Pretty in pink

Getting up at 6:30am on a Sunday morning usually doesn't rank as one of my favorite activities, but that's exactly what we did on our final day in Nakuru a week ago. It was another early start after six days of waking up between 5:30 and 6:30am - oh, the delights of travel ;-). Our blurry eyes & fatigue were absolutely worth it though as we managed to skip the tour groups in Lake Nakuru National Park and on several occasions felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. In fact, the only crowds we had to contend with were herds of buffalo and waterbuck, hundreds of antelopes, warthog families, large groups of zebras ... ... and the star attraction: thousands of flamingoes on the lake. At first glance their bright pink hue and elegant posture reminded me of ballerinas, but the way the birds promenaded along the shore also made them seem like ladies at court strutting their stuff! Apparently the lake's salinity levels have decreased in recent years, meaning fewer flamingoes, but it still was a sight to behold.

Just as impressive were the several white rhinos we spotted, either hanging out by themselves, with a baby or with an adult companion. All of them appeared completely unbothered by our presence, even when we observed one for ages while he was getting out of 'bath' (=a giant puddle). Their sheer size and bulk was imposing enough to remind us to not get too close though - when I asked our driver if I could get out of the car, his response was an understated yet decisive "No, it will come..."