NAIROBI

Nairobi has been on the bucket list for years and had been rescheduled twice. So glad we finally made it, and I can tell you I'm not sorry to have done this, a dream come true really. I didn't know what to expect having never been to Africa. Especially the weather, which was a nice relief to here. Mid 80's in the day, 60's at night. Perfect time to go as summer has not set in yet. Nairobi has one of the most diverse landscapes I've ever seen for a city, which makes this small, but breathtaking city such a magical place to visit. It is home to a wide variety of rare wildlife reserves and parks, grassy plains, rain forests, wooded savannas, and cosmopolitan cities, and then can get very rural. Admittedly, upon arrival in Nairobi, I wasn't immediately smitten by the Kenyan capital, it felt crowed, busy and congested... but fell in love with the city later. I believe I judged the city to quickly. But Kenya is rare...where else can you kiss a giraffe, and drink would class renowned coffee on the same day? But the point of the trip was to be out of a city and into nature for me to experience my love of animals.

Tours by appointment only, pre-booked. Only 100 visitors per day and only an hour, 11am -noon, as to not interfere with the work and raising being done.

Simply put, the trip was to feed my dream of seeing elephants and the Sheldrick Trust that I have been donating to for years now. I have always been transfixed by these majestic and intelligent creatures. The babies each have their own heartbreaking stories, but once they arrive at the trust their fate has the opportunity to shift for the better.  Each orphan has a caretaker they stay with 24 hours a day, even getting bunked with at night. The Sheldrick Trust seemed like a magical place where the impossible could be nurtured by massive, oversized bottles of milk and anything became possible. David Sheldrick and his wife started the place, rescuing mostly elephants, but they also take in many other species as well. The warthogs were wily, comical little things. But the Sheldrick's have also preserved too much land to mention, that is now protected and conserved and have changed laws and stayed penalties for poaching. But it was his wife Daphne Sheldrick who founded the trust in memory of her late husband and dedicated her life to wildlife and conservation. She was the first in history to perfect the milk formula and husbandry needed to successfully raise milk-dependent elephant and rhino calves. Through her innovation, the orphan's project has become the heart of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and a global force for wildlife conservation, with over 260 once orphaned elephants now living natural lives in the wilds of Kenya. Her success is unmatched.

These handmade blankets are often put over the baby elephants and rhinos for the night to keep them warm in their stockades.

The cute little eyes!!!!

I didn't see Larro. She is the orphan that Agnes Goldberg gifted me one year as a gift. How classy is that dame?!? When I donated, I usually make two, one for my Larro, and another for the overall sanctuary. I hear is a big one now.

If you ever want to go, or find yourself in Africa I say GO!!!! While we didn't stay at the Sheldrick trust they do have accommodations. Also, the Sheldrick Trust is not inside of the incredible Nairobi National Park, but on the outside of it. We worked with a safari tour guide that came recommended to Warbucks for our time in Nairobi. While there, we did one day in the capital...but were mostly in the savannas to see the Sheldrick Trust, Giraffe Manor and a couple other places. Our accommodations were partially all open air. More on these in other posts.

Lo and behold....

I was told by a caretaker that little Larro was the little gal on the right, backside.

But the Sheldrick Trust...no words can convey my experience or my feelings.

It's a very special place.