dream of, adventures that await.