Nairobi, A City with its own share of Wild life

Kenya Trip Day 7 and the Final Day

Our final day at Kenya was meant for visiting Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. We had our plans to visit Giraffe Centre, David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Bommas of Kenya Dance Show.

Since this day no safari was involved we were at Peace. There was no need to start early (and thus no need to get up early) and that gave us time for a peaceful breakfast. In any case, we were in a B & B and the breakfast was to be made by us (self-help). After a grand breakfast of eggs and bread, we set out at about 0900 to go to Giraffe Centre.

 It is Situated at Langata Suburb, about 14 km from where we lived. We were at the Giraffe Centre by 0930. This place is managed by The Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW). The Giraffe Centre is on an important mission of protecting and breeding the endangered Rothschild Giraffe who have lost their natural habitat to human greed (sometimes also called development).

This place is on the fringe of Nairobi National Park (this city boasts of a national park within its boundary. Only another place I know which has a National Park within its boundary is Mumbai, which has Sanjay Gandhi National Park), it is very much a forest where once in the past Giraffes were attacked by a Lion of National Park. See the photos below.

Giraffe Home

This being conservation centre for Giraffes. they live in their natural habitat. We, humans, get a very small area of maybe 100 m by 100 m for everything, that is, restaurant, gift shop, restrooms and the most important, a small area which interfaces us with giraffes. One such place is a small boundary wall. Here, the centre volunteers give a chalk shapes stick pieces, made of some combination of Giraffe food, to visitors. These sticks are fed to the Giraffes across this boundary. See the photos below. You can go as close as it gets. 

So cute

The giraffe can actually kiss you in very skillfully taking that bite which you were holding between your lips. Don't believe me? Here is the Giraffe Kissing me.

Kiss on Demand

They are very friendly as long as you are feeding them. Most Giraffes have a good temperament but one odd (and the volunteers know which one) has a mercurial temper and can headbutt you if you keep the feed your hand but do not give it to him (or maybe her).

As long as you feed me, I am a friend

Right next to this place seen above is a two-story hut like round structure where there is a balcony running on all sides on the first floor. You also can romance with Giraffes in that part of the balcony which adjoins the forest. I think it is more convenient for Giraffes to interact with us at that level as they don't have to bend.

Now we are on the same plane

While we were in this balcony, all the Giraffes left and went into the forest (there was some truck that came to discharge some cargo in this forest and the Giraffes got alarmed). Moment Giraffes left, Pumbas (Wild Boers) chanced on the Giraffe food that was laying on the ground and had a feast of it.

Lead me too the food

Ringa Ringa Roses

I found it, I found it

An important place in this hut-like structure is a small demonstration hall on the first floor where one of the volunteers gives you detailed information about Giraffes in general and Rosthchild Giraffe in particular. Do not miss that short lecture. It is worth listening to.

After a delightful and educative visit, we drove to David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. We were enjoying the company of Giraffes but the issue was, David Sheldrick is open for public only between 1100 to 1200 hrs.

This place is a real life saver for elephant calves separated from their mother's death of the mother or mother has been killed by poachers or some other reason. It is important to understand that they need their mother to nurture them till the age of at least two years. It is said that the elephant calf is destined to die if the mother is not there and he is not rescued. 

Once they get information about such claves they rescue them, nurture them for sufficient time (till they are self-sufficient, I think till about the age of 7 years) and then rehabilitate them with the wild herds of elephants in one of the many National Forests in Kenya. A commendable task. 

At David Sheldrick, they get two sets of calves, the young ones and the older ones, to come to an arena having a water pond, mud, loose soil and the attendants to look after them. Once they are there, its just sheer fun to watch them enjoy themselves. 

Here We Come

No Work Without Pay (oops, I mean Milk)

What a Marching Formation! Are they Military Elephants!

There is no better Fun then to Play in the Mud

Get Out, It's our turn now

Community Frolicking 

I love this Coolness

Get Up, We need to move out

While Others Play, Let me Eat

Wrestellers

Pumba is here also to have fun

Pumbs has the Mud Pool to Himself

Bura Na Mano Holi Hai (Lets SPray each other, its Holi, Festival of Colours)

After leaving the fun at the Elephant Orphanage, we had our lunch and then went to Kazuri (Meaning Small and Beautiful in the Swahili Language) Beads Factory. Started sometime around 1795 with just two employees in order to provide employment to Single Mothers around Nairobi, this lace now is a mean of livelyhood of about 300 Women.

The visit is a great way to learn about beadmaking (and also pottrery making) from the clay. They conduct you around in small batches and explain the whole process of bead making, starting from clay preparation to bead making, baking colouring the beads and baking them again to give that beautiful shine. One is allowed to take photographs at every stage. 

While I am not including photographs of clay preparation, see the work for yourself in a few photos that I have added.

Making of beads from clay

Making of beads from clay - photo 2

Baking Oven Ready to be Fired

Baked Beads

Painted Beads

Finished Beads

Bead Collection

Small Ornaments

Pottery and Toy Making

Our final destination in the Nairobi city was Bomas of Kenya. Boma in Swahili means a Homestead. It is a cultural centre having Bomas of various tribes of Kenya in its vast premise as also a big circular auditorium. where a daily show of Kenyan Dances is held every day. On working days the show is from 1430 to 1600.

They have a huge circular auditorium where these dances happen on the centre stage. In this short span, which also has an interval in between, they accommodate many traditional dances of myriad tribes of Kenya. Prior to every dance,  an excellent commentary is given which gives out full information about that dance. Its a enjoyable show and gets us some insight into dances of Kenyan tribes. Here are a few videos of some of the dances. Enjoy the rhythm and the energy of these dances.