We arrived back in  Nairobi about 12:30 and were driven to a restaurant near the airport for lunch. For lunch I ate some wildebeest, ostrich, and crocodile meat, with ice cream for dessert. (First ice cream served on the trip.)

From the restaurant we drove about 100 miles northwest from Nairobi to Aberdeen Game Park. We left most of our bags at a lodge there, and boarded a bus for a trip to "The Ark," (a hotel built like a ship, with cabins and deck letters (A, B, C, D). It had viewing decks overlooking a lighted water hole, to watch the animals come to it. Before dinner I saw a rhino come to the water hole, and roll in the mud.

For dinner I had half a small chicken. After dinner I went out on the deck to watch the water hole. Saw a couple of lions and a small genet (cat).

I went to bed at 10:00 with my clothes on. If animals show up at the water hole, a buzzer in the room goes (continued) . . .

Friday ~ October 23
At 3:15 AM, buzzed again. Two female and one male lion were trying to bring down a Cape Buffalo. The lions were on the back of the buffalo, but were shaken off. The lions chased the buffalo into the bush. We were not allowed to use a flash to take photos, so I tried, using only the light from the spotlights, with little success. Back in bed about 4:00 AM.

Up at 6:00 and packed to leave. Had breakfast at 7:00, then back on the bus to leave at 8:15. The bus took us back to the lodge where we had left our big bags and the mini-vans.

We saw some very rare Colossus Monkeys in the trees on the bus ride back.

We left the lodge in the mini-vans to drive to Samburu Serena Lodge on the Uaso Nyiro River, north of Mt. Kenya. Arrived in time for lunch. After lunch I went swimming in the swimming pool, then out on a game drive at 4:00.

We saw three elephants, one male lion, many antelopes, including an oryx, an eland (largest antelope), and finally a CHEETAH. I took pictures of the cheetah, but it was getting dark.

Back to the lodge in time to see a (spotlight) leopard eating the bait hung out for. . .(continued)

Had Nile perch for dinner. Today was Noreen Ikauya's birthday (40?), and Ann Cassidy (tour manager) had a cake, decorated with candles, and a T-shirt gift for her. The whole dining room crew sang native songs, and "Happy Birthday" to her. A very nice surprise for her. 

Went back to my room and took a shower with HOT WATER!! (finally). Into bed at 10:30 to read, lights out at 11:30.

Saturday ~ October 24
Up at 6:15. I skipped the game drive so that I could search the grounds for the arrow head (for the Maasai arrow) that I had dropped the night before. But, when I opened the door to go to breakfast, the arrowhead was on the outside door handle. Ann Cassidy had found it alongside the stone pathway to the cabins and brought it to my door on her way to the game drive. 

So, I ate breakfast while the others were on the game drive. I had coffee with the group when they returned from the game drive. Walked around the lodge grounds and took a photo of a crocodile on the river bank, just outside my cabin door.

I went for a swim at 11:00, then had lunch at the lodge at 12:45. I had spaghetti with ox-tail sauce, and banana . . . continued. . .

Back at 6:30, in time to see the leopard (baited) again before dinner. I ate fish and chicken - (very good). After dinner I saw the crocodile (again) that the lodge had put the food out for him to come up to the wall to eat. 

Took a shower (hot water) and into bed at 10:00 to read. Lights out at 10:45 with the alarm set for 6:00 AM, to go on our last game drive.

Sunday ~ October 25
up at 6:00 for a game drive at 6:30. Saw several of the Grevy's zebra, a dozen or more elephants, mongoose, and a small squirrel. In this Samburu Game park are a different kind of giraffe -- the reticulated kind, with a pattern different from either the Rothschild's (that we saw in Nairobi) and the Maasai giraffe that we saw in the Serengeti.

We arrived back at the lodge at 8:00 for breakfast, then on the road again at 9:00, headed for the Mount . . . continued. . .