Navigating

So I've finally made it to Africa. I've been talking about and dreaming of coming here for a long time. It turns out it's actually happened.

I'm not sure how I can sum up the last week and a half that I've spent here at Lewa. I've been on a game drive, run beside giraffes and zebras, visited some of the schools and clinics in the area, encountered monkey invaders, tried not to pee myself when hearing some of the animals at night (look up the sounds impalas and tree hyraxes make for the most incongruous combination of looks and noise), been to town, met some great people, been disconcertingly active, enjoyed a number of Tuskers, learned some Swahili and done many other things, yet none of those things can convey what this experience is like. Doing justice for whatever this is isn't possible yet, so I'll simply say that I feel very comfortable here (enormous animals aside). The people are terrific (the Canadians and the Kenyans), the work is engaging and I'm excited to be here for another two and a half months. Periods of homesickness aside, this is and is going to be one of the best experiences of my life.

None of what's above says what I want it to, but I've still got a bit of time here, so maybe I'll be able to find the words for you some time before I leave.

Random pictures:

This is the camp where the six of us are living. Can you pick which tent is mine?

I'll give you a hint: it's the cool one.

Townspeople in a nearby community

A shot of me at the end of a game drive overlooking Lewa (I'm the one in the hat).

That view just keeps going (thanks to Sean for snapping the picture and sending it along)