Mixed Feelings as We Look Back at 2021

On December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Kentucky, Kenya, Tanzania, Utah, Washington DC5 Comments

It is that time of year when we typically look back at the places that we visited, the people that we met, and the new food that we have tried. To be honest, this year was slightly better than 2020, but it certainly wasn’t what would be considered being back to normal. Obviously, the highlight of our year was the seventeen days that we spent exploring Kenya and Tanzania. Other than that, we went to Park City, Utah and went to Louisville, Kentucky as well as Washington DC and Baltimore. Definitely not nearly our normal travel schedule, but we enjoyed every opportunity that we did have. We are definitely hoping that next year is even more memorable, but we still have plenty to be thankful for as this year draws to an end. Here are a few of our top memories of the past year.

Seeing the Big Cats of East Africa – One of the things that most people look forward to when going on safari in Eastern Africa is seeing all of the big cats like lions, leopards, and cheetahs. We certainly weren’t disappointed with our encounters as we had several that were all amazing and different in many ways. Whether watching the lion cubs at play, seeing a leopard climbing up a tree, or having a cheetah jump on the hood of our Land Cruiser, seeing these animals up close was something truly special. We saw lions at almost every park that we visited, but the leopards and cheetahs were more rare to see. We know that we were very fortunate to see the amazing variety of cats, including the caracal cat, which not everyone gets to see.

Getting Locked in at a Historic Cemetery in Washington DC – It might seem odd to visit a cemetery, but they are often very beautiful, historic, and tranquil, which Oak Hill Cemetery certainly is. In fact, more than 200,000 people visit this particular historic cemetery on an annual basis and it is even possible to get a tour. We simply enjoyed walking the paths that led us amongst the tomb stones, mausoleums, and tree lined hills. It was a beautiful day and the autumn foliage made it even more wonderful to see. There was only one issue with our visit, we didn’t notice a sign at the entrance that stated that the cemetery closed at 4:30 pm and we ended up being there until 5:00 pm, so we got locked in the cemetery.

Two Magical Days in the Serengeti National Park – After spending the day in the Ngorongoro Crater, we continued north to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. We would spend two nights in the park where we spend two full days driving around and seeing so many amazing sights. We would see the one missing animal to complete the Big Five as we would have several incredible encounters with leopards, whic was the only animal missing as we’d seen lions, water buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants already. We would see much more than just the big cats and we would have many encounters that were up-close and personal. The Maasai word Serengeti means “land of never ending plains”, which is certainly apt as you can see the endless grasslands in every direction that you look.

Seeing the Autumn Leaves in Park City, Utah – During the summer and autumn months in Park City, there are a few lifts that will take you into the mountains where you can have amazing views. There are less lifts available in the autumn season, but with the leaves changing, it is absolutely stunning. The scenic crescent lift is located at the adventure park with the mountain coaster, alpine slide, and other family activities. The lift is used for transporting mountain bikers and their bikes as well as hikers or those just wanting to enjoy the views to mid-mountain.

Enjoying a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Maasai Mara – One of the things that we had wanted to do during our safari was to take a hot air balloon ride over the amazing scenery of Africa. Three of the parks that we visited had balloon companies that offered balloon rides, Amboseli, Serengeti, and Maasai Mara. We decided to wait until Maasai Mara to do the balloon ride and it certainly turned out to be a magical experience. Watching the sunrise, seeing the animals, and simply gliding above the grasslands made for memories that we will never forget. Following the balloon ride was a champagne breakfast at the base of an acacia tree and then our guide picked us up to view the animals within the park.

Watching a Horse Race at the Famous Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky – During our recent trip to Louisville, Kentucky we had the opportunity to go to Churchill Downs and enjoy a day of thoroughbred racing. Churchill Downs is famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby, which is part of the “triple crown” of thoroughbred racing. The race track opened in 1875 and every race is full of pageantry and tradition. Even though it was autumn, it was a warm and sunny day making the experience even more enjoyable.

We Saw Many Wonderful Giraffes in Lake Nakuru

All in all, we certainly can’t complain too much about the year that we enjoyed. We don’t have any specific plans for next year as of yet as travel is still uncertain, but we are hoping that we have the opportunity for it to be at least a little bit more like it used to be. What are your plans for the upcoming year? Did you make the most of this year?

The Amazing Birds of East Africa

On October 4, 2021February 29, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa, Kenya, TanzaniaLeave a comment

As much as we enjoyed seeing all of the large animals in East Africa, we also saw an amazing assortment of birds. Whether the fascinating ostriches, different waterfowl like the flamingos, or other colorful birds, it was as interesting seeing all of the different birds as it was to see lions, rhinos, and giraffes. It wasn’t until we arrived back home and had time to go through all of our photographs that we realized how many different birds we were able to capture images of. We knew before we went to Tanzania and Kenya that we would see ostriches and flamingos, but the sheer number of colorful and interesting birds that we saw was almost overwhelming.

Just like all of the animals that we saw during our safari, the birds really didn’t care about the presence of humans as they went about their business. Whether it were the flocks of helmeted guineafowl, the grey crowned cranes, or even the vultures chasing away a hyena to get their fill of a fresh kill, seeing the birds in their natural environment was quite fascinating. Even seeing something as simple as the lovebirds as they flocked to a tree was amazing in the surroundings of the African grasslands.

Red-and-Yellow Barbet Sitting on a Bench

Pair of African Fish Eagles in the Setting Sun

Even though there is nothing like seeing the large cats and other large animals in the wild, seeing all of these different birds was special in their own way. Some of the birds were quirky, some traditional, and others down right scary, they are all part of the ecosystem that makes East Africa unique. Many of them actually ride on the backs of the larger animals like elephants and hippos as they wait for them to disrupt the insects and cause them to leap into the air for the birds to catch.

Making the Most of Your Time in Nairobi, Kenya

On September 28, 2021September 28, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Kenya4 Comments

We spent a couple of days in Nairobi in order to relax before heading home after our safari and we really enjoyed our time there. If you have a day or two in Nairobi, there are several places that are definitely worth visiting during your time there. Our hotel was located in the heart of the city and getting out to see the attractions was certainly a time consuming proposition due to the traffic in Nairobi, even with trying to avoid the heavier traffic times. We scheduled a Nairobi City Tour with our guides, but obviously these places could be visited on you own without needing to use a guide, but it helps to have a driver who knows how to get around the city.

Karen Blixen Museum and Gardens – It is hard to explain the impact that Karen Blixen had on the city of Nairobi and Kenya in general. The Baroness is best known around the world for her autobiographical story of her time in Africa titled Out of Africa as well as the movie with the same name. To the people of Kenya, she is known for providing healthcare to the people and providing inspiration to the women of Kenya. Although the book and movie romanticize her time in East Africa, the story and her life were rather tragic. The museum, which is the house she lived in and the gardens that surround it, is the location of their failed coffee plantation and features some of the farm equipment as well as photographs of the people in Karen’s life. There is also some memorabilia from the movie as it was filmed on location in Africa.

Just Like a Kid Pushing a Friend into the Pool

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and Elephant Orphanage – One might have thought that we had seen enough elephants during our safari considering that we saw hundreds of them, but we were actually excited to visit the elephant orphanage in Nairobi. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is dedicated to rescuing orphaned elephants and rhinos, raising them and possibly rehabilitating them, and then returning them to the wild. The baby elephants come from all of the various national parks and animal reserves where, unfortunately, poaching still sometimes occur leaving the elephants orphaned or sometimes they become orphaned for other reasons. Pretty much every baby animal is cute and adorable, but baby elephants are especially cute and precocious.

Kazuri Bead Factory – Although it is referred to as the Kazuri Bead Factory, it is really an artisan workshop where the beads for necklaces and bracelets as well as other pottery are created. Everything created by the artisans for Kazuri are handmade and hand-painted based on a preset pattern that each of the workers follow. In addition to creating beautiful jewelry and pottery, Kazuri provides work for mostly single mothers and provides free medical care for their employees and their immediate family. Buying items from Kazuri, which are sold worldwide, is really an opportunity to get some something beautiful and help the people as well.

Giraffe Centre (The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife) – During our city tour of Nairobi, we visited the Giraffe Centre, whose official name is the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. Obviously the proceeds from people visiting the center go to the preservation of endangered animals in Africa such as the cheetahs, rhinos, and other animals. Having spent the previous eleven days on safari where we saw giraffes in the wild every day, we weren’t sure at first about visiting the Giraffe Centre. It is currently going under some renovations in order to improve the experience of the visitors and to make the center even more green. The highlight of visiting the Giraffe Centre is getting up close to the giraffes and feeding them.

A Maasai Market – Although we had visited an actual Maasai Village during our safari, we still took time to go to one of the Maasai markets that are in the city of Nairobi. Be forewarned that as you enter the market, there will be men offering to guide you through the market, but you should ignore them and tour the market on your own. They just want to get part of the money that you might spend and they are really pushy about trying to get you to buy something. We had something fairly specific in mind since we had already bought souvenirs, which we couldn’t find, so we didn’t end up buying anything, but enjoyed seeing the local artwork on display.

Nairobi National Park – We did not visit the Nairobi National Park since we had already spent twelve days going through the national parks that are part of the great migration route, but if you are only visiting Nairobi and not doing a safari, it would be worth visiting. The park has many of the same animals that you will find when going on safari without having to travel more than a few minutes from the city.

Thorn Tree Cafe with the Message Tree Where People (like Hemingway) Received Messages in Nairobi

In addition to visiting these locations in Nairobi, we also spent time eating at several different restaurants in the city. Obviously, due to the time of visit and travel restrictions because of COVID, there were not many other tourists in the city when we were there. We found the city of Nairobi to be quite interesting and enjoyed seeing it as much as we enjoyed our time on safari.