Sarvers-In-Africa

Last Updated: 24 June 2008

Welcome to the SarversInAfrica home page! This site is meant to track the activities of Cara, Malia, Ruma, and Kevin during our stay in Africa. We moved from Washington, DC to Nairobi, Kenya in August, 2005 on a 3 year assignment. If you want to contact us, you can email us at [email protected]. 

Important Update:

Current Status:

Recent activities:

Over the May 1 Labor day holiday weekend, we traveled to Mt Kenya NP and Samburu NR.  Our friend Monowar Kamal took a lot of photos of the safari and posted them on his web site.  Unfortunately, Ruma couldnt join us as she was traveling.  On a concilatory note, she did get to see our good friend Torbjorn Eide while she was in Oslo, Norway. 

The 2008 Nairobi Ultimate Frisbee Festival (NUFF) occured in late May.  Kevin led the team of ISK coaches (ISK Mzee).  We placed 5th in the tourney but were satisfied as we were competitive in every game and our aging bodies held up for the 2 day tournament.  Our friend Paulo Van Bruegel was nice enough to twist his ankle in the first game so he had opportunity to take some photos of the other matches.   He posted them on his web site in two parts, part 1 and part 2.  We hosted 14 Ugandans in our house during the tournament.  It was a busy weekend! 

In early June, we spent a long weekend at Sweetwaters Game Reserve and the El Karama Ranch in Laikipia where Cara and Kevin went for a horseback safari.  Two weeks later, we were again back in Laikipia at the Sangare Ranch.  This time, we all went horseback riding and later mountain biking through the reserve.  On the way back to Nairobi, we drove through Aberderes NP where we saw some great waterfalls. 

Refer to the Safari Photos and Blogs below for details about each activity.

Upcoming events:

Kevin will be running in the Lewa half-Marathon in late June.  The race occurs in the Lewa wildlife conservancy, in northern Kenya so it should be quite interesting.  After that, we plan to spend a few days camping in Samburu NR with friends before returning to Nairobi.  In early July, we are planning a trip to Tsavo West NP and later, a trip to the coast.  As our last hurrah in Kenya, we're planning a final trip to the Masai Mara NR in early August before departing for Washington, DC.

In mid-August, we'll be making a trip to Seattle.

Safari Photos and Blogs:

Check the links below for photos and blogs from our various safaris and activities:

March 2008: Kilimanjaro
In late February, I saw a notice in the UN Recreation Center that they would be sponsoring a climb up Mt Kilimanjaro.  I thought it sounded fun, but I was a bit nervous about climbing so high so I wasn't sure.  I was also worried whether my strained achilles tendon would be able to take it.  I mentioned the climb to Ruma one day and she responded with "YES, YES, YES, YES!".  So, we were in.  The timing of the climb happened to coincide with Spring break for the girls, so that worked out well.  We arranged to send the girls to Lamu with friends Fazilah & Bernhard.  The expedition took 7 days in total.  There were 10 people in our group ... Read More

February 2008: Watamu
Friends Kyle and Deb from Seattle were supposed to come visit Kenya during February along with a trip to Egypt.  Unfortunately, they decided to cancel their trip due to the escalating post election violence here in Kenya.  We were bummed about the cancelation, but we agreed with the decision.  It was risky circumstances to be traveling around Kenya.  We had planned to spend some time at the beach with them while they were here.  Rather than make it a total loss, we decided not cancel our tickets and flew to the coast for a 4 day weekend at the Turtle Bay Beach Club in Watamu.  Had a very good time at the beach, but we missed our friends ... Read More

December 2007/January 2008: On safari with Hashi and Bhaiya
In December, Ruma's sister Hashi came for a visit with her husband Mahbub (a.k.a. Bhaiya) and their two girls Asha and Proma, ages 4 and 3.  They arrived on the morning of Christmas eve so we celebrated Christmas day with them in our house in Nairobi.  On boxing day (the 26th for those who are not English), we drove up to Lake Nakuru NP for some touring.  We spent boxing day in the park, seeing lot's of animals, although there werent many flamingos in the lake.  I think the reason is that the water level in the lake was too high.  On our way back from Lake Nakuru NP, we stopped by the Lake Naivasha Country club ... Read More

December 2007: Birthday parties, etc.
Halloween is not a Kenyan holiday, but we celebrated it well at the girls school.  First, there is a costume parade by each grade, followed by trick or treat around the school, and finally, a party in the playground.  Was lots of fun, especially the haunted house.  December is the time for birthday parties.  Malia's birthday is actually in November, but it falls right in the middle of the short rains, so we delayed it until December so we could have some hope of decent weather.  We also held Cara's birthday party as well (Cara's birthday is in August, but the weather is a bit cool then, and most kids have not yet returned, so it's not a great time to ... Read More

December 2007: Juba, South Sudan
The new World Bank office opened in Juba, South Sudan.  Not only did it mean that Ruma could move out of her office container, but she could also move out of her tent as the new office also contain staff apartments.  Adding to that, there are several new restaurants in Juba.  Things are definitely looking up.  With the opening of the new office, and the Christmas season here, the bank sponsored a small holiday party.

October 2007: Cape Town, South Africa
In October, 2007, the girls had a week break from school so we decided to take a trip to Cape Town, South Africa.  For the first 3 days, we stayed in Cape Town itself.  On our first day, we walked around downtown, sightseeing, and the girls did lots of shopping.  Just outside our hotel at greenmarket square, there was an African arts and crafts market, very similar to the Masai Market back in Nairobi, but we thought it was rather expensive at least compared to the Masai Market.   On our second day in Cape Town, we planned to ride the cable car up to table mountain, but it was a grey, cloudy day and you couldnt even see table ... Read More

September 2007: On Safari with Anders & Jannie 
In September, 2007, Anders and Jannie Lovendahl gave us a visit.  Anders was an exchange student from Denmark who stayed with my folks in Seattle back in 1994.  It was great having my "little brother" here for a visit.  We first took them up to Lake Nakuru NP where we saw lots of animals, including black rhino, lions, and even a leopard!  After that, Anders and Jannie flew to the Masai Mara for a 3 day safari.  They stayed at the Mara Siria camp.  Coming back, we took them over to the Karen Blixen museum (Karen was Danish after all) and the Giraffe Center.  After this, we travelled down to Tsavo West NP for two days and finally over to ... Read More

August 2007: Camping in the Masai Mara 
In August, 2007, we travelled back to the Masai Mara National Reserve with friends Bernhard and Fazilla to see the annual wildebeest migration.  In September and October, over 1 million wildebeest and zebra migrate from the Serengeti plains in Tanzania into the Masai Mara.  One of the more dramatic parts of the migration is when the wildebeest and zebracross the fast-flowing and crocodile infested Mara River.  The girls and I witnessed several crossings last year on our safari with Sheema but Ruma wasnt with us so she still hadn't seen one.  So, we were off once again to the Mara.  ... Read More

July 2007: On Safari with the Kraabels.  
In late June, our friends the Kraabels from Seattle came to visit.  The Kraabels consist of Tim, my friend since junior high school, his wife Beth, son's Geoffrey and Nick, and daughter Aubrey.  They came first to Kenya for a two week visit, then on to Egypt for another week.  We first went to Lake Nakuru NP where we stayed at the WWF house.  We saw lots of animals the first day and during the evening we were wondering: are there really lions in Lake Nakuru park?  We had never seen one.  Well, the next day we answered it conclusively: we saw a leopard about 10 minutes from the house and then a lion about 5 minutes later.  Good thing we ... Read More

May 2007: Nairobi Ultimate Frisbee Festival 
On Saturday, May 19, we held the second annual Nairobi Ultimate Frisbee Festival (NUFF) on the grounds of the International School of Kenya (ISK).  This is Cara's and Malia's school.  We had alot of first-time players for the festival, so we started off with a clinic on how to play and then divided into 6 teams for the tournament.  Approximately 80 people turned out to play!    My team was the Kikuyu's.  We had a good day, but tough, as we lost two games in tie-breakers which put us in 4th place.  Still, it was great to be competitive!  The tournament raised over 50,000 KSH for a local NGO, Carolina for Kabera, which provides free ... Read More

May 2007: Mt. Longonot NP and Lake Nakuru NP
In early May, we went hiking with Lester and Karna on Mt Longonaut.  We took our housekeeper Doreen with us as well so that she could get a chance to see some of her country.  Unfortunately, Ruma was in Sudan, so she didnt join us.  We were all sore following our hike, and it showed in the next days Frisbee match.  Later, we spent the weekend with our friends Prince and Sarah at Nakuru NP.  We stayed in the WWF house inside the park.  We saw lots of animals while we were there, including Rhino, flamingo, giraffe, but also a leopard!  It has been a long time since we have seen a leopard (since our first trip to the Masai Mara) so that was ... Read More

April 2007: Meru NP
Over Easter break, we travelled up to Meru NP with some friends.  Karna and Lester did not join us as they were visiting a friend in Kisumu (Western Kenya).  Trip started out a bit on a bad leg; we had reserved two banda's in the park through KWS in Nairobi, but when we arrived, we found our banda's had been given away.  Aaarh!  I was furious.  Eventually they found us a house to stay in, which was even nicer than the banda's, so it actually worked out better for us.  Meru is much lower than Nairobi, around 3,000 feet, so it was hot, around 36 degrees C (98 degrees F).  One of the campsites had a pool though, so we made a point of stopping ... Read More

March 2007: Caroline's and Asbjorn's Wedding in Lamu, Kenya
Here are photos from our trip to Lamu in March to attend our friends Caroline and Asbjorns wedding.  Asbjorn is from Norway and Caroline is from France, and many members of both of their families and friends, as well as local friends from Nairobi attended, making this a very international event.  We practically booked all of the available rooms in Shela village!  We stayed with our friends the Klugmans in the Kisimani house, the same place we stayed at last year.  Had several great days at the beach, a great dhow trip and beach party, followed by a beautiful wedding ceremony and a fun reception.  Kids had a great time swimming in the ... Read More

March 2007: Tsavo East NP and Watamu, Kenya
In March, we went to the beach for Fall break.  Ruma had a conference in Sudan to prepare for, so she couldnt join us for this trip, so we decided to go to Watamu, which is a town on the coast.  We decided to drive down so that we could spend some time in Tsavo East NP.  Just before we left, we received word from my cousin Karna that she and her friend Lester would be coming to Kenya.  Lester and Karna are on a world tour and are now on their Africa leg.  We were able to arrange last minute accomodation for them, so they joined us on our trip.  Had a great time at the beach and Kevin even went scuba diving!  Karna had an underwater ... Read More

February 2007: Amboseli NP and Tsavo West NP
In February, our friends Robin and Swati from the US came to visit us.  They had arranged for a 9 day Kenya Safari with a touring company, but they came a few days early to spend some time with us.  We took them on a trip to Amboseli and Tsavo West NPs.  One of the interesting things about this safari was that we had made the same trip almost one year before, but things were very different.  This winter was very wet for East Africa, whereas last year we had a drought.  In Amboseli, we stared at lakes this year where last year had been dry grasslands.  As a result, there werent quite as many animals present, but there were lots of birds and there ... Read More

December 2006: Msambweni, Kenya and Tanzania
In December, we rented a house at the beach with our friends the Carmichaels. The house was located in Msambweni, a small town along the Southern coast of Kenya. Russ and Pam had some car trouble on the way down, making it a very long drive. Eventually we all made it though. After that, it was time to relax. The hardest decisions were whether to swim in the pool or the beach, and what to ask the chef to make for dinner. Friends Ron and Tanya rented a place two houses over, so there was a constant stream of kids back and forth between the houses. We spent Christmast day with Ron and Tanya and had a huge feast.   After a week at ... Read More

November 2006: Birthday Parties, etc
Malia's birthday falls in November, as did the ISK picnic, and the christmas concerts, etc.

October 2006: Mt. Kenya NP and Samburu NP
In October, the girls had a couple of days off school and so we decided to head up North. We drove up to the town of Naro Moru, which is at the base of Mt. Kenya. The next day, we drove up into Mt. Kenya NP and went for a short morning hike along the Naro Moru trail. It was nice to be able to stretch our legs. Most of our Safaris are spent in the car watching animals so it was nice to be out of it for a change.  In the afternoon, we drove up to Samburu NP where we camped along the banks of the river. Samburu is very scenic and we saw some new game there including Oryx, Gerenuk, and a number of birds. We had a great game drive the ... Read More

September 2006: Diani Beach, Kenya
In September, the girls had a couple of days off from school, so we decided to head down to the beach. We decided to stay at a beach-front house recommended by our friends Billy and Jeni. We went with the Benedicts (Jean, Collin, and Cole. Mitch had to work). Diani House was very nice, and the water was clear and warm. There were some great coral reefs about 400 yards off shore and we hired boats each day to take us out for a view. The coral reefs were great – lots of fish and plants. It made me long for my aquarium at home! On our last day at the beach, we decided to go on a Safari up to the Shimba hills NP, and then to ... Read More

August 2006: On Safari with Sheema
While visiting the US this summer, we told Sheema to come visit us sometime (like we tell everyone). Sheema decided the time was right so one morning I woke and Sheema informed us that she had bought tickets. She was coming to Africa!  Sheema arrived in Nairobi on the 3^rd of August, about 2 days after we arrived home from our trip. Her plans were to spend about 10 days in Kenya, then fly to Egypt for a week. We first took Sheema up to Nakuru NP , where we saw lots of game including rhino, flamingos, zebra, giraffes, and waterbuck We took our housekeeper Doreen along with us and we stayed in the WWF House inside the park ... Read More

July 2006: Back in the US
In June, we took a trip back to the US for a month. While that sounds like a long time, spreading activities between both coasts made for a very busy time. We flew from Nairobi to New York, where we stayed for a few days with Ruma's sister Salmi. Sheema and Hashi came up so we had everyone together. We went into the city, went to the beach, and drove up to Bear Mountain one day. After a few days in NY, we drove South to Washington, where we stayed with Sheema. In Washington, we visited friends, ate at some our our favorite restaurants, and did a bit of work. Kevin changed employers during this time so he had to close out his old job and ... Read More

May 2006: Mt. Longonaut NP and Hells Gate NP
In May, we went on a couple of day trips outside Nairobi. First, we attended our friends Saleh's and Gita's wedding at the Masai lodge, in Nairobi National Park. Then we climbed Mount Longonaut.  Mount Longonaut is an dormant volcano near Lake Naivasha but it still has active steam vents. Next, our friend Enver from Washington came to Nairobi on business but stayed with us, so he gets the award for our first guest! We took him to Nairobi National Park among other places.  After that Kevin competed in the Nairobi Ultimate Frisbee Tournament (NUT). Later, we went to Hells Gate National Park outside Lake Naivasha. We had been to Hells Gate before but without Ruma, so we decided ... Read More

April 2006: Lake Nakuru NP
Over the Easter holiday in April, we decided to take a trip to Lake Nakuru NP.  I initially tried to get into a lodge in the park, but they wanted over $700 per night for the 4 of us.  Yeah, right.  So, we stayed in a small hotel in town for about $30 per night.  Much more reasonable.  We spent 1 day touring the park, and then 1 day up viewing the crater near Nakuru.  We saw lots of wildlife, in particular flamingos and white rhino.

March 2006: Tsavo West NP
Here are photos from our trip to Tsavo West NP during Fall break March. We went with our friends, the Carmichaels. We stayed in some Banda's right out in the bush. They were so cool that I forgot to take a photo of one!  Over the last month, we have received a lot of rain here in Kenya. You can really tell the difference. Compare the photos below with the photos of Tsavo from our February trip.

February 2006: Amboseli NP and Tsavo West NP
In February, we went on a safari to Amboseli NP and Tsavo West NP.  My Aunt Joan was supposed to come with us, but just before she was scheduled to travel, she fell and injured her hip so she could not travel.  So, we ended up going by ourselves.  This was our first "self-guided" safari in our own vehicle.  Was alot more fun being out there on our own.  We drove down to Amboseli NP and stayed two nights in the Sopa lodge, then drove over to Tsavo West NP and stayed two nights in the Serena Kilagoni.  We liked the Serena very much.  They have a wonderful viewing area near a waterhole, so you can sit back and watch as the animals come to you!

January 2006: Juba, South Sudan
Here is a collection of photos Ruma took from where she works in Juba, Sudan.

December 2005: Egypt
In December, we flew to Egypt for the holidays.  We went on a 10 day package tour.  We spent several days in the Cairo area, where we saw the pyramids of Giza and Saqqara, Memphis, the Egyptian Museum, the market at Khan el Khalili, and old Cairo, among other things.  Then we took an overnight train to Luxor, where we spent a day viewing the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hapshetsut, and the Temple of Karnak and Temple of Luxor.  Very cool.  After that, we went for a 3 day nile cruise to Aswan, stopping off at the Temple of Horus at Edfu and the Crocodile Temple in Kom Ombu.  In Aswan, we saw the high dam, the ... Read More

October 2005: Lamu, Kenya
In October (Spring for us here), we spent a week in Lamu.  Lamu is an island, near the Somali border.  We went with our Austrailian friends the Klugmans.  We rented a house in a small beach town called Shela and had a great week of sun, surf, and sand.  The highlight of the trip was the dhow trip to the reef for snorkelling and the saltwater hippos.

September 2005: Masai Mara NR
In September, we went on our first safari!  We flew to the Masai Mara for 3 days and stayed in a tented camp.  The camp was really nice, especially for the girls.  They had a kids club, where kids can meet local Masai and learn from them.  Cara and Malia learned tracks and droppings of different animals, how to shoot a bow and arrow, fishing, and even how to make fire!  There was also a "Masai training" course, which was lots of fun.  We saw lots of animals on safari, but as you can guess, the girls were more interested in spending time with "Mike" doing Masai training.

September 2005: In and Around Nairobi
Here are some photos taken from in and around Nairobi at various times.

July 2005: Summer 2005
Here is a collection of photos we took just before leaving for Africa.

Other Photos (not necessarily Africa)
Here are some other photos which we have electronic versions of.  They are not Africa, but they are some of our favorites, so we put them here anyway...

Other Interesting Links:

Friends and Family Web Sites: A number of friends and family have created web sites.  Check them out!  If you have a web site of your own, let us know and we'll add a link to your site.

Kenya: Some useful/interesting links to places in Kenya that we have come across.  If you are planning a trip or live here, these might be useful to you.

Journal Archive: For a while, I kept a journal of our travels.  However, these are now obsolete as I try to write a quick blog on each safari web page now.
 
Favorite sites: Here are a couple of my favorite web sites.

Comments/Suggestions?  Let us know.  Feedback is always appreciated.