Kenya Pics - Now with Film Images too!
 

Hey Ledgies,

I finished my Kenya pics Website yesterday which you can view here http://photomakeover.com/kenya. Feel free also to leave a comment in my guest book at http://photomakeover.com/guest/. :)

awesome pictures. seriously.

when the lion picture popped up it took my breath.

oh, and that dress you wore to the wedding was hot. watch out Beyonce.

Oh my. Words cannot describe how utterly fabulous these photos are! Thatnk you so much for sharing them, they are truly spectacular. :nod:

The wildlife pics are so cool, ecspecially the lion and the elephants. Can't believe you were so close to them! I must show my mom, she loves elephants.

You're right about the vivid colors of the plants & flowers - just awesome.

The places you stayed looked lush and tropical and gorgeous and relaxing and.....

Love the hippo & the tortoise! Too cute!

The sea worm and the millipede made me gag. Too gross! Sack filled with water. Ew.

You hot sexy slutty bitch. :cool: You know I'm all about the orange. HOT!

What great pics!!!!!!

Yes, it is so strange to go to other countries in the more impoverished parts of the world and realize that what we would consider mostly a filthy way of living here is the status quo there. It also is so great to see how people completely different than us interact on a social level. What a great experience for you!!!!

Thank you so much. Wait until you see the film ones, I haven't had them developed yet. They were taken with a good zoom so I'm really excited to see what I got.

That elephant was the coolest. He was majestic.

They were, I had no idea our hotels would be so luxurious. If anyone wants to go on safari I would recommend flying into Nairobi and then flying right into Masai Mara and staying at Mara Serena for a few days. The lodge is pure heaven. The drive there sucks though, it is about 6 hours of pot holed awful roads from Nairobi.

Totally cute, and they've made a movie!

That sea worm was completely disgusting so I'm like, "Of course the Maasai make jewelry out of that."

You don't know the half of it! I got myself in trouble with this guy's girlfriend, oops. http://www.photomakeover.com/kenya/page174.html Now that's hot.

How do I love thee, Paula, let me count the ways. Thanks for your sweet (and nasty) words. :) :xoxo:

I had to really crop that lion pic but when I get my film developed there should be some better, sharper shots. But yeah, he took all of our breath away. His growl was so loud I can only imagine the impact his roar would have. He was so regal just sitting atop that hill. He was literally 500 or so feet from our lodge so it was a real treat. On our last stretch of road, there he was, right at dusk. My favorite time of the day. What an amazing gift.

I was helping everyone with their cameras though cuz of the low light so in a way I feel like I missed part of the experience being wrapped up in that. But I was just excited. Wow.

Yeah, the dress made an impact let me tell you. But some of the women told Wanjeri they thought it was great that we were so liberated. Our culture affected them and vice versa. It was an extraordinary experience.

Jason, it smelled so bad. I was nauseated the first couple of days but you get used to it. We got some samosas at a butchery and it was such a gross place with flies everywhere and such. Very shocking for this spoiled white American bitch.

That IS hot. Those eyes. Drrrrrroooooooooooolllllllll........ :o

I know - the hardest thing for me on the Amazon was to remember to keep the Purell in my pocket and apply after touching anything or anyone. I do not think people really get the flies, bugs, etc. It also is important to remember that many of these cultures use their hand instead of toilet paper - then they want to shake your hand to show you they are friendly, etc.

Interestingly, mankind lived like this for thousands of years. Remember, indoor plumbing is a relatively new thing - people used to defecate in an outhouse, which was just a large hole in the ground with a hut over it - imagine that smell - or they would go in a porceline pot and a servant would dispose of it.

On edit - the markets were also pretty horrifying to me. Even in the cities like Iquitos, the markets would just have meat hanging and flies everywhere - andf no refrig. mind you.

America and most of the world we know has problems, but I will take it anyday over living like the natives.

the experience of a lifetime! what a blast! thanks for sharing your photos and memories!

I totally agree. I learned so much about manking, humanity, and the human will to survive in any setting. I also learned that no matter how my life my suck at one time or another, we have it so good here - even our homeless live in better conditions if they can find a shelter.

Suze, one of your pictures caught my eye, the one of the Lantana flowers. My mom used to have those in her garden (before the gophers ate them) and I always think of them as like floral confetti, they are so happy looking in their party colors! here is a pic so you know what I am referring to:
http://isaisons.free.fr/lantana.jpg

these pics are stunningly beautiful, thanx soooo very much for sharing~ they were humbling & made me cry they are so gorgeous!!!~

Wow. Those are spectacular Suze. specially the sea creatures. that big red and beige star fish thing was amazing! and the hotel pool shots were beautiful too. You are one lucky girl!

Tell me about it. I still can't believe I didn't just throw him down! I showed incredible restraint. :p :lol: And the boy can dance, ****. (fans self)

They really are the most stunning flowers aren't they?

You're a sweetie. :xoxo: My pleasure.

Good God!!! :shocked: Those pictures are amazing!!! I'm in awe and in total envy all at the same time. What an amazing opportunity - thanks so much for sharing the pics...they're absolutely stunning...

I feel incredibly lucky to see these photos. It's nice to get more details besides from watching "Globetrekker". That buck with the curved horns is a Springbok, I believe. The elephant and lion pictures were awe inspiring. I believe elephants have a special presence and spirit, you can tell even from photos. :nod: The baboons scared me a little, of course. Suckers are mean.
I can't believe those flowers!!! Good lord! And I love all the pics of the Dr. Seuss trees.
I can't wait to go. Now that you came back alive, I want to go even more. :p

Oh, and the flies and stuff, and germs - Africa doesn't really have a population problem, so the germs probably are not as deadly as we think they are. :laugh:
And the photos of the people. Their ornamentation is gorgeous. It's weird to see such complex patterns and jewelry on someone who is rubbing a stick on wood to make fire. I love it. I remember seeing on Globetrekker that they ate a lot of blood and milk. Kinda gross, but actually blood is pretty nutritious in a way. And, you can get much more from the animal because you don't have to kill it.
Thank you so much for sharing, really incredible. :angel:
I was glad to see a reappearance of the orange dress.

Those were fantastic pictures!!! I love panoramic shots like the valley pictures you took. They encompass such a wide area in a single photo. Reminds me of the one I took overlooking Hong Kong on top of Victoria Peak.

Thanks for sharing your pics... they're really awesome. I've always wanted to take a trip to Africa, now I REALLY want to go! haha! The hippo and tortoise are very cute, I bookmarked the blog so I can keep up with them. Hmmm... I think your rhino pic is the best, although they're all very good. What kind of camera did you use? What was the reason for the trip... just a vacation? Or did you go for the wedding? It's great that you had friends to go with, I love to travel but it seems like it's always hard to get people to go with me. Sometimes I end up going by myself. haha!

Hi Suze. I looked at your photos earlier, but did not have a chance to respond. If you are not a professional photographer, you should be. The way you captured the people, the elements, the animals, and the landscape is spectacular. Without going to Kenya, I feel as though I were there. Thank you for sharing your photographs. You have had the experience of a lifetime and it shows. :nod:

I have added to my favorites! :D

funny, I was thinking Impala......
http://www.panoramahunting.com.na/Images/Impala.jpg

but Im no expert...

but here's Suz' pic:
http://www.photomakeover.com/kenya/i...Card_1-080.jpg


just for the sake of comparison, here is a springbok:
http://www.panoramahunting.com.na/Images/Springbok.jpg

Seeing Mary's pics I do remember now that it was an Impala. And you feel lucky seeing them? Wow. I was incredibly lucky to go and I know it. I cried my eyes out when it was over because I didn't want it to end.

I was just trying to describe this to someone today. They really do and its palpable when you're near them.

They scared me too, I'm surprised they didn't act out on anyone. One was masturbating much to the pleasure of himself and the tourists. I didn't photograph him though, sorry guys. :lol:

You will love it.

There really aren't that many flies around, just near the meat and the Maasai because they are all covered in you know what. There's feces all over their village - yuck.

I think when no one's looking they may use matches. :lol:

Its totally gross, blech. Thanks on the dress that one's a keeper!

I used a Fuji Finepix E550 but it sucks in low light so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. It does take nice night shots though on an automatic setting which is a neat feature. It's also cheap. It eats batteries like a mo fo though, you really need lithium. I'm buying a new camera this year after seeing the results from this one. I had to trash a lot of stuff that just did not come out. Still, it worked well in a lot of cases. Plus I saw another's pics and he has blurry and dark ones too in low light, not sure what camera he had but not the same. Maybe its the operator? Or maybe its just a limitation of the medium. I was able to make up for it a bit by switching the ISO to 800 mimicking fast film speed. But this makes for a grainy photo.

We went on the trip for the wedding and we pretty much figured if we went all the way there we had to safari and all that. Arra had been there 5 years ago with Patrick as his guide so he knew the ropes. Things really worked out well after a bit of a bumpy start.

Awesome pictures, Suze. :nod:

Seeing your pictures makes me think that I really need to travel since I've barely been anywhere. But at least I get a little glimpe into another land and culture through pictures like yours.

Did any of those animals sneak into your luggage? That little deer is cute. :nod:

You're a great photographer! I especially loved the pictures of the flowers. Really very beautiful.... Those stores are amazing. It's a far cry from our strip malls with large anchor stores in them. Thanks for sharing, sweetie! Glad you had a great trip.

Fantasic photos suze..and so many!:thumbsup:

What great photos! I looked at them yesterday when I got home from the hospital and was still riding my morphine high. :blob2: It has always been a dream of mine to visit Kenya, so I was totally jealous looking at your pictures. Looks like you had such a great time. Glad you're back safe and thanks for sharing the photos. xo

Thanks so much for posting those. My daughter and husband even crowded around the computer with me to look at them! Such beautiy captured in your fantastic photos. Loved your blurbs too.

Now my daughter keeps saying, "Can we go?" She just wants to pet the animals...:rolleyes: So does my husband...

That's so cute. Thanks for your compliments. Next week I'll be getting the film developed and I think there's going to be some really special images there. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I shot 18 rolls! I have a pretty good zoom too and my peeps were giving me preferential treatment in the crowded van so I could get some good shots.

If anyone does want to go to Kenya for Safari my recommended itinerary would be to go to Nairobi, rent a car to Lake Nakuru, stay at Sarova Lodge for a day or 2 and have a guide drive you around the park. That's the place with all of the flamingos and there are so many animals, it is a great place to start. Then take a plane from Nairobi to Masai Mara, because the road is just awful, about 6 hrs of potholed madness. Stay at Mara Serena which is paradise on earth and have a guide drive you around the park. Have them stop at the Maasai village for you. If you just do those 2 things you will see so much.

It is expensive though, very expensive. We were lucky to get Kenyan rates. They give Kenyans discounts to encourage national tourism. We got the rates because 3 of us were Kenyans. If you go at this time of year it is right after rainy season so it is not too hot. However, since the wildebeast migration had not come yet the big cats were all in Tanzania and the Serengeti. That might be an even better place to go this time of year, some of us went there and I will post their pics on my site too. They got to see quite a few lions and some cheetahs!

WOW! I feel like I just went on vacation myself looking at at these pics! Sooo beautiful, just kept taking my breath away...I wanna goooo! I adore giraffes and zebras. Well, all animals really, even the creepy sea creatures. That one you had marked ??? is brain coral, I believe.

I have these same purple plants in my backyard, and the front. I think they're called purple hearts. Some home designer got cute and paved the driveway around a tree near the street, with a flower bed all around it. The tree died (concrete disease), and I bought some purple hearts to fill up the hole. They make great ground cover, and they are very heat tolerant. The flowers pop out in the morning. I love them!

I believe that lantana is actually called "confetti." Another great plant for the Texas heat.

Amber - Dr. Seuss trees! Bwah!

How cute is that dik dik? I just like to say dik dik....and that lion! Gorgeous kitty!

I'm glad you had a good time - how's Mufi? I'll bet he missed his mommy. Did you tell him all about his ancestors? :D

Suz I really admire your adventurous spirit, I have never traveled abroad at all....so, it was kinda like going myself looking at your photos! How cute was that young married couple? Chalz looks like a pretty good catch! I loved his wedding shirt, was it traditional?

Those Acacia trees certainly do look striking in the landscape :nod: one thing I remember about Acacia trees, they have THORNS! and giraffes apparently are not bothered by them, as Acacias are their food of choice...odd!

I must be the only person who couldnt really see the lion very well, but his profile looked regal enough!

I dont like baboons, I hear they really are nasty little buggers, and the teeth on them are so formidable! The compounds where you stayed were so lush and green, which was a surprise to me, I always have a mental picture of Africa as brown and dried up...so, I guess you must've gone during the rainy season, or you were in a greener area (or both!)

Amazing photos, Sue! I felt as if I was looking at National Geographic or Life magazine. You really did capture the spirit of the people. The animals and flowers are all gorgeous. I loved the starfish ones.
I admire your adventurous nature. I could never do it. I get grossed out at the zoo when the animals relieve themselves.:laugh:

Thank you. I always dream about traveling to exotic places. Other than the Caribbean this is the first time I've done it. I was afraid of everything before I went, getting a disease, eating the food, etc. After being there for 2 - 3 days all of that just faded to the background as I enjoyed myself.

His wedding shirt was along the lines of traditional. It's called a ketenga which is a traditional African shirt, although his had a modern twist. The maid of honor and best man had the most traditional outfits. Would you believe the tailor ruined Wanjeri's skirt? It wasn't even wearable which she realized trying to pick it up the day before the wedding. She wound up buying a new skirt and borrowed that shirt from Kristin!

Chalz is one of my best friends from high school. We dated back then and it wasn't good. It wasn't all bad but we didn't fit together. They really do and I love her so much, she is quite a lady! Imagine traveling here from Africa to go to college! She's got some cajones. She supported him through school for his mechanical engineering degree which he got last year with honors. Smart girl since now he makes twice as much money! :D

This is true, and the thorns are about 4 inches long! Heavily grazed areas show the trees with just the thorns and no foliage. Somehow the giraffes eat around the thorns!

The photo is grainy and cropped. Grainy due to setting the camera at a higher ISO because of the low light situation. I've got more in my film camera with the zoom, keep your fingers crossed that they come out. If they do, those will be the ones to gasp over.

They are nasty but their behavior cracks me up. We did go at the tail end of rainy season so we had the luxury of mild, warm weather, lush greenery, and no rain! It had just wound down the week before. We were a charmed bunch for sure.

I like to call him a little dik dik, that is even funnier. :lol:

Mufy is very happy we are home. He was really affectionate as soon as we walked in the door. I wondered if he'd do any sulking - I've never left him for more than a couple of days before - but he did not. He just began purring and snuggling instantly. What a sweetie! I did tell him I saw a lion that reminded me of him, hehe.

Suze, those photos are absolutely stunning! What a richly colorful and beautiful region! And the people..they are so regal and amazing looking. I loved your photos of them the most I think. The lion wasn't too shabby either. Weren't you just freaked out when you saw that? Were you scared? Yikes :shocked:.

I've got to go to Kenya now. That's all there is to it. How much would the trip be if one wasn't eligible for the Kenya rates? I'm really serious, I would LOVE to go!

I'm not sure how much it would be. I would contact a travel agent or these folks http://www.serenahotels.com/kenya/mara/activities.htm. Our flight was $1200 from Boston. You would also want to check out Lake Nakuru since you can see so many animals there. This safari looks good http://safari.go2africa.com/tours/to...ults/TourID~62, although it doesn't have you staying at Mara Serena. Personally I would skip Treetops, it was okay, but anticlimactic compared to Mara.

Thank you. We stopped in one of those stores to use their restroom. Ugh. Thank God I had the sense to bring antibacterial wipes with me. Their restrooms are just holes in the floor. You better have your own paper with you too. Fortunately I did think of that as well and had some. It was really nice of them to let us use the facility though since you could see the distrust in their eyes. Or maybe it was something else. There is a strange reverence for white skin there that I think is a result of their having been colonized. Its awful and I hope that Kenyans can reclaim their identity.