Nairobi and the Giraffe Center

The guest house at the Giraffe Center

I needed a weekend break and also needed to travel from Kisumu Kenya to Kampala Uganda.  And while the two are rather close cities both on the shores of Lake Victoria, you can't (yet)  fly between them without going through Nairobi.   So I decided to spend a Saturday in Nairobi staying at the Macushla House and exploring the Giraffe Center. 

My bedroom

The Patio

Macushla House is a small guest house in the Karen neighborhood in Nairobi.  The guest house is eclectic, comfortable and a very nice place to get away.  No TV, no internet, just warm friendly people, wonderful food, a warm fire and nice break!  Walking distance from the guest house is the "Giraffe Center" 

The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Kenya (A.F.E.W. Kenya) also known as the Giraffe Centre is a non-governmental, non-profit making organization, which was founded by Betty and Jock Leslie-Melville in 1979. This was in a bid to save the endangered Rothschild Giraffe, which had lost its natural habitat in Western Kenya to agriculture and there were only 130 left in the wild. Funds were raised and 4 herds of the Rothschild giraffes were moved to 4 parks namely Lake Nakuru National Park, Mwea Game Reserve, Ruma National Park and Nasalot Game Reserve.

Young ones born at the Centre were translocated to; Soy Sambu Ranch near Lake Elementaita, and Kigio Conservancy near Gilgil and Sergoit ranch in Eldoret while recently we translocated some to Mwea National Game Reserve . Today the Rothschild Giraffe population in Kenya is about 300.

The centre allows you to interact up close and personal with the giraffe and is a wonderful place to spend a relaxing day.

KEMRI CDC and Boro

Tree - Called the Tree of Life by the Locals - on the road to Boro

My work in Kenya was with my team at the KEMRI CDC. Every day we met at the Kisian location for the long drive out to Boro. We loaded up the land rovers with containers of files, people, cooler boxes for the drive out.

KEMRI CDC in Kisian

Packing the truck

On the way we passed beautiful valleys, bustling towns and many farms. Every day, twice a day we crossed the equator on the trip.

Me at the equator

Local Children

 Suit Shop on the road

Market Day in Boro

Once there we set to work. The staff seeing participants and entering data. My self reviewing data and trouble shooting internet connections with the help of Mike from our Cape Town office.

Samuel, Sarah and Ann at the front desk in Boro

Lake Victoria

I spent a weekend exploring and enjoying the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria.  I ended up that the Kiboko Bay Lodge right on the lake for the weekend, after a recommendation from a colleague.  My accommodation was tent on a raised platform.  Which was very comfortable and a nice change from a business hotel.  No TV, no AC, just the sounds of the birds and the breeze. 

Saturday morning I took a tour of the lake by small boat.  There is amazing bird and animal life on the lake.   We saw Hippos, a fish otter and tons of birds.

I also got a tour of the Dunga Fish Market to see the types of fish that are being caught on the lake. 

Later that evening I saw the most special thing of all.  The sunset over Lake Victoria from the shore.  What an amazing sight and an amazing place to spend the weekend. 

The Beaches of Cape Town

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, we decided to check out the western beaches around Cape Town Hearing time and time again how wonderful Clifton, Camps Bay and others were, we were not disappointed. We started on Beach #3 in Clifton. Walking down the long steep windy path from the road to the beach, every turn a different surprise.

Then on to Camps Bay. More a place to be seen, than to see and enjoy.

Finally a stop at another small beautiful beach and Hout Bay before staring the journey back to the Glen.

Wine Tasting on the Western Cape

The tasting room at Constantia Glen

With lots to do on a busy Saturday, we decided to stay close to Cape Town and go wine tasting in the beautiful Constantia Valley.  The Valley takes its name from the farm granted to Simon van der Stel in 1685 by Commissioner van Rheede. It is said that Governor van der Stel named his property after Constanza, the little daughter of his benefactor. The area is now known Constantia. The Governor planted the original orchards and vineyards.  This area is the oldest wine-making region in the southern hemisphere, dating back to 1685.  Wines from this area were enjoyed by Napoleon Bonaparte and royalty in the 18th century. 


We started our day at Constantia Glen, one of the newest wine farms to start in the Valley.   Their tag line is "Capturing the essence of Sauvignon Blanc" and that was the truth.  We tasted two vintage of the Sauvignon Blanc and both were outstanding.  We also enjoyed a Rose and their 3 and 5-varietal Bordeaux style blends.  While all were good, I ended up buying one of the Sauvignon Blancs. 

Our next stop was Klein Constantia, and boy was I in for a treat.  My two guides, Mike and Yolande had connections here.  So I got a special behind the scenes tour of the private cellar and the cellar where the wine is aged in the casks.  



Wine Cellar at Klein Constantia



The private wine cellar at
Klein Constantia

 Of course, we started at the tasting table!   Once again they had great an amazing Sauvignon Blanc. Their reds were blends but also very good.  And then, the prized desert wine, Vin de Constance.  I don't like desert wines, I say.  I've obviously never had a very good desert wine.  Napoleon used to drink this one and geez, now I like desert wines.  You'll know I really like you if you get a taste of this one!  It is something really special!

Finally, we ended the tour at Steenberg winery with a wonderful lunch in the Bistro.  Their sparkling Chardonney has quickly become one of my favorites, after having it at a fantastic dinner in Johannesburg in September.  The lunch was a lovely end to a cold blustery day of fine wine. 




Yummy!!



The Steenberg Wine Bar



Robben Island

The Coke Machine at the Ferry Terminal to go to Robben Island

My last trip to Cape Town, we had tried to go out to Robben Island, but the transit workers were on strike and we never made it.  Friends had told me what a powerful experience it was and while I believed them I was not fully prepared for the experience.

The day started as a cloudless day with no wind and very smooth seas.   As I stood on the stern of the boat, watching Cape Town get further and further away,  on the top deck a group of South Africans were chanting, singing and dancing and the dolphins were playing out in our boat wake.  At this moment, I was overcome with the significance of what I was about to experience in this sacred place.

Dancing and Signing on the Top Deck

We arrived on the Island and were shuttled onto buses for the initial part of the tour. 

Our guide, Kent, explained that the island has been housing prisoners since the end of the 17th century.  There are people buried all over the island.  Ever time they excavate a new place they find human remains.  The only existing cemetery on the island currently is the Leper Cemetery.

The leper cemetery

From here we continued on to the dog kennels and the place where Robert Sobukwe was held in solitary confinement.  He had formed the Pan Africanist Congress and was charged with incitement when he encouraged opposition to the Dom Pas Law.  On the day he turned himself in at the Orlando Police Station in Soweto, 69 people were killed and over 180 injured in Sharpsburg while showing their opposition to the law, most were said to have been shot in the back by the police.

Dog kennels behind Robert Sobukwe's Solitary Cell

We continue on to the limestone quarry where prisoners from Cell Block B had worked. 

Limestone Quarry

We then saw the two churches on the island.  The first was the church from the leper colony.  Ever other building from that time had been torn down, but this remains as it was built with private funds and could not be torn down.  The second church was the one for the small town, where the guards lived with their families. 

People's Church

Finally we arrived at the maximum security prison where political prisoners were kept during the Era of Apartheid.   Our guide for this part of the tour was a former political prisoner.  He lived in Block A, cell 13.  He told us of the terrible things that happened to him as a political prisoner and also of the things he learned while in prison.   From his experiences, Nelson Mandela was an amazing leader even while imprisoned on Robben Island.   When the prisoners didn't want to learn Afrikaans and live by the guard's rules - he told them the best way to know your enemy is to know their language.  And they learned Afrikaans.  When the guards beat them, he told them to be peaceful and respectful.  And some of the guards grew sympathetic to the prisoners, smuggling in letters and even chocolate birthday cake. 

Our Guide for the prison tour

Outside of the maxium security prison

An empty cell  2.5m x 2.5 m



Nelson Mandela's Cell



When he was told nothing would grow in the garden, Mandela planted peppers
and other things including the grapes that still grow there today.

Overall an amazing journey.  As our tour guide said "Thank you to the world for helping South Africa end Apartheid.  It would not have happened without pressure from citizens and governments all around the world"