Larry Ottman
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Bird Catalog
For those of you interested in such things, here is the listing of the birds that I saw while on my trip. I will start with the ones for which I was able to get usable pictures. However, my photography skills being what they are, most were only seen, so I have just inserted Wikipedia…
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Kwaheri, Kenya!!
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…
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Monday and Tuesday: Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island
We drove out Monday morning to our final destination of the trip: Lake Naivasha and the Enashipai resort. This is a VERY exclusive, full-service resort where it was so nice, that I almost feel like I didn’t belong. Paul is on the board and is good friends with the owner so he is able to…
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Sunday: The Maasai Mara
We said goodbye to our Maasai friends and headed for the Maasai Mara National Park. We are close to the busy season so there were a lot of trucks entering the park this morning. A vast grassland that reminds me of the western plains only with abundant wildlife, it is actually part of the Serengeti…
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Saturday: A visit to a Maasai Village
We headed out of Nairobi at a very reasonable 8 am. I get to travel this final leg with Paul’s third and eldest son, Ethan, who had just graduated from high school. We travelled west on the expressway and I watched the familiar scenes of the Matatus, the market where we shopped, and the neighborhood…
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Friday: A shorter day with a return to Nairobi
Today was a little less active. After an early morning talking more with Zach (owner of cottages) over a cup of masala chai, we headed back for Nairobi for a stop on the Kenyan National Museum. This is mostly a natural history museum with some great materials on the history of Kenya that I think…
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Thursday: Out to the Central Highlands
I checked out of my hotel early this morning and we made our way back out of the city into the Central Highlands toward the Aberdare range. It is beautiful, lush green mountainous country that is predominantly known for producing tea. It is also home to my host’s tribe, the Kikuyu, which is the largest…
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Wednesday: School Visits and Kenyan Culture
Today we visited two very different schools. This post will be a little light on pictures out of respect for the privacy of the students. First thing this morning we went to the school where my host, Paul, sends his children. It is an international school that caters to locals and expats from other parts…
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Monday and Tuesday: Intense City Experience followed by a forced day of rest (national protests)
Monday I have stopped numbering days because I am losing track, so we will change it to days of the week. I am also sure that I am going to start to fall behind on the next days of the trip as I shift my focus away from my own experiences and we start to…
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Day Four: A little bit of a breather!
Today was my lightest scheduled day and I think I needed it. I got the best night of sleep yet. In two days I start doing the abridged version of the trip the students will take and it is going to be a whirlwind: one day in each location, so I am grateful to catch…
Kenya 2024: Zekavat Summer Sabbatical 