We arrived back in Nairobi late in the afternoon. The & Beyond folks were there to pick us up and drive us to Giraffe Manor where we would spend the evening. We learned first-hand that traffic in and out of Nairobi at rush hour closely resembles our traffic battles at home. Our driver said that a trip that should take forty minutes can easily take two hours. Many a guest has missed a flight because of this. To avoid the traffic, our driver took an alternate route which was a bumpy dirt road between wilderness and razor wire topped fences. We were OK with this until a passing driver told our driver that we had a tire going flag. Yikes. This wasn’t the kid of place we wanted to get stuck as the sun was going down. Luckily the tire held on and we made it to the inn. The inn, called Giraffe Manor, was built back in the 1930’s by a Scotsman who was an heir to a toffee empire. To bring the feel of home he styled the manner after a gabled, Scottish hunting lodge. They enjoyed the property until it was taken over by the British military during World War I. After the war, it changed hands a few times and was left abandoned in the early ’70s. During that time it was discovered by some flower children who squatted there for some time. In the mid-70’s the property was bought by the Leslie-Melville family who learned that the only remaining Rothschild giraffes were in danger of extinction. Because the property was already home to two of the giraffes, they agreed to give a new home to another from western Africa. Soon other giraffes where given homes and the family developed arrangements with other breeding programs. So now you probably get the idea where the name of the inn comes from. The coolest thing though is that several times each day the giraffes come up to the courtyard surrounding the inn looking for food. They’ll even poke there heads through the inn’s windows. This makes for some interesting meals.

Did you know that giraffes sleep less than any other mammal. Their calves will sleep for up to two hours per day but an adult will only sleep for a half-hour per day in five-minute naps. Also, giraffe tongues can reach up to 21 cm.

We started our day sharing our breakfast with the long-legged neighbors. They weren’t kidding about the closeness of the giraffes. They really do come right through the windows. There we were enjoying our eggs and next thing you know, there’s a giraffe learning over my head.

Using the food pellets the staff provided we were feeding them out of our hands and even giving them kisses. That’s for you Susie.

After our very entertaining breakfast we e headed to the regional airport for a flight to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Can’t wait to see more animals. Click here for more photos.