Monday 28 February 2011

Wedding, Cousins, and Now we are 6!!!

Long time no post - too much fun being had. Essentially, it started with a wedding of friend, during the celebrations of which Mama headed off to the airport to pick up her big brother and family for a week, Sat to Sat, and then Kitty turned 6 on Sunday. Hurrah! So it's been a mad week or so of busy safari and family fun. A selection of photos will pick out the highlights at least... (Big post as lots been done!) So, start with the wedding:
The happy couple

Entertainment from friends

And family (sort of - the orphans consider themselves A's at least...)
Then the great family outing. Hapily, the kids got on famously from about second 10 within the door!


Post paddling (The shots in the pool are definitely not suitable!)
 After 24hrs recovery and fun at home, we headed off on trip 1, to Ngorongoro crater, staying at a nice lodge with a pool in Karatu for some earlier entertainment.
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The mancub was demonstrating forward rolls. Or just beeing loopy.

Kitty liked this!

And on MOnday morning we'd hired a big car we could all fit in for the crater itself

Abdim's Storks were all over the crater floor - many 1000s

For some, sitting on the roof was the highlight

For others it was the lions that came to visit the picnic site

Mama B liked this best - we don't see many after all

And this is what we don't like about the crater...

Baby golden jackal was nice

Whilst fighting zebra were H's favourite

And L liked the baboons dripping from trees!
 Next treat was a trip to Arusha NP for some.
Mama B always likes thees cool customers

And there was time to stop and feed the eland on the way home
 Thursday managed a trip to Lake Duluti, the Mancub's preferred destination these days

African Darter was a surprise
 
 Then lego was introduced into the fray

Before a final 24hr trip to Manyara ranch topped off the stay - highlights being the inevitable sundowners on the top of my landrover, and large eles among the tents during the night...
The crowd

And a final sunset in TZ for the M family
 But the fun didn't stop, with a birthday girl in the house! Sunday morning, bright and early we enjoyed a wakeup call...
Party started with crown making and edible necklaces whilst people turned up, very African time...

Surprise visitor to the party!

Mama B excelled herself with a butterfly cake containing no dairy and no eggs...

The paddling pool was again enjoyed by all!
And so we found ourselves finally without visitors and completely shattered last night! Mama B is already tucked up in bed now, and life slowly returns to a semblance of normality. Albeit with a 6-year old in the family now.

3 comments:

  1. Hello! Can I ask a bird question? I live in Njiro, past Container. My place is within 1/2 mile of where the Themi River is in that deep gorge. The other afternoon a stork landed in a tree near my house. He was large, black body and white head and looked rough-both in the sense of dirty and tired, and also the roughed-up texture of the white part of his head and neck. Looking in the field guide, I'm thinking woolly-necked stork. Do they occur here?

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  2. Lots of fantasic goings-on. Happy belated birthday, Kitty!

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  3. Wooly-necked storks are rather scarce but great wanderers and they turn up near almost any river or pond eventually. From your description that must be what you saw - not that common in Arusha (nearest I've seen one is at Tengeru). Good spot!

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