Flora and Fauna

Our three months of language school are rapidly drawing to a close. One thing we've really appreciated about this time is the beautiful location where we're living, northwest of Nairobi. Every day on our short walk to school, we listen to the song birds, look for butterflies, monkeys, and sun birds, and watch out for slugs and safari ants on the sidewalks! I've tried to capture a few photos on my phone, although part of the beauty of this place is that it is so difficult to get in a picture!

 These small chameleons are surprisingly common around our language school. 

 One of our new friends here is an avid mushroom hunter. Apparently I shouldn't have passed up this "beauty" - I might have made a little money, or at least a good dinner.

 I have no idea what this little bug is. When Dominic pointed it out, I reassured him that it was just a flower petal. Turns out I was wrong. That's the tip of his finger for comparison.

 I found this wildlife perched on my porch around Halloween. Why yes, that is a "wrestler bandit," how did you know? Our options for costumes for school were very limited. Fortunately, Dominic was thrilled to wear his bathrobe and a sleep mask from our flight.

 There are two types of monkeys that live around our home, Colobus (the ones with the long white tail) and these guys, which I think are a type of Vervet.

 That's a picture of a very large slug just hanging out on the wall about 10 feet off the ground. I had no idea slugs were capable of climbing like that. I do unfortunately know what it feels like to step on one of these things. Yuck.

This is a Picasso beetle - the image isn't great, but you can tell that it looks like someone has carefully painted on its back. I have never before seen an insect this beautiful!

Next month: Kapsowar!!

Blessings,

Kim