A funny thing happened on the way to the blog this evening. I bought a new memory card on my way over here yesterday(ish).. I was eager to take some pictures of the one bit of sightseeing that I was going to get to do. After a hard and very interesting days work friend David took me and his freind (and my new freind) Karen. to the David Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino orphan sanctuary a few miles out of Nairobi. we got to pet a bunch of baby orphan elephants and oogle a couple of very big baby rhinos. All had been orphaned or abandoned.. It was nice to see them cared for here.. after a couple of years of care, they are put out in the wild with a receptive tribe of local elephants .. and have fared pretty well.. .It was a great visit. and well worth the drive through Nairobi rush hour traffic to see. Afterwards, David took me to his favorite restaurant in the area.. it’s called.. (guess) .. CARNIVORE.. a perfect place for a vegetarian.. Actually. it was a whole lot of fun. they had a surprisingly good vegetarian menu.. I got to watch as the chefs brough David and Karen skewer after skewer of rasted carcass (beef, lamb, pork, crocadile, ostrich, chicken , gizzards, ox testicles (I kid you not) .. ostrich meatballs… they kept bringing them until you lowered the little flag on the table in surrender. It was a great meal and a great conversation.. Unfortunately.. I’m now back in my room and have found that my laptop cannot read the @^#$! SD card.. Unfortunately neither I.. nor any of my friends here have one of the old fashioned mini USB cables that might otherwise give me access to the pictures..  even tried the Hotel lost and found.. what to do ? .. I had one of those aha moments that I thought was brilliant.. but in the end only worked so-so. I used my Ipad to photograph the pictures on the cameras tiny scratched screen.. As you’ll see the results are kind of an impressionistic and blurry version of my day… .. But frankly, I’m feeling a bit impressionistic and blurry myself .. so maybe it’s fitting.. You be the judge I will upload a few  better pictures from this card when I get a cable tomorrow.

Here are some scenes from my run this morning.. the black and graininess is from me trying to hold the ipad still as I took the picture off the screen on the back of my camera.. not the best.. but you get the picture

 

After a very full day at work. Our driver Peter picked us up and drove us through the busy streets of the city

The city has nice parts and crowded parts..

people walked through the stalled traffic selling everything you can imagine, corn on the cob, potatoe chips, telletubby inflatables, maps, and scrabble games were a few of the items profered today as e sat

school was letting out.. kids are kids all over the world.. every one looks pretty fit and happy here..

well.. at least most of them are fit..

sorry you cant see this.. we came across a three baboons hanging out by the side of the road..

 

finally we got to the preserve.. it was in a beautiful setting near the national park

here’s my favorite baby rhino.. he was found blind and abandoned a few years back.. hes doing ok now.. More on him later

he’s a biter though.. you could pet the elephant babys.. but were advised against touching this guy

I left him a samstone well out of munching distance

then I took my time introducing myself to all the elephants.. CUTE !! they were so playful. a couple of them grabbed my arm and hand with their trunks.

here’s another baby rhino.. much smaller.. He was close enough to pet.. but I didn’t.. I valued my fingers

this baby elephant is only a month or so old !

heres the guy that David adopted.. I have better pictures on the camera.. but they didn’t come out on the ipad

and here’s Carnivore.. really a cool place.. here’s the charcol pit they use to roast all the dead stuff…

and here’s David enjoying another  slice of hoofs and snoots..

So.. as you see the pictures are terrible.. but it was a fun excursion.. as I said, I’ll upload a few of the good ones when I find a cable tomorrow..

 

I’m feeling a little sad and home sick now. so I’ll try to get some sleep.. I miss my family..love you guys

More tomorrow. Night all !
-me