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*/ // Array of Locations locations = new Array(50); locations[29] = "San Jose, Houston, Amsterdam, Nairobi"; locations[30] = "Nairobi"; locations[1] = "Nairobi"; locations[2] = "Nairobi & Samburu"; locations[3] = "Samburu"; locations[4] = "Samburu"; locations[5] = "Samburu & Lake Nakuru"; locations[6] = "Lake Nakuru"; locations[7] = "Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara"; locations[8] = "Masai Mara"; locations[9] = "Masai Mara"; locations[10] = "Masai Mara"; locations[11] = "Masai Mara"; locations[12] = "Masai Mara, Nairobi, Amboseli"; locations[13] = "Amboseli"; locations[14] = "Amboseli, Nairobi, Lamu"; locations[15] = "Lamu"; locations[16] = "Lamu"; locations[17] = "Lamu & Nairobi"; locations[18] = "Nairobi, London, Houston, California!"; // Array of Descriptions-------------------------------------------------- descriptions = new Array(50); descriptions[29] = "FLYING FLYING FLYING on some of the biggest planes I have ever seen! Four-hour flight from San Jose to Houston. Ten-hour flight from Houston to Amsterdam. Nine-hour flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi."; descriptions[30] = "After two of the longest plane rides I have ever been on, we have arrived!! Even walking through the airport to get our Visas was such an experience. The differences in cultures are already quite apparent. The thought of actually being in Kenya did not hit me until we stepped out of the Nairobi airport and felt the refreshing breeze and saw our tour guide waiting for us with our Safari Land Cruiser Beast, as my brother calls it. A short drive brought us to our Kenya Comfort Hotel located in the middle of Nairobi. The town looks surprisingly like any other normal town, except for the crazy driving and the safari-looking trees bordering the roads. We will fully begin our adventures tomorrow after a much-needed rest tonight, and hopefully by then we will be better accustomed to the ten-hour time difference.

Tomorrow we will better introduce ourselves to Kenya by visiting the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the African Fund for Endangered Giraffe Center. I have absolutely no idea of what to expect, however I know whatever we do will be amazing. Not to mention, our guide Muthoga seems incredibly knowledgeable and kind. I am looking forward to meeting with Federico to begin my own photographic safari the day after tomorrow, and that is when the photos will begin to get exciting! Overall, today was a great welcoming to Kenya and I am looking forward to all that is to come!"; descriptions[1] = "This morning we woke up bright and early and set out to explore Nairobi. Getting around is a little bit frightening. The driver is on the right side of the car, and people drive on the opposite side of the road. No highways, no traffic lights, and no stop signs. The first thing our guide Muthoga told us was that drivers do not stop for pedestrians here. The roads are long and bumpy with cars driving literally bumper-to-bumper, pedestrians weaving their way in and out of traffic, and baboons frolicking on both sides of the road.

Our first destination was the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. This is an organization that goes out and rescues injured or sick elephants, most of which have been wounded with hunting spears, and nurses them back to health. The place itself was breathtaking. Monkeys were jumping from branch to branch in the trees above, and numerous warthogs roamed the premise freely. Elephant after elephant came out into the open space where they were bottle-fed by the volunteers. It was so refreshing to see these elephants doing so well after being so sick. Unfortunately though, others aren't so lucky. They asked my parents, who are both veterinarians, to take a look at a baby elephant that had collapsed from dehydration. They suspect they will have to put it down.

Joining us at the shelter was a group of the most adorable kids dressed in all purple who were on a field trip with their primary school. It was so fascinating to play and laugh with the kids and see the big smiles on all of their faces. They act as though getting their pictures taken is just the greatest thing in the world.

After a lovely lunch accompanied by a Vervet monkey that came down from the trees, we headed off to the Endangered Giraffe Center where we were able to feed giraffes and learn more about them. Learning about the behaviors of the animals will be extremely helpful when I am photographing them.

Before I came to Kenya I thought I had an idea of what the atmosphere was going to be like. I was proven wrong after I spent my first day here. Everyone is so friendly, and in no way do they make us feel like tourists. They want to be a part of what we are doing at all times, and are always wanting and willing to help.

Tomorrow morning I leave Nairobi and my family to embark on my photographic journey with Federico. We will tackle the five-hour drive to Samburu National Park right away so we can get there in time for lunch and go on a night game drive before the sun sets. I could not be more excited to finally begin this adventure, and I am eager and ready to learn tons."; descriptions[2] = "After a beautiful drive through lush cultivated fields and populated cultural cities, Federico and I arrived at Samburu, our first game drive destination. As soon as we entered the park gates we began seeing wildlife. To our right was a herd of elephants and to our left was a lion watching something in the distance. It didn't feel real. We hadn't even taken our cameras out yet!As I was unpacking my bags, I peered out my bedroom window to see monkeys looking in. At that moment the reality of being on safari in Kenya finally kicked in. At around 3:30, the ideal time for a late afternoon game drive, we drove back out into the park with our camera equipment covering all seats, bean bags on the windows to steady our cameras, and the roof hatches open. To be honest I was a little nervous to actually start photographing, and being with one of the best wildlife photographers in the world did not help my anxiety one bit!

We first started on the Ewaso Nyiro River. The scene was quite a dramatic one to photograph because it hasn't rained in days, leaving the river completely dried up with not a single drop flowing. The few remaining elephants that are strong enough to stand dig holes in the riverbed that other animals use to reach water as well. Through out the evening I witnessed so many exquisite interactions and behaviors of the animals, and fortunately we were able to capture many on camera. Adult baboons crossing under the bridge with their babies securely fastened on their backs, a Pale Chanting Goshawk bird eating a freshly killed snake atop the branch of an Acacia tree, a Palm Nut Vulture inspecting the remains of a buffalo carcass, and Reticulated giraffes silhouetted beautifully in the sunset. At around 6:45 we spotted a pride of seven lions, two females with their five ten month-old cubs, lying down in the bush. Before the sun fully set, we were able to watch them play, stalk some Guineafowl birds, and eventually cross to the other side of the river. We are hoping to follow them again tomorrow evening. I could not have asked for a better first day on safari."; descriptions[3] = "After a good rest and a cup of hot chocolate to start the day, we set off at 6:00 in the morning to catch the prime lighting. Seeing my first African sunrise was breathtaking. We decided to spend the day on the opposite side of the river since we had seen the lions cross over last night. After a good search we still could not find them, so we decided to focus on many different and more common animals. We spent a good amount of time photographing a few dozen baboons that were perfectly backlit by the early morning light. It is easy to overlook these crazy creatures because they are literally everywhere, however they have been my favorite animals to observe thus far. The way they interact is very similar to the way humans do, and they are always extremely expressive with their actions.

While eating breakfast in the shade of an Acacia tree, we were joined by many species of birds that surrounded our car and even landed on our cameras. Baboons were playing at the water hole, and just as we finished eating, a herd of elephants came in for a drink and eventually charged off splashing water and mud everywhere. Although the light was not ideal for photographs, it was a memorable moment I will never forget.

After a good lunch we were back out for our afternoon game drive. We spotted the lions early, and noticed a very interesting situation. As one of the lionesses laid down as the sun set behind the hills, a family of elephants approached her. The matriarch smelled her and finally saw her in the bush. The lioness managed to sneak away as the elephant started a full-scale charge trumpeting loudly and raising clouds of dust behind her. Unfortunately both Federico and I missed an award winning shot as the charge erupted because we weren't prepared with the right lens for the situation as close as it was. About five minutes later, the same thing happened again. The sight of an elephant stampeding towards me is one I will always remember. Fortunately, our vehicle was not the target.

As the sun finally set, we watched the lions rest in the bushes until they began their nightly hunt. Tomorrow we plan to look for two cheetah cubs we heard were up in the hills of Samburu, and again try to track the lions in the late afternoon."; descriptions[4] = "We did not have much luck on our game drive this morning. We did find a rather large group of ostriches, which consisted of a male, female, and many chicks. The sun was behind them, creating a nice glow of backlight. We spent some time on the river with the zebras and elephants, setting up wide-angle shots to really portray how drastic of a situation the drought is for the animals.

This morning taught me something I needed to learn early. It is not easy to find subjects to photograph. Samburu itself is about 10 miles long, and there may only be a few leopards living here to look for. Federico's photographs make it look easy, but he spends hours upon hours every day of the year photographing. One must have extreme patience and devotion for photography and the animals in order to come across great photographic opportunities. This morning we drove and drove and found many great sights but nothing that would make a photograph special. I must understand that some days we may find nothing, and others we may find everything. It's all just part of the process.

As the late afternoon rolled around, our plan was to search for the baby cheetah cubs people had seen the day before. Those plans quickly changed when we immediately spotted one of the six lion cubs gnawing on a freshly killed warthog behind some fallen tree trunks. The others came up to try to take the food, and the cub that was eating fiercely lunged at them every time. Soon the mother came and snatched it away, and the cubs layed down to rest. Since water is so scarce, many of the animals in Samburu are more quiet than usual simply because no energy can be wasted with the situations the way that they are. We decided to stay with the lions until it got dark. I watched in awe as two lion cubs climbed up on one of the fallen branches to create two perfect silhouettes against a breathtaking bluish purple sunset. Federico predicted this would happen, and I believe this is why he is such a great photographer. He knows all of the behaviors of the animals and is able to accurately predict what the animals will do in certain situations. Earlier today he told me that lions loved to climb, and gain energy after eating, and therefore they would most likely climb on the tree branches when it got dark. This is exactly what happened. Because of his knowledge, we were prepared in the right spot at the right time. In return we left Samburu tonight with photographs of an amazing sight and experience.

This particular incident taught me a lot, and made me realize that photographing wildlife is no easy task. Silhouettes are very difficult to shoot because the very dark blacks of the subjects and the very bright colors of the sky are hard for the exposure meter on the camera to understand. Federico helped me through this sunset photo shoot, and I am eager to try it again by myself when another situation arises. Tomorrow morning we will go for an early morning game drive and then take our second five-hour drive to Lake Nakuru for the next segment of our adventure."; descriptions[5] = "Once again we got an early start this morning. Before leaving Samburu, we couldn't resist to stopping to photograph a rather large troop of Vervet monkeys playing and grooming each other in perfect light along the Isiolo River. While we were peacefully watching the monkeys we heard obnoxious yelling up ahead and turned to see a green Land Cruiser driving towards us with heads poking out of the top. Federico and I were both apalled at how obnioxous these people were being around the wildlife. Who else could it be but the rest of my family! They are traveling on their own safari, and are a few days behind us. They will be leaving for Lake Nakuru on Tuesday morning. It was nice getting to see them, but Federico and I were on a tight schedule and had to depart before we could really catch up on what wildlife we both have spotted.

We hit the road earlier than expected and our timing was looking great, that is, until we felt the car dip on one side. We hopped out to take a look, and it turned out our back right tire had burst out of nowhere! Luckily we found a tire shop that was open on Sunday, which is very difficult in Kenya, and got that fixed up.

As we drove into Lake Nakuru National Park, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The forests look like they are straight out of a fairy tale, and the lake is covered on all sides with flamingos and pelicans. The trees in this park are called Yellow Fever Acacias. The bark turns to a golden color when the sun hits it just right.

We didn't find many good situations to photograph tonight, but we did find two buffalos playing and interacting with one another, which is not typical behavior you see from them every day.

We will rest well tonight in order to prepare for a very long day tomorrow. We will focus on the flamingos in the morning, as their silhouettes at sunrise are just stunning. I am hoping a few hyenas will be in the mood to hunt them as well. Other than that, we will search for leopards, as they are very common here. In fact, just ten days ago Federico saw two leopards mating here, something that he said was just amazing to witness.

As I am sitting here finishing the blog for today, I am accompanied by the noise of what sounds like a few angry lions coming from outside my door. I will be falling asleep to the sound of lions growling tonight... ahh the life of safari!"; descriptions[6] = "Jambo! After a good night's sleep accompanied by a rather large wolf spider on my bed stand, Federico and I headed straight to the lake to photograph the flamingos and the Great White pelicans, what Lake Nakuru is most famous for. We circled the shore until we found the perfect lighting and the perfect group of birds. Because of the extremely cold weather lately, the flamingos are settling farther and farther away from shore, making them especially difficult to photograph. We were hoping to see some hyenas hunting the flamingos as they usually do in the mornings, but they were nowhere to be found. Instead, a Fish Eagle tried to catch one but failed and gave up trying.

As the afternoon rolled around we focused our attention on the rhinos. Black rhinos and white rhinos both live in Lake Nakuru National Park, however white rhinos are more common. We got to see a family of white rhinos playing with each other and harassing the juvenile by trying to trip it with their horns. While all of this was going on, we were also able to witness a Silver-backed jackal mother regurgitate food for her pups, another truly amazing sight to see.

As the sun set, dark rain clouds began to roll in. As we got back to the lodge for dinner, raindrops began to fall. It has not rained in weeks, resulting in an extreme lack of water everywhere. Hopefully this will bring relief to all of the human and animal population.

Tomorrow we will complete our last Lake Nakuru morning game drive, grab a bite to eat, and begin our final five-hour drive to the famous Masai Mara where we will spend three full thirteen-hour days photographing. Federico spends most of the year in a tent camp along the park, and has previously received and followed updates about the animals there. Hopefully this will give us a lead as to where the animals are currently spending their time.

I have been looking forward to the Mara since I planned this trip in January. I know it is a very special place, and I can't wait to witness the beauty of it myself."; descriptions[7] = "This morning we decided to check out the flamingos one more time, and see if any hyenas had decided to hunt. We did see one hyena approaching the water, but once it realized how far away the flamingos were from shore, it turned back into the forest. Unfortunately the rain clouds covered the sunrise this morning, but the lighting was still just right to capture a few baboons before heading off to the Masai Mara.

The drive from Nakuru to the Mara seemed to take days because I was so anxious to finally see the Mara with my own eyes. As we approached I could sense that this park was going to be different than any we had been to before. The Masai Mara is filled with many flat plains that make it very easy to spot the animals. It has two main rivers, one being the Mara River, which the wildebeests cross during the great migration. Luckily we have come during the right time of the year to witness this magnificent event.

As we began to drive to our lodge, we spotted something very special. We were greeted by the Ol Kiombo pride of lions that Federico has been following for quite some time. The pride consists of two males, four females, and six cubs. They were resting peacefully until an adult buffalo decided to stir things up by blindly walking straight into the center of their circle. Immediately the cubs got up and began to stalk it. The adult lions stayed down, knowing the buffalo was very large and could put up a good fight. The buffalo charged many times but the cubs did not give up. As darkness began to surround us, they finally chased it into a bush. We have a feeling that the cub's intentions were not to hunt but instead to simply test out their hunting abilities. This experience taught me that things can change in a matter of seconds. The lions went from sleep mode to hunt mode before we could even blink. This is why waiting and being patient can pay off enormously.

Tonight we settled in at our tent camp. We have decided that tomorrow we will follow the Ol Kiombo tribe again, and later in the day we will go down to the Mara River to see if any wildebeest are crossing. I can't wait to see all that the Mara has to offer tomorrow!"; descriptions[8] = "Today definitely marks the highlight of my journey thus far. We awoke this morning to a very cool breeze, meaning that the animals would be up and about. There was also a magnificent full moon still left in the sky, meaning that the animals most likely had a good hunting night because the bright light would make it easier to see prey. Today I got my first real taste of the Masai Mara and I could not have imagined it any better. We decided to skip lunch today in order to give ourselves sufficient time to follow and track specific animals. This means we were out on safari for thirteen straight hours today. After what we saw, I cannot complain. Not more than five minutes into the morning drive did we find a lion walking rather fast after something. We decided to let her be. Today we decided we were going to focus on the leopards.

In Samburu and Lake Nakuru we had looked and looked for leopards and found nothing. It was almost like the more we looked, the slimmer our chances of finding one became. I had this gut feeling that the Masai would be the same. I was proven wrong when we immediately saw a large male leopard eating a wildebeest carcass up in a tree. This particular cat has been known to be extremely shy and climbed down the tree before we could get a good look at it. I figured our luck was over and that was it for the day regarding leopards. Once again I was wrong. We spotted Kali, the young male cub of the female leopard Olive, in the midst of a few trees. Federico has been following all of the five leopards here in the Mara for many years now, and can recognize them by their spots. He has even named them in order to help identify them. He was ecstatic to see that Kali was in excellent shape, on his own, and far from his mother. We followed Kali for a good portion of the day, watching him rest in the shade and attempt to stalk some wildebeests. He even sprawled out under our car! We lost him after all the cars rushed in to have their own look at this beautiful creature, so we went back to see the big male that rushed off when we saw him this morning. We snuck up really quietly, but he heard us anyway and climbed down the tree. Luckily we managed to take some photos of him as he posed halfway down the tree, enough time for Federico to identify him. It turned out to be Big Boy, the dominant male of the area, father of Kali and his older sisters, Ayah and Binti.

Today was also all about the wildebeests. The month of July is when the famous migration takes place. I truly feel that I witnessed a natural phenomenon today. More than twenty thousand wildebeest covered the plains of the Mara and crossed the river in one big line. We sat for a good two hours photographing the river crossing, although all you see in the photographs are big piles of dust and horns. The migration will take place in the Mara for the next month or so until the wildebeests move on to Tanzania.

As if today wasn't already full enough, we also got to witness a frenzy of all different types of vultures feeding on a wildebeest carcass. The photo posted here is a vulture flying down to join in on the feast. It was very obvious that there was a pecking order when it came to who got to eat. This particular vulture must of been a dominant one because when it landed all of the others backed off.

I will always remember this day in the Masai Mara. I not only got to see but also photograph leopards, something I have wanted to do for a very long time. Tomorrow we are going to conquer another full thirteen-hour day on safari. We have dedicated tomorrow to cheetahs. We have heard where a mother and three female cubs are currently living, and we hope to find them early enough to catch them in the midst of a magnificent sunrise."; descriptions[9] = "The only word that describes today is amazing. We awoke early as usual to spend the whole entire day photographing cheetahs. We had no trouble finding a mother, known as Shakira, and her three eleven month-old female cubs right from the start in the middle of a flat plain. From the moment we saw them we could tell they were in a hunting mood. For the mother, hunting is not as easy as it should be. The cubs are too young to know that hunting requires patience and most importantly, the ability to not be seen. Instead of waiting and scoping out their prey like the experienced mother, the cubs see something moving and immediately start chasing it, even if it is something too big for them. They went after wildebeests twice, once even surrounding an adult, zebras, and impalas. These naive actions often ruin chances for the mother to hunt, and even worse, put the cubs in very dangerous situations.

We sat and watched them for a while, however they did nothing but play and sleep. We decided to take a break and eat breakfast in the shade of an Acacia tree. Just as we were about to eat our french toast, we heard a commotion in the grass. The cubs were chasing something yet again, but this time it was something they could catch. A Thomson's gazelle fawn poked it's head out of the grass for a few moments, just enough time for the cubs to spot it. The mother gave the cubs a signal that it was okay to go, and that is just what they did. They did not run at full speed and catch it in seconds like one would imagine a cheetah hunt being like. They instead tested out their hunting abilities by playing with the fawn and tripping it like they would with a bigger animal. After a few minutes, the mother finally came and put the fawn out of its misery. It was definitely tough to watch, and even harder to photograph, however I know being part of this experience made me stronger.

I would like to say the hunting was over after that, but about two hours later the same thing happened. The cheetahs did not feel one fawn was a sufficient amount of food for all four of them. One second we were watching a gazelle fawn suckling from its mother, and the next we were watching it being chased by cheetahs. The mother initiated this attack and caught it within seconds. The dramatic image of all four cheetahs walking back to their tree with the fawn in the mouth of the mother is one I will never ever forget.

All our hard work of patiently waiting and watching for hours paid off when we found a perfect spot to photograph silhouettes of the four beautiful cheetahs at sunset before heading back to camp.

I am proud to say I have conquered one major component of photography today; patience. We not only stayed out for thirteen hours straight photographing, but we also only stayed with one animal, the cheetah. We saw lions mating in the distance, and even saw cars possibly looking at leopards, but we stayed with our cheetahs even when they were simply sleeping. When they did do something amazing, like hunt or play with each other, it felt so good to know that all our waiting and patience paid off. No one witnessed the hunt because they were not waiting for hours and hours for it to happen. We waited, and got many amazing photographs in the process. It is not easy to wait and wait with the thought that maybe nothing will happen, but when something does, it is the biggest reward in the world."; descriptions[10] = "Yesterday we caught word of two lion couples that were mating. When lions mate it lasts for a few days, so we knew we would have time to witness it. We found the first couple out in the open where we could get a great view of the mating process. As we arrived they had just finished a mating session. We gave them time to rest, and then they did it again right it front of our eyes. The best part to photograph is after they are done mating and they violently play with each other. Every ten minutes this process repeated. It was so interesting to observe the interactions between the two lions. A few yards or so down from the first couple was the second couple doing the same exact thing.

After spending the morning watching the lions, we drove down to the Mara River, the main site in which the wildebeests cross. To witness this phenomenon is one of the main reasons why people come to the Mara. It is something that one cannot believe unless they see it. Tens of thousands of wildebeests pushing and shoving to cross the river. Once they do cross, they have to make it up the steep climb to the other side. Once most make it to a side, the lone calves cross back and forth again and again, trying to reconnect with their mothers from whom they have been seperated in this brutal process. Those who cannot successfully reach the top succumb to nature's way and end up dying from injury or being eaten by crocodiles or hippos. This time, however, the crocodiles entered the scene but failed to catch any, most likely because the water is so shallow due to the drought. The pictures we took of this chaos are simply overwhelming. The mass number of wildebeests cannot even fit in the camera frame.

Tonight was my last sunset on the Mara, and the last sunset of my photographic journey with Federico. The sky was the most beautiful I have seen so far. Dark, dramatic clouds behind a bright orange ball of sun. We found a nice herd of wildebeests running right across the horizon, making a perfect sunset shot.

I really couldn't have asked for a better time with Federico. He has taught me so much about my camera, animal behaviors, and photography in general. Tomorrow we will go on our last morning game drive before I leave Federico and resume my journey with the rest of my family. From there my family and I will head to Amboseli, a beautiful park known for magnificent photos of elephants with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background. I am sad that this part of my journey is coming to a close, however I know I will be back soon because the sunsets of the Mara and the flamingos of Lake Nakuru are just too beautiful to leave behind."; descriptions[11] = "My time with Federico has gone by in a flash. It seems like just yesterday that I was showing my friends his website with an unrealistic thought in my mind of one day being able to photograph with him. The feeling of no longer looking at his photographs, but actually being there and photographing with him is a feeling I cannot even put into words.

This morning we finished out our last morning game drive together in the beautiful Masai Mara. We wanted to end our journey with another leopard sighting, since the last two we saw did not provide us with great opportunities to photograph. We passed by the tree in which we saw a fresh gazelle kill, and heard that Binti, the female cub and Kali's sister, was living. We knew she would be extremely difficult to find because she is very shy. Yesterday Binti attacked a family while they were driving up very close to her. This did not happen because she is a wild and crazy animal, but because she is very afraid of people and cars and most likely felt threatened. Federico was very disheartened to hear about this because he remembers that when she was with her mother she was not afraid of cars or people, meaning something must have happened to her while she has been on her own to make her act in such an aggressive way.

I spotted something moving in the brush across the path and sure enough it was Binti. Because it was very early in the day and we were the only car in sight, she walked around and did not show any signs of aggressive or shy behavior. In the Masai Mara, however, if one car stops everyone else comes to see what is being watched. Soon Binti was surrounded by six or seven cars, all pushing their way in as close as they could to see every move the leopard made. We stayed back and watched as Bindi ran at full speed through the plains, growling as she passed between the cars. After they all gave up looking, we tried to relocate where she had gone, however when a leopard wants to hide, they will not be seen. It made me realize that animals need their space, and if they do not get it, they can become totally different animals and react to people in ways that are very dangerous and unhealthy.

The action was over and it was time to finally meet up with my family and join them for the rest of our trip. After a nice lunch with everyone, Federico went off on his way, and my family and I went down to the wildebeest crossing sights. Unfortunately they did not get to witness what I did yesterday. No crossings were taking place, and the crocodiles and hippos were as calm as ever.

Tomorrow we will catch an early flight to Nairobi, and then drive to Amboseli National Park where we will spend the following day looking for wildlife and gazing at the magnificent Mt. Kilimanjaro."; descriptions[12] = "On every Kay family vacation something goes wrong. This particular trip has been very unique in that everything up until now has gone smoothly with no bumps in the road. However, as we began to board our 12-seater jet this morning to Nairobi, we realized that the airline had made a mistake and booked our flight for June instead of July. Luckily our guide Muthoga called in for another flight later in the day. We arrived in Nairobi in the afternoon and made the long drive up to Amboseli shortly after. No time for a game drive tonight, but tomorrow we will get an early start.

This photo was taken last night at sunset. Every night the Masai people bring their cows in to the park to graze, often scolded by the park rangers for entering illegally. To us, however, they made perfect subjects for our sunset shot."; descriptions[13] = "Today a Masai warrior beat me. He took his paddle and swung it as hard as he could, too hard for me to handle. I tried to stop him, but he has some major skill. I set my paddle down on the table and accepted that ping-pong is his game, and I was just an amateur. He beat me badly in all three matches we played. Little did I know he worked at the lodge, and most likely spent all his free time mastering the game.

We completed our final game drive today in Amboseli. Mt. Kilimanjaro, at an elevation of 19,000 feet, was covered by clouds most of the day, but when we did catch a glimpse of the peak it was breathtaking.

I have been holding off on the photography just a little bit, because I want to make sure I can enjoy my last few days here without worrying about lighting or composition and all of that. I did, however, get the must-have shot of elephants walking across the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and a photo of my last game drive sunset, which happened to be the most beautiful one yet.

Tomorrow we will depart Amboseli on an early flight to Lamu, a leg of this journey that I have really been looking forward to. I am expecting Lamu to be much different from any other place we have been to. It is a town just off the coast of Kenya, where all the Swahili culture has been preserved. There will be a noticeable decrease in the number of tourists there, and I hope that we can emerge ourselves in the culture from the start. I am going to step away from the wildlife side of things for a bit, and focus more on photographing people and their culture, something I feel like I have missed out on.

I am looking forward to writing my next blog because that will mean I survived the two flights we have tomorrow. I am not so sure about these twelve-seater planes. Until then, Kwaheri!"; descriptions[14] = "It is amazing how the climate, the atmosphere, and even the religion of a place can change so drastically within the distance of just a few hundred miles, all while staying in the same country. Today we traveled to Lamu, an island town surrounded by the Indian Ocean. We have gone from the crowded streets of Nairobi to a quiet town with absolutely no use of cars, but instead donkeys for transportation. From the dry, crisp air of the Masai Mara plains to the hot, humid, tropical feel of an ocean town. The residents of Lamu are very religious, most of which heavily practice the Muslim faith. While walking down the narrow paths between houses one can hear the children praying loudly in the mosque, following the tradition of their ancestors.

This place will be a nice transition from where we have come from. Finally some time to relax on the beach and explore a very unique town without the sounds of busy street life. We will definitely miss our daily game drives, but instead of looking for leopards and monkeys we will find turtles, tons of crabs, and even dolphins if we are lucky!

As for photography, things are very different in Lamu than in the other places we have been in Kenya. The kids of the Masai would die to get their picture taken. To see their faces in my camera screen made their day. Here it is obvious that the children have been told that getting their photo taken is against their faith. As soon as we arrived I took my camera and explored the area around our house. This town is my ideal town to photograph. Tall colorful buildings, narrow streets, donkeys around every corner, and people that are so expressive, even without saying a word. I turned a corner to see a group of school children jump roping in a courtyard. I asked if I could take their picture, and a few girls nodded with a big grin. Before I even got to click, the girls who obviously disapproved yelled at the girls who did, and told me to get away. This is one of those places where asking to take a photo will be necessary.

Tomorrow we are planning on exploring the town a little bit more, and we hope to get an understanding of the history that took place here long ago. The food is great, the weather is paradise, many great photo opportunities just around the corner, this is what vacation is all about!"; descriptions[15] = "I have a book at home called The "Cats of Greece" that I often take out when I want to look at some great photographs. Today I started my own project, 'The Cats of Lamu'. Lamu is a small island off the eastern coast of Kenya. Here, the cats are everywhere- on doorsteps, in gardens, on beaches waiting for fisherman to toss them a scrap of fish, and even in the dark alleyways. Most of them look quite fragile and some seem to be in critical condition. Yet, at the same time they look so majestic against their surroundings. Lamu reminds me of the many Greek towns I have been to. The look of the town is basically white stucco buildings against a backdrop of the beach with lots of stairs leading up to rooms with open windows. It is an appearance that makes an orange tabby cat against a set of white stairs a beautiful photographic opportunity.

We spent a lot of time today walking around Lamu town, which provided us with a good feel for the residents. It is a lifestyle that seems like paradise to me- no cars except for an ambulance, no loud noises except for the 5:30 AM call to prayer and the children praying in the mosque, no cold weather except for the occasional rains, and nothing but respect and loyalty from everyone. Walking barefoot is the normal thing to do, and if you wear shoes you might get some weird looks. Not to mention, an endless supply of freshly picked mangos and watermelon, my idea of heaven! The beach naturally brings a stress-free sort of go-with-the-flow attitude here, or so it seems.

The more time I spend here the more I know I want to come back, whether it be to volunteer in the veterinary hospital spaying and neutering the stray cats, or even working in the primary school. If that does not work out, I know I will be back here to photograph. I want to document the lives of the people in this town, and send out the message that we do not need much in order to live happy and full lives. Being surrounded by friends and family is all we need, and maybe even a cat or two to sleep with us through the night."; descriptions[16] = "This morning my mom and I visited the school here on Lamu Island called Shella Primary School. I was amazed at how many resources they did have, but I am hoping to donate some more necessary supplies when I get home. For the eighth graders, passing on to high school is not a free ride like it is in the States. They must pass a series of written tests in order to move on to high school, which means they also move on to an area with less poverty. If they don't pass, they must repeat the eighth grade. We received copies of the tests they must pass, and they seem extremely difficult. They are not tested on regular subjects such as history and science, but instead on fishing techniques and specific religions they are taught to believe in. Regardless, the kids all had smiles on their faces and were extremely kind and welcoming.

When we got back from visiting the school we took a boat out onto the Indian Ocean and went fishing. With the few fish we caught, a couple of mangoes, and an enormous amount of Chapatti, a famous bread in Kenya, we had a beautiful picnic lunch along the beach. Tomorrow night we will take a boat across the channel with all of our luggage to the airport here on the island of Lamu. From there we will head to Nairobi to begin our long journey home. Lamu is another one of those places that I will never forget."; descriptions[17] = "As I am sitting here waiting for the plane to arrive to take us home, I am reflecting on all that has happened during the last few weeks. It is so hard to remember it all, because so many things have happened so fast. I am hoping that during the next week or so it will all slowly begin to come back, and that is when the reality will set in that I just spent the best three weeks of my life in Africa.

At this moment in time, the most memorable moments are imprinted in my mind quite clearly.

I got to spend ten days with Federico Veronesi, who is to me, one of the best wildlife photographers in the world. Sometimes I would have to remind myself of how crazy it was that I was no longer looking at his photographs on the computer, but instead photographing right next to him! I feel like I have learned from one of the best, and I would not trade this experience for the world.

One of my most vivid memories is of the two cheetah hunts we saw in a matter of about two hours. I will never forget the feeling I got when the helpless gazelle fawn was being chased by four massive animals. I knew a hunt would be exciting to watch, but I never considered how tough it would be at the same time. It was probably the first time where I felt like I really knew how to handle the situation photographically while having complete control of my camera, and because we were in the right place at the right time, I got some amazing shots of the best moments.

One thing I will always remember about Kenya is the hospitality and how much everyone here cares. In Lake Nakuru I was awoken at one o'clock in the morning to a knock on my door. It was a member of the lodge staff telling me that my door was unlocked, and they were worried about my safety. I couldn't feel an ounce of anger about being awoken in the middle of the night because I was so pleasantly surprised at how much they cared.

Then of course there is that one moment that will always give me a good laugh. Federico was using nature as his toilet when I turned around to see a pretty good sized female lion walking in his direction. I yelled to him from inside the car, but he thought I was joking. He realized how dead serious I was when he turned around to see the lion only about ten feet away from him. As he jumped into the car like a little girl, I sat in the back laughing hysterically.

As I said earlier, right now everything seems like one big blur. I am hoping it will all unravel itself as time goes on. As I go through my photographs, stories will retell themselves. Over time I will begin to see how this trip has paid off. Experiencing Kenya has made me think of many things in different ways, and I am definitely more thankful for what I have. Seeing the people of Kenya so happy with so little makes me realize that so many things I consider necessary really aren't.

I can definitely see myself coming back to Africa when the time is right. I already have ideas of what I would want to do. Until then, I am going to use all that I have learned and keep taking photos at home, while preparing for college where I am hoping to continue doing what I love, photography."; descriptions[18] = "FLYING FLYING FLYING! Flying over the icebergs of Greenland, the Eiffel Tower, through the thunder and lighting in Houston, and finally arriving to the sweet smell of California air!

This photo recalls one of the moments of my journey that I will never forget. This female elephant was stampeding toward us at full speed, trumpeting loudly and throwing up dust, trying to scare away a lioness that was threatening her and her baby. Although we were not her intended targets, it sure felt like it!"; // Date stuff var now = new Date(); var date = now.getDate(); var str = new String(window.location); var number = -1; var days = new Array( 'Sunday','Monday','Tuesday', 'Wednesday','Thursday','Friday','Saturday'); var months = new Array( 'January','February','March','April','May', 'June','July','August','September','October', 'November','December'); function fourdigits(number) { return (number < 1000) ? number + 1900 : number;} today = days[now.getDay()] + ", " + months[now.getMonth()] + " " + date + ", " + (fourdigits(now.getYear())); function writeDate(){ if(str.indexOf("?") != -1){ var start = str.indexOf("?") + 1; number = str.substr(start); } else{ number = 18; } var myDate=new Date(); if (number == 29 || number == 30) { myDate.setFullYear(2009,5,number); } else if (0
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