Africa, Africa, jumbo jumbo! Jumbo ('Hi' in Swahili) from the continent of wide open plains, bigger sunsets and amazing animals. But before that, a quick update on how we got here. After Bali we transited through Singapore (stopping for another tasty and friendly dinner with Steve and Karin Motteram) on our way to Johannesburg, where we stayed a night with Geoff's friend Viv and her husband Ryan. It was great to catch up with Viv, to get to know Ryan better, and to meet their adorable children Alex and Adam. And to have a night out in Joburg acting as if we're all still in our twenties.

The next morning, with sore heads, we flew to Nairobi, capital of Kenya, where we spent a night before jumping in a Land Cruiser with our driver/guide/companion for the next week, Sam. We drove a few hours to Amboseli National Park, getting to know Sam, who turned out to be great fun, on the way. And Gi got to see the 'real Africa' of traditional huts and rural lifestyles. We stayed in tents on the edge of the Park at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Well, posh tents, with toilets and showers. The Kenyans who ran the lodge, like most Kenyans we met, were really nice, and it made the non-safari downtime a real treat. But on to Gi's first safari, where we saw lions, elephants, giraffes, heaps of zebras and wildebeest, and assorted other exotic animals. Geoff has been waiting 7 years to come back to Africa and see the animals, but it was extra special to do it with Gi and her big smile and cries of 'Lindo!'

We spent another full day in Amboseli, learning more about the animals from Sam, then on the third day of safari drove to Lake Nakura, a pristine body of water surrounded by mountains across the other side of the Rift Valley. This lake is famous for its pink flamingos, but also has a magnificent array of other water-loving birds like pelicans in huge numbers. We also saw rhinoceros, black and white, as well as more lions, and nearly a leopard (that's the way safari goes, sometimes it's like the Truman SHow, you're seeing so many animals, sometimes you can't take a trick).

On our fourth safari day we headed a few hours south to the famous Masai Mara National Park, Geoff checking Sam's phone for updates on the score in the Grand FInal along the way. All Aussies know the score. Suffice to say Geoff was happy he hadn't been able to watch it, and relieved to open the top of the Land Cruiser once we got the park and start watching animals to take his mind off the result. The reward : we saw the wildebeest migration in full flight. For those unawares, MMNP, and Serengeti National Park to its south, form the territory of the largest animal migration in the world, the Wildebeest (plus zebra and gazelle) migration, where more than a million wildebeest move from MMNP to Serengeti around this time of year to find the long grass. And they really run. It's great to see a huge herd of them bolting. Geoff even forgot the ignominious result for a while.

We got up at 4am on our second day there and did our first balloon ride (what a blast!) We also saw cheetahs for the first time, as well as a dramatic hunt of a reed buck by a leopard (the photos tell that story). Suffice to say the buck got away (like the Cats did). And we did a tour of a traditional Masai village, complete with warrior dance, tour of a hut, and a polite request to buy something from their market (you don't say no to these guys!)

On the sixth day Sam drove us five hours to the border (despite a border crossing in the park which is closed due to political reasons) along 'Kenya's worst road' and we said goodbye to the world's best safari guide. Gi nearly shed a tear. Geoff nearly cried too, but more from the pain in his bunda from all the bumps. And so the end of the road in Kenya was inauspicious, but what a ride on the way. We saw stunning scenery, amazing animals, and managed to tick off the big 5, named for being the hardest to hunt (elephants, rhinoceros, lions, buffalos, leopard). We also learnt a lot about Kenya, which is a cool country, and I think can safely say Gi caught the safari bug. Luckily, the adventure continues, as we have an equal amount of time looking at animals in neighboring Tanzania. But that is a story for the next blog. Until then, may your life be Hakuna Matata (no worries).