Nairobi II

Like any good eldest daughter, I'm easily convinced by the cajoling of my beloved parents. I'm also a little tipsy this Thursday evening, so enjoy! 

The time I spent in Nairobi with Mom was one of the most special weeks in my life. She was a delightful adventure buddy, and while I missed the whole family, it was also a very nice mother-daughter vacation. She's promised a travelogue (and I trust that she'll eventually provide one without any wheedling), so this will post will simply feature some of my favorite, photos, stories, and memories. 

We started off the trip strong with an 11-hour layover in Doha, Qatar. We made the most of our time, completing a hop-on-off city tour before our gate was even announced. It was a fascinating way to see the city by night, although our lovely Italian guide skimmed over all the human rights abuses involved in the new construction. 

The second highlight of our long travel day was surprising Nicole, Duncan, and Rex on the last day of their trip to Nairobi. Anneli and Mom successfully kept the secret for months which made the surprise much sweeter. 

Nicole was shocked!

I also enjoyed the opportunity to see Pelle (Pele? Pellie? Pellissimo?), the house cat at the Bailey's residence. He was just as sweet as our first visit in June 2024.

Our second day saw us checking out the Karen Blixen Museum. A rich Danish settler, she could neither succeed in coffee farming nor stay married, but she wrote a pretty famous book that was adapted into a movie starring Meryl Streep, so now we can tour her house. A lot of odd colonial undertones, but the gardens were amazing. 

These two need to get together at least once a year -- so much laughter and love! 

Our second stop was the Giraffe Center. I've been twice since, and it's just as incredible. The center hosts 11 Rothschild Giraffes whose populations are diminishing in Kenya. Visitors can feed them pellets and admire them from afar. Mom (and I) were ecstatic and grinned the entire hour. 

Goddaughter, Godmother

Their tongues are super soft and blue! 

The next day we trekked to Kitengela Glass. Mom handled the molten glass like a pro, making a cool ocean paperweight. Kira and I elected to blow glasses, although mine is more of a vase. An incredibly rewarding and unique experience!

We also fit in a trip to Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate National Park. The gorge and rock in the park inspired several scenes in the Lion King. Unfortunately, there are no lions in the park, but there were plenty of giraffes, zebras, impalas, and buffaloes to keep us entertained. 

At lunch, Mom stuck to one of her life mottos, "you're never too old to swing."

The third stop of the day was The Raptor Center, which hosts really neat birds that are either being rehabilitated or otherwise unable to return to the wild. The owl below, Phil, has permanent wing damage from electrical lines. 

I was kind of freaked out!

Before my program started, Mom and I also went on a safari through Nairobi National Park. No lions this visit, but I'm going again with friends on Saturday so we'll see. 

Spot the hippo?

Those are rhinos.

I had some fun with the binoculars 

Maasai Giraffe

She smiled like this all week. 😀

Baby Zebra! 

Another smile! 

Baby Elephants from the Elephant Orphanage 

On Jan. 7, I moved into my program housing while Mom spent another week with the Baileys. I felt very lucky to have a mom in the same time zone while I adjusted to my study abroad program. We met up for dinner and drinks a few times before saying goodbye on Jan. 16. I'm excited for all my new adventures, but boy was it nice to explore Nairobi with Mom!  

Mom's famous fish tacos, red snapper style.

A brief PSA to readers: I'm using a Kenyan phone plan while abroad so texting/calling through WhatsApp (917-692-5323) or Instagram (@gretacmerrill) is the best way to contact me. Using iMessage might result in international fees. Also, remember I'm 8 hours ahead! Grandparents, Dad has volunteered (been voluntold?) to help with WhatsApp set up if you desire.