Lake Magadi

Yesterday I visited the Africa that most of my extended family and friends were sure I was going to in the first place. Team A SMs plus Derek descended from our cushy, almost 6,000 ft, elevation and drove down to Lake Magadi. The change between Maxwell and Magadi, only a two hour drive apart, stunned me. Keith said it was a lot like hell, or at least very close to common perceptions of it. It's incredibly hot, it smells like sulfur, there's not much water, and the water that is there is undrinkable. A definite far cry from the paradise I call home.

To be fair, I had a great time! Watching Keith, Tanzi, and Derek crawl into 114 degree water was very entertaining! (I only got in to my ankles before calling it quits). The birds were also incredible! I saw my first wild flamingo (since SeaWorld doesn't count), as well as a bunch of other birds I couldn't identify. We saw zebra too, but what they were doing there, I'm not quite sure. While the wildlife was good, my favorite thing we saw were a group of Masai ladies who came up to where we were parked. After rinsing ourselves off with the jugs of water we brought, we offered the rest to the women gathered around. We filled their jugs and dumped water on their heads. Even though we didn't buy anything they were selling, I think everyone enjoyed the encounter. They tried to teach us some words, and we tried to take some pictures. (Neither party was very successful)

On the way back, we had the top of the car open, which is great for breezes, but also great for direct sunlight. Thanks to my shorts, I got my second lovely tan line of the year (the first being the trapezoid emblazoned on my chest). I walked into the girls dorm last night, and all the girls were commenting on my burn. I think they were just jealous.

My pretty epic sunburn #2. Can you see it?