Playing with animals

Did you know that a giraffe's saliva is antiseptic?  At the giraffe center in Nairobi, you can get up close and personal with these long-necked creatures (and their saliva).  In fact, the keepers encourage it!

Luckily, Daisy was a relatively clean kisser! 

 


Addie and I started off the morning watching the baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.  Each day, for one hour only, the keepers bring out the elephants and let visitors photograph and pet the animals.  I'm not sure I would have been able to tear Addie away otherwise!

One of the many school groups visiting the elephant orphanage that day.

Then, it was off to play with the giraffes!  The giraffe center in Nairobi was established to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffes, which are found only in East Africa. 

A giraffe's tongue is about 18 inches - that's one long tongue!

Addie "feeding" a giraffe.

There are also a few resident warthogs at the giraffe center, and according to the keepers, they get along quite well with the giraffes.

The following day we visited the Karen Blixen Coffee Plantation and enjoyed a tasty lunch at its restaurant. The plantation is located in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi named after the Out of Africa author.

Last stop for the day - nyama choma!  No visit to Kenya is complete without nyama choma!   

I think we'll take one full goat...