#18 Go to Africa and see the wild cats: Part 1

Patrick and I. Patrick was my taxi driver
from the Airport to the Hotel, and it turns
out he needs a Kidney Transplant.

And see them I did!

This was probably one of things that has been on the list for the longest!

The adventure all started on the 9th of December 2011 when Mum and I exchanged a very teary goodbye at Sydney Airport. Next stop Dubai (for a long boring layover) and after that Nairobi!

Was I terrified landing at Nairobi airport, thinking that I was going to be the only white person around and have all my stuff stolen from me the moment I stepped off the plane? Yes I was.

Did I calm down and start trusting everyone I saw? Yes I did.

Now, I know the title of this blog is about seeing the wild cats of Africa, but so many spectacular things happened to me while I was on my Amazing African Awareness Adventure, that I just have to mention some of them here.

My frist sighting of Flamingo's! I almost cried when I saw
them. Once again, it was something that I had only previously
DREAMED of seeing, so actually being there was quite
overwhelming for me.

The first was meeting Patrick. Patrick the taxi driver and dialysis patient. I was really excited to meet him and talk to him at first, but the longer I spoke with Patrick the more I sad I became.

*Patrick goes to hospital for dialysis twice a week; in Australia, we dialyse people 3 times a week.
*Patrick has to PAY for EVERY VISIT he has to the hospital, including:
-All blood tests
-The use of the dialysis machine
-The work up tests that he and his son are going through to see if they are compatible

-The kidney transplant IF he gets one

Did I mention that he has to PAY for his KIDNEY TRANSPLANT SURGERY?!?!?!?!

He thinks it will cost about $10,000.00 USD. I have no idea how he might be able to afford that. I wouldn't have been able to. I would have died.

I went on a safari around Kenya with Patrick, as he said that it was extremely unfortunate that I was only going to see Tanzania. It was AMAZINGLY FANTASTICALLY EXCITING!

It was the first time I experienced African animals in the wild. We were driving along a semi-main road and we saw Giraffe, Zebra, Elands, Gazelle. "Where the hell am I? Where else in the world can you drive along a road and see GIRAFFE? Seriously, this place is insane" is all I kept thinking to myself.

The day consisted of:

->Stopping at an outlook over the Great Rift Valley, where I purchased an overly expensive Hippo statue.

Me enjoying that 20 cent corn that I
purchased off the side of the road!

->Taking a boat ride in Lake Naivasha where our boat was almost over turned by a very angry, angry hippo. "Don't worry" I was told, "they wont eat you, they just kill you." Eh... very comforting

->Going to Hells Gate and getting a tour of Hells Gorge by a Masai (named Joseph) who was learning to to kill a Lion with a poisoned arrow spear before becoming a guide

->Stopping off at a road stall and buying corn on the cob for 20 Kenyan Shillings. Yep, just as I was about to start eating it I thought to myself, hang on, this is ROAD SIDE FOOD and you are IMMUNOSUPPRESSED. Was this REALLY a good idea?? Yes, yes it was.

If anyone is going to Kenya and would like to do a safari, it would be GREAT if you could book with Patrick's company and like them on Facebook.

Go on! If you are going to be a tourist, do it responsibly and support the local industry!