After the trip to Crescent Island, we gathered our luggage and started the now familiar drive back into the vibrant bustle of Nairobi. Paul took me for an outstanding lunch at a nice restaurant for Kenyan food because I had been asking him about the traditional who fish. So we had a whole, incredibly fresh tilapia in coconut sauce with traditional Kenyan accompaniments of brown Ugali and spinach that we ate in true Kenyan fashion, with our hands. It was wonderful and we were both very full.

Throughout the trip we have joked about the difference in my perceptions of the weather and that of the locals. Most days it was in the low 70s for a high and the 50s at night. When we were in some of the outlying areas, especially the first few nights at Ol Pajeta, is may have gotten into the 40s. The places we stayed all provided hot water bottles for comfortable sleeping, but it was a bit of a cold spell by Kenyan standards. Of course I was in heaven, especially knowing the oppressive heat wave that was going on while I was away. There were many times during the trip that I was dripping in disgusting layers of sweat while everyone around me was wearing sweaters and talking about how cold they were. We laughed about this frequently. I thought our lunch summed this up as there were people in thick wool sweaters, scarves, and jackets in the restaurant and they had charcoal pots every few tables, hence my expression in this picture.

I also got to meet Maggie, a Tembo Wild employee who has been instrumental in helping plan both my trip and the school trip. She will most likely go along with us during the trip next March. She was an impressive young woman and I look forward to working with her more. It was interesting to hear her thoughts and passion about the Gen Z protests also. They drove me to the airport hotel where they had arranged a day room for me to freshen up and repack before my late evening flight. This was such a HUGE awesome touch and will be part of the student trip as well. Having a chance to take a long hot shower, freshen up, and rest before a long transcontinental flight really makes a big difference in your mental and physical well being before traveling.

I had almost an 8 hour layover, so in spite of my intense exhaustion, I thought breaking up a 9 hour and 8 hour flight with a power walk through London would be a good idea. Heathrow does not seem like a pleasant place to spend a long layover. I had booked Heathrow express tickets that whisked me quickly to Paddington Station where I caught a tube to Charing Cross (it was so easy as they take Apple Pay, I just swiped my phone and away I went, no need to purchase oyster cards or tickets!). I walked from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace, down to Westminster Abbey and across to the south bank. After crossing on the Millennium Bridge, it was about 9:30 when I sat down at a small cafe for breakfast, then made my way up to the closest tube station that took me back to Paddington Station and the airport for my final flight home.

I feel like after all of this I should have something deep and reflective to share, and I am sure there will be time and need for that, but now I am just humbled and filled with the depth of my experience and incredibly thankful to return home to reconnect with family and to catch up on sleep in a well-air conditioned house.