The following morning there was a pleasant "city tour" with Micato Safaris. We toured the town and got a look at the U.S. Embassy that had been recently destroyed by terrorists. We shopped at African Heritage and at the Curio Den. We toured the National Museum and the Snake Park. Lunch at The Casino was excellent.

The best meal of the entire trip was an authentic African dinner that evening at Micato Safaris owners Felix and Jane Pinto's beautiful home on Lavington Hill, overlooking the city of Nairobi. Mrs. Pinto is the most gracious, entertaining, intelligent hostess one could hope to meet.

The following morning the day began with a tour of the Karen Blixen home and museum and Karen Estates. Incredible! If you have seen the film Out of Africa, you should not miss a visit to this place. The surrounding grounds are beautiful and could be photographed, but photography is not allowed inside the house.

There is an eerie feeling within the house. The pictures, books, gramophone, bathroom, bedrooms, the riding boots, the lion rug . . . For a brief moment you may feel that you are Karen Blixen and this is your home. You begin to wish you could be alone in this place for awhile. You are sure to decide to watch Out of Africa again as soon as you get home.

Next came a visit to the Giraffe Center, which I found not terribly impressive only because I have fed giraffes mouth-to-mouth so feeding these was not a big experience. But you can get an up-close look at these beautiful Rothschild giraffes. There were also numerous warthogs who were quite entertaining with their various antics. Whether or not you have the urge to see giraffes, visit the Giraffe Center for the warthogs!

Lunch was on the patio at the world famous Carnivore Restaurant - - ostrich, hartebeest and zebra - - in the company of an abundance of cats who stare up at you hoping for table scraps. You are asked not to feed them, because they might slack off on their job of keeping rodents and birds away. When I asked a Carnivore employee how many cats there were, he said matter-of-factly, "Sixty."

Late that afternoon, Micato owner Jane Pinto took me to the home of Gemini Desai to discuss the possibility of doing a web site for her. Two others from my "zoo group" went along, and we each made some nice purchases from her outstanding jewelry offerings. Gemini's house and home business is on a hill in a high-security area where ambassadors from many countries reside when in Kenya. Her contact information is on this page, along with a description of my personal choices from her collection. If you are going to shop for jewelry in Nairobi, you must contact her! You won't be disappointed.

This journey to East Africa did not disappoint me. It was the adventure of a lifetime, but it was one of many more to come. My return trips are always with renewed anticipation and confidence. Please use this contact form if you are interested in joining one of my safaris!