Linda's Samburu Story #7 (the epilogue)

So many people ask me what it's "really" like in Kenya.  What is the food like?  Is it safe? In closing, I want to let everyone know that it is beautiful and the people are wonderful and welcoming.  The food is delicious, sometimes with an Indian twist (samosas and chipatis - yummy!).  Kenyan cuisine includes a lot of soup and stews; chicken, beef, lamb are all common and the produce is all  fresh, hormone and preservative-free. I never felt in danger or on guard while I was there. I will warn that you must be open to things working in their own way and you should be open to the experience to fully enjoy yourself. The staff of the Sarova Shaba Lodge was wonderful and most accommodating during my stay there. They are all waiting for friends of TSP to visit.   The lodge itself is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River located within the Samburu National Park. Consequently, getting to and from the lodge was like a mini game drive with many beautiful animals to be seen right along the road, not to mention a local "duty free" shop.  Sadly, we neglected to bring "bathing costumes" because they have a lovely pool but we did avail ourselves of the equally welcoming bar.

The airport is really a landing strip, waiting area and an airport shop run by local entrepreneurs.  Air Kenya flies there to drop off and pick up passengers once a day. It takes a little more than an hour to Nairobi, a little more if they are making other stops.

Here is a view from the air of the lodge where you can see dry landscape with a thicket of green trees alongside the river.  Within that lush green patch is the Sarova Shaba Lodge. You can see the old lava flow which we drove over to get to the "tar mack" road.

My new friend Carol from AirKenya also wants our TSP friends to know that they are eager to meet us.

All in all, visiting Kenya is an amazing experience, one that is full of surprises.  I didn't even have a chance to tell you about my midnight rendez-vous with an elephant outside my room on the bank of the river, the tame oryx we met, or Dariana Lekilua a girl with a beautiful smile who goes to school in Archer's Post so she can be a teacher when she grows up.   I'll just encourage you to go discover "beautiful Kenya" for yourself.  Until then, if you've enjoyed these photos and stories, think about supporting The Samburu Project and changing someone's life forever!

Dariana Lekilua