Days Off
Having a sponsor (and rookie to Africa) with us changes our schedule a bit. We do a little more touristy stuff.
I think if it were up to Claudia and me, we’d be working on Tuko Pamoja projects night and day the whole time we’re here. But, we’re crazy. It is exhausting physically and emotionally. Especially emotionally. The issues we deal with on any given day here can really drain us. It is probably good to have some forced downtime.
We made a few visits, being tourists. The first was at Kitengela Glass. This is an artisan glass factory. They make plenty of great glassware and bowls, but the place is also packed with sculptures made of glass, metal, and concrete. Just touring around is a lot of fun.
They also have really good ice cream. So we go back.
Below is a stained glass globe, with a window behind it. It is in the glass factory.
Below is a beautiful framed glass panel.
A bird with insects.
They also have a cable swinging bridge that is fun. I was happy to go on it this year. A year ago when we visited, my hip was causing too much trouble for me to go.
Lunch!
Claudia met a friend. They follow each other on Instagram now.
We also visited the Karen Blixen house. This is where Karen (aka author Isak Dinesen) lived for her time in Africa, about 14 years. It’s a really interesting story. I enjoy visiting. I always leave wanting to reread Out of Africa.
And, as you might have guessed from the first picture, we went to the Giraffe Center. This is a sanctuary for Rothschild giraffes. These are a subspecies of the more common Nubian giraffes in the area. The numbers were dwindling, and repopulation efforts have been successful.
You’re allowed to feed the giraffes pellets that the center provides. The giraffes have very agile tongues, with a fairly rough surface. All the better to strip leaves from trees.
They used to let you feed them by holding the pellet in your teeth for the giraffe to snag. But COVID ended that.
Below, Virginia bonds with a giraffe.
The distinctive coloration pattern.
Hi!
