Kenya to Tanzania via camping...yes, you heard right camping!!

Today is day five of my 19 day African Adventure, so I've got some catching up to do. Lucky for me I've got helpers around me to jog my memory:)
Day 1: Niarobi
My flight left Cairo at 11:25pm today and I arrived in Nairobi minus a night's sleep. I hit the ground running in what tourists lovingly refer to as "Nairobbery" and left the hotel with part of the group for a visit to the Elephant Orphanage. Elephants found in many situations all resulting in them not having a mother to take care of them are taken to this place and raised with the intentions of releasing them back into the wild. So that the elephants don't become too accustomed to humans they only allow public feeding of the baby elephants for one hour each day. After that we went to feed the giraffes at the Giraffe Park (where I got a picture kissing a giraffe!!). You hold the pellet of food in your mouth and the giraffe gets it from you providing the best pic ever! After all that we went to the Cultural center to watch some traditional dances.
Day 2: Masai Mara
We left Nairobi for Masai Mara...a 6 hour drive in which one of the two vans we were riding in broke down on the way:) Breakdown #1 We arrived and got settled into our structure tents, complete with beds inside then left for our first safari ride that afternoon!!! It was great and although it was only 2 hours long because we were running so far behind on schedule due to the breakdown, we saw more animals that afternoon than we have seen on one single outing since.
Day 3: Masai Mara
Today we woke at 7am went for an all day safari then went to the Masai Village to see how they live.
Day 4: Masai Mara to Nakuru
We got up way early this morning for a short drive to see the animals in the beginning hours of the day. Afterwards we came back to the camp and had breakfast before heading out for the 7 hour drive to Nakuru...when the van broke down again. Breakdown #2. We arrived at about 8pm and immediately ate and went to sleep, exhausted from the drive.
Day 5: Lake Nakuru National Park
Today we got to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast. We left around 9am for a safari drive through Lake Nakuru National Park. This place was so different from the other park. For one thing it was green in some areas!! Which actually a surprise because they are going through quite a drought right now and what used to be a lake containing flamingos in the millions is now home to 3-5,000 flamingos.
Day 6: Nakuru to Amboseli National Park
We arrived late to Amboseli and were barely able to set up the tents before the sun went down. It seems as though this place doesn't really cool off at night the way the last one did.
Day 7: Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National park was quite an experience. I got some great shots of the sunrise on one side and the moon set on the other. We went for a game drive and they have several swamps here where the hippos and elephants spend the day wallowing in and grazing through...if they don't get stuck that is. Most of the pics I got have Kilimanjaro in the background. Wow it's beautiful here...until the dust storms kicked in that is. It didn't really matter how beautiful it was at that point because you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Some of the group made the mistake of washing their clothes and hanging them out to dry just before the storm hit...nothing like wet clothes or a wet body for that matter to attract the red colored dirt of this park.
Day 8: Tsavo West National Park
On our way to Tsavo National Park we stopped at Shitani or "Ghost" Hills where black lava covers the ground as far as the eye can see. We arrived and went for our last night game drive and ended the evening having a drink at the local resort's bar overlooking the animal watering hole and watching the sunset.
Day 9: Tsavo to Mombasa
We began the day with a morning game drive before breakfast. We then set out on our drive to Mombasa. Upon getting there a few of us decided to go for a walking tour that included the spice market and Fort Jesus.
Day 10: Mombasa
Today is the last day with this group and aside from dinner tonight we really have no plans for the day. I took advantage of the proper bathroom and accommodations by doing laundry, but not until the evening did I realize that this was the most humid place we would encounter throughout the entire 19 day tour. I said goodbye to the first half of my trip and prepared to begin again with clean albeit wet clothes tomorrow.
Day 11: Shimba Hills/ Diani Beach
Shortly after breakfast we began the 7 hour drive from Mombasa to Diani beach where the tour shifts from schedules, planned meals and game drives to laiseez faire optional water sport excursions, byo snacks and coastal views. We stopped along the way at Shimba Hills for what turned out to be an impromptu hike at the peak of the day's heat!! Fortunately I didn't feel like I was going to die until we had to hike back up, but the hike down to Shedrick Falls was amazing:) We finished the day off at thhe local resort for a beer and to watch the elephants come drink at the watering hole.
Day 12: Diani Beach
Today we went to the Kia village for a tour of the Sacred forest and a briefing of the culture from the guide/member of the tribe. Afterwards we stopped by the Monkey Rescue center for a tour of the grounds.
Day 13: Shimoni
Early day began with breakfast before our dhow boat and snorkel adventure:) On the way to Kisite underwater Marine Park where they have the largest fish in the most spectacular colors I've ever seen we saw dozens of dolphins playing in the water. We had a lunch of fresh lobster and crab on Wasini Island and took a tour of the village. We saw the Kokoni Bridge and Rock Garden constructed by the women of the village and headed back to the boat. We finished up with more snorkeling out to a sand bar to lay out. Once inland we visited the Shimoni Slave Caves (an underground arrangement where slaves were stored and exported via an underwater tunnel that led to Zanzibar). We then walked to the treehouse where we would spend the night.
Day 14: Shimoni to Pangani
Today was a travel day in which we crossed the border from Kenya to Tanzania. I had bought my visa ahead of time, but guess who was the only member of the group they gave a hard time to about crossing the border. Thank goodness Edmund, our guide, was there to run interference. He said that the guys at the border were "being naughty" and trying to do "funny things" so that they could "get a little tea". Geez... The drive really wouldn't be complete, nor would this second group really capture the whole African experience without a breakdown. Breakdown #3
Day 15: Pangani
We arrived for the second all day snorkeling excursion. After snorkeling the Marine Park we rested on the most beautiful sand bar in the middle of the ocean. The water was turquoise blue and waves lapped at both sides.
Day 16: Saadani National Park
We packed our stuff and drove to the waters edge to catch the next ferry across the water. The vans drove on and 10 minutes later we were on the other side. We arrived at the park and went on a game drive that night.
Day 17: Bagamoyo
We awoke early for our last game drive before heading out to Bagamoyo. There we relaxed, played cards and camped with a view of the ocean, sleeping to the sound of the waves.
Day 18 and 19: Dar es Salaam
We drove to Dar es Salaam where out trip together would end...again for me. What an adventure!!