These are images from last weekend, when we went on a safari in Nakuru National Park, three hours from Nairobi, communed with flamingoes on some scenic lakes and just took in the majestic views of the volcano-created hills and plateaus that make up the Kenyan rift valley. Probably the most unusual experience was a cycling safari through a surprisingly little-known park called Hell's Gate--you can go among the animals by bicycle because there is nothing too scary there, like lions, rhinos or elephants.
However, there are dangers of another kind: while happily pedaling down the hill on my bike, I pressed down on the hand brake to find that it wasn't working, then tried the foot brake, which turned out to be non-existent, then applied the tried-and-true method of putting down my feet and dragging the bike to a stop. In the excitement of these developments, I forgot to look up and when I did, saw a very large, furry baboon ambling along across the road right in front of me (as I was still going quite fast, and Misha, who was behind me, was starting to get a little concerned). Once bitten by a monkey (orangutan), twice shy: I was already having visions of myself colliding with him and bodily injury to both parties. Yet, next thing, I hurtled to a stop past him while he'd already crossed, looked around with baboonish worried dimness and purposefully reached into a waste bin left at a picnic ground--the apparent aim of his journey.
Nothing is more magical than the blissed-out calm of animals who go about their daily business, not having to deal with humans. And pictures can't really capture the low, big sky like a giant dome, or the clean, cool air scented with plants and flowers... but they give an idea.
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