Don't Forget Your Smiles

So here is our eagerly awaited video of Edward and I hot air ballooning over the Masai Mara in Kenya. We took off at sunrise and saw many animals as they hunted and grazed for their breakfast. Well, our video turned out to be about 30 minutes long but we cut it down to show you the best part of our whole adventure.

Once the balloon takes off you can see Edward and I to the right of the pilot. However, the highlight of the video takes place at around 2:14 on the left side of the screen. At the time, Edward and I had no idea that this craziness was happening on the other side of the basket. We found out when our pilot was previewing this video, that he just so happened to sell for a pricey $30!! We didn't want to buy the video at first, but once we saw this bonus, we just had to buy it.

The video is a little bouncy at first, but it settles down in a few seconds.

P.S. Viewer discretion is advised.

Don't worry. After the ride the lady turned out to be just fine. Just kinda funny that it was captured on our souvenir video.

Kenya dig it!?

I finally got around to posting a selection of our safari pictures. Click on this link for some real National Geographic-like action. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgarciarn/sets/72157621675805457/show/
Kwaheri.

Amsterdam in Review

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Amsterdam. Please visit the link on Flickr if you would like to see our Amsterdam pictures in all their glory. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgarciarn/sets/72157621343615798/show/

Going back to Cali

posted by Michelle
4:41 pm

Edward and I are chillin' at the Kensington Office here in Nairobi. Since a lot of visitors have time to kill waiting for their flights out, Kensington Tours has a nice little place where you can hang out. We have our own room with a big queen size bed if we want to take a little cat nap before our flight, a big couch, books and magazines, TV and a computer with free internet. It's like our own little house in Kenya! Anyway, this tour company has been really really great, so if any of you are interested in a private adventure tour look them up! Seriously. I've been very impressed. They have tours in South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. There Brazil and Argentina tour looks really cool.

So the last couple of days have been cool. We stayed at a "luxury" tented camp in the Masai Mara, which is the most northern part of the Serengetti. It's cool because you get to be in a tent and "be one with nature" but still have a hot shower, toilet, queen size bed inside your tent. Last night we could hear the baboons hooting and hollering in the tree right next to our tent. Ahhh...mother nature! The highlight of Africa has definitely been our hot air ballon ride over the Masai Mara. We took off over the plains at sun rise and saw the migrating Wildebeast below. It was crazy. There are thousands and thousands of them, and from the balloon they look like a bunch of ants swarming over the fields. Words and pictures just can not describe how amazing it was. After touchdown, we had a delicious champange breakfast right in the middle of the Masai Mara. Awesome!! Our balloon pilot was a quirky Korean dude, Kim. He filmed our ballon ride and, of course, sold it for a pricey $30! At first, Edward and I said we certianly don't need to buy that, but then we watched the preview of the video that Kim had playing on his laptop. SOLD!!! I'll post a clip of the video when we get home. It wasn't even the beautiful scenery or exciting balloon ride that changed our mind on the purchase. It was this random other passenger on the balloon. You just gotta see it!

Well we're heading out to this famous restaurant in Nairobi called Carnivore. Apparently they serve game meat there. I don't know how I feel about eating endangered species. We'll see. I'll let you know how it goes.

After that, 21 hours of flying and 8 hours of sitting in the Amsterdam airport. Oh boy.

Safari so Goodie

Posted by Michelle
20:56

So Edward and I tend to fall asleep while were driving around to our next Safari destination. We can't help it. It's been such a whirlwind adventure that were getting kinda tired and we have to wake up early to see all the animals in action. Besides when you're sitting in a warm safari van that's rocking over the bumpy roads, you're bound to fall asleep. Anyway there we are nodding asleep, with our mouths hanging open and then our driver William will say, "Look! There is a Zebra!" We startle awake and blink our eyes and go, "Oh, oh yeah...cool." Then a minute later...out. He must think we're so lame!! Hahahaha!!!

Tomorrow we're off to our "luxury tents" and hot air balloon ride. Hopefully we don't fall asleep during that.