How to Properly Kiss a Crocodile...

We are really trying to get out on the weekends because it can be a drag to hang out in the apartment.  At home getting a day with nothing to do is a rare pleasure that I really enjoy. Here I need to keep moving.  The Sheldrick Orphans project is located within the Nairobi National park and is a place that young, transportable Elephants and Rhinos can be taken if they are found on their own - mostly due to poaching activity.

Here they come.  Lunch is what gets them excited and they really trot over to us with a will.

And what a lunch it is!  The first course is gallons of milk and they tear into it with a vengeance. I don't know how the Milk Council has missed this for their advertising program.

Got Milk?

The rather large team of attendants show a great caring and gentleness for the animals.  They introduced the crowd to each by name and told us about their personalities and their history.  This team actually sleeps with the elephants, seeing to their needs at night, keeping them company and giving them blankets if they are cold.   It was touching to see the affection - the babies would go up and want to nuzzle a bit every once in a while.

Two of the little ones put on a wrestling match for us.  You can get an idea of the crowd here from this camera angle.  Several hundred tourists surrounded the area on three sides.  The grounds are only open for visitors for one hour per day and this is on the schedule for most of the safari package tours.  In the end I had to take most photos with the camera held up as far as I could reach to get above the crowd.

Dorothy and Kimberley managed to peek through the crowd

After leaving the elephants we decided to try an attraction that is a little more off the beaten tourist path.  Mamba Village is in Karen and is a lovely little oasis with both beautiful gardens and pens full of big toothy reptiles.  Remember that this is a suburb of the city and that you can see houses nearby.  Hopefully these fellas don't get out to party much.

So, how does one properly kiss a crocodile?  First one must meet an attractive member of the species.  A guide eager to hop into the cage and perform introductions helps with that.  The next problem is rather more delicate - how does one avoid too rapid a courtship?  Keeping ones distance and a firm grip is essential.  Finally, in some cases, and I think this is clearly one of them, the closing of the eyes helps a lot. Don't forget - kissing is one thing, being kissed back must be regarded with more caution.

These little guys must file their teeth at night.

Our guide was eager to hand out critters

They also had, of all things, a bunch of turtles, or tortoises, or whatever they call themselves.  They really did not talk much.   Nor did they strike us as being in the mood for affection, which was good because I didn't want to get a reputation for late dating after the crocodile.

Dorothy and Kimberley performing introductions

A Very Friendly Giraffe.  He would bump heads with us
if  we stopped paying him attention

So, thus ends another day of exploring the areas surrounding Nairobi.  We still have not gotten into the game parks properly but we are making plans and going out to meet some safari companies.  Hopefully pretty soon we (and you!) will be seeing the more of the real Africa outside the city.