Urban Safari

This was quite a trip. Myself and two colleagues have been in Nairobi for about 10 days conducting a workshop in contraceptive quantification, supply planning, and advocacy for 9 different International Planned Parenthood affiliates in Africa. Countries participating in the workshop included: Kenya, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi, and Nigeria. It was a FULL week. We started on Sun., April 18, and ended on Sat, Apr 24th with a few adventures in between. We had one participant in the hospital Sat night, Sun early a.m. and then admitted Sunday night through Wednesday! You thought dealing with health insurance in the U.S. was a pain- try dealing with a US-based international travel insurance company from abroad. What a fiasco! We'll work out billing, but it wasn't that simple. We probably spent $500 in phone calls ALONE!

Then there was the workshop- our reason for being there! Our work day started at 8 a.m. and went until late hours. The workshop went from 8:30 - 5:30 each day and then Sylvia and I had to study for our next days' sessions. Was a long, but satisfying week. The participants were fabulous and so appreciative. I hope that it's just the beginning of a unique partnership between USAID and IPPF/Africa Region.

And who can forget the Icelandic volcano that disrupted so much travel. Fortunately, we fell out just before the volcano and our participants' travel plans in Africa were not disrupted. However, my colleague Sylvia and I spent an hour plus on the phone on Saturday trying to put her BACK on her original flight. She was bumped off her confirmed flight (Nairobi-Amsterdam-Portland, OR) to Nairobi-Brussels-Chicago-Portland. After a $300 call to KLM/Delta, we weren't any more clear, but fortunately the ticket desk at the airport in Nairobi got her squared away. Needless to say, Sylvia and I both passed out immediately- slept right through dinner and breakfast on the plane.

So- now back in Amsterdam at Schipol airport where everything seems normal. Can't imagine what it was like last week with 2,000 people stranded. With nearly 7 hours to kill before my flight to Boston, I thought I'd upload the photos from our urban safari in Nairobi National Park on Sunday morning April 25. Sylvia and I treated ourselves (though the 5 a.m. wake-up time seemed like a really bad idea when we woke up). Nairobi National Park is a 100 sq. km of preserved natural land (about 60 square miles) and is situated right in Nairobi. We went on a safari in a Nissan Sedan which our driver Martin claimed was better than a tall Land Cruiser because the animals weren't as afraid of it. Who knows about that theory. Martin picked us up at 6 a.m. when it was still dark outside. By 6:30, we were paying our $40 entrance fee and en route through the winding dirt roads that spanned the park.

We spotted two giraffes first, then zebras, and then after driving around for a bit, we came upon some gazelles. After the gazelles, a rare site- 3 male lions- clearly on the hunt and waiting for the gazelles to come just a little closer. We were so close to them- both Sylvia and I were a bit nervous. That Nissan didn't seem sufficient at the time- especially since my window was rolled down. Mr. Lion could have easily and quickly decided for ME to be his breakfast instead of those healthy gazelles. We continued our urban safari for about 4 hours- seeing cape buffalo, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, a crocodile, monkeys, ostriches, and elads.

While not the most exciting safari ever, was just such a beautiful day and so wonderful to see these wild animals living in the environment in which they are made and created to live in. Was a nice way to spend our last morning in Nairobi. As far as globetrotting goes, Key West is next- for vacation! Then Philippines in June which should be quite an adventure! Until next time.