[...] this was the first time my vehicle got stuck in ? a big hole dug by an aardvark. While the driver and Kennedy shoved tree limbs under the back tire, I stood sentry, on the lookout for an animal that might be thinking, Don't these fools know the rules? Every step of the way is first class, from the moment your plane touches down in Nairobi, Kenya, to your face-to-face encounter with a lion born free in the Serengeti, to Micato owners Felix and Jane Pinto's farewell hug. After a night's sleep at the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel to beat back jet lag, I flew to Amboseli National Park in Kenya and checked into Tawi Lodge, which has 12 thatch-roofed cottages. The eco-friendly lodge is powered by wind energy and a solar generator. The teenager who carried my bags (they will not let you carry your own) gave me a quick tour of the cottage. The four-poster bed had mosquito netting around it. Fellow tourists whipped out their cameras like paparazzi climbing over each other for photos of Kim and Kanye. The lion pokes its head up, sees tourist paparazzi, and goes back to sleep. If Africa were a supermarket, giraffes could reach the air conditioner filters on the top shelf. Giraffes are beautiful, tall and sleek, graceful and aloof. The driver pointed to a shape in the distance and said it was a giraffe. [...] while the lion sells theater tickets, the baddest dude in Africa really is a bull elephant. Sitting around a campfire at Ngerende Island Lodge, Kennedy explained how animals are predators and every animal is constantly nervous for its safety. During a game drive, Kennedy stopped the Land Rover, walked about 50 feet, picked up a stray paper cup, and put it in his pocket. [...] for dealing with roadside souvenir salespeople, absolutely say "duka," which means "Can I have a discount?" Whatever the salesman asks for a carved elephant, you come back with half that amount. Ngerende Island Lodge in Masai Mara is an incredible, over-the-top, luxury resort. A Masai teenager can impress a girl by jumping higher than the other guys. Since Masai are allowed to have many wives, jumping is important. While I was at dinner, she filled my outdoor bath tub with bubble bath. Because I knew I was leaving the next morning, I was good with nature for one night. There was no smog or neon or car lights, so when a shooting star crossed the full moon, it looked like "Star Wars." The most convenient way to get them is through CIBT (www.cibt.com), an international passport and visa agency.
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