This post is mostly an excuse to post pictures from an incredible trip to Kenya a few years ago. The title is “East Africa” because, although the actual travel photos are from Kenya, the food picture is Ethiopian, and I cooked with my favorite wooden spoon that a friend brought to me from Tanzania.
Let’s start with the spoon. It’s not that weird to have a favorite wooden spoon, right? It is perfectly shaped, with a flatter end than most wooden spoons. So far I have been unsuccessful finding another like it, so this one is always in use, and is sadly beginning to crack.
A gift from Tanzania
Moving along to actual travel – I have been talking about going back to Kenya from the moment I got back from my one trip there. We are beyond fortunate to have friends who live in Nairobi, and I cannot wait to visit them again. There are a couple places you do not want to miss in Nairobi, starting with the Sheldrick elephant orphanage. https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/. You can watch the babies get their morning bottles, and if you are close to the ropes and really lucky, one of them might even lean into you.
Also in Nairobi is the Giraffe Centre where you can learn about, and feed, these amazing purple-tongued giants. https://www.giraffecentre.org/
From Nairobi we headed South toward the Amboseli National Park area. On a clear day, you can see Mount Kilimanjaro. I’ll have to trust people on that one – there was little sign of the mountain in the mist. It didn’t matter. The abundance of wildlife was extraordinary.
Before we get to more wildlife pictures, a word about the safari company – I cannot recommend Gamewatchers and the Porini camps strongly enough (https://www.gamewatchers.com/.) If you research them, you’ll see that they have small, low impact camps, and they keep winning eco tourism awards. They do not miss a step – every single person we encountered went out of their way to make sure absolutely everyone at the camp was having an amazing experience.
We expected the animals, of course, but we were also blown away by the birds. According to the guide books – and it’s possible we bought just a few guide books – there are more than 1,000 species of birds in Kenya. Here are a few:
And one more:
Maybe just a few more:
After a couple days at the Porini camp near Amboseli, we flew to the Maasai Mara National Reserve area. A word about flying from one conservancy/national park area in Kenya to another – it’s an adventure. The planes are small, they land in fields, and the safari crews drive around the fields when they hear the planes approaching to clear the wildebeest so that the planes can land safely. It’s fabulous! Seriously, absolutely fabulous! Did I mention how desperately I want to go back?
We took thousands of photographs of dozens of species during just five days of safari. Every single moment brought another gorgeous vista, new animal, new experience. Just as an example, the photos below are merely a sample of the species of antelope we saw.
Then there were the big cats.
And the baby big cats.
The hyenas.
At this point, are you wondering where are the hippos, the water buffalo, the elephants? Here you go.
What about the zebras and giraffes?
I’m guessing you didn’t even think to ask about the Hyrax. This little guy’s closest genetic cousin is the elephant. No joke.
Now, this a blog about travel through food. The food at the Porini camps was excellent, and the “sundowner” before dinner was a lovely way to end the unforgettable days. Our most memorable meal, however, and one of the most memorable meals of my life was at the home of our friends in Nairobi. I do not even remember the food particularly well, which is rare for me. That evening was all about the experience of friendship and hospitality at a level to which we should all aspire. After dinner we sat in front of the fireplace (believe it or not, it gets quite chilly in Nairobi), drinking scotch and talking until the wee hours. It could not have been more perfect.
I do not have my own recipes for East African cuisine, and I try to limit the recipe posts to my own original creations. If you’re interested, I highly recommend Hawa Hassan’s “In Bibi’s Kitchen.” Every recipe that I have tried has been easy to follow and excellent. One word to the wise on Berbere spice and the Doro Wat, though. The spice mix from the cookbook is not as hot as some commercially available Berbere mixes, so be careful.
I will leave you with this thought – if you get a chance to go to East Africa, take it.
Unforgettable experience for sure. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of some aspect of our trip. Accommodations were very comfortable. They even warm up the bed for you before you get back to the tent from the evening campfire!! And….the wonderful people you meet on your trip, and hope to meet up again with at some point in your life!!!!